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Between two worlds
When we wake up in the middle of the night, and everything is still around us, the mind is quiet and still at ease. We find ourselves between two worlds: the memories of the past day and the hopes of the approaching new day. These precious few hours are when we feel the most liberated; we are encapsulated in a peaceful oasis for a fleeting moment. It's that unique time of the day when we can dedicate time to ourselves without distractions from the outside world and a unique opportunity to recalibrate our inner compass to walk the path our heart desires, hoping it lasts long enough to guide us throughout the day.
Fading into oblivion
Each passing moment we spend awake is a precious experience, regardless of whether we label it good or bad. Together, they are like a trail of memories we leave behind from the moment we are conceived and keep collecting for a lifetime. Each thought, emotion, and event adds up, molding us into who we are at this very moment and shaping the next step we will soon decide to take.
It continues until one day, all that treasure might start to slip through our fingers in front of our eyes, leaving us in a state of confusion, stripped of our precious memories, names, dates, and events, all fading into oblivion. As our life comes to a standstill and we find ourselves being condemned to isolation, forever lost in a maze of ever-fractured memories, when we look back, we can only see a dense fog covering our tracks, the memories that defined who we are.
Losing our way
Standing before the majestic view of beautiful mountains reaching the clouds, one might wonder where we got lost. Experiencing that perfect harmony with our eyes set on the divine beauty of nature reminds us of the importance of a sense of unity, honor, and compassion that our societies sorely lack.
We are part of a perfectly balanced ecosystem, the natural world that shelters us. Yet somehow, we are incapable of replicating that balance and harmony in our societies around the globe. Instead, we give in to selfish desires and embrace the false idea of superiority, allowing our ego to take us on a path of destruction, not even realizing the responsibility our thoughts, words, and actions carry.
Disconnected from nature and our innate goodness, we foolishly rebel against decency instead of celebrating our oneness. We choose isolation from the real world while being lost in a fantasy world. Yet deep within us, we feel the presence of a growing void. The further we walk from nature, the source of divine beauty and perfect balance. Then, one day, we might take a walk in the forest, listening to the chirping birds, the cracking noise of dead branches breaking under our steps as we wander aimlessly for hours, simply feeling contented for the first time in a long while.
Living with less
We have fooled ourselves into believing that owning more is the ultimate path to happiness. Instead, we get trapped in the vicious circle of wanting more and feeling less and less contented with life. In our foolishness, we waste our precious time chasing luxury, but in the process, we unknowingly trade our freedom away. Instead of walking our path, we become the shadows of our idols, never realizing and experiencing the joy of getting rid of things and living with less.
The power of transparency
We shouldn't be afraid to admit how broken we are inside. Our honesty with ourselves and others doesn’t only liberate the soul; it also sets an example of courage and the power of transparency for all who are going through similar struggles, while their fear of being judged isolates them even more. We should find comfort in the truth that those who entertain the awful idea of judging others, or even ridiculing them for being broken inside yet having the strength to share their struggles, are walking examples of spiritual immaturity. Their input is nothing but noise and, as such, must be ignored and is most likely an escape from facing the reality that they are just as broken inside as those they foolishly judge.
Experiencing life
We too often end up with the false idea of not being enough and being incapable, and we don't even realize how much that misleading belief limits our experiences in life. We don't believe in ourselves, so we don't even try, which is the most tragic outcome of doubting our unlimited potential.
Yet if we step away from and ignore the outside world and instead let our passion and curiosity lead us, never considering quitting or failure, we will soon realize that the word "impossible" is just an excuse for not trying harder. From that moment on, each path we choose to walk, no matter how challenging it might be, becomes another opportunity to push our limits further and experience life to its fullest for ourselves.
The fragility of life
We might never realize how fragile life is until a single event tips the scale. Bad times can turn good, or good ones can fade away in front of our eyes. When things turn upside down, pushing us out of our comfort zone, we experience a bunch of emotions that can be overwhelming. Shocked, scared, or paralyzed by fear; or excited, happy, and grateful are just a few to name.
