Mantle insights

  Not Everything We Think Belongs Online I have always been audacious. Especially when it comes to interrogating long-held ideas that no longer resonate with my evolving consciousness. Recently, that audacity spilled onto Facebook, an eruption of thoughts about God, religion, and the contradictions that have long disturbed me. I called Him a deadbeat, questioned the plausibility of the story of Noah, and challenged the logic behind a deity who simultaneously claims to love us and demands that we fear Him . In that moment, I was not trying to be incendiary. I was simply being honest . What followed the backlash I had expected ( well, I did receive some of it ) was something far more sobering. One of my lecturers, a man I deeply respect, whose intellect and integrity I admire, pulled me aside. With remarkable calm, he offered what I now view as a necessary intervention. He spoke not to silence me, but to remind me: the internet is a permanent archive. And as much as it holds space fo...

Beyond Cutting Ties: The Art of Graceful Forgiveness. I used to wear my ability to cut people off like a badge of honor. I believed it was a sign of strength, a testament to my self-respect. If someone hurt me, disrespected me, or acted in a way that I didn’t agree with, I would shut the door on them without hesitation. In my mind, people always knew exactly what they were doing—so why should I give them the benefit of the doubt? But life, in its ironic way, had a lesson waiting for me. The day I found myself on the receiving end cut off, dismissed, and given no room for redemption, for something I did unknowingly, was the day I realized just how much I had misunderstood grace. But life has a way of humbling you, of putting you in the very positions you once judged others for. I had unknowingly hurt someone, and in their eyes, my actions were unforgivable. But I hadn’t meant to cause harm. I hadn’t been aware of the impact of my words or actions. Yet, despite my intentions, I was shut ...