Ayumi Hamasaki

My second alarm blares, tearing me from my private world. I squint at the clock and sigh; it’s six forty-five already. I save my work and close my word document, then climb out of my chair and grab my empty mug to deposit it in the kitchen sink. I’ve only been awake an hour and a half, but I’ve done most of my personal work for the day. Getting up at five in the morning used to be a chore, but now I look forward to it. With my schedule, it’s one of the only times I can devote wholly to writing.…

This school year, I decided to get an off campus apartment instead of staying on campus in a dorm. It was a last minute decision, but I wanted the experience of truly being on my own. Because I waited so long to get an apartment, a lot of them were already taken. An old friend of mine introduced me a girl named Danielle the previous school year and she happened to be looking for a roommate as well. We texted and a few weeks later I was approved to move into the apartment with her. I did not…

The memories of our past can continue to hinder our future, or as Peter Guber proclaims in his book “Tell to Win” the story of our past can help us to move an audience to action. In chapter 4 of Peter Guber’s novel, Tell to Win, teaches us how to use backstory in storytelling. He shares with us the challenges of the backstory and how this can help in positive ways any storyteller regardless if they are great storytellers or not. Guber uses the term backstory to stress the importance of one’s…

The Diary of a Young Girl / Anne Frank Anne Frank possesses a multitude of traits that prove her adequacy of being a best friend. For example, Frank acquires a remarkably positive outlook on life, which is undoubtedly a valuable trait to have in a friend. Frank writes in her diary, "I can't keep that up, if I'm watched to that extent, I start by getting snappy, then unhappy, and finally I twist my heart round again, so that the bad is on the outside and the good is on the inside and keep…

Big Fish is a film of many themes, including those of the ability for love to conquer all and telling stories allows no person to be forgotten. Throughout the entire film of Big Fish no matter what happened Edward always came back to those he loved. In the beginning of the film right before Edward leaves to go to Spectre, he promises Karl that he will return. A commitment is sign of caring, especially in this case where Edward vows to come through by giving the giant his backpack. Even though in…

Common decency didn’t seem to exist east of the White Knife river. Was it something in the soil that prompted the Boltons and their kin to treat others with such disdain? As of yet, all Alysanne had done was eat and be married in her husband’s company. It baffled her that he could not even manage to muster the energy to put on even a ruse of chivalry. She had half a mind to stay seated right where she was and wait for him to announce himself to her properly, but this was not her home… not yet.…

We’ve all had experiences that greatly impact our lives. Some have more impact than others, some in good ways and others in bad ways. Regardless of the emotions we assign the experiences, they help shape who we are. The unique views, opinions, habits, character traits, and perceptions we have are molded out of these numerous experiences. I have had so many experiences that have changed the way I view the world, the people in it, and myself. One of these such experiences happened to me when I was…

The Life of Victoria Gaston Everyone has his or her own story to tell, and I’m going to tell you about mine. Living in the life of Victoria Rose Gaston can have its struggles, but it also has some amazing, life changing moments too. It can range from breaking your arm, pinky, and elbow to traveling to a third world country for a mission trip. No matter what crazy things have happened in my life, it has helped to shape me into the person I am today. From my early life to adolescence my life has…

Many people has gone through dramatic experiences in life that made them the person they are now. Have you ever thought about an event that happened to you and made you the person you are now? I believe i have so many times and i even question myself about why those horrible experiences happpened to me. The most significant even from my past that helped shape who i am today is when i was homeless for about a year in a half. The event that shaped me as a person in today was when i was…

In my work as a Psychotherapist, I’m daily reminded that “life happens” to us all. Rather than looking at distress as pathology, however, at The Life Solution Center of Darien, we recognize that it is usually a normal reaction to life’s problems.. It’s what we do about those problems that makes the difference between health and illness. At The LSCD, it’s our mission to diagnose the problem and fix it. In other words, Problem Identification + Action Plan = Solution. Case in point: A few months…