daily prompt

The simplest

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Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow.

We learn from our mistakes, don’t we? And we learn from our interactions with others, right?

Throughout our life, our decisions are, in most cases, the outcomes of our mistakes, our experience, our knowledge, and of course our feelings. Some people would say, ‘ don’t follow your heart, use your brain instead.’ Others would say, ‘but of course, follow your heart because it’s your inner voice, your conscience?’ Which one do you follow? But, can our brain function without our heart? Please, think about that before giving your answer.

Have you ever considered that wrong decisions might teach you the best lessons in life? Actually, they might be the ones that help you grow and change to be the better version of yourself. However, you don’t have to fall, to throw yourself into a marsh in order to earn your own way to grow.

On the other side, your best decisions might be the simplest ones. To write has been the simplest decision that helps me to both express and discover myself which in turn helps me to learn and grow.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

People and places

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What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why?

People say we love places because of their people and we also hate places for their people. In other words, heaven is heaven because of their deserving inhabitants and hell is hell because of their deserving inhabitants. However, people have different perceptions of heaven and hell, especially on this worldly life.

In most cases, it depends on you,  the whole you, your beliefs, your morals, and your way of thinking to decide whether to visit a certain place or to never do. You might say that a place of worship is the place you will never wish to visit, and I might say that a nightclub is the place that I would never want to set foot in. Each of us has our own background, reasons, and fears. Yet, we can still walk along the same street and exchange greetings when our faces meet.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Look ahead

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Describe one positive change you have made in your life.

Throughout our life, change is both a must and a need. We have to change and we feel the change. A child has to grow into an adult though some can still have the innocence and transparency of a child’s spirit. We also need to embrace the change, whatever that change may be, e.g, our way of thinking, our clothing style, our daily routine, etc. C’est la vie.

Unfortunately, the changes we go through can be both positive and negative. Let’s put aside the negative changes for today and focus on the positive ones.

While walking with my children, when they were young, I used to tell them not to turn back. ‘You are supposed to watch for things before you because you are going ahead, and sometimes turning back result in harm and unneeded distraction.’ Over the years, I have been trying my best to adopt this strategy not only while walking but along my life journey . Never look back, never regret things that I couldn’t have or achieve. That’s one of the positive changes I have made in my life.

Look ahead and let bygones be bygones.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

A simple exercise

nhpureandsimple

What’s the most fun way to exercise?

It’s so funny when my birds open wide their little beaks, stretch their cute necks, and close their mouths. They repeat this exercise for five or more times. I’m pretty sure that they are yawning and that’s one of their daily exercise routine.

By the way, I read that some people practise yawning as a sort of exercise that helps relieve jaw tightness and other facial tense muscles . And, some people say yawning is also good for your heart in a way that can increase your oxygen intake which helps you become more alert.

The funniest thing about yawning is that it is contagious. Once a yawner starts a round of long yawns, the others surrounding them will follow suit. They call it social mirroring, but at least that can benefit your health.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

One book

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What book could you read over and over again?

When the book is intriguing, unexpected, and full of events, its reader can finish it in two nights maximum even though its pages might exceed four hundred pages. But, rereading it might be doubtful. The fun, the excitement, and curiosity would be all faded. So, why not try another of the same author instead? That’s what I do and I seldom reread a book even if it is one of my favourites.

However, there is only one book I will read over and over again, and that’s the Holy Quran. It’s part of our faith to never abandon our holy book. Once we finish it, we start reading it all over again with the same commitment, respect, and joy.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Out of two

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If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?

I am quite a reader, and it is not that I read everything, but I believe that books find their readers. Perhaps, as a reader, you are in need of  something;  be it company, a morale, an encouragement, a guidance, an advice, some fun, or anything else. I believe that the title, the front cover, the blurb, and the first page are what attract a reader to a book. And, that’s why I continue reading a book even though I find it boring later on and have to skip some parts and pages. But, I always find something new to learn.

Now, although I’ve come across too many fictional characters, there are mainly two I like and remember the most. Jane Eyre and Judy Abbot. If I have to choose one, it would be Jane Eyre. Why? Because, she learned to live, she was a good student and a good teacher, and she stood by her principles. She had neither bowed to humiliation nor yielded to temptation.

