Tag: life

daily prompt

Happiness and You

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When are you most happy?

Don’t you regret wasting your time on things that would never add to your wellbeing? 

Aren’t you happiest when you challenge yourself to stop things that steal your time, drain your energy, and dull your mood? 

Suppose that instead of scrolling through social media, you choose to stop and switch to something else, like writing a post right now. Wouldn’t you be happier? 

By the way we lose nothing by pausing social media. When we come back, everything is exactly the same with just more copies.

Wouldn’t you be happiest when you challenge yourself with a task and fulfil it.

But of course, it’s normal to be upset, disappointed, and little dramatic when the goal isn’t achieved. But at least the attempt itself is a good compensation.

Wouldn’t you be happiest when you say “no” to things that don’t suit you or apply to your life.

Boundaries exist for a reason, don’t they? 

Wouldn’t you be happiest when you say “sorry” and truly feel it after you’ve done something wrong or hurt someone’s feelings?

This is a reassuring sign that your good nature overpowers your evil side.

Wouldn’t you be happiest when you count your blessings and realise how many times you’ve been saved and how much love you’ve been receiving.

All you need is to have faith.

And…

Wouldn’t you be happiest when you really want to be happy? 

Happiness is simple, and it is also contagious.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

daily prompt

Books and People

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Are you a good judge of character?

You can’t know a book by its cover. 

I totally agree.

Some people give a book a try, read a few pages and then put it aside if it doesn’t suit their liking.

And some people( like me) stubborn enough to read a book to the very end, whether they enjoy it or not. To be honest, I sometimes speed up the process by skipping a few parts. The recent book I finished was not boring, but it was a historical fiction. I like fiction, but history from the seventh century was a bit too long and old to enjoy. So, I scanned it until I came to the final chapter, which I read fully because it was just a few pages. Then I breathed a sigh of relief. 

They say people are like books; you don’t know them until you read through the pages. But sometimes you can know people at first glace. This is not judgment. No. This is simply how you feel about them. Not “good” or “bad,” but companionable or not. How do you feel at this first sight? Happy, safe, nervous, miserable, worried, relaxed…

And then you can say; I like them or I don’t. 

Isn’t that the most honest judgment we can make? 

This “like” or “don’t like” is explained and justified only later when life shows you whether your first impression was right or wrong. 

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Some doors…

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They say: some doors will open to you because of your prayers, some because of your kindness, and some because of your faithful heart.

And may I add, … and some doors open simply because of your resilience. 

And you know what? These doors open wide with a genuine welcome. They spill light. They smell of flowers. And they are full of hope.

These doors can’t be mistaken for dark doors. For there are dark doors too, but they open only a crack. They are pitch-black. They smell of stagnant water. And, they are full of troubles.

But we always have a choice: which one to be, which path to tread, and which doors to knock on.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Philosophical musings

“How cruel is man’s ignorance!”

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Isn’t this quote so true? ​

You know… ignorance isn’t just the lack of study, learning, or certificates.

No, ignorance is the lack of understanding, of seeing and feeling what is true and real.

By the way, don’t you agree that education is not the opposite of ignorance? In other words, a farmer with basic education may have more knowledge than a qualified teacher. The farmer’s knowledge is usually enriched by wisdom, while the teacher’s is measured by certificates. 

So… can we agree that the opposite of ignorance is understanding?

Education, power, wealth, and fame do not necessarily produce knowledgeable people. Ironically, these supposed sources of knowledge feed and entertain ignorance more than they cultivate true knowledge. 

And this type of ignorance is available in abundance, but it is deaf and blind.  

It spreads lies, hides the truth, and fights against cultivating knowledge.

That’s why ignorance is cruel, so cruel indeed.

But there is some good news. Over the years, ignorance has always surrendered to knowledge. Not only that, this cruel ignorance has lived by the light of knowledge, yet it never recognised its validity until it was too late. 

All we need to avoid falling into the trap of ignorance is to understand, and to see and feel things not only with our minds, but also with our hearts.

