This article will not pamper you. It is unapologetic and to some, it might even feel like a slap in the face. However, if you want to turn your dream into reality, you need to wake up.

Here’s the harsh reality:

1. Nobody cares about your writing dreams.

One of my goals for this year is to publish a poetry collection. I’ve been writing poetry since my teenage years so I already have a huge pile of possible poems that I could include in the book.

Not saying that all of them are good. …

Insomnia. What a sweet delight we have all suffered from at some point or another.

It’s that friend we have fallen out of touch with but that always manages to come back.

We think this time we have parted for good, this is it, but nope. They always find a way to come back. We are simply too great to not have us in their life. What a compliment that is!

Still, I roll my eyes every time insomnia comes back

Still, I roll my eyes every time insomnia comes back. Predictable. Like an ex who realized that they shouldn’t…

It is said that commodification is a byproduct of globalization. Everything is being turned into something that you can sell. While most of us only think of objects, it is true that ideas are also turned into commodities, aimed for commercial gains.

Consequently, most people think about how they can make money off their hobbies rather than doing what they love, just for fun. With no pressure to succeed or become better and better at it every day.

Medium has turned writing into a commodity.

Most people worry about how well their article is going to perform before they have…

“I am gay.”

It’s saying those 3 words out loud that many people fear. That, and the other incredibly scary 3 words — “I love you”.

Coming to think of it, there’s only one word that’s scary when you are coming out.

The adjective that refers to your sexuality.

And that’s only because you live in a society in which being straight is portrayed as the norm, which makes you believe that being something else might cause you to be rejected by your own family and friends.

No wonder some people feel absolutely dreadful just thinking about coming out.

While many LGBTQIA+ members…

We often hear that we create our own reality. We experience whatever we have in mind and our thoughts will be reflected in the way we perceive life.

If you worry about failing an upcoming exam and if that’s all you think about, chances are you will actually fail the exam. We attract what we are and we attract whatever we focus on. Hence, a mindset shift can cause you to attract good things into your life and to see a seemingly negative situation in an entirely new light.

If you think that it’s easy to make friends and that…

“Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation, and it is perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture, or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development, and peace.” — Kofi Annan

Violence against women has been around for centuries. Maybe that’s why it’s been normalized, even though everyone seems to be in disbelief when there’s yet another attack or rape. That’s when the questions come and the blaming begins.

Why was she walking home alone?

Why was she out around that time, anyway?

…

Being alive isn’t always a pleasant experience. Sometimes we come across people who hurt us badly. It can be parents, friends, teachers, or lovers.

They can be liars, cheaters, gaslighters, and manipulators who can scar us for life. Rarely anyone wanders through life without going through a traumatic event. And coping with the consequences, the aftermath so to speak, can be even harder than the experience itself.

The aftermath of abuse

We often feel bitter and angry, shattered. Above all, a deep fear sinks in.

What if this happens again?

What if I deserve what happened?

What if I am not lovable enough?

Am…

Recently I noticed a funny thing: The more time I spend on Medium the less I know about this platform. It seems that the harder you try to decode it, the faster it will change as though Medium itself had no interest in writers finding out how the platform actually works.

Why else would they hide the topics you were curated into?

But that’s a story for another time.

Let us now turn to reading time and why it does/doesn’t matter.

Time is money

As most of you already know, your monthly earnings are calculated by how many Medium members read your articles…