Yet the sudden change—either perceived as a blessing or curse depending on the outcome—can be challenging to adapt to. It’s tempting to fall into the same trap again, though, the illusion of permanency. Things gradually settle again, but the next change might be around the corner. It’s the natural rhythm of life, like the waves playfully dancing back and forth on the coast. The longer we remain idle, the more difficult it becomes to see and accept change as the eternal engine of life.
Beautiful symbiosis
When we step away from the chaos of the outside world, either by choice or as a result of circumstances, we enter a world where possibilities are endless and creativity flows freely, allowing us to experience honest self-expression without the dark shadows of judgment looming over us.
In this realm, our weary soul finds peace and rest at last, a safe haven where we give undivided attention to our inner voice. As our pen touches the paper, its fine strokes are carefully guided by the truth we’ve always sought without success, as it remains hidden from our searching eyes right within us.
Each word recorded by the beautiful symbiosis of ink and paper leads us towards absolute freedom, expressing love and compassion with an open heart as we tap into an invisible source of ancient wisdom engraved in our gentle souls.
Unfiltered speech
Writing is unfiltered speech, a creative outlet to give our thoughts and emotions a recognizable shape so they can be recorded and conveyed to others who might share our feelings and experiences.
It allows us to look deep within our soul and listen to our inner voice, a divine compass that never falters, guiding us toward the right path that suits us.
This honesty with ourselves, the daily practice of writing, is a way to process what we've been through and allow healing to take place amidst the disappointments, lies, hurts, and traumas we all experience and suffer from throughout our lives.
The language of the soul
It’s love we long for, the language of the soul spoken to us with clarity, molded into sounds carrying and echoing a precious message we hold dear to our hearts. Yet our desire to be loved is so profound that—in desperation—love is often sought in the wrong places and forms, leaving us with invisible scars that might take a lifetime to heal.
We should remind ourselves that love is a language spoken by only a few who can see beyond themselves and accept us as we are with all our scars and imperfections. They can see the unlimited potential we are gifted with, and their belief in us is absolute. Even when we stumble and fall to our knees, they gracefully lift us so we can continue our path, and they never question the validity of our journey.
Fleeting moments
When we slow down and take the time to observe the world around us, if we stay still long enough, we realize how life is a series of fleeting moments that slip through our fingers like sand. By discovering this new perspective, we naturally adjust our priorities and try to use wisely that precious time we are blessed with. As we start to cultivate the habit of appreciating the small things in life, the difference between our wants and needs becomes apparent, and we no longer waste time wanting more when what we have at hand is sufficient to serve our needs.
Instead, we take each day as it comes and see it as an opportunity to enjoy those fleeting moments that bring us momentary joy amidst the constant suffering surrounding all of us. The clarity of mind we start experiencing gradually transforms our thoughts, words, and actions, so they become tools to share kindness with all we come across on our spiritual journey.
The true face of war
War has never been a tool to bring peace forward. It's a tool to justify unjustifiable violence, destruction, and cruelty in the name of peacekeeping, revenge, or a holy war. But the true face of war is often the deflection of inner turmoil and chaos of a nation, projecting the illusion of stability and strength towards the outside world while trying to conquer, dominate, or retaliate against another nation.
War broke out for various reasons in human history, but the underlying message is that we lack the ability to communicate effectively what we want and find a peaceful way, a compromise, to live in peace with one another. Moreover, war never leads to victory or peace; it's a fragile lie we keep telling ourselves and trying to sell the world. The death, suffering, and misery brought upon innocent bystanders can never be labeled as a victory, and its lasting effect might affect generations to come, not only the one knocked down but ours as well.
The ugly truth about war is that, ultimately, it benefits our economies. Bringing forward death and destruction requires a steady supply of goods coming from different parts of the world; thus, with each passing day, the suffering of innocent masses keeps boosting economic growth around the world. An army of soldiers requires an army of suppliers, and those countries that are the most generous with their support and resources in wartime will be the first ones to line up for lucrative contracts to rebuild what had been destroyed after the war.
