Reciprocal | Colours of Life

Let’s Celebrate Life At Reciprocal

Introduction to The New Column ‘Colors of Life’ by Yana Bostongirl

“Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity.”

- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author

Each of us has a unique story to tell. Our lives are full of love, feelings, experiences, suffering, and healing. All of these factors create our life stories. In our life tales, we are all protagonists. We attempt to make this story as perfect as possible each day when we awaken, forgetting that flawless stories never engage audiences.

The most ideal and extraordinary story isn’t necessarily one that involves love, prosperity, and fortune. A story requires emotions — smiles, tears, love, grief, and healing — as well as success and failure. This is how the cosmos created us. Stories without drama are not to our taste. In light of this, how can we anticipate living a life that is straightforward and free of obstacles? You will have a boring existence if everything is straightforward.

Just keep in mind that there are no ideal stories. A story’s beauty is entirely derived from its flaws. You can never find fulfilment in life through striving for perfection.

It’s acceptable to not have the ideal job, house, or car. You don’t have to be flawless; it’s okay. There is no such thing as a perfect character in a novel or movie. Everyone must contend with their vulnerabilities. Therefore, rather than pushing ourselves to be flawless, our attitude should be to concentrate on our strengths and how to make life good.

On the path to perfection, you can occasionally lose your authenticity. That is the worst situation because you lose who you are. So, embrace your flaws and use them to create a wonderful story.

It’s time to start telling your stories. Everybody experiences sorrow and hardship in life. We may support one another by being vulnerable and expressing our feelings. Even if we have positive life experiences, we will still have negative ones. Life is still good despite this. Although some of life’s experiences are the most difficult, they make us better, stronger, and wiser.

There is no one on earth who has never experienced sadness, pain, or disappointment. We’ve all experienced the worst that life has to offer. Thus, we can all identify as survivors. Although someone else’s life may be tougher than yours, we have all shown strength in the face of adversity.

We all have stories of healing, overcoming, pains, failures, and struggles that give someone a ray of hope to survive.

Reciprocal is working to strengthen our community by encouraging everyone to open up and share their vulnerable life experiences. In the “Colors Of Life” column, we offer a dedicated spot just for all your life stories.

“You don’t just help people by sharing your story — you find people who care by sharing.”

- Unknown

It takes bravery to express what is in your heart. However, through telling your life tales, you become more empowered and are able to let go of the past. Keep in mind that when you share, you are also helping others.

Who would be a stronger leader to host this column than someone who has successfully survived themselves? A person who has had some painful events in her life. A person who excels at disclosing their most vulnerable self. This new column will be hosted by none other than Yana Bostongirl a brilliant author and editor of Reciprocal.

Submission Guidelines For Submitting to This Column

• Remember to include the “Life” and “Reciprocal” tags when sending us your stories.
• Keep in mind that we are all here to support one another, so link two writers with their articles (Below you can see the sample)
• Always send an unpublished draft of your story. At Reciprocal, we don’t publish previously published stories.
• The updated submission rules are available for reading here.

I would like to invite the authors of Reciprocal to share this update.

MarkfromBoston 🌻Ukraine Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles Sara Burdick Christina Ali Klara Jane Holloway Danielle Hestand Carmellita Breezy Pene Hodge Victoria Gregg Josephine Crispin Rodney Brazier Dr. Preeti Singh Marilyn Glover K.M. Fullerton Trista Signe Ainsworth Mulan Yana Bostongirl Ilana Lydia Martin L Shuck Monoreena Acharjee Majum Imani Talim Lucia Landini Umme Salma Sally Prag Vashni Stories Suma Narayan Tamil Dr. Fatima Imam Tara Desai Ph.D. Kris Bedenian Sujona Chatterjee Amy Rosie Penny Grubb Tyra Jaide Francis Edwards, published writer Elena Cooper Liberty Forrest, Author Jaylee Reign Patrick OConnell Hope Catherine McMillan T Mann Dennett Philippe Izedian Kaz Rochford B.R. Shenoy Divya Goswami June Kirri Margaret S. Obinna Uruakpa Kiki Lu Johnson Norlisa Alias Jamario Cantrell Hollie Petit, Ph.D. Ellen Baker Scott Younkin Ellie Jacobson Julie Ranson Maria Rattray Christina Sponias Neera Handa Dr. Anastasia S. Manyonga Sara Hardy Jean Elizabeth Glass Shameem Anwar Elise Paxson ☕️ Kaleb Shumway Bridie Dillon Diane Neill Tincher Mary Mahoney Rhea Anglesey Libby Shively McAvoy Martin French Bernie Pullen Kannan Natesan Story Taller Dawn Smiles Malena N Davis Carmen Dawn Paul Neathery Kamil Evon Angie Mangino Light-Hearted Vision Shereen Bingham Linda Locke Julie Gaeta Kunaal b Ashley J.J. White Angie Smartt Isla Orange Michelle Hargett Delia Pena-Gay Megan Llorente Carolyn F. Chryst, Ph.D. Main Kazi kt lee Mary Louisa Cappelli, MFA, JD, Ph.D. Sejal Chauhan Poet In The Arctic Desarae Black Cristina Cattai Drashti Shroff Pam Winter Kerstin Krause JF Danskin Regi Brittain Christine Vann, MSc. Leonard Tillerman Sandra Jasionowska Helen Miao Yu Sabrina Johnson 🌈LIFE LESSON Kacy Singh Amanda Laughtland Wendi Gordon Susan Alison Aakash Dahal WrittenMastery Ainur Roviq Jillian Amatt — Artistic Voyages Grace Leverich Craig Davishoff Alisha James U. Rizzi William Vincent Carleton Nikolaos Skordlils Michael L Butler Asim Nori Kimberlee Katemiya Rodrigo S-C Jennifer Thompson Bruce Noll Scot Butwell Barb Dalton 🇺🇦

KP Morgan-Jones (AKA Evolved Ashes) Jessey Anthony Suzie Alexander Elizabeth Kaldeck Smith Gulsun Uluer The Sober Vegan Yogi Le Voir N. Lewis Ravyne Hawke Connie Song Alize Henry Rebecka Rose May Y. Yang Madison Chaney Jenn Brownell jules Laura Jevtich Deb Fiore James Beaufait Ravneet Kaur Elisa Robyn Eddie Nitis Fred: Almost Famous Judy Walker Holly Thompson Elise Chidley Barbara Mac Misty Rae Remi Roy Missy Crystal Erica J KM Bernard Napoleon Jo An Fox-Wright Maddox Me Writes Ashley Noorain Ali Vritant Kumar Martavious Dorsey Mark Suroviec, M. Ed. William J Spirdione Marianne O Shaqib Akram Hein V Marie A. Rebelle Darren Richardson Jacob Laguerre Billie ❤️ Be Better — Do Better Nadja Scarlett CARMEN F MICSA, MA in English, podcaster Elder Taoist Gauri Sirur Monika Sharma Geoffrey Gevalt Joyce Nielsen Irene Louise Moria Rees Kyle Aldous Esther George Saba Haider Yousuf Rafi

I would like to share the wonderful story of Carmellita

Another outstanding article about nature is written by Neera Handa Dr

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