2022 has opened my eyes to the value of community, encouragement, and fostering an abundance mindset for us all to flourish.

Since I’ve stepped into the role of Coffee Times inspiration editor, I’ve probably read more stories by other writers than I had in all my previous years writing on Medium.

That might be a slight exaggeration — however, now I feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself as a writer — it’s only been three weeks, yet it’s already been incredibly rewarding.

The responses to my prompt last week: Vuja Dé — A Simple Mindset Shift to See Each Day as Extraordinary have been a joy to read.

I love being invited into slices of life from around the world, a reminder that, as Maya Angelou put it:

I’ve found that more often than not, we write about journeying closer to our own humanity, whether that’s through letting go of guilt, being easier on ourselves, striving for a dream, helping somebody out, encouraging one another to get the best out of ourselves, cultivating a skill or passion, painting a picture metaphorically of something we love, or writing about something that pisses us off, which, hey, is a way to better understand ourselves.

And isn’t that beautiful?

We’re here to discover, to teach, to learn, to live.

We’re creating something truly special, and I’m grateful to be a part of it. I want to share a handful of stories which I found to illustrate the above quote by Maya Angelou — it’s a powerful one that we can never consider enough.

Alike or unalike, we’re all just doing our best anyway. All we can hope to do is grow together.

This Week’s Stories

One of my favorite responses to my prompt was the following piece by my fellow editor, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, who portrays an ordinary day as absolutely lovely.

From Déja Vu to Vuja Dé, Every Day Seeing the ordinary as extraordinary

This piece by Tatum Hamernik is vulnerable and shows just how alike we really are, in a good way.

Tatum missed a day of her writing challenge; yet she found the silver lining — she’d created a writing streak that beat any previous one; from there, all you can do is pick up the pieces and continue with your head held high.

I Forgot To Write Yesterday

This following piece by Poetic Therapy hits home with me. Shadai breaks down the virtue of diligence and focuses on dedication to one’s purpose and endurance over immediate gratification. As creators, this is an essential trait to cultivate.

Diligence

The following piece by my podcast partner-in-crime Gregory Russell Benedikt should make us all look into the sky and let out a belly laugh.

Gregory asks if it’s worth getting caught up in the fear and anxiety of the times, or, if what we all really need is a good, hearty laugh at the absurdity of this situation.

At What Point Do We Start Laughing?

This piece by Fabio Diolosa is eye-opening, particularly for me as I’m sincerely fascinated by the lessons of history. Yes, our modern world is confusing and anxiety-inducing and can damn-near break us; but our world has been through some crazy shit, and human beings have always found a way to continue smiling.

Appreciate life this is no rehearsal

This story Sam Finlayson nearly brought me to tears. This truly embodies my prompt of portraying the everyday human experience as simply extraordinary. Love conquers all, y’all. Love conquers all.

When You Value The Ordinary It Becomes Extraordinary

I hope you enjoyed this week’s round-up of inspirational reads! Until next time, my dear friends.