Sometimes we do so much we don’t even realize we’ve grown so much Discover the power of simply showing up, even when it’s hard. This section celebrates small steps 1 E3 4 OF CONTENTS TABLE 2
REFLECTION
take a moment and look back and see how far you’ve come life shapes us in the moments we least expect.
ACTION
Don’t overthink it, it’s not that bad once we starts. Might as well just do it.
EDITOR’S LETTER
In this Issue, we came with some different, something calm and visually pleasing. Grow with us, Tell your stories.
GAMES AND FACTS
did you know about these facts? hmm cap but now you know, enjoy some games and take some time to relax.
Safe.
EDITOR’S LETTER
EDITOR
Kevin nishimwe
DEAR READER
HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED BACK AT A MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE—ONE THAT SEEMED UNREMARKABLE AT THE TIME—AND REALIZED IT QUIETLY SHAPED YOU? IT’S A LITTLE LIKE SEEING A PLANT SUDDENLY IN BLOOM AND WONDERING, WHEN DID YOU GET SO BIG?
THAT’S THE KIND OF GROWTH WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS ISSUE. THE SNEAKY KIND. THE KIND THAT DOESN’T DEMAND CENTER STAGE OR FANFARE. IT HAPPENS WHEN YOU’RE BUSY BEING BUSY, OR EVEN WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE STANDING STILL. LIFE HAS THIS UNCANNY WAY OF MOVING US FORWARD WITHOUT ASKING FOR PERMISSION.
PERSONALLY, I LOVE THE IDEA THAT WE’RE ALL CARRYING AROUND LITTLE INVISIBLE TOOLKITS WE’VE BUILT FROM THE CRACKS AND CREVICES OF OUR LIVES—STUFF WE’VE LEARNED, FELT, AND FUMBLED THROUGH. AND ONE DAY, OUT OF NOWHERE, WE PULL OUT EXACTLY THE THING WE DIDN’T KNOW WE’D NEED. MAGIC, RIGHT?
SO, WHETHER YOU’RE FEELING STUCK, OVERWHELMED, OR MAYBE JUST WONDERING IF YOU’RE EVEN ON THE RIGHT TRACK, LET THIS BE A GENTLE REMINDER: YOU ARE GROWING. MAYBE NOT IN WAYS YOU CAN SEE YET, BUT IT’S HAPPENING. TRUST THE PROCESS, TRUST THE QUIET, TRUST YOURSELF.
HERE’S TO CELEBRATING ALL THE SNEAKY, MIRACULOUS WAYS WE’VE BEEN BECOMING—TOGETHER.
WARMLY AND ALWAYS ROOTING FOR YOU, KEVIN
NISHIME EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
GROWTH 1
GROWTH IS A CURIOUS THING. IT DOESN’T COME WRAPPED IN A NEAT PACKAGE, NOR DOES IT ARRIVE WHEN WE EXPECT IT. IT CAN BE MESSY, UNCOMFORTABLE, AND SLOW, YET IT IS ALSO ONE OF LIFE’S MOST EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS. GROWTH IS THE PROCESS OF BECOMING—OF STEPPING INTO WHO WE ARE MEANT TO BE, ONE SMALL, SIGNIFICANT MOMENT AT A TIME.
I LEARNED I FAILED PANEL MEMBERS
SOMETIMES I THINK
WE’RE A LITTLE TOO HARD ON OURSELVES. THINK ABOUT IT: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE PROUD OF YOURSELF THE WAY YOU’RE PROUD OF SOMEONE ELSE? OR WHEN DID YOU LAST SAY, “YOU’RE DOING THE BEST YOU CAN; KEEP GOING”? FOR SOME, THIS MIGHT COME NATURALLY, BUT FOR MOST OF US, WE TEND TO FORGET ABOUT OURSELVES. SO TODAY, REMEMBER TO FORGIVE YOURSELF. SHIFT YOUR THINKING FROM “I FAILED” TO “WHAT DID I ACTUALLY LEARN?” THIS SMALL CHANGE CAN PREVENT YOU FROM BEATING YOURSELF UP OVER THINGS BEYOND YOUR CONTROL.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?
WHAT IS THIS TEACHING ME?
WE ALL HAVE MOMENTS WHEN WE FEEL STUCK, QUESTIONING WHY THINGS AREN’T GOING OUR WAY. IT’S EASY TO GET FRUSTRATED WITH LIFE, OR EVEN WITH GOD, WHEN WE DON’T RECEIVE WHAT WE WANT RIGHT WHEN WE WANT IT. IT MIGHT SOUND CLICHÉ, BUT THESE
MOMENTS
OFTEN CARRY LESSONS—CHANCES TO GROW AND GAIN INSIGHT. NEXT TIME YOU FIND YOURSELF ASKING, “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?” CONSIDER ASKING, “WHAT IS THIS TEACHING ME?” THE ANSWER MIGHT SURPRISE YOU.
HOW CAN I MAKE THIS WORK FOR ME? THIS WON’T WORK FOR ME
WHEN FACED WITH OBSTA- CLES, OUR INSTINCT IS SOMETIMES TO REJECT THE CHALLENGE, THINK- ING IT’S NOT MEANT FOR US. BUT A SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE CAN TURN A ROADBLOCK INTO AN OPPORTUNITY. INSTEAD OF DISMISSING WHAT SEEMS UNWORKABLE, ASK, “HOW CAN I MAKE THIS WORK FOR ME?” WITH THIS MINDSET, YOU MAY FIND THAT THE PATH ISN’T AS CLOSED OFF AS IT ONCE SEEMED.
I’LL TRY A DIFFERENT WAY. I GIVE UP.
PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING, AND EVERYONE SEES THINGS DIFFERENTLY. SOMETIMES, WE GET SO STUCK IN A SITUATION THAT IT FEELS LIKE TIME HAS STOPPED ALONG WITH US. IT’S FRUSTRATING, AND IT CAN FEEL AS IF THERE’S NO WAY OUT. BUT THE MOMENT WE DECIDE TO STEP BACK AND EXPLORE A NEW APPROACH, THAT FEELING OF BEING TRAPPED CAN START TO LIFT. REMEMBER, TRYING A DIFFERENT WAY ISN’T DEFEAT—IT’S RESILIENCE.
I
We often forget that we’re all, at our core, just trying to figure things out. Growing up doesn’t mean having all the answers; it means being open to learning, even through our mistakes. As I’ve grown, I’ve come to realize that most people are just as uncertain as I am. And guess what? Many people are willing to help if we simply ask. So, take that step, reach out, and keep trying. You’ve got this.
I AM WORTHY, NO MATTER WHAT MY OUTPUT IS. I AM NOT DOING ENOUGH.
Christina Donato
WE’RE OFTEN OUR OWN HARSHEST CRITICS, BELIEVING WE’RE NEVER DOING ENOUGH. BUT IT’S ESSENTIAL TO REMEMBER THAT OUR WORTH ISN’T TIED TO OUR PRODUCTIVITY. CHERISH THE LIFE YOU HAVE, NURTURE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, INSPIRE THOSE AROUND YOU, AND LEAVE THE REST TO GOD. YOU ARE ENOUGH, JUST AS YOU ARE.
Loki
SAFE PLACE
Growth isn’t about racing to the finish line—it’s about savoring the process. It’s about recognizing the lessons in the struggles and celebrating the wins, no matter how small. Wherever you are on your journey, remember this: you’re growing, even if you don’t feel it. Every challenge you face, every choice you make, every dream you dare to pursue—they’re all shaping you. Trust the process. Trust yourself.
In our fast-paced world, where deadlines blur together and life’s noise never seems to fade, reflection often takes a backseat. Yet, it is in the stillness of reflection that we find clarity, growth, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Reflection is more than simply looking back on the past. It’s about mining those experiences—both good and bad—for meaning. It’s the process of pausing, stepping outside the whirlwind, and asking ourselves: What have I learned? How have I changed? Where am I going?
“
Black is my armor, my art, and my attitude. It’s the silence that speaks volumes and the presence that never fades
OMAR
Al Taee
TODAY’S READING:
NO MATTER YOUR AGE, YOU’LL ALWAYS WISH YOU STARTED YOUNGER. BUT TODAY IS THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE.
MIGHT AS WELL DO THAT THING YOU LOVE
GAMES
There’s a moment in every journey when thinking, planning, and dreaming can no longer move us forward. That moment is where action begins. Taking action is the bridge between intention and
reality, between who we are and who we want to become. While reflection, planning, and visualization are important, they’re only the foundation.
Action is what gives them life. Without it, even the most brilliant ideas remain trapped in the realm of “what could be.”
ACTION
PLACE
YOUR INTUITION KNOWS WHAT YOUR HEART NEEDS
P.
TAKE A STEP, HOWEVER SMALL, EACH MOVE FORWARD CONQUERS ALL. LET NOT THE RUSH OF TIME DECEIVE; EVEN SLOW STRIDES CAN ACHIEVE.
THE WORLD MAY PRESS, THE CLOCK MAY CHIME, BUT GROWTH UNFOLDS IN ITS OWN TIME.
FORGIVE THE STUMBLES, WELCOME REST, EACH PAUSE PREPARES YOU FOR THE NEXT.
ACTION THRIVES IN GENTLE WAYS, LIT BY HOPE’S PERSISTENT RAYS. SO WALK WITH KINDNESS, PACE YOUR STRIDE—
IN STEADY GRACE, YOUR DREAMS ABIDE.
P.
DID YOU KNOW
1. BANANAS ARE BERRIES, BUT STRAWBERRIES AREN’T
2. OCTOPUSES HAVE THREE HEARTS
3. BUTTERFLIES CAN TASTE WITH THEIR FEET
4. A CLOUD CAN WEIGH MORE THAN A MILLION POUNDS
5. SLOTHS CAN HOLD THEIR BREATH LONGER THAN DOLPHINS
6. THE AVERAGE CLOUD MOVES FASTER THAN YOU THINK
7. HUMANS SHARE ABOUT 60% OF THEIR DNA WITH BANANAS
8. COWS HAVE BEST FRIENDS
9. THERE’S A SPECIES OF JELLYFISH THAT IS IMMORTAL
10.. YOU GOT THIS
Oh snap!
Gakindi
A YEAR TO REMEMBER
USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE OUT THINGS YOU'RE GREATFUL FOR. IT HELP US APPRECIATE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
Take some time to think about how far you’ve come
HOW YOU IMAGINED
DESIGNER OF dreams
THE ART OF JUST SHOWING UP.
Sometimes, the hardest part of any journey is simply arriving—showing up when you’re unsure, unprepared, or not feeling your best. But there’s magic in that act of presence. Showing up means you’ve decided to engage with life, even when the path feels unclear. It’s not about perfection or grand gestures; it’s about taking that first step, however small, and trusting that the effort will shape the outcome. The art of just showing up is a quiet rebellion against doubt, a declaration that you’re here, willing, and ready to try. Because the truth is, the moments that matter most often begin with the courage to show up.
NO SOLUTIONS FIGURE IT OUT
Photographed & designed by KEvin Nishimwe
SAFE PLACE
WHERE INSIPIRATION MEETS IMAGINATION: UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL
