daily prompt

Ideas to Make More Daily Steps

nhpureandsimple

Hit 5,000 steps today and drop your achievement here — we’re cheering you on!

Before I got my smart watch, my family wouldn’t believe when I said I move all the time at home. 

After I got the watch, they finally did. 

Simply because 3,000steps and often more became a solid proof  no one could deny.

And since then, my steps have been on the rise, indoors and outdoors.

But before I hit more than 9,000 steps today, I hit about ten spiders of different sizes.

These uninvited, unwelcome visitors with their big heads and eight long legs can make you score higher steps than usual. 

How?

By running.

You either run away from them, or you run to hit them.

Things depend on the spider’s size, and on whether you’re spider friendly or not.

In my case, I’m not friendly with spiders, and I will never be.

But if one day, you feel you didn’t make enough steps, start a spider search and hit- battle.

And of course, you can include them as part of your “more steps” routine.

Yes, you can say: I walked indoors and outdoors, and ran to hit spiders too.

With let’s-do-more-steps thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

How Strange Is Our Brain 

nhpureandsimple

What’s the best way to deal with negative thoughts?

Yes, how strange! 

That brain in your head can play tricks on you.

In a moment, it can make everything rosy, nice, and safe.

At other times, it turns the magnificent world into a dark, gloomy, and scary image.

And it’s your brain, the same machine working up there in your head.

Is it making fun of your useless powers?

Maybe.

But you’re the one in power, in control of this unique machine.

Now what are you going to do with these bad thoughts that visit your brain every now and then?

Well.. I’m going to ignore them, 

and to tiptoe around them so they wouldn’t hurt me.

But bad thoughts are just like that bully

who won’t stop bullying others until someone stands up and slaps him in the face.

I can’t they will attack back, stronger this time.

They are all pretences.

The bully is nothing but pretences that will shatter like broken glass after one big slap.

So what am I supposed to do?

Face them, fight them, and conquer them

Some people just can’t.

And some people can.

How?

Maybe out of strength,

or wisdom,

or experience,

or faith.

But they are so powerful.

But the tortoise won the race against the hare, 

and the ant saved the elephant.

Still… I can’t 

Then you’re the one needs the slap

Slap.

With strange-brain-thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

From Hate to Something Like Okay

nhpureandsimple

What do you love now, that you hated when you were younger?

Actually there are many things I used to hate, but… I don’t feel the same now.

You could say I’ve finally come to accept them.

By the way, I used the word hate which I hated so much.

But sometimes hate can’t be replaced by a gentle dislike.

Strong words belong to strong feelings.

Right.

For this post, I’ll just mention one of them which is … Dogs.

I used to hate these creatures in all their shapes, species, and origins.

Many years ago, during the summer holidays, we used to go to the village where my grandparents’ big house was. There, dogs were my nightmare because most of the big houses had big guarding ones.

Their barking, their sharp teeth, their lolling tongues weren’t showing any sign of cuteness or any kind of amity. 

Worse, dogs were known in Egypt as savage, and the masters of biting. 

How could anyone on this earth love these creatures.

Dogs in cartoons were the exception, for two main reasons: 

First, they were fictional.

Second, they sometimes behaved better than humans.

Now, don’t they say; after hostility comes amity. 

Or better put, after hate comes amity.

I try to follow this piece of wisdom.

My hate levels gradually went down. 

Cute and funny joined my dictionary of dog vocabulary.

Until that day, about three years ago.

My neighbour on the opposite side of the road used to have two big dogs. 

They barked at everyone passing by whether as a sign of welcome, excitement or warning, I honestly don’t know.

I always avoided crossing the road and walking past their door.

But once, when I was in a hurry, I totally forgot about their routine.

So I crossed the road, and as I was checking the time, they burst into barking.

My heart almost stopped beating as I froze before the gate and looked them straight in the eye.

“You’re such an animal!” I mumbled under my breath, and they looked as if they had swallowed their tongues.

I walked away my head up, full of dignity, proud of myself. 

I even managed to stifle a big laugh, wondering whether I had hurt their feelings.

So … I can’t say I like dogs.

But I can say I’m okay with dogs as long as they keep sufficient distance and show good manners.