And…

Remember, knowledge is understanding, and understanding is the first step towards wisdom, and wisdom is light, and there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Philosophical musings

What Do You Think About The Stars?

nhpureandsimple

Well… this is not astronomy or astrology or astrophysics. I have nothing to do with any of those.

I simply think of stars as stars; luminous lanterns created to shine in the sky, to guide, or once used to guide, our ancestors across land and sea all over the globe. 

Strange how little we see of them nowadays. They still exist in abundance up there in the sky, but most of us are busy, mainly chasing human stars, brand stars, evaluation stars, review stars, and those golden and silver stars. But those literal stars cannot compare to a single luminous creature shining up there in the sky. Its distance, its quality, its meaning, its light, its power, its mystery, all are beyond compare.

In olden times, when human life was deeply connected with those sky lanterns, people personified them as the best of the best. Those far away stars were friends, listeners, watchers, consultants, lovers, and more. Poets wove them into poetry. Travellers took them as companions. Workers waited for them. Children counted them. Lovers dreamed beneath them. Even animals and birds nestled into their places with the first sight of them.

Have you ever noticed how real stars rarely appear amid noise? You have to seek them in quiet, simple places ; on mountains, by the sea, across dessert sands, or anywhere tranquil. Their silver light is a treasure, revealed only to those who pause to appreciating it. 

Now what do you think about the stars?

Here’s a verse from Gibran’s poem,

“The sorrow of the soul is nothing but an illusion, that doesn’t last, and the clouds of the soul reveal the stars within its folds.”

Can you see that the stars symbolise the light that can be seen even in the most greyest and darkest night—yourself?

With hope and peace,

Nahla

daily prompt, Just writing

Five Common Examples

nhpureandsimple

Share five things you’re good at.

These can be your hobbies, I guess. Because we are usually good at things we enjoy. Right? But we can also be bad at things we like. Now let me explain with five common examples:

Cooking. Nothing is better than homemade food— I totally agree. I love cooking and baking, but the outcome isn’t always consistent. Sometimes I receive a surprising Wow, and other times, I get something like, ‘ have you changed something?’ Which, by the way, doesn’t mean food was awful but… not as nice.

Walking. Such a simple exercise that costs nothing! I enjoy it, but my consistency is around average. In summer, it can go above average, but in winter, with its strong gusts and heavy showers, exercising feels cosier indoors.

Listening. They say listening is a life skill. Well.. that depends of course on concentration. I enjoy it, but sometimes, the mind can’t help wandering into a book, a phone call, or even an old memory. And, in the end, it all depends on the narrative, and on the narrator.

Imagination. I suppose most readers and writers are good at imagination. Otherwise, they wouldn’t enjoy either. But, it’s important to draw a line between reality and imagination. For example, the first man who imagined the possibility of flying was so brave and clever, yet his imagination wasn’t enough for a successful trial. Unfortunately he didn’t survive.

Learning. Nowadays with all this technology and so many resources, learning is available to almost everyone. One has just to know the right option and the direction to follow. I have mine, which goes well with my own rythm and preferences.

Well… even if one is good at something, it doesn’t mean they are perfect. But, at least one should try.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Reading Challenge: From Plan to Result

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I haven’t finished it yet, and I have only myself to blame. 

Do you know why? 

Imagine you decide to join a marathon even though you know you’re more of a walker. You’re not slow, but you simply like to take your time, enjoying the scenery and your surroundings. 

So I began my 2025 reading marathon with a plan to finish 60 books.

Of course, at the start line, I was full of enthusiasm, energy, and dedication, but things always happen.

A few months later, the target began to feel unrealistic, especially as doubt started whispering logic into my head, equipped with sensible calculations and reasons. 

I dropped my challenge to 50 books, and slowed down running.

Halfway through the year, a few complicated books challenged my target, and made me feel as if I were running up a steep hill. And don’t forget, I’m not really a runner. So, I changed to jogging instead, and dropped my challenge to 40 books.