Isn’t it hard to feel like the odd one out, mainly because you care while others surrounding you do not, and they don’t understand why you care, either. But, these unique characters teach the readers that it’s the odd ones who are the  most remembered.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Not our pet

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What animals make the best/worst pets?

The Arabs and people in the Mideterinian region in general like cats. They are such adorable creatures that make your heart melt as they rub themselves against your leg, or give you one of their begging meows.

One day, my family and I moved to a new house. The area was so beautiful but so quiet especially at night. Then, a few days later, and just before going to bed,  I heard meowing at the doorstep. My husband and my boys, who were still young at that time, went downstairs and opened the door. There, they found our cute night visitor; a tabby taking shelter under our small shelter. When I joined them, the cat was still meowing at the door. She had a collar, but apparently all she wanted was to get inside our house. I let her in and she straightaway started rubbing her wet fur against us. Later on, I discovered that it was the pet of my next door neighbour. So, she wasn’t a lost cat. From that day on, the cat became our popular and so welcomed guest. 

We had moved again, but  I still remember that cat and its name, and still have its photos.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Money-free service

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What job would you do for free?

Years ago, one of my neighbours, a Muslim but not from an Arabic country, asked me to teach her daughter to read and write in arabic and wanted to pay for the lessons. I welcomed the idea but insisted on teaching the little girl for free. When she first asked me, the thought of earning money didn’t even cross my mind. But then, I was taken aback when she asked me how much I am going to charge her for the lesson.

There’s nothing wrong or embarrasing about charging others when you are doing them certain job and giving them some of your time. But, that, in most cases, depends on the person’s motivations and the workload of the job. Taking both into consideration,  I decided to make this job for free for certain reasons; First, I was already teaching my children Arabic at home which means I am used to the job and had the materials. Second, she was my neighbour, and do we charge our neighbours for doing them a favour? For me, that cannot be. Third, I wasn’t planning to make it a business. It was merely a sort of a small help I can offer to the little child.

I did that again, and I will do it more if need be. Although that was money- free service, I earned things more precious than money; a child’s smile, a pleasant mememory and my neighbour’s appreciation.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Two groups

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What Olympic sports do you enjoy watching the most?

I am not a fan of the Olympics. Yes, it’s an international event represent and gather people from all the continents. Yes, it is encouraging athletes all over the world to train hard and long to measure their abilities and prove their strength. At the end, the best  will win and be awarded a medal or a trophy. The winners will receive cheers and a good round of applause from the audience, their fans. But that’s it. The compition is mainly held for that end, for its participants and their audience. But, what if you don’t belong to all of that?

Some people like to have their own rhythm that suits their style and abilities. They don’t wish to win a running race, but they do wish to go for a walk with good company and enjoy some of their time in peace and joy.

Both groups are winners, but with their own pace and reward.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Community involvement!

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How would you improve your community?

Honestly, my first reaction to today’s prompt was to laugh. Of course, it is a noble aim to work on improving your community. However, this noble aim brought back a mixture of bittersweet memories about my experience of the very topic.

Some people love to be in charge, to organise things, to make online groups, to give speeches, to be in the spotlight, and to have their photo filling the whole frame. That’s the type of people, I came across, and were, in most cases, calling and taking part in improving the community. I do agree that they indeed do good things; online groups, trips, picnics, paquets, forums, etc. The aim is always to build a strong community that would support its members and represent their existence. But, is that the only way to improve the community? Do things really represent that platonic society, that perfect image?

From my experience, these groups with the ‘do-not-think-I-am-your- boss’ attitude, perhaps improve the external of the community, but not its internal construction. In most cases, taking sides, disputes, and conflicts drive some people to walk away and reject the whole community.

Hence, I have come to learn that it’s you, the person, the human being, who can improve the community. A good parent, a good teacher, a good doctor, a good shopkeeper, clerk, nurse, etc we all can make good role models and create a good generation that can benefit the community. Although we haven’t been created to be perfect, and we all have our flaws, we all are born with a living conscious. If only we could raise above our own ego and interests! If only we could respect each other and spread kindness! If only we could be genuine and trustworthy. Wouldn’t that be a better way to improve our community?

With all the best wishes,

Nahla