With hate-turn-into-okay-thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

Stars and Wars Do Not Match

nhpureandsimple

Emperor Palpatine has announced open elections for a new Emperor — and he’s nominated Darth Vader. You get to nominate one challenger.

Well… I have no idea about Star Wars, and I’ve never thought about reading any of its books either.

So I am at sea, don’t know any Star Wars heroes to nominate as challengers.

What I know is that stars and wars do not match.

Those luminous shapes up there in the sky look too peaceful to even know the meaning of the word war.

The sun, however, can do well with wars since it’s boiling nonstop like hell, and its atomic explosions never rest. 

So Sun Wars makes a bit of sense for movies and books.

Is there already any movies or books about Sun Wars?

Hopefully not.

If they can play with the stars,

no one would ever play with the sun.

With no-idea-about- star-wars- thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

We’ll Always be Friends

nhpureandsimple

What’s something you used to believe as a kid that seems ridiculous now?

Friendship will last forever.

Yes, this is how I, and perhaps you too, used to believe in this promise when we were children.

We promised we would go to the same school, to the same university, and that our children would one day be friends just like us.

But these pure and simple childhood dreams didn’t always come true.

Your childhood best friends changed schools, moved abroad, or just disappeared.

And this holy promise of “we’ll always be friends” vanished into thin air.

And the blow repeated itself over the years

Because this is life; unexpected and always changing.

So instead of crying over the holy promise, you learn to move on. 

Day after day, you realise how that the old holy promise wasn’t only ridiculous but it was also so naive. 

But you can’t blame your childhood self.

And don’t laugh at its innocence.

What could be better in life than those simple, pure children?

Their holy pinky promise was honest,

but their little minds could never have imagined how the big world would change everything, friendship included and perhaps on the top of the list.

With kids-promise-of- friendship-thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

The Old, Famous Slogan 

nhpureandsimple

If you could change the ending of any book, which one would it be?

I’ve just come across an old slogan in my reading book.

By the way, I am reading two at the moment: one fiction and one non- fiction. 

And my reading rhythm is going at a turtle’s  pace. 

Hopefully, I’ll finish at least one by the end of this month.

Oh my… it’s already the 26th.

And it’s so hot today.

So I’ve been thinking… perhaps instead of changing the ending of a book, we can change one of its quotes, can’t we? 

Now, that famous slogan I came across was actually an advertising catchphrase for an old brand of men’s hair crème.

I’m not sure if the brand still exists.

But of course, my reading book has a totally different content, about a totally different subject.

I was really drawn to that quote because I believe such a casual, simple phrase can carry blossoms of wisdom. So, I decided to change it.

Now here’s the quote:

“A little dab’ll do ya.”

The advert was offering a piece of advice for healthy, shiny hair.

But in a flash of light, my brain saw something broader.

And then I turned the old slogan into this brief piece : 

A little of everything will be sufficient.

Don’t overthink.

Don’t overreact.

And definitely don’t overeat.

This way,

your mind,

your feelings,

and your body

will always be at peace. 

I don’t think my version suits any hair crème advert, but it certainly suits your wellbeing in general.

With a little-will-do-thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

The Secret Language

nhpureandsimple

Which languages do you speak and how did that impact your life?

Apparently, we all talk to our pets, right?

You can’t have a pet without finding some way to communicate together. 

Anyway, at the moment, I don’t have any.

My sons say, “ please no more, Mama.’

Simply because I got so attached to them, and you know how hard it feels when you lose them.

Over the last few years, I used to have three pets. 

No wait… actually, they were two and the third came only for a short visit.

First was Fish; those colourful tiny creatures in a small water tank. 

Me and my daughter were fascinated by them.

But real, tiny fish are mute, not like those talkative ones in movies or in fictional books.

Yet, you still have to find some kind of language to communicate with them. Otherwise, you will end up sending them back, either to the big open sea or the store where you got them.

Thanks to my daughter, we found something simple by just tapping gently on the tank glass.

They would drew near and start staring at you through the glass.

Perhaps… we can translate this as hi, how’re you doing.

Second came my birds: two cute parakeets, Blue and Sky.

These two were so talkative, but their birdie language is easy to learn.

So they would start the day with loud “morning prayers” followed by nonstop discussions about their daily routine. Sometimes, later in the day, their chatter would change into a thoughtful, lyrical kind of sweet conversation before having a catnap.

“Please, Mama make them stop this noise.” My sons complained when they came for a visit.

‘They’ll be quiet at night.’ I replied, laughing.

Whistling works so well with birds, and my daughter found the idea very interesting.

I’m so bad at whistling, yet me and those cheeky birds used to nod, yell, and whisper at one another.

Then came the cat, with those beautiful eyes and soft meows.

Since we were only having her for a short visit, she spend most of the time hiding.

But cats are clever, and easy to communicate with. 

Their meows, purrs, and little winks not only make your heart melt, but they also don’t need any explanations. 

With pets–language- thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

Simple Advice: Just Listen

nhpureandsimple

What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?

Whether you’re 10, 20, or 23 plus — Please Read.

Reading is better than television,

better than cinema,

better than social media,

better than nonsense talk,

and yes, even better than football. 

By the end of the day, they all consume their energy, 

eat your brain, 

and dull your senses.

Books can restore it all.

And reading doesn’t ask for money, subscriptions, or travel visa.

It only asks for a little of your time everyday, and in return it offers great rewards.

The best two rewards are: 

a healthy brain

and a loyal companion.

So… please read.

With book-reading thoughts,

Nahla 

Just writing

The Longest Day of the Year

nhpureandsimple

Well… that was yesterday.

Honestly, I didn’t really notice the difference nor did I try to register the moment.

Over the last few days, the day wasn’t only long, it was also hot; too hot to care about the addition of a few more minutes.

The Uk sun has no equivalent, even the Egyptian sun would shy away before it. 

Really, this English sun goes straight into your eyes, and you can’t escape it.

It feels so close, like your shadow following you everywhere.

And these days, it likes to linger until ten pm.

This cheeky yellow-orange sun hangs in the sky and smiles at you as if to say, it’s still too early to go to bed.

‘But it’s almost ten,’ you moan, wanting so much to push it down.

Instead, you yawn, rub your eyes, and yawn again.

And then, you start scrolling online.

Everyone is talking about the heat, turning it into a heatwave with warnings and precautions. 

And people start complaining.

Why?

Because it is so hot. 

But we have been crying our eyes out because of the long winter and the cold spring. 

We have been longing for some warmth and some sunshine.

Yes, the sun has been more generous, but it’s finally summertime, with its short nights, long days, and this memorable longest day which I barely noticed.

With summertime thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

Success and Its Different Formula

nhpureandsimple

What’s your top tip to be successful in life?

Can we pause a bit at the word “success.”

 In the back of my mind, those old memories of success were always tied to education and graduation.

From the first day you stepped into school, success became all about your grades. And it kept this iconic status until you earned your degree, secured a respectable job, or earned a good salary. 

Some people not only polish this status of success, but also worship it, believing there’s no other possibility or meaning of success beyond education and career.

I was one of those people, raised with this holy image of success. But over the years, success began to show up in different ways. It looks you in the eye and says: “Yes, education is important, but it’s not the only path to reach me. There are other meanings, other routes, and other possibilities to prove yourself successful and to earn my golden badge.”

Life is our big school. 

It teaches different lessons and gives us hard challenges.

And it never forgets to award us with its own unique success certificates.

Some people pay attention to the life’s big moral awards, while others stay loyal to success in its physical, printed form. Apparently both groups work hard, but their expectations of success are completely different. 

So…the earlier you decide which group to join, the better you’ll save your time and energy.

And that’s what I can say is the top tip for a successful life.

It is to know which way to follow and what makes sense to you.

In other words, to be You in this vast, fast –changing world

It is to choose your route, to follow your path, and to have faith. 

Years ago, I used to think like most of my friends about seeing success only through its narrow angle version: high grades and a good career.

And years later, most of my friends followed the same formula.

But Almighty had a different plan for me.

And, whenever I tried to rebel or sneak around it, He brought me to my motherhood career and my writing passion. Both give me a kind of unique success that top everything else in my life.

And I believe I’m blessed to enjoy every moment of my quiet world as a beautiful kind success.

With top-tip success thoughts,

Nahla