What Are We?

WHAT ARE WE?


What are we? A question so simple, yet so complex.
We are a collection, kind of like an album of stored pictures and memories. Everywhere you go, everyone you meet leaves and impact on who you are. It is so often that we neglect choosing our friends with precision and care, life is moving really fast and we rarely acknowledge the fact that our friends and the people we surround ourselves with really contribute to shaping our personalities.

We are an artwork created by our many experiences.
We are all beautiful creatures. Inner, and outer. God created us and gave us the gift of our soul and most of all our mind. We were blessed to have the ability to think deeply. One of my teachers once told me that we, as humans are perfectly aware of our physical health, less aware of our psychological health and have almost no awareness of our mental health which is ironic since our mind is one of our most prized possessions.

But most of all, we are what we think, we are the outcome of our circumstances and beliefs. The thing is, that our thoughts can be so vivid and so loud, they can eat our brain and consume our concentration. Our life is one complex maze made partly of the decisions others take for us. Furthermore we are an outcome of our beliefs, do you know the saying: You are what you eat? It’s kind of the same, You really are what you believe.

They’re all definitions of one and the same thing, an individual. Everyone has a different view on what the elements of a person are but I think we can all agree on the fact that it is vital to invest in oneself, invest in your education, in your thoughts, in your body and in your soul. Constantly develop yourself and improve yourself!

The power of the powerless

The only disability is a bad attitude"  they say, and he serves as proof. In a world where the disabled are pitied and rarely have a chance to lie out of the ordinary Emad has struggled and fought to keep the fire of passion for literature burning within him. He has conquered the never ending doubts and overcame the unsurmountable obstacles to reach his aspirations. 

25 year old Emad grew up in a middle class family with nurturing, loving parents. Having had Down Syndrome Emad didn't have the ability to enjoy regular childhood years. While our childhood memories consist of running and playing in the sun, he remembers a constant struggle to catch up with his peers. Sadly, Emad's condition got in the way of many day to day activities which prompted him to depend on his overly protective parents for simple tasks such as eating, walking and showering. Emad clearly needed a lot of attention. After not having the financial ability to fund his stay at Saint Marc's Center of life (Centre de vie) they placed him in a home called "el talath fetyah" in a nearby church. 

Not long after that Emad faced a rather tough phase during which he had to deal with his mother's passing. At the tender age of 16 he had lost a vital part of his life. Now, it's terrible to lose a parent and I do not believe you fully comprehend the pain until experience it yourself. He lost unconditional love, the feeling of warmth and most importantly someone who put his needs above their own. His grief and distress were unfathomable. Above all of that his father was experiencing illness and depression due to his mother's passing. Emad's dependence on his parents caused him to go through an even harder time. With his mother's absence only his ill father was caring for him. Emad started losing hope on fulfilling his dreams and closed up on himself, he refused the assistance of anyone other than his father and missed his mother so profoundly. A few months later Emad learned how to deal with his pain and slowly started to open up to people once again. He was surrounded by loving people and made new friends in "Dar el Talath Fetyah" who sparked back his old barely controllable passion towards literature. They introduced him to a world he had buried and long forgotten, a world of hope. That is how he found out about his golden opportunity to expose his talent. Ana Mawhoub is a talent show for the disabled providing them with a platform on which they can demonstrate their many talents and artsy endeavors. Emad's recitation of beautiful poetry stunned many and boosted his self confidence. He is the true definition of the term "Diamond in the rough".

Based upon a true story

Hey, you! Don't give up okay?

"It's not worth it" your mind says to you. "They'll never accept you" your heart whispers. You feel devastated, sorry for yourself, sad and helpless. It's a moment, a second during which your unconscious mind decides whether you give up or fight the battle. It's a moment of self doubt and fear. One where you don't believe in who you are. That's when inspiration, motivation and empowerment come in. Three of my favorite elements to reawaken the spark within you. Let's start with inspiration. No, I'm not going to bore you with the usual "google it" I'm going to tell you something that has truly helped me: Inspire yourself, inspire yourself through your previous accomplishments. Find the power in your self to say "hey, you know what, I can do this". Inspiration doesn't only come from heroes and people you admire, it comes from within you. Moving on with motivation, now that you've been inspired it's time to have a motive to get to work. My favorite way to do this is to talk to a close friend or family member about my goals, it helps them hold me accountable which has a direct effect on my performance level. Furthermore, I find Ted Talks (Ted.com) to be quite effective in getting me back on the right track. I usually tend to watch talks with a funny twist in them as they help to ease my tension and push away my negative energy. Not to forget empowerment. Finding the courage and confidence to do it. This is the last step after which you can start working on your goal. The mere faith in your abilities will help you to achieve a lot more than you ever thought, it'll help you exceed your potential and expectations which will lead to a positive attitude towards the outcome of your aspirations
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Lastly, I want you to repeat after me "I BELIEVE IN MYSELF, I CAN DO THIS" great, now, say this 3 times.
And if you ever feel down in the dumps or just not yourself, please remember that ups and downs are a part of the roller-coaster we call life. We are all in this together.


I BELIEVE IN YOU