Now, it’s almost the end of the year, and I have no plan to drop the number again.

My score is so far 33 books.

If I make it, I make it.

If not, I’ll make a sensible plan for 2026.

At least that’s what inspired me to write this post.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

P.S.S

Please don’t be disappointed or discouraged by this post. I hope as much that you will read it as I hope you will fulfil your own reading challenge target. 

Just writing

All together, All at Once

nhpureandsimple

Today is a typical English weather day.

It’s windy, really windy, with gusts about 45mph.

And it’s sunny and warm. You could say… it is neither warm nor cold.

And it’s cloudy, and what beautiful clouds we have today; grey, white, and golden yellow. A stunning portrait of natural beauty!

And it will be rainy ( a bit later.) Still let’s imagine it; drizzles then light then heavy showers.

And it’s a busy morning: wind rustling, birds soaring and singing, trees swishing, cars racing, buses braking, children hollering, road workers drilling, and aeroplanes whooshing through the sky. What a real, live soundtrack!  

Won’t this beauty make you happy, make you alive, make you feel blessed?

How many times do we have this beauty all together, all at once?

Sometimes all we need to do is to set aside whatever we’re doing, stand by the window, and simply look around.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Pride Comes Before The Fall

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Do you believe in this moral?

I hope you will keep reading, even if you don’t.

But, I do.

Do you know why?

Here’s why…

Because pompous people are too blind to see anything and anyone but themselves.

They walk the darkest roads, convinced they are the light.

They build vast empire, believing they will last forever, into infinity.

They accumulate wealth and make fortunes, believing that they will never taste need or misery.

They look down on others, convinced that they are the superior, the supreme.

And they hate truth, evade it, and believe they are right even though they know they are wrong.

But…

Dark roads are dangerous, full of humps, holes, and perhaps even a massive trench. And fake light doesn’t give good light. Fake light doesn’t guide. Fake light doesn’t last.

That’s a pompous fall.

Empires may be vast in shape, in power, in wealth. But, before these empires, there were other great empires. All becomes history, and history teaches us we that the greatest empires can vanish in the blink of an eye.

Another pompous fall.

Do wealth and fortune guarantee true happiness or only the hollow repetition of the name without living its meaning? The pompous crave genuine happiness, dream of it, but what they grab is nothing more than the word itself.

Another fall.

Doesn’t it happen that the very ones the pompous looks down on, may one day become their keepers, their leaders, and perhaps even their partners? The tables turn.

Another fall.

Truth is objective, but the pompous makes it subjective.  They miscalculate, misuse, and misjudge, intentionally. Then, instead of admitting their mistake, they raise their heads high, puff their chests, and announce that anything is possible. So, 2+2 can be five, or even ten if they think so. But, truth walks its own path, and survives. 

Another fall.

And there can be more falls. 

If there were no such pride, there would not be so many falls.

Got it!

Now, do you believe in the moral?

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Do you think I am right?

nhpureandsimple

Do you like to read a review with a spoiler or not? 

I don’t like spoilers, but sometimes… when a book is too boring to enjoy, too complicated to follow, or… too bold to imagine, I take the shortcut and try them.

But, when I write a review, I try my best to keep it spoiler-free. At the end of the day, what’s the point of giving away the story instead of encouraging others to read it? Most dishes served on golden plates, are not really filling, right?

Have you ever heard the phrase “my mortal enemy”?

Well, that’s the title of the book I’ve just finished. 

Some people curse their lives, blame others for their misfortune, and regret their choices. They begin to believe that the closer the person is, the more likely they are to become an enemy. 

Things happen when, for example, a friend turns against you, or when someone you trusted becomes the cause of problems rather than the solution.

But, what about your inner selfish self, your bitter self that starts all the dilemmas? Could they be your mortal enemy? 

Some stories make you think twice before taking sides with any character, because the morals they give are not always true. 

So, as we say in Arabic: don’t say Amen to whatever others say—remember to use your brain!

With hope and peace,

Nahla