What May Looked Like Behind the Scenes & Monthly Recommendations

A month of nostalgia, writing, freedom, community, and a few recommendations worth sharing.

AI generated

May was quieter than the previous months for me. However, a lot of things still happened.

As I get closer to thirty, I found myself thinking about certain moments from my teenage years. It left me feeling a little nostalgic.

That led me to reflect on our perception of time. Many of us feel pressure to grow up, to succeed, to accomplish things. It affects the way we see life and the choices we make. I often notice that when we want to begin a new adventure, we worry more about how long it will take than whether it is aligned with who we are. As a result, we either choose the shorter path or postpone the adventure altogether.

A small anecdote.

After finishing high school, I wanted to study medicine. But I thought it would take too much time, and the people around me constantly reminded me of that. I registered for the entrance exam of a medical school, but I overslept on the day of the exam.

That was unusual for me because whenever I have something important to do the next day, I barely sleep. I tend to wake up almost every hour with a sense of urgency.

I wanted something that would take less time and allow me to become financially independent more quickly. At that stage of my life, I wanted to become an adult as fast as possible. I wanted to be my own man.

Today, twelve years later, I do not really have a career based on those studies. I completed a degree that eventually ended up sitting in a drawer.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had studied medicine like I originally wanted. Maybe I would have become an excellent doctor. Maybe not. We will never know.

I do not really regret my choices. They helped shape the person I am today. Nevertheless, I think this is something many of us experience. The more time passes, the more we feel like we are running out of it, and the more we start looking for shortcuts.

I will explore that reflection further another time.

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On the writing side, I finally decided to bring out one of the topics that had been gathering dust in my writing library for more than a year: freedom.

It was actually the first subject I wanted to write about and share. However, after thinking about it back then, I realized that freedom is deeply connected to a person’s identity. That is why I chose to explore the reflections on identity first as the foundation.

The project is moving along well. The draft is almost finished.

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On the community side, I spent a lot of time this month reading, recommending other writers, and interacting with people across the platform. I admit that during the last few days, that activity has dropped significantly because I have been focusing more on writing.

I have learned a great deal, and The Mirror Room has grown because of all of you.

One thing that deeply touched me and made me very happy was a testimonial from one of our fellow writers and a great supporter about The Mirror Room. I will leave the link to her note below if you would like to read it as well.

For me, this month was a period of observation, self-reflection, and exploration.

In short, that is what was happening behind the scenes for me this month.

Now, let us move on to this month’s recommendations.

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I read the work of many wonderful writers this month, and each of them deserves a place on this recommendation list. If some of these names are not yet on your radar, I truly encourage you to check them out.

For those interested in exploring the human experience, our behaviors, and the patterns that shape our lives—writers whose work can help us better understand ourselves, grow, and sometimes heal from wounds carried from the past—I would recommend:

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Advice and insight to grow & manage your Substack

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For Poetry & fiction

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A genuinely lovely person whose writing carries humor, warmth, and kindness in equal measure. Her publication is still under 300 subscribers, which honestly surprises me. If you are not already following her work, I highly recommend giving it a read and subscribing. I believe her writing deserves to reach many more people.

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There are many more names I could mention, but I’ll stop here for this month’s recommendations. If some of them are new to you, I highly encourage you to visit their pages and explore their work.

Before I go, I would like to give a few honorable mentions. These are the people who consistently support this space—the names that appear in my notifications time and time again whenever I publish something. Their words enrich this platform, and their presence enriches this community. It is a privilege to have them walking alongside this journey. Follow and subscribe to their publications

Aaliya

Sattie R

John Sheils

Gary L Taylor

Sara da Encarnação

AsukaHotaru

Priyanshu Jha

Neha Grows

Mark Crutchfield

Awaken The Legend Within

anna

Nimila

And much more………..

The Mirror Room now has 415 members.

I am deeply grateful for every one of you. This growth has never been the result of algorithms or advertising. It has been built through recommendations, shared reflections, conversations, and the generosity of people who believed this space was worth sharing with others.

My birthday is coming up on June 29, and I have a small wish.

I would love to see The Mirror Room cross 500 subscribers before then.

If these reflections have ever helped you pause, think, understand yourself a little better, or simply feel less alone in a particular moment, I would be grateful if you shared this publication with someone who might enjoy it as well.

Whether we reach that milestone or not, thank you for being part of this journey. Your presence here means more than you probably realize.

With Clarity,
The mirror Room
Odel A.