From a realistic perspective, war is nothing more than a hideous lie, a shameful act of arrogance, ignorance, and greed that causes wounds deeper and more painful than time could ever heal. Bringing destruction to the doorstep of the conquered has never achieved its original goal of stopping them from resisting. It always has the opposite effect, and the oppressed fight back even harder; thus, a vicious circle of violence begins with each new war.
The heralds of compassion
Compassion is an overlooked and undervalued virtue, especially these days when decency and intellect have been under attack. But those few who still champion it are like heralds carrying a message of humanness with their kind words and good deeds, always trying their best to see the good in people. Their faith in goodwill might look old-fashioned to many, but their presence and influence are essential to counterbalance the narcissism, hatred, and selfishness we all are bombarded with from all corners of the world.
Compassion allows us to see things from a different perspective, to understand the difficulties others face and the motives of their actions, and to set a positive example for others, thus making our societies and the world a better place. Anyone who dreams of leading others and being a positive role model must be compassionate; otherwise, their sole focus on themselves will make them ineffective in inspiring greatness in others, and their spiritual immaturity will only make them another disappointing chapter in the history of humankind.
Sorrow as a catalyst
There are moments when the thought of human suffering going on in the world feels too heavy to bear, bringing us to our knees while tears are forming in the corner of our eyes to go on their way racing down our cheeks, an emotional response of genuine love towards humanity.
Yet those very tears shouldn’t be looked at with pity; like a channel, they give way to our emotions, carefully guiding and protecting their undisturbed flow. Sorrow also acts as a powerful catalyst for creativity, drawing us inward while allowing us to tap into the creative pool of our being.
Once there, we reach beyond the limit of our mind, allowing the creative flow to create a ripple, reaching even the farthest corners of the universe and affecting everything in it.
Longing for freedom
Waking up in the middle of the night is often when we feel the most peaceful, lingering in the shadows of a silent oasis hidden in-between two worlds: the worries of yesterday and the anticipated struggles of the upcoming day. It’s that passing yet precious moment when—wrapped in the comforting blanket of silence—our soul experiences freedom.
Yet, the nature of the moment is to pass, and all we can do is to remain still and witness how time is slipping through our fingers in the silent night while a single tear rolls down on our weary faces to form a sparkling diamond in the moonlight. As it’s rapidly approaching the floor to shatter into countless pieces, its inevitable fate is a painful reminder about the fragility of tranquility and our longing for freedom.
Our emotional spectrum
We tend to forget that emotions, like everything in life, are temporary, and we aren’t limited to the positive end of our emotional spectrum. We frequently gravitate between the two extremes with varying intensity, as it’s supposed to be in the realm of the relative.
Life is challenging; struggles, obstacles, and losses are all part of our journey, causing distress, frustration, or sorrow. In the face of all these adversities while being clueless about how to confront them, the negative spectrum of our emotions might take over, and suddenly happiness seems like a distant land we won't ever reach. If prolonged, we might even end up feeling like a failure, seemingly never able to live up to the golden standard of human existence, always chasing something that seems out of our reach.
While trapped in this negative state of mind, we don't realize that our journey wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the whole spectrum of emotions. We grow out of experiences; therefore, it’s okay to try and never make it, to trust and be betrayed, and to work hard and lose it all. Each experience gradually molds us into who we are today.
Through dealing with the ups and downs of life, we can finally understand that happiness isn’t a destination we should aim to reach but rather a byproduct of our perspective on life, leading to contentment we often chase for a lifetime without ever experiencing it.
The most important lesson
When we face the inevitable end of our journey and those we cared about walk away from us, we learn the most important lesson of our lives, the truth that our ego and ignorance didn’t let us see while we still had time.
Words that matter yet aren’t uttered, a heart that is kept closed even from the beloved ones, and love that is not expressed alienate even those we cared about the most. The silence left behind us becomes our legacy, along with the unanswered questions and the wondering about what it could have been.
The nature of an artist
When success has been absent in our lives for so long, when our passion, hard work, and efforts to create something meaningful and substantial aren’t recognized despite the fact that we put our heart into it every single day, it eventually takes a toll on our soul.
Our enthusiasm, motivation, and confidence in our ability to succeed suffer, so the daily struggle begins dragging us ever deeper each day without a sign of hope for change.
