Tag: thoughts

daily prompt

A third option

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Are you a leader or a follower?

Some people are born to be leaders. Some gain this role as a gift, a blessing, but others fight for it, trying to grasp it by all means, legal or illegal – lawful or unlawful. The first category has people’s love and respect, but the other has people’s fear and desdain.

On the other side, some people play the followers. I can’t say they are born to be followers because we are humans not robots. There are some who believe whatever others say, do whatever others command. How could they do the opposite if they believe they are in no position to think otherwise? They think they are nobody, and nothing is worth sacrificing the comfort of everyday mediocrity.

Thinking of both, I think there should be a third option. Some people  seek neither blind submission nor supreme leadership. Here’s why.

First, it is a huge responsibility, a heavy burden, an awful nightmare to lead others, to take the responsibility for their lives. It’s also so dazzling, so tempting that once you take the step, you’d get trapped into its role’s circle web. Isn’t it enough to be asked one day about your own deeds? A leader would also be asked about those who trust and follow them.

Second, it’s a shame to live your life  just following others, imitating them, ignoring whatever is happening around you, accepting whatever you hear, and trust whoever you meet. That’s a follower,  in my view. Perhaps, at some point, in our life, we have lived this bland, blunt life, but it’s also expected to get out of this phase once and forever.

Everyone has their own touch in life, their own dreams, and their own abilities. Do I have to follow the same recipe to get the same perfect result? ? No. Never. I’ll make some changes. I will add things and omit others. In the end, I am the one making it and the product is mine. But, thanks for the inspiration.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Who would it be?

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There are many who have crossed my mind when I saw this prompt on Instagram. Family, friends, and even some acquaintances. But then, we would be sharing things we already know. Memories, everyday routines, problems, good or bad news, etc.  And in a blink of an eye, the one hour would be gone. We’d thank God if the chat was brief and we felt happy. But we’d hate every moment of the hour if things turned otherwise. That’s why I changed my mind about the list I first picked as I had a second thought.

A stranger. I finally decided it would be a stranger. But, isn’t that happening more often? You sit at one further end of a bench, and then, someone takes the other end. Perhaps they would ask if that was okay. You would nod with a smile and that’s it. But, I don’t actually talk about that stranger.

A stranger, in this context, is the person you’ve already met before- a person you know but have never talked to. Perhaps, one of the neighbours, a teacher at your college or your children’s school, or even the librarian.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have a light chat, to hear a different story, learn something new, and, perhaps, make a new friend.

What about you? Try and write about yours?

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

One lost item 

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First, I imagine this box will be full of some old toys, old favourite clothes, audio tapes, photos, books, colouring books, cards, and candies and sweets. Perhaps there’ll be more items, but I won’t care as much about them, I would only and mainly have rummaged through that box to find one particular thing.

It’s my first notebook. My childhood pieces of writing. My first writings, my innocent thoughts, and my childish handwriting. I can imagine how precious memories will rush into my head. Memories of my parents’ old  house, my father’s voice, my mother’s cooking, my old siblings noseness, my schools, and my old neighbourhood.

Would any other make me feel the same? Perhaps, but not as strong as those first writings, especially after discovering that writing has always been there deep inside me.

By the way, I found this prompt on Instagram. Try to think about it and write something about yours.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Life

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What gives you direction in life?

Every experience I live and each lesson I learn out of it, guides me toward a new direction in life.

We learn not only from our mistakes but also from those of others and that opens before us a new direction to follow in life. Our stories, whether short or long, with the people we know, e.g friends, colleagues, or even our family, also play a role in guiding us toward a direction that would add or change something in our life.

The Almighty doesn’t only give us life but He also puts on our path certain people, some unexpected changes, some blessings, some trials, or even some ideas or books that would make us live a different experience and follow a new direction.

Life, with its ups and downs, will draw before us too many directions, and we have our own reasons to decide whether to follow any.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Baking

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Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind.

The first thing I thought of when I opened my blog today was baking. Perhaps, because of the delicious aroma that’s wafting in my house today. Yes, today, I am baking some pastries for my family. I’m not professional, but, the aroma alone is enough to make your mouth-water.

‘Happiness is homemade.’ Whoever said that was so wise. What can be better than baking and cooking experiments at home? A good meal and a bad one. Fail twice and succeed thrice. Baking fills our homes with fun, warmth, and long-lasting memories.

I believe that even when we follow the same recipes, our dish will taste different. Because, what we cook or bake is not just about the ingredients. You, the cook, the baker, add your feelings, your efforts, and even your own taste buds into the recipe, and that makes the final product taste different and special.

Happiness is absolutely homemade,

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

The unexpected

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Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.

Nowadays, and perhaps even years ago, it’s become hard, no, rare, to find someone who offers you something without expecting something in return. Believe me, that happens even with the simplest things.

One day, one of my husband’s friends invited us for dinner. We had a good time and enjoyed the nice food. The next day, I met one of my friends and we babbled about a few things, including the nice dinner my family and I had enjoyed the day before. Although I had already noticed the change and tense in my friend’s face once she stepped into my house, her face reddened and her eyes bulged behind her glasses after she heard about the dinner invitation.

Perhaps, she was wishing to be invited as well so we all could have a good time. But, perhaps the man couldn’t because, as a matter of fact, his flat was so small that he could only accomodate one family at a time. And, perhaps he did that on purpose. I was pondering the possibilities when all of a sudden she said, ‘he should have returned what he owed us first.’ So, that was it; I invite you, so you have to invite me and before anyone else.

Kindness and good deeds have become a debt that,unfortunately, are not given by a benevolent but by an ursher who wants to use you by all means. But, pure goodness and kindness exist and will always be there even if their proponents are becoming fewer and fewer.

One day, my family and I went on holiday. The hotel we booked was way too far from where we were exploring the city. The only taxi we could reach would be available within forty five minutes. ‘Why not walking instead of waiting,’ we decided and headed up a steep hill dragging our shopping bags. The road narrowed and we had to walk in a line. Then, all of a sudden, a lady called after us from  the opposite side of the road. We stopped and turned to look at her. She was the only person on the road, and there was nothing but the cars racing along the road.

There, she cried out asking whether we need a lift. We looked at each other and felt we were saved as it started raining. A godsent, I  whispered as we crossed the road to join her. Although her car was a small one that wouldn’t fit all of us, she offered to take us in turns. That would be too burdensome for her, we believed and asked her for a taxi number instead. I thanked her from the bottom of my heart, and I couldn’t help but embrace her.

We don’t encounter such pure and unexpected kindness every day, do we?

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

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

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