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what are we taught (in school)?

We are often times taught to study, study, study. We aren’t taught by our schools to be polite. To respect our elders, respect our peers, and be disciplined. But are we taught to grow? Not just in the sense of the word that means aesthetics, beauty, and self-care. Although, these are undoubtedly important for a healthy and happy life, though not in the materialistic and synthetic sense,…

Everyday is a battle, a fight we strive to win. Everyday is different, but the same in its own way. Everyday a reminder of how fragile we are. We need variety to survive. We need to face new challenges and fight new battles. If we don’t face new challenges, we become numb to the ordinary, we strive for the least, and we become…sad. We should strive to work a little bit harder, a little bit…

There are days where you feel like tucking yourself deep inside your bed and pulling your blanket on your face and cozying up instead of waking up to the day ahead. We all go through those days, no? In fact, it is a dream for many of us to be tucked-in, and sleeping under layers of blankets on a day when we just a bit more tired that usual. So, having said that, sometimes, though it is normal…

In commemoration with the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, I thought of writing a blog two weeks into the month exploring the thoughts, ideas, and community of fasting in Ramadan. Besides Muslims, many individuals around the world fast for different periods of times and with different goals in mind. Now whether those goals be medicinal or spiritual, there are many proven benefits for why one…

Listening to a lecture by Aghamiri, a scholar in his own religious right, where he speaks about social contracts between humans, he mentioned that everything we speak about is a form of contract that we’ve made. As we’ve made a contract to call the color “red,” he explained; we have a variety of contracts to try and explain the way we feel, the way we respect, and the way we behave. We have…

Sometimes you feel like you’re so strong. So mighty even the strongest wind can’t move you. And other times, you may feel so utterly small. So utterly tiny that even the smallest ant can crush you. So what is it that makes use make it or break it? When you have an extreme emotion, the chances of you getting the flipped version of the same emotion is very high. Say you get something truly…

Do you ever wonder if every word that was ever made had such a delicate and purposeful definition that was tailored specifically for its use? That if so, that every word also has an exact reason for its existence? For one, let’s say the word ‘caterpillar’ came out of a curios mind. From someone who was just wondering what the creature crawling in front of them on the ground was. Perhaps they…

As I mentioned before, we humans are a part of a whole. Each of us, imperfectly a piece of a puzzle that makes the perfect whole. I emphasize on this point because I want us to take a moment and understand that sometimes, us, being imperfect as we are, make some mistakes. We are, after-all, human. And there has been no human on this earth that has breathed and lived, and hasn’t made a mistake…

Have you ever thought why a pair of heels, even the most comfortable pair you can find, are increasingly tiring to wear at each passing of the hour? Have you ever considered that no matter how much confidence you emit, and how you bluff, the universe finds a way to prove you wrong and sit you back down? Have you noticed that every down has an up and every up has a down? And that life isn’t a…

How can we discern between good versus bad? Think about it, this question need not apply to only huge decisions. Think about it: do you ever wonder whether you are wasting your time watching a YouTube video? Do you ever catch yourself gulping down on soda and wish you were not? Do you ever look at your hands and think I should’ve washed them? What makes us think “this may be the right thing to…

What makes a good human? No one person can tell if the other is a good person. We don’t all know the full story of the other to be able to judge one another the way we do. However, aside from our individuality and character, our humanity and our humaneness weigh on our shoulders and guide us to act upon our humanity in aiding others. As humans, we owe one another the bare minimum of living in…

Do we get numb to things? You may have listened to podcast and podcast that has told you a narrative one too many times, it repeats it over and over again. Does that mean that each time you listen to it you become more enlightened? Thinking outside of the box, and creating and innovating richness of mind? Instead, I will be speaking about words. About the weight of the things we tell ourselves.…

Everyone gets tired. Life—if viewed as a road—has different pavements, highways, streets, and crosswalks that cross its path. If you stay on one road for long enough, you get tired of the repetitiveness. However, it is the different streets and highways you cross paths with to reach your destination, that give the path you’re taking more adventure and make you less bored of the same repetitive…

What is compromise, and when should you compromise? You read quotes from Donna Martini that read “Compromise is not about losing. It is about deciding that the other person has just as much right to be happy with the end result as you do.” And you read quotes that read: “When you have to start compromising yourself and your morals for the people around you, it’s probably time to change the…

Tradition (A Series): Part Five: Connection

Should a person be traditional? 

This phrase in itself, makes one sound restrictive in thinking. 

When someone mentions their being “traditional”, it is seen as being old-fashioned and possibly close-minded. 

But aren’t we being restrictive and close-minded by assuming that a person is old-fashion and close-minded if they think more “traditionally”? 

A few years back, I made the…

Tradition (A Series) Part Four: Morality

What’s the difference between a moral dilemma and a traditional dilemma? 

To answer this question, one needs to strive to understand how much of their personal morals are tied into the traditions they practice. 

Some traditions have their own morals and disciplines to be followed. 

For one, in the much of the Middle East, it is tradition to have elders sit in the most comfortable seats…

When you feel all alone from friends, from the stress of work, school, or other, who or what do you go to?

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Some depend on and reach out to God/their Lord in order to calm themselves and seek comfort in a being detached from this world and yet also in control.

Others depend on their family and guardians to offer them comfort and a safe haven from the outside world, since after…