Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Motivation.
Already Within
HONK, HONK, HONK, HONK. My alarm is obnoxious, I need to change it already. I hate the discomfort of my twisted pajamas coiled around my body the moment I open my eyes. I hate the crumbs in my bed from Winston’s bone that he gnaws on before bedtime. I hate the sunlight that pierces through the magnificent skyrise view I once dreamed of directly to my burning, dried out eyeballs.
By Lexi Taylor6 years ago in Motivation
Simple Ain’t Easy
I’m standing in line for Register 3 with a 24-pound bag of dog food slung across my hip like a cranky toddler. I’m in the throes of a polyester sweat sesh but my hair is down and my edges are frizzing — after a nine hour shift I’m working off a major ponytail headache. My jacket is twisted through the straps of my purse; my name tag dangles off the side. The KT Tape running from my collarbone down to my waistband itches every time my bra rides up but my back no longer feels like a broken window pane. Worth it.
By Alyson Kate Long6 years ago in Motivation
Shimmering
The only time I ever saw my father cry was when my grandmother died. The light reaching through the crack in the door to his study was bright enough to burn the memory of his quivering shoulders into my mind forever. Sometime after her funeral, when most had paid their respects and left, he took me and my little sister outside to look at the stars. Hayley was too young to fully understand what was happening, but she held my hand just the same, mimicking my father as he pointed out a cluster of stars in the sky.
By Jenna Calamai6 years ago in Motivation
The Money Book
It was an early Wednesday morning: she woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring. As she opened her eyes to turn off her alarm, she feels a cool leather object under her fingers instead of her phone. Opening her eyes, she notices a small leather black book on her night table she was sure was not there the night before. she grabs it and opens the book to find it empty, with no inscription, notes, or anything. Not even a name. She slides her finger from the top of the page down to the bottom. as her finger reaches the bottom the page turns into a 100-dollar note. She blinks. She wonders if her eyes are playing tricks on her, if she is hallucinating or if she truly saw what she thinks she had just seen. She rips the note out of the book and tries again. It works again.
By Aj Brennan6 years ago in Motivation
Witchy Reward
Today I’m opening my new plant store. It is a dream come true! I’ve always wanted my own Green Witch plant store. Not that it will reduce the number of plants at home that my friends and family always give me grief for. Now my passion for plants and sharing it with others is being realized. And it’s all by chance. Really, it is. It all started a month ago…
By Amanda Martin6 years ago in Motivation
Suzy Under the Sun in Sagittarius
Imagine learning that 2021 is the year you ultimately become your best self. Envision that you will reach your goals, find healing, and step away from the dark past that haunts, bringing you into the bright light of opportunity. If you’re a Sagittarius, and more specifically, me, this is very much the case.
By Suzy Gilbert6 years ago in Motivation
The Epic Find
Sarah stared out the window over her coffee and thought, “This is a perfect day to go antiquing.” She hadn’t been in months and it was time to recharge her vintage battery and her store stock. She finished her coffee and toast, pushed herself away from the table and put her dishes in the sink. “I’ll tidy this up later,” she told her cat, Maggie. Maggie blinked and went to sleep. Gotta love cats.
By Shelly Barnes6 years ago in Motivation
The Healing Bench
She seemed to just stare off into the distance. What was she thinking about so deeply that her river of thoughts seemed to catch me in its current? She seemed tired but well put together, nonetheless. Her hair fell around her face in curled rebellion and yet it worked so charmingly on her soft feminine features. Her skin was deeply tanned with a reddish undertone. She wore a sage green camisole and denim shorts with a white cardigan. In her hands, I could see a black notebook and a pen, but she seemed to be working through her next words in her mind before she commits them to paper. The sun was bright, and the scenery appeared particularly vivid today. I just had a good feeling, but I'm not sure why. Things honestly hadn't been going very well lately.
By Evie Fisher6 years ago in Motivation
Thanks a Million!
Vocal+ Little Black Book Contest February 28, 2021 Thanks a Million! By Lisa Q. Steinberg (1,335 words) If life is a hamster wheel, I had it made – an ordinary person, with an ordinary family, an ordinary income, and living in what everyone thought was an ordinary house… except for the woodpeckers. And trust me, there’s no trouble, like pecker trouble.
By Lisa Q. Steinberg6 years ago in Motivation
Uni-verses
There was something black and glossy under the bench. It looked like a book of the kind you write in. Jaydan was curious. This was not unusual – Jaydan was curious about shinny things, dull things, tiny things, huge things, common things, rare things, things that flew and things that didn’t move at all. He was curious about objects, about smells, about sounds; he could spend long stretches of time feeling a particularly smooth surface or a ticklishly rough one. Jaydan was curious about lots of things – people, not so much. He found them a bit boring. Certainly grown-ups with their silly questions about school and which this or that was his favorite – subject, teacher, friend, or superhero. Why did he have to have a favorite!? Kids were a bit better. At least some kids were.
By Ines Anton-Mendez6 years ago in Motivation
Gateway To Our Future
My thirst for finding purpose in my life was not quenched upon my graduation from The Miami School of Business. Most of my friends went on to start their careers, however, I was not ready to take that leap into what I thought was the real world just yet. I decided to take time before committing my life to a financial institution to travel and try once more to find the purpose that seemed to escape me. I had just enough graduation money saved up for a ticket to The Gambia, East Africa. My older brother had visited this country on a mission trip and returned with a plethora of memories to share. Since then, I have wanted to visit for myself and experience a world outside of Ohio. Without having any real responsibilities, I booked my tickets, arranged to get all my necessary vaccinations and packed my bags in preparation for my trip to The Gambia. On the day of my departure, my older brother entered my room and handed me a small black notebook. He informed me that inside this mysterious notebook was a gateway to my future. I didn’t think anything of it at first, so I thanked him unceremoniously, quickly tucked the notebook into my backpack and hugged him goodbye. After bidding my family farewell, I got into my Uber and left to the airport.
By Zobaida Falah 6 years ago in Motivation
