Experience Of Being Alive

Each and every one of us used to be once like a fresh white sheet of paper, a tender piece of clay. Walking through the paths of life, the world scratches words and draws figures and diagrams on the clear white sheet of paper; since then it’s fresh no more. Different experiences shape the tender piece of clay, and may harden it if possible.

At any stage of life, we may tell ourselves "this is who/ what I am"; the biggest lie we convince ourselves with. We don't admit that we are the result of accumulated experiences; which we were indulged into by different people who influenced our thoughts, behaviors, preferences; as well as situations which collectively created our understanding and our so called “Common Sense”.

What most of us usually do, is that they submit to who they are now, and think that it’s the case until forever. They just look at their toes and keep complaining. Paying no interest in developing their souls, feeling helpless blaming the situations and even cursing their incompetency. Yet, they will be forced to change sooner or later, or they will be broken. I consider such being as alive but not living…  Only the dead can do nothing to be renewed. For being alive is about continuous renewal and rejuvenation of the mind, body and soul. Renew the mind by new dimensions of knowledge and understanding; especially about yourself. Reinvent the body by exercising and adopting healthy dietary habits. Love your body as it is. Nourish the soul via the linkage to the divine and manifest that linkage in people and creation. Life surely includes trials and errors, falls and stands victories and defeats, committing rights and wrongs… It is about moving forward with a new lesson or new joy out of each experience.

Never submit to who you are now... For you are not done yet with creating yourself. There is much to come and more to be…

We have been educated and tamed according to certain cultures, beliefs, values, public/ social acceptance etc... We were educated what to fear, what to like and dislike, what to appreciate and what to despise. We conform to peer pressures and to what's accepted and valued publicly and socially, though we come with the mottoes about freedom and self-sufficiency. What a paradox we are living and accepting!!! We want to be what we want to be, and we want to be what's acceptable and valued in the eyes of a blindly lead society. We seek our esteem supply from VICTIMS, who were previously tamed by preceding generation of society. So, we are their victims as well.  We become more and more victims of victims. And then, we claim self-sufficiency and independence from a sick minded society.

Through the daily experience and friction with life and society, we build our own vocabulary of accepted attitudes and behaviors. We always look for happiness, satisfaction, love and acceptance but on the outside; in people, things, situations, etc... But we don't look inside; maybe we don't have the map to our inside anyways. We fear to go inside us and discover that dark closet. Full of spider webs and deserted since ever, we find it easier to seek it all outside the dark closet, without confronting ourselves with what we don’t like about us. We are not humble to stand discovering and knowing our weaknesses but, we are arrogant enough to spot others’. Thus, we don't know our competences either. Hence, we know nothing about us. Instead of exploring and knowing who we really are and what are we capable of, we look somewhere else. Actually, we look everywhere but inside. We seek whatever that we claim deficiency, and we are never full though.

We are all seeking an experience of being alive, assuming this in togetherness with people, in status and self-actualization, in possessions and belongings,…  And it’s never enough and satisfaction is illusionary.

Experience of being alive, of being happy, of being satisfied, shall start from within. Such experience fuels your eagerness to renew and rejuvenate your mind, body and soul, from what has been the finger prints of the world to be the original and unique shared product of divine, and self, creation. Only then you are a new you, the best version of you.
Start with YOU,… Start NOW!

Andy.

What we say, is not what we mean....

It has been a phenomenon.. But, I believe it's a human nature.. People talk to themselves more than they to each other.. And most of what they say to themselves is different from what they tell you or tell one another... But, when they start telling you what they exactly tell themselves, we say that they "opened up".

Have you been texting and you typed "lol" just because you had nothing to say or to lighten the load of a potentially aggressive message? Have you been asked for how have you been and you just replied "I'm fine, thanks" or "I'm good, thank God." or "Elhamdolillah" while you don't feel good at all? Are you really thankful as you say? Do you even mean it while saying "Thank God" or "Elhamdolillah"? It is not only you... People tend to conceal their weaknesses and hide their wounds by just telling the answers that would satisfy the question asked, without revealing their state of being or what they really feel... They may even feel bad already when they share it with themselves.

Our ego and pride, as well as mistrust of our surrounding communities, prevent us from opening up to others. Our doubts of being accepted by others build up walls between us and them. When you open up, you are just revealing part of the "Real you". The "Real You" that may be, to some extent, you are ashamed of and/ or you cannot accept being that person. Or you reject being in that state(s) and circumstances that collectively and eventually contribute to the person you are at this very moment. That's why I think that it is so courageous to speak up your joys, sorrows, dreams, fears, desires and defeats.

Usually, we open up when we are secure enough, and trust that we are accepted and valued for who we are. That is where, and among whom, we find comfort. I bet you tried that feeling before.

Now, ask yourself, how many times you made people insecure or unconfident of who they are or what they are capable of. Be sure that, every time you made someone feeling no good about themselves you contributed to soul destruction.

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others, specially the unkind. For the unkind need your kindness the most. You never know what they passed through, nor the scares life left in their hearts, that made them who they are today. May be you are the small little window that gets sunshine into their dark cold hearts. May be you will develop to be their first experience of kindness. Just stop focusing on yourself worthiness and avoid being egocentric looking for rewards for what you do to others. For you were granted a lot of things that you deny them being blessings and you accept them as givens in your life.

Be true to yourself. And be true to others. Tell them what you feel about them. Speak about them to them. Tell them how great they are and how they inspire you. May be what you say shall be the cool glass of water they drink along their walk in the desert of life that day. Yet, keep honesty and truthfulness as keys of everything you say and do.

Be genuine. Express your real feelings. People are delighted when they feel trusted. Ask for their opinion and discuss it with them. Be sure, you are giving them a gift by doing so. Yet, remember to listen more than you speak. Listen with love and compassion. Every one of us is struggling life, and even the strongest needs a shoulder to cry on.

May you have truth in heart and life.

Be blessed,

Andy!

- We type “lol” to but we don’t even smile while typing it, we say “inshallah” to avoid committing to a word and we say “Elhamdulillah” to conceal our broken hearts.

- May be you are the small little window that gets sunshine into their dark cold hearts. May be you will develop to be their first experience of kindness.

- It is so courageous to speak up your joys, sorrows, dreams, fears, desires and defeats.