Tag: thoughts

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?

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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 

daily prompt

Can we turn things upside down?

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Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?

So… can we think of the most famous as the most infamous and vice versa?

In other words, why can a celebrity be the most famous, while the teacher, for example, is the last, or perhaps nonexistent, in the list of the most famous?

Can we swap positions, so the celebrity goes down the list and the teacher goes up to be the most famous? 

I hope your head isn’t spinning right now, or is it?

Mine actually is.

But don’t you get it? 

Some people can be famous but without big celebrations, shiny gowns, best-selling books, or seven zeros in their bank account? They can be the most famous because of something simple yet special about them—something that shines without glitter, something that resounds without raucous noise, and something that attracts with respect. 

Wouldn’t it be a good change to think of the famous and the infamous in this way? 

You may discover that you are more famous in your own surroundings than those in the media or politics. 

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Philosophical musings

They Say These Are Just Dreams 

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… but dreams may come true. 

How many times have you dreamed of things, impossible in your mind, yet one day they do come true?

Sometimes your dreams seem just like… the mountain summit; too hard to imagine, too far to climb, and too impossible to reach. 

But then, one says, “I have a dream,” while another says, “these are just fussy, meaningless dreams.” The difference between them is that one truly begins climbing the mountain to achieve something, anything, while the other waits down there, laughing, still wondering what a silly, unfathomable dream might be!

For the climber, to reach the summit, to cheer from up there, to enjoy the panoramic view all around from the top, is worth every step, every ache, and every drop of sweat. From now on, there will be no turning back, only moving forward—for every dream can come true.

For the others watching from down there, they wander about with mocking laughter, a few steps, a little effort, and no sweat. Poor them, they can’t see what the climber sees, they will not learn what the climber learns, and they will never understand how dreams can come true.

By the way, don’t you agree that to have a dream doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a president, a royal, or even a scholar? To have a dream is to have a purpose with valuable meaning. In other words, a dream has to do with something that can guide rather than mislead. It is a disaster if selfishness and pride are the sole motivations behind one’s dreams; actually this can be worse than having no dreams at all. 

Do you remember those old days dreams?

As children, we were often asked, “What do you want to be in the future?

Do you remember the boy who said, “I want to be an upright judge.” 

And the other who said, “an honest lawyer.”

And that girl who wanted to be a kind teacher. And another who dreamed of becoming a merciful doctor. 

These little noble dreams often came true, turning into something useful, generous, and prosperous.

Now, please do not to be pessimistic for even amid all the media madness and money mania, these little noble dreams still exist.

There will always be those who surprise us with true, prosperous dreams coming true.

With hope and peace,

Nahla 

Philosophical musings

What Does the Fish Want to Say?

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“If the fish comes out of water to tell you the crocodile is ill, believe it.”

I came across this sentence while I was scrolling through instagram. 

Is it a puzzle? I wondered, and decided that the only way to find out was to see how writing might solve it. 

But first: have you ever come across this one before? 

I’m just curious about its origin.

So, let’s set the scene first.

An old wise man was walking along the riverbank just after dusk. (Now, don’t ask me why an old man. I really don’t know, it just came that way into my head. Besides it sounds better than “an old woman” in the context of a quiet, dark background. And don’t ask why wise. Actually … I can see your point. Not every old men behave wisely. But, at lease let’s make them wise in stories. Now not more interruption, please.) 

Once upon a time, an old wise man was walking along the riverbank just after dusk, as the last reddish ray of the flaming sun sank deep behind the big, dark mountains. He was having his usual evening walk by the river. Whether it was cold or warm, rainy or dry, busy or quiet, he never missed this routine unless something serious held him back. 

On every evening walk, the old man had a plan—a simple plan to make a kind deed.

Sometimes he gave a stray cat some food,

sometimes he picked up litter and dropped it in bins,

sometimes he helped a mother get her baby’s pram onto the bus,

sometimes he sat back on a bench and patted another old man on the back as he listened to his heartbreaking story,

and sometimes he tried other gestures of kindness.

Until the day he took his evening walk by the riverbank, when it was extra quiet. The only thing he glimpsed that evening was a faraway, shiny golden fish bouncing on the beach. 

The fish was the size of a medium salmon. He glanced right and left, wondering whether anyone might run and catch her for their dinner, but there wasn’t a soul around.

He rushed towards the fish, not to make her his dinner, but to push her back into the water so she might live. When he was about a metre away, she made one great bounce into the air, and spoke in a human voice: “The crocodile is ill.” As she landed on the damp beach, a high tide crept forward and swallowed her back into the deep river.

The old wise man stared into the deep river under the dark sky, wondering whether he was dreaming. After a few long moments of silence, he turned and walked back towards the road.

“Even if it was all a hallucination… what does ‘the crocodile is ill’ mean?” He wondered, and sat on the nearest wooden bench.

“If the crocodile is ill, perhaps it means the world is finally safe. People can go out and about with no fear, no threats, no weapons. Perhaps, now they can swim into the river and get rid of it. Then, life will be safe, fishing will be abundant, and people will be free. 

“Or… if the crocodile is ill, it may be a warning of danger, awful danger. The river is no longer pure, no longer clean, no longer suitable for life. Not because of the crocodile but because of the river itself. Its water may be polluted, and the land no longer fit for living.” 

A moment later, a young man drew near him and gently whispered, “Aren’t we blessed to have this beautiful river…. Tomorrow we’re going fishing.”

The old wise man smiled. He had found the answer.

But… do you think which one was it?

With hope and peace,

 Nahla

Philosophical musings

I’m sorry

nhpureandsimple

Some people whisper it from the heart,

Some repeat it out of a habit,

some grumble it, 

some murmur it,

and some are too proud to let it slip from their tongue.

Aren’t these expressions of apology obvious to interpret? 

Both your brain and your heart can tell which is which, right? 

You don’t have to study psychology to distinguish a casual, fake, under-the-breath, shy, or sincere apology.

You know who’s the worst of all? 

Those who go round and round to avoid giving an apology;

as if they make no mistakes,

as if they don’t know,

and as if they are superior and above all reprimand.

They will tell you endless stories—fake or true, short or long—

just to evade what, for them, feels like the heaviest and most complicated word on the tongue: sorry.

But, those are hopeless cases. 

Do you know why? 

Because if you argue with them, they will explode.

If you go along and pretend things are okay, they will hurt you more.

The only suitable reaction is to play it safe, and smile not because they’re funny, but because they know you understand them.

Suppose one day someone comes to you with a warm, sincere apology— one touches not only your heart but also your soul.

Would you accept it? 

I think things depends on how close the person is to you. 

And how deeply the deed behind the apology has affected you. 

Right?

One day, as we usually do on special occasions, I sent an old friend a greeting message, and in her respond she asked me to forgive her.

The only harm she caused me was … disappointing me as a good friend— someone who was supposed to be there when I need them.

“I forgive you,” I texted back for I couldn’t find a reason not to.

To be honest, I was thinking more of myself than of her, thinking of how I would like to be forgiven too. 

But… you just can’t feel the same with the person.

Since then, she hasn’t sent any more messages, and neither have I. 

We have this famous saying in Arabic: Forgive and forget.

Funny how I used to teach it to my children, and they would wipe their tears, smile, and hurry outside to play with their friends again. 

But there’s another version of this saying: Forgive, but do not forget. 

The older you get, the more you understand why this version feels wiser.

It’s just a reminder that you, as a human being, need both to forgive and to be cautious.

To forgive is to purify your heart from anger, hatred, and agony, and to find this peace of mind that nourishes your soul.

To forgive is a noble path towards finding forgiveness yourself.

But, you, the same human being, have to learn from the experience.  It’s necessary, somehow, to remember the hurt, the lie, and the deception not as bitterness but as protection. Otherwise you may get hurt or disappointed twice. 

They say if something happens twice, it is more likely to happen again.

Isn’t that true? 

And people … they alway teach us important lessons. 

So grant your forgiveness, but remember why you give it in the first place. 

And, don’t close the door, just leave it a little bit ajar. 

With hope and peace,

Nahla

personal thoughts

Pray For Flowers…

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…but don’t be surprised when the Almighty sends rain first.

Success, happiness, peace, health, wealth, and victory are all flowers of a beautiful harvest.

The hardworking, 

the innocent souls, 

the broken hearts, 

the poor victims, 

they all pray.

Day after day,

Month after month.

A year passed.

A second year too.

They wait,

and

wait,

and

wait.

Then, instead of flowers,

God sends rain,

Heavenly rain,

Blessed rain.

To wipe the tears of the mournful,

To relieve the pain of the suffering,

To quench the thirst of the tired,

To wash away ashes,

To nourish the land.

And let flowers blossom,

And Bloom,

again and again.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing, personal thoughts

Talk, so I Can See You

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This is one of the most special and poetic expressions in the Arabic language. 

Isn’t it beautiful?

And what a brilliant choice to use talk and see!

When you talk, you simply… talk, spontaneously, casually, using your voice, your feelings, your words. In other words, when you become you, the other can hear, see, and know the real you better. Whatever you are and whatever experience, profession, or talent you have, the other can’t see any of it until you talk. 

