Short Story
Happy Harper
May rolled by like another Monday, even though it started on a Thursday this year. Same shit, different day. Except there was one small change. Well, maybe not that small. This year, the school was empty. Same with the office. And the staff room. Not a soul in sight.
By Oneg In The Arctic5 months ago in Fiction
I Felt Like a Failure at 20—Here’s What Changed
Writing I Felt Like a Failure at 20—Here’s What Changed At 20, I genuinely believed I was already behind in life. It sounds dramatic, I know. But when you’re in that moment—scrolling through social media, watching people your age “winning,” achieving, building, succeeding—it doesn’t feel dramatic. It feels real. It feels heavy. Every day, I compared myself to others. Someone had already started a business. Someone else was traveling. Another person was earning online, buying things, living what looked like a perfect life. And then there was me—confused, stuck, and unsure of what I was even doing. I wasn’t where I thought I should be. And that thought slowly turned into something worse: “I’m a failure.” The Quiet Pressure No One Talks About No one sat me down and told me I had failed. No one said it directly. But the pressure was everywhere. Family expectations. Society’s timeline. The invisible checklist: Graduate early Earn money quickly Be successful fast And if you weren’t doing those things? You start questioning yourself. I remember waking up some mornings with zero motivation. Not because I was lazy—but because I felt lost. There’s a difference. When you don’t know your direction, even small tasks feel pointless. I tried different things. I started something, then stopped. Tried again, failed again. Every failure felt like proof that I wasn’t good enough. And slowly, I stopped trying as much. The Turning Point (It Wasn’t Big) You might expect some dramatic turning point—something huge that changed everything overnight. But that’s not what happened. It was actually a very small moment. One night, after overthinking for hours, I asked myself a simple question: “Compared to who?” That question stayed with me. I realized that all my feelings of failure were based on comparison. I wasn’t measuring my progress—I was measuring someone else’s highlight reel against my behind-the-scenes life. And of course, I was losing. The Shift in Mindset That night didn’t magically fix everything. But it changed how I started looking at things. Instead of thinking: “I’m behind” I started asking: “What can I do today?” Instead of: “I failed again” I asked: “What did I learn?” It sounds simple, maybe even obvious—but when you actually start thinking this way, things begin to shift. I stopped focusing on being “successful” at 20. I started focusing on becoming better than I was yesterday. I Lowered the Pressure (And That Helped) One of the biggest problems was that I had unrealistic expectations. I wanted fast results. Quick success. Instant progress. But real life doesn’t work like that. So I made a change: I allowed myself to be a beginner. I gave myself permission to: Make mistakes Be slow Not have everything figured out And strangely, that’s when I started improving. Because I wasn’t afraid anymore. Small Wins Started to Matter Before, I ignored small progress. Now, I started noticing it. Finishing something I started Learning a new skill Staying consistent for a few days These weren’t big achievements. But they were real. And they built confidence. Confidence doesn’t come from thinking you’re great—it comes from proving to yourself that you can improve. I Stopped Looking at Everyone Else This was hard. Social media makes it almost impossible not to compare. But I realized something important: Most people only show their best moments. You don’t see: Their failures Their struggles Their doubts You see results, not the process. Once I understood that, I stopped taking it personally. Their journey isn’t mine. And mine doesn’t have to look like theirs. What Actually Changed So what changed? Not my life overnight. Not my financial situation instantly. Not my success level immediately. What changed was: My mindset My expectations My focus And those things slowly started changing everything else. If You Feel Like a Failure at 20 Let me tell you something honestly: You’re not behind. You’re not late. You’re not a failure. You’re just at the beginning. Feeling lost at 20 is more normal than people admit. Most people are figuring things out—they’re just better at hiding it. Where I Am Now I’m still not perfect. I still have doubts sometimes. I still compare myself occasionally. But I don’t feel like a failure anymore. Because now I understand something I didn’t before: Life isn’t a race. It’s a process. And at 20, you’re not supposed to have everything figured out. You’re supposed to be learning. Final Thought If you’re reading this and feeling the same way I did, take this with you: You don’t need to have a perfect plan. You don’t need instant success. You just need to keep going. One step. One day. One small improvement at a time. That’s what changed everything for me. Did you like this feature?
By Matiullah k5 months ago in Fiction
Love's Wild Fog
Echoes are intangible, atop the tiny brushes of leaves of St Clair. A light breath of lagged tears fog, insurmountably afloat like ash in the air. My boots press like stamps, metallic scatterings at a vocal range that deafens, making my heart stop and turn with momentary regret. Should I leave or stay?
By Susan L. Marshall5 months ago in Fiction
The Photo that Never Was. Honorable Mention in You Had to Be There. Top Story - May 2026.
If you look closely at this photo, you will notice there is no cow standing on the front porch. In fact, there is no photo anywhere of a cow standing on the porch of this house.
