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If an emperor can do it…
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius I was looking for some encouragement and found this quote earlier today. You’d expect to find that quote on some pretentious, woke website today, but this guy came up with this gem nearly two thousands […]
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Unemployment
Three weeks ago my boss told me that I would be laid off at the end of March. March 31st will be my last day working for the company. She told me that over the phone. I guess it was easier for both of us to have that awkward conversation without facing each other. The […]
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Obstacles
“There are plenty of obstacles in your path. Don’t allow YOURSELF to become one of them.” – Ralph Marston I suffer from migraines. Sometimes they are so debilitating I spend days in the dark, afraid to even turn my head, so the vertigo won’t make me lose my balance or, worse, throw up. The throbbing […]
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Perfectionism
What a silky, treacherous word. We hide behind it and luxuriate in our high standards. We, the barons of Ivory Pages, Rise above our mediocre peers who underwhelm us daily with their wide-eyed, bourgeois creations. We mock their innocence and vulnerability. Eh, it’s quite endearing to some degree, if we’re honest. Cute is a better […]
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Dilemma
“Continuous effort – not strength and intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.” – Winston Churchill I have finally finished my first complete short story. It’s quite an accomplishment for this novice writer who struggles with the insecurities of writing in a second language and all the ghosts that accompany that “handicap.” I […]
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The Enthusiasm of Failure
Perseverance is not my strongest suit. I get easily distracted by the next shiny subject and drop the one that I just got bored with. I can easily figure out others, but have trouble fixing myself. Why do I stop pursuing one difficult task and quickly move to another? What am I afraid of? It’s […]
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The Language of Learning
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing you can do is keep your mind young.” Mark Twain Learning to blog is like learning a new skill. A new language. I am more creative than technical. I’d rather write a poem on the philosophy […]
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The Moon in my Pocket
The frosted cobblestone street gleams in the moonlight. I step aside not to break the honeycomb of small vintage mirrors echoing the throbbing stars above. The moon smiles on me, like a gold-toothed gypsy about to sweet-talk me out of the last dime in my pocket. The wind is salty, scratching my copper bearded cheeks, […]
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True Sentence?
“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence you know.” – Ernest Hemingway Great advice from Master Hemingway, isn’t it? Just write that TRUE sentence and you’re off to a great start. If I could interview Mr. Hemingway, I’d ask him what makes a sentence ring TRUE. Is it […]
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Writing over talking
“Writing is a way of talking without getting interrupted.” Jules Renaud I am a shy person. Painfully shy, I should emphasize, now that I live in an another country and speak a second language I still don’t have a command of yet. When I left Romania almost 15 years ago, I’d hoped that I would […]
Gabriela D. Martin
The Musings of a Mild-Mannered Introvert with an Exuberant Imagination
Gabriela D. Martin 