But things doesn’t rely only on the one who talks; listeners have their important share too. A listener’s good eyesight and hearing are not enough if they really want to see the one talking. To really see someone, is to use your heart. That’s why the blind and the deaf can see you as well as anyone else.

Not everyone who listens, truly listens. Have you heard of this saying before? May I make this tiny addition: Not everyone who listens, truly listens —or truly sees. 

Even when you read a story, you come to know the characters better through their dialogue. The more they talk, the more you see them, unless you’re not interested in the book at all.

By the way, don’t you agree that writing is one of the most creative and artistic ways of talking? 

I do—for some people, talk flows more in writing, and see deepens more in others’ writings. These are the same ones who believe talk lives in writing, and see broadens through others’ writings.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

personal thoughts

And Then Everything Happens!

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Have you ever heard this quote: “Nothing happens, and nothing happens, and then everything happens.”  I came across it in one of my reading books, and I hope I’m quoting it right.

Don’t you like it? 

How many times have you been on the verge of giving up? Of letting despair and misery eat you up? Of bowing and kneeling before tyrants and demons? And why all that? Just because nothing happens. And nothing happens. 

But then, Hope arrives and knocks on your locked door. He doesn’t wait for you to open it for he knows you have been waiting, suffering, and tormented for so long. He seeps into your dark, wretched soul like a gentle, warm breeze filling a dark, damaged home in a freezing night. That’s when everything happens: Prayers are answered, dreams come true, wishes granted, problems solved, and victory attained. 

Isn’t that so beautiful, so encouraging—lifting the spirits of poor souls, awakening their self-respect, and strengthening their love for life?

There is a similar meaning in an Arabic poetry verse I once read.  It says: “Things grew tight, and tighter, and tighter until they reached their tightest peak. Then, they began to loosen, and relief came.“ (This is my own translation.)

Are you are still reading?

If you are, may I ask you to think of the english quote, or the Arabic verse, in a different way? 

Did anything come to your mind? 

Let me give you an example to help. 

Imagine, just imagine, you’ve been… God Forbid, a thief or a murderer or even a scammer your whole life. And nothing happens. And nothing happens. And, one day, you hear knockings at your door.

Hope is not the visitor this time. It’s Justice crowned with her royal, majestic halo. She’s the one who’s been waiting for so long. Finally, it’s time to make you pay. And then, things happen. But, instead of the gentle, warm breeze, it’s tsunami rushing to wipe you out, and reclaim everything that was never yours. 

The interpretation is the same in the Arabic verse, with a slight difference. This time, it’s the culprit who tightens things with every deed, inhumane ones, of course, chasing success, power, and protection. He climbed to the tightest peak of pride, power, and false security. Then things happen. Tight things burst, don’t they? But relief doesn’t come. Only torn pieces remain this time, bringing nothing but suffering, humiliation, and regret. 

With hope and peace,

Nahla

personal thoughts

Blessed Are Those Who Know Their Own Limits

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I don’t really know if it is a saying or a quote, but I’m pretty sure I came across somewhere.

But don’t you agree?

Don’t you respect those who can say ‘yes’ or ‘no’? Those who can choose to go on, to pause, or to withdraw? Those who know that ‘better’doesn’t necessarily mean ‘perfect’? And those who believe that ‘to run for your life’ is the only excuse to exceed the limits.

And you know what? Even imagination knows its own limits because, in the end, it doesn’t deny the fact that everything it creates is imaginary.

Dreams are different because the more limitless they are, the more destructive and selfish they become.  People say, ‘Look ahead and follow your dreams.’ And some follow the advice as if it were a holy command. They look only ahead and follow one route — either straight or by taking shortcuts. Like competitive drivers, they floor the gas pedal, exceed speed limits, ignore traffic lights, overtake any priorities, and make every space as their own free parking zone.

To know and respect your own limits is not a weakness, not a sacrifice, and certainly not a defeat. It’s something like making a peace deal with yourself, a quiet agreement, not to overburden, torture, or destroy what’s already carrying enough.

Everything in life seems to have its own limits. Privacy, for example, is supposed to be all about knowing and respecting limits. There’s also genius, this rare, precious quality, which often understands the significance of limits better than anyone else. But, unfortunately, in some case, its main aim is to only challenge and destroy them.

The beauty of all this is that we have different limits, and they change even throughout our lives. Everyone can create their own heroic saga. What matters is crafting it within your own limits. And, if you choose to exceed the limits, don’t scapegoate others, don’t envy them, and don’t torture your poor soul anymore.

Now doesn’t “Blessed are those who know their own limits” make perfect sense?


With hope and peace,

Nahla