By A. J. Schoenfeld5 months ago in Fiction
The Adventures of Ethel & Franklin
“Is that fool coming over any time soon?” Carla asked Ethel. “He should’ve been here by now” Ethel replied as she was getting the tools for her yard out of the shed. “Well you know he goes to church on Sundays, mother” Ethel started. “Maybe he got caught up fellowshippin’ with his church crew.” “Or maybe he’s sitting in the living room laying back comfortably in my favorite chair and listening to his music.” Carla replied.
By Joe Patterson5 months ago in Fiction
The Last Story. Top Story - June 2023.
The End That was the words that they wrote, the final words. There would be no more. They were written with the last ink on the last piece of paper. The story was important but would have to be kept secret and hidden.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 5 months ago in Fiction
The Proud Rich Man and the Broken Bicycle
The Proud Rich Man and the Broken Bicycle Written (Matiullah) Once there was a rich man lives in a very big city. He has a very big and fast car that shines like a sun. He has much money in the pockets and he thinks that I am the king of this world. He has a big house with six rooms, three kitchens, and a very large garden where many flowers are present. He was very proud of his car and his wealth. One day the rich man was driving his car on a long road to go to another city for a big business meeting. In the way he see a poor man. The poor man was riding a very old and broken bicycle. The bicycle was making a loud noise like "creak creak" and the poor man was sweating because the sun was very hot. Now the rich man thinking badly and prideful. He stop his car near the poor man and start laughing. He said to the poor man that what is your name. The poor man reply my name is Rahim. The rich man said to Rahim that why you ride this broken thing. This is a very waste of time. Look at my car, it has much speed and much air conditioning. You are a very low person with a very low bicycle. The poor man Rahim said that I am happy with my bicycle because it takes me to my home. The rich man laughed more and said you stay in the dust and I will stay in the clouds. After the rich man start his car on very high speed and went. In way he thinks that the poor people are like insects and they not have any value in the world. Now he was driving in a place where no houses are present. Only big mountains and trees are there. Suddenly, a very loud sound come from the engine of the car. The car stop directly. The rich man try to start the car again and again but the car was not moving. Now the rich man become very scary. He thinks what happened to my fast car. He open the front and see that the engine has much smoke and the wires are melted by heat. Now the rich man is sit on the road. The sun was going down and the cold air of the night was coming. He has no water and no food. He wait for many hours but no other car was passing from this way. Now he thinks that my money and my big car is not helping me here. He was feeling very thirsty and his heart was compressely bits with fear. After two hours, he see a small light coming from far. It was the poor man Rahim on his broken bicycle. When Rahim come near, the rich man run to him and said please help me. My car is finished and I am very hungry and thirsty. Now the rich man thinking that Rahim will laugh at me because I was laughing at him. But Rahim stop his bicycle and give him a bottle of water. Rahim said that I know your car is very fast but on this road, sometimes the slow things are more better. The rich man said can you take me to the city. Rahim said my bicycle is very old and it can only carry one person and some load. But I will try. The rich man was very heavy but he has no choice. He sit on the back of the broken bicycle. Rahim was pedaling with much power and the bicycle was making more noise. In the way, the rich man see that the bicycle is very strong. It not need any engine or any chemicals. After three hours of hard work, they reach to a small hotel near the city. The rich man was safe now. He want to give some money to Rahim. He take out many thousands of money and give to him. But Rahim reply that I not need your money. I help you because you were in trouble, not for your wealth. I am happy with my broken bicycle and my small life. The rich man was feeling more then more shame. He think that I have much money but I have no heart, and this poor man has no money but he has a king’s heart. The rich man go to his home and he not feel proud anymore. He sell his very fast car and buy a simple car and give the extra money to the poor people of the village. Now he not laugh at anyone. He understand that the pride is a very bad thing and it can fall a man on the ground in one minute. He went to the house of Rahim and again try to give him a gift. He bring a new bicycle for him. But Rahim said that I have love for my old bicycle because it save a life of a proud man. Now they become friends and the rich man visit him every week. The village people are surprised that how the rich man become so honest and kind. Now the story is finish and the rich man lives a very peaceful life. He tell everyone that don't look at the clothes or the cars of a person, but look at the soul. Moral ..... (Pride Hath a Fall)
By Matiullah k5 months ago in Fiction
Adolf Hitler Eternal Therapy Session 669
Lucifer Morningstar sits behind a black mahogany desk, typing away in a sleek grey Google Chromebook. He has moon-shaped spectacles over his red eyes, the blacks of his stained white with exhaustion. A large counter over his head continuously ticks up in number to larger and larger numbers.
By Hope Martin5 months ago in Fiction
The Return (working title)
I stared out at the snow, debating how to broach the topic to my now-fiance. This wasn’t a normal my-family-is-weird-please-don’t-judge-me conversation. This was something I also believed in, would continue to believe in. Needed him to approve of, join in, and help me with for the rest of our lives.
By Phoenixica245 months ago in Fiction
