And that's when she started to live

And there she was, standing in the rain at midnight. Hoping that maybe the raindrops would wash away her tears and that her soul would rise the way the sun does every morning. See, she knew that the rain always had a better story to tell, but not tonight, tonight her chaotic thoughts clouded the sound of rain and thunder. She was drowning in her mind. Her soul whispered to her to wait for the rainbow after the storm but her mind refused to believe she'll ever be happy again. She waited for a miracle to happen, a miracle that would make her forget about the past, but it never came. See, this is the thing about us humans, we wait for someone or something else to be the miracle but we never look within ourselves. And as the sun came up her eyes saluted the exquisite view and she walked back inside feeling broken. Her heart was envious of the birds chirping in delight. She longed for happiness and a sense of fulfilment and that's when she realised that her prince charming isn't going to come knocking on her door and offer to mend her already shattered heart. She realised that this life will hit you, hard. But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air. And yeah, there will be days when your boots will fill with water and the rain will shower you with sadness but those are the days when you have all the more reasons to say thank you because there is nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to kiss the shoreline no matter how many times it's sent away. She finally understood that this world is made of sugar, it can crumble so easily but she shouldn't be afraid to taste it. She realised that she loved the stars far too much to lower her eyes at night and wait for the rain to wash away her pain. And that's when she started to live.

My Idol

I haven't had the privilege of seeing him but they told me so much about him. They told me that he was born with the most unique eyes that sparkled with intelligence and purity reflecting his beautiful soul. They told me about the way he saw poems written on the sky where we saw mountains. And his heart, his heart shone love, acceptance and warmth onto those around him. They told me about the way he loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night. See, he was only afraid of his Creator. No, they didn't forget to tell me about how he remaind merciful and humble in times of strength even with those who have wronged him. His manners were flawless and his optimism was always present. He valued the kind of gold that glittered and guided people to the light in a world of darkness. He was the kind of person you'd go until the ends of the earth for, and continues to be. They told me about his wisdom and fairness. He is my idol and my role model, for everything he is.

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
. 

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  

Little things

This week's blog is a little bit different than what i'd usually do. It's something that is quite personal. Each one of my extended family members lives in a different city or is often abroad. I only get the privilege to see them every few months. A couple of weeks ago my uncle, knowing and following my passion for literature, gave me a book called Outliers by Malcom Gladwell. I started reading it about 2-3 days ago. It's such an intriguing book, but that's not my point. I'm neither talking about the writer, nor about the content of the book. I am talking about the gesture. The very fact that he thought of me, and remembered a detail of my personality that stood out to him and actually put in the effort to cultivate a skill of mine, meant the absolute world to me. Don't get me wrong, my uncle isn't cold or anything on the contrary he is very supporting and warm but I was really touched by this act. It is the very small warm gestures that really stay in memory and make each individual unique. By remembering a personality trait or a hobby of someone you love, you have the ability of showing them appreciation and interest in them.
This week i challenge you to make a simple thoughtful gesture to a person you love, be it a note or a gift. Good luck😉



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You've had the same thoughts too, don't deny it

Watch from a distance, observe. A little rule I go by.
From my very limited knowledge of life, the jungle we live in, I've learned that people change in the blink of an eye and sacrifice the right things for the wrong reasons. Go to unimaginable limits to reach their desires. Some even intentionally break others on the inside in order to attain their goals. Slowly I've realized that they break others in an attempt to fix themselves. People are so complex. So deep. Filled with so much passion, emotion, history, scars. It's endless.
The world is not big, it's overwhelmingly huge.
Yes, I am young, I am vulnerable, I am fragile but I am also like a caterpillar trying to bloom into a butterfly, struggling to understand the secrets of the big world, desperately wanting to remain young, safe and carefree, determined to fly. Like many my age I am caught in the middle, confused, trying to find my way, lost.
 
There is so much I don't understand, so much I don't know.
And although I am a firm believer that knowledge is light, I can only say that sometimes behind the dark there lies the indescribably scary upon which I would rather not shed any light. Ignorance is bliss
But you know what, I am not the first one to feel this way, the days are ahead of me to figure out what needs to be figured out. It's all so tangled up, so complex but that's ok for things will eventually fall into place.

So whatever your struggles are, whatever you feel is weighing you down just say that it'll resolve itself, don't let anything control your thoughts or eat your brain, keep your thoughts on the things that lift you up and make you feel blessed.