A full moon and a crisp London night. Its my 35th birthday and I feel as if a new breath fills my soul. I have shattered all the shackles that held me fast,finally I am here. I take a look out at that moon and start pouring all this jubilation running through my veins,never again will I forget all that I knew that I had forgotten. All that I had gained was dust,all that remains is what I always knew.
The only person holding you back is you. The only person
stopping you is you. Break the walls of pretension , the sound of that shattering glass will set you free. Free from
approval, free from pretence, free from the oppressing weight of expectation.
Believe in your intuition, it will never lead you astray.
Don’t let your mind colour how you feel, don’t let reason put that primitive
compass aside.
Dream dreams wild and strange, dream dreams that make you
soar, let your soul breathe in your imagination.
Be mindful of the present, live each moment in its entirety.
In that moment there is no future, there is no past. Breathe in the here and
now. Feel the bark of a tree, the damp in the grass. Look at life in all its
glory, find joy in the simplest things, a gentle breeze, an apple tree.
Let go of people, of memories, of things that haunt.
Understand the root of each negative feeling, accept the pain. Let go of envy,
of jealousy. Let go of hate and make room for tolerance, make room for empathy.
Make room for contentment; make room for the difference in you and me.
Be honest with yourself, be honest even if it cuts and
bleeds for only then will you heal. Be honest about your weakness, about your
sins, about your humanity.
Accept yourself; accept your pain, your mistakes, and your
scars. Accept your ugliness; accept the reality of your being. Accept the grand
scheme of things.
Forgive the darkness; nothing will convert that darkness
into light except forgiveness. Forgive yourself, forgive others. Forgive their
ignorance, their deceit; forgive their darkness and their schemes. The darkness
within makes them blind, they injure no one but themselves.
Love fiercely, love passionately, love like a fool, love
like the wind. Don’t rationalize, don’t think don’t reason. Love changes
everything, it transforms everything. Don’t wait to receive love, give love
unconditionally without reason without fear.
Travel far and near, climb a mountain, sit under a maple
tree. Let nature heal you; let it hear your stories, let it whisper in your
ears. Marvel in Allah’s creations, their beauty, and their simplicity. Let the
wind cleanse you of your oppressing weights, let the water purge you of your
sins. Let the moon shine its light and
fill you with awe.
Live each day as it were the last; tell your loved ones
their place in your life. Don’t leave things unsaid, undone, don’t
procrastinate in spreading joy. Don’t let your ego dictate and blind you. Don’t
let regret haunt you; don’t let fear hold you back. Death is an ardent lover of
life, waiting just a breath away.
Great read! Thanks for sharing your wisdom pearls which I am sure were accumulated after all sorts of experiences and seasoning over years. As such most of them ring true. The most interesting (and at the same time perplexing) quote to me is: "Believe in your intuition, it will never lead you astray. Don’t let your mind colour how you feel, don’t let reason put that primitive compass aside."
ReplyDeleteI don't know, is there a way to be sure that intuition is always to be acted upon? Sometimes it can be as confusing as deciding between 'to try just a little more' or 'to accept an ordeal as divinely willed'. Where do we draw that line?!
Don't know the answer yet. But in my experience so far at times tactfulness has to override instinctiveness (if that's a word).
“We live in a world that assumes that the quality of a decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into making it...We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible an depending as much time as possible in deliberation. We really only trust conscious decision making. But there are moments, particularly in times of stress, when haste does not make waste, when our snap judgments and first impressions can offer a much better means of making sense of the world. The first task of Blink is to convince you of a simple fact: decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately.”
Delete― Malcolm Gladwell, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
You meet a person, thin slice information or formulate a course of action. Facts help sure but not always, there is more to work than we can imagine, the gut feeling regrading someone and something is hardly ever wrong. I am not saying board room decisions, but every other thing that we do. Its not easy because it sounds reckless and there is a fine line but it is my compass and so far so good!
DeleteThanks for the elaboration. I see this perspective but it can honestly be super confusing. To go with one's gut feeling, to rely on those who care for you since your own view may be myopic compared to theirs, to accept an ordeal as divinely ordained, or to give in to the notion that our predisposition may be muddled because of a contrast in our want and need. There are so many theories at odds.
DeleteAnyhow, I'd let it be known that I am thinking in a very specific context and my thought process may not be applicable in a general manner.
Good read and a thought-provoking piece, as always.
ReplyDeleteVery true where you say we need to understand and accept the root of the negative feeling.
I would say intuition/gut feeling is the greatest God-given guide for us, provided we are honest and 'truthfull' to the core in all our intentions.