Tag: inspiration

Just writing

You Are Flawless!

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How would you feel if you receive this message first thing in the morning?

Elated! That’s how I felt after I had finished an entire French unit on my Duolingo app with only a few typos. I really felt that I deserved it. It’s not becuase my French is perefct. I hope it will be one day, but my current level is high B1 level on the CERF scale, which means I can handle most daily situations.

The main reason, I felt I really deserved this compliment is that I made the best of my time early morning. During the weekends, I usually do just one lesson on Duolingo because it’s the weekend: my family’s gathering day. However, today I got up at four o’clock and couldn’t get myself to sleep again. An hour later, I decided to do my lesson. But when the first went smoothly and perfectly, I did the second, third, fourth, and so on. Actually, I think I did more than ten lessons.

Don’t I deserve “You are flawless” compliment?  Of course, I do.

My French learning journey started many years ago at high school. Back then, I didn’t like it because I found it too hard to write what you don’t pronounce. But my marks were good. At university, as I was studying for my English degree qualifications, I had to learn another foreign language. Though French would have been a perfect choice since I had already studied some of it, I decided to study Spanish instead. It’s really disappointing how I can hardly remember any Spanish, but if you don’t practice a language, it will fade away from your brain. But then, why this didn’t happen with my French? Honestly, I don’t know why.

I started my Duolingo sessions during the lockdown, mainly to encourage my daughter to keep on her French lessons. Surprisingly, I found out that my old French lessons were still stored in the back of my brain, waiting to be revived and used.

Scientifically, learning a different language is so beneficial for your cognitive health. It’s like challenging your brain to speak, read, communicate, and understand in more than your mother tongue. In this way, your brain becomes more alert, flexible, and smarter. And, socially, it’s a credit to your social status, professional opportunities, and literary creativity.

Have you ever read the concept of a dead language? It refers to the language that is not widely known but locally practised. However, I don’t like it, becuase even if a language is not widely known, it’s still honoured by its own people which means it’s not truely dead.

How many languages do you wish to learn or have already  learned? I’m just curious to know.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Panacea

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Isn’t it a wonderful word, full of magical solutions?

I believe it is. 

For example, reading can be your panacea for good company, walking for excerise, sleeping for exhaustion, travelling for boredom, etc.

But what is the panacea for good quality writing?

All of a sudden, I started wondering while reading my book last light. I added a bookmark to the page I stopped at and decided to write down my first thoughts the following day.

And here I am today, completing the post while Blue, my bird, stands before the screen, watching my fingers tapping the keyboard. He’s feeling miserable and restless, because Sky, his mate, has been poorly for days.

So, back to Panacea and good writing.

First of all, I thought it might be to write everyday. You’re really amazing if you’re doing this. Sometimes, I wish and try to do this too, but I don’t think that’s my panacea for good writing.

Second, I thought it might be reading. It’s said that the more you read, the more your writing improve. That’s so true, and it can be a good step towardes achieving good quality writing especially if you, like me, get deeply engaged in the book you’re reading. In fact, that is very beneficial when it comes to writing book reviews.

Third, I thought of the time and the place. Perhaps, if you fix a certain time and place, you will feel more oraginsed and committed, and create your best piece. That can be another good step, but it’s not a practical option for everyone, especially those with other priorities.

And then, I thought of Inspiration. It is like a magical pen with mystical ink that turns thoughts into flowing words. It isn’t limited to a special time or place. You can be inspired by a quote, a picture, an adage, a memory, a dream, a daily prompt, or a post by a talented blogger. The most special thing about inspiration is how it makes writing flow – makes it easy and unique.

Is inspiration your panacea for good quality writing?

It is for me

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

The Darkest Nights

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They say:  the darkest nights produce the brightest stars.

Isn’t it a beautiful proverb?

They also say the most darkest moment of the night comes just before the first light of dawn.

How many times do you feel lonely, desperate, and unsuccessful? And then, just when you are on the verge of giving up, you see luminous stars light up your dark night, and later on, the light of the dawn breaks through your faraway deep sky.

Definitely, these sayings are meant to give hope and assurance. Everything is possible, but things might take time. However, patience, sometimes, is too hard to be your friend, especially if you are the desperate not the advisor. But, you’ll be blessed if prayers are your shield.

Oh poor you, if you play the advisor giving these nice, hopeful, assuring phrases. The desperate would not listen, might even shoot you because they are trapped in the tightest circle of despair. “The hands in cold water are not like the hands in the fire.” This is what you hear in Arabic when you play the advisor or the wise man.

Then, when the miracle happens, when the solution comes, and when another chance is granted, the desperate will see the lumnious stars and the light of the dawn, and perhaps one day play the advisor to another desperate soul.

In brief, challenges and struggles are what make us understand how the darkest night can produce the brightest stars.

Have you ever seen the lumnious stars in the darkest nights?

I believe we all do.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla