Non Fiction

The Lies I Tell Myself So I Can Keep Going

/ Stuart Danker / 17 Comments

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I’ve been trying to keep my head above water ever since I landed my new job.

And don’t get me wrong, it’s been wonderful not having to worry about the other trivialities of life. And there’s just something about losing time that makes you treasure it more.

Then again, I’m falling back to writing this post an hour before my weekly deadline zooms by, so that’s a problem I’ve been trying to address.

During times like this, though, I’ve found a new way to keep going. Sometimes I rely on sheer willpower to get me through my day. Other times I tap into my refusal of letting the haters win.

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Whoa, My Dog Is Teaching Me The Meaning Of Life

/ Stuart Danker / 58 Comments

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Let me introduce you to Lady, a ten-year-old cocker who’s been my buddy for a while now. Before meeting her, I often viewed dogs as simple beings that chased after balls and bothered people while they eat.

However, Lady has taught me more about life than any self-help guru ever could. She doesn’t read motivational books or have a master’s degree in psychology. Yet somehow she still manages to teach me valuable life lessons.

Here are some of them.

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This Is Why My Blog Is Dying

/ Stuart Danker / 121 Comments

Oh wow, another week’s passed, and I’m once again writing my weekly post at the last possible minute. If I’m honest, this workflow hasn’t been the best for my blog growth.

What I’ve worked hard these past few years is now dwindling, and I find myself not having a choice but to just deal with it.

But if you know me, you’ll know that nothing’s ever a loss. A writer’s life is always win-win because there’s always a story you can flesh out of the bad experiences.

So the good part of all this is that I get to share my gradual downfall with you. All you’ll need to do is to apply the opposite and you’ll be golden.

See? Win-win.

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Your Fear Of Looking Stupid May Be Holding You Back

/ Stuart Danker / 51 Comments

Woman covering her face in embarrassment

I’m terrible at small talk. You know why I think so? Because I wouldn’t want to have a conversation with me.

So I’ve come to accept how people’s eyes glaze over as they seek the most polite form of exit. And I know why they get unnerved too. Because I’m one shift-eyed dude.

For some reason, I can never get my facial expressions to react accordingly. Because of that, I tend to overthink, and what results is usually just me twitching at the lips when I should be smiling.

Why am I telling you all this? Because the past few months have taught me a lot about socialising. Which is a big deal because I tend to be a hermit.

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Only You Can Deal With Your Problems

/ Stuart Danker / 36 Comments

Have you watched the movie 300?

I ask because I love that intro on Leonidas’s life. It wasn’t the sparring or the asceticism that got me. It’s the part where he was thrown into the freezing tundras to fend for himself. Against the cold and sabretooth tigers.

I know it’s fiction, but that scene was boss.

Of course, I don’t condone doing the same, especially since sabretooth tigers have since gone extinct. But the concept itself highlights a point I firmly believe in: that you have to be the person to walk through the fires of your life.

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