As the new year begins, loads of people desire to make drastic changes to their life. Oftentimes, these resolutions last a week or two, and then we fizzle out. Why do we do this, and how can we be effective in achieving goals we set? To begin, the problem lies in how extreme we make our goals. We have grandiose plans of reinvention January 1st. Why do we think we’ll become suddenly disciplined, motivated, and consistent? We overestimate the power of motivation and underestimate the power of...

Mary Brown Williams Ledbetter, commonly known as Brownie Ledbetter, was an activist who worked in Arkansas campaigns along with national and international ones. She helped grassroots organizations and was dedicated to fair education. Ledbetter was born in 1932 in Little Rock. By 1950, she was orphaned and she and her 3 siblings were raised by relatives. After her graduation at Little Rock High School, she went to Agnes Scott college in Georgia, but left without her degree. At only 18, she...

I’ve grown up with anxieties and insecurities, just like most people. I’m consciously aware of my size, space, and my voice in public settings. I fear being too much; too loud; too bossy; too extra. I’ve noticed it bleed into my entire life, and I know others carry this quiet struggle too. I think it’s different from being introverted. I think it’s anxiety that we have in us, nitpicking each move we make. I know that I have felt inferior and I still do. Confidence isn’t wallowing in our...