Yet, giving up is not an option; it’d go against our nature. We are artists after all; our call is to create and push the boundaries of our chosen craft. We are also ambassadors of creativity, so we might occasionally slow down, but we can’t ever stop. Creating things and leading others to do so is what we naturally do.
Amidst the ups and downs of being an artist, we keep reminding ourselves of a simple wisdom: winners never quit, and quitters never win. So the winner’s mentality remains a constant force in our lives, and we keep going, keep on pushing the limits of our imagination, to gradually reach our full potential and allow our divine creativity to roam without any kind of constraints the society might try to impose on us.
Recognition and appreciation are great, yet their lack can’t stop our progress towards finding out who we truly are through our artworks.
In awe of the mind
The number of thoughts racing through the mind, creating a constant never-ending flow, is mind-blowing to think of. Thoughts, ideas, memories, emotions, and imagination of all sorts replace each other with a sobering speed, some staying longer while others disappear in split seconds.
Their order might seem random, their speed is incomprehensible, and tracking each one of them seems like an impossible task we don’t even bother with and shy away from. So, the majestic dance of thoughts in the mind goes unnoticed as we focus on the worries of the present and future that might never come.
Yet if we stopped for a moment to turn down the noise, close our eyes, and listen to the blowing wind across the fields, the sudden clarity within would allow us to see each thought like the soap bubbles flying across our vision and taking our breath away with their colorful beauty.
Our desire to be understood
Standing there alone when no one believes in you after you have walked away from your past life to start a new chapter can be challenging. It’s that moment of your life when you need support the most, but nobody gets it. Nobody understands your motives or why you chose a path they consider a dead end.
Yet, you keep going, no matter what they say, because you are determined to give it your best shot. “It must work!”—you say to yourself and keep repeating it silently before going to bed and after you open your eyes in the morning, day after day. You are focused on something they don’t see, to continue your new life while leaving the old one with its deep shadows behind.
Your decision is being questioned, but you don’t question the outcome, and your strength outweighs the negativity projected toward you. Then suddenly, someone who cares to listen to you steps forward and sees where you are heading with your decision. You stand quietly for a moment, and a smile appears on your face. At the same time, a sense of relief rushes through every cell of your body, giving you fresh energy to face the challenges of tomorrow.
The harbor of peace
We need to remind ourselves time and again that we deserve to be loved, and we should allow the invisible forces in our lives to steer us towards a path where finding peace within is possible, ending the painful journey behind us.
Yet our scars might often seem too deep for us to ever heal. Dealing with hurt, a sense of isolation, or even shame takes a toll on us, and our tortured souls might lose hope in the process. We might even come to believe that we have been destined to suffer because of our troubled past, in a world where the illusion of a perfect life is carefully maintained.
Yet if we carefully look, we can see the scars within each soul, a painful secret, a burden of the past often carried through a lifetime hidden from the outside world. This unspoken truth connects us all, a painful way to be united, yet a reminder for us all that we aren’t alone.
And as we make our way through life broken, haunted by the demons of our past, our belief in ourselves paralyzed, a question has been echoing within the chambers of our soul unanswered: “Why us?”
Amidst all the suffering, reaching the harbor of peace might often seem out of our reach, yet it’s hope that can help us endure through it all, and by permitting ourselves to be loved and adored again, the path towards the light will be revealed to us.
A moment of honesty
The most precious gift we can give ourselves is the time dedicated to ourselves. Without distraction, the social pressure to fit in, or the constraints of the passing time forced on us, we finally experience a moment of honesty. As the mind gradually becomes quiet, gratitude takes root in the heart, allowing us to see the world from a new perspective.
In the comforting embrace of silence, our true selves are revealed, and as our perceived imperfections are no longer seen as flaws but as a vital part of our identity, we learn to embrace who we truly are. While staying still, we experience peace as accepting ourselves gradually transforms us from within, replenishing the soul and revealing a new direction for us to follow.
When we open our eyes again, we realize how ego and pride stand in the way of honesty, and despite the displayed and pretended perfection, we all are broken within in one way or another. It’s just that we are the only ones with the courage to admit it.
