Popular Life Stories

Inspiring stories from individuals who have overcome challenges and created distinctive lives for themselves
Illustration of person climbing through a window which takes the place of one square in a giant period table, through the window is a city scene.
HOME

Lab at the edge of the world

When my daughter was bullied, I decided to homeschool her. A chain reaction ensued

by Lea Page

Photo of a person’s toned torso in shadowy light hands on hips wearing a dark top and trousers showcasing abdominal muscles.
MIND-BODY INTERACTIONS

Stronger

When grief and distraction spun my mind out of control, only the strain of my muscles could keep it intact

by Nancy Uddin

A naked young woman walking on a rippled sandy beach towards the sea, clear blue water and distant islands in view.
Psyche Exclusive
FREEDOM AND CHOICE

For Lucy, surviving on a remote island was hard, but returning was harder

Directed by Jesper Wachtmeister

Silhouette of a person next to a glowing orange lamp in a dark room.
FRIENDSHIP

Discarded

The end of a friendship cracked me apart, triggering hidden memories – and helping me heal old wounds

by Antonia Malchik

Photo of a person carrying a child with blue star shorts on their back, walking on a path lined with green plants.
CAREGIVING

A sister who wasn’t ours

We were her foster family for two and a half years. We had no claim to her, but she became part of us

by Kelsey Day

Illustration of a woman standing in a giant conch shell, nestled among giant books, a large beaded necklace and various other objects, holding a small mirror, wearing a red top on a beige background.
MEMOIR

Love, shame and 325 bags of trash

In my mother’s hoarding house, I found something I wanted to keep

by Deborah Derrickson Kossmann

A person with a backpack hiking through a dense forest towards a rocky riverbank.
DEPRESSION

In the hole

A metaphor for depression became a catalyst, and I started to reinvent my approach to suffering

by Tasha Eichenseher

A yellow taxi on a busy street, people walking, child holding flowers, historic building in the background under a blue sky.
VALUES AND BELIEFS

Confessions of a teenage fundamentalist

My world was dark and scary. But beautiful things crept in, and threats of hell just couldn’t compete

by Liz Boltz Ranfeld

Photo of a child in winter clothing standing next to a cat outdoors on a sunny day, with text from a book visible.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES

My cousin Anna

As a Korean adoptee, I’d never expected to meet a blood relative. Then a 23andMe email landed in my inbox

by Andrew Lee

Illustration of a couple holding hands walking past a giant cheque that unravels to reveal a scenic view of a bridge over a river and the Eiffel tower.
LOVE

My swindler sweetheart

I was a pushover with a habit of picking cheating men as boyfriends; then one of them pushed me too far

by Patricia Olsen

Black and white close-up photo of a person’s arm showing skin texture and pigment and shadows; protruding ribs are visible behind the arm.
EATING DISORDERS

A ghost in limbo

Two decades of anorexia obscured who I was beneath my sickness. Then a stranger saw me

by Miranda Gold

A crowd enveloped in pink smoke on a city street, with people wearing hoodies and jackets, and buildings in the background.
CIVIC LIFE

Experiments in resistance

When I tested people’s blood after a protest, I discovered that science itself could be a form of dissent

Alexander Samuel, as told to Christine Ro

Illustration of two people standing in a forest, at the top of a waterfall, with a dog below; money is washing away down the waterfall into a pond, as well as a car and house pictured in the pond below.
MONEY AND ECONOMICS

Money

When an investment tanked and buried us in debt, we had to face the truth of how we’d gotten there

by Carol Berkower

Illustration of a night scene with musicians performing, a person on a chair, a bird flying and mountains in the background.
MEMORY AND NOSTALGIA
1

Synchronicity

Long ago, I gave a boy a greenfinch. That moment followed me in ways I’m still puzzling over

by Katia Ariel

Two scuba divers swimming underwater with sunlight filtering through the surface.
FEAR AND PHOBIA

Exposure

Wracked with unknown fear, I’d never been able to sleep through the night. Then I went scuba diving

by Lindsay Lee Wallace

Illustration of a woman floating in space surrounded by large hands and small stars on a dark background.
ALTERED STATES

The psychic who healed me

It was just like her – my bold, dead mother – to show up in my life again. Or was grief playing tricks on me?

by Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein