The forgotten scent of a smile..

Sometimes in life you forget to smile, sometimes the feelings inside of you are so strong and magnanimously depressing that you think you'll never be happy.  Sometimes you become sad for so long that you forget what it feels like to even be happy.  You try thinking to yourself "no It'll get better, I'll be okay" but another part of you which only sees the glass half empty sucks the life out of your positivity and shadows over it with grief stricken thoughts.  So does this make me a hypocrite? Me? A person who is known for his positive enthusiasm and charm who can succumb to a state like this?..That's your call but who knows in this day and age what the other person is growing through, its as if we've lost our compassion, we no longer care about each others' lives because we've become too entangled into this cyber world of the internet and the facebook era where our sense of happiness triggers on how many 'likes' we get on our status updates.
Sometimes in life your problems become great.  Not just financially necessarily but also in other areas, perhaps even if your financially well off you may be facing a crisis in your love life and so on.
The perils we face in the 21st century are far too great to ignore and far too wide to fix easily.  If only there was a time machine, or if only there was a way we could make all our wishes come true. Well sorry to burst your imaginary bubble there but we live in a dense spectrum of a place we call Earth and unfortunately our superhuman abilities are only a thing of fantasy.  But back to my point...
Sometimes we go through a really phase in our lives. At first everything may seem perfect, like it was meant to be but then its as if everything turned upside down.  Like your wedding turned into a funeral, that kind of analogy so to speak. Then the trials and tribulations you face become almost overbearingly painful at one point and eventually you enter a state of utter sadness and torment which wakes you up in the morning and gets you to sleep at night.  For some people this state may cause them to crack and enter depression, maybe even insanity or thoughts of suicide.  For others they may face their problem like it is a test, and this is where faith comes in.  The only thing a person has in this world is truly 'himself and his connection with God'.  I mean where else can you turn to If the whole world shuns you and gives you no other option but God.  But I believe God is the answer to all our prayers, He is All Knowing, All Wise, the Ultimate Caregiver and loves us unconditionally like a mother does to her child.
In times of tribulations all we can do is be patient and pray to God.  For if we do not discover our spiritual dimensions then we will suffer greatly and then we have no one to answer our prayers.  Pray, pray and pray! God-willing someday your sadness will eventually subside and turn into that great feeling of joy and utter happiness which you were ultimately meant to experience all over again.

The Certainty of Uncertainty

As the old adage goes "we never know what tomorrow brings", this statement will always stay true till the end of times.  Sometimes things may seem so perfect, as if they were meant to be by the higher heavens while other times fate proves us otherwise.  Life takes us many places and brings into our lives many experiences which teach us these valuable lessons.  If there was one lesson I would be certain of, it would be that nothing is certain, no matter the certainty of it.
Now I don't mean to say that things that are certain will fall through, not at all but all I say is that we must be prepared for things to not go our way if they don't go as planned.  Sometimes this is the greatest lesson of life, that life has a life of its own and that maybe we're just placed on this Earth to see how we react to those uncalled-for circumstances.
One saying goes "never be upset that things didn't go as you planned because God had greater plans".  If you keep this close to your heart then you'll never be disappointed because if we leave it up to the Creator to decide for us what is best then we relinquish from ourselves the guilt, pain and failures which we might have blamed ourselves for.  Sometimes its not about the destination but the journey itself which is the greatest lesson in life in our humble experiences.
"Is it better to love and lost it or to not have love at all" is what comes to my mind.  To me love is the most beautiful thing on this God-given Earth.  It's what dreams are made of and from.  It's what gives humans our charm in this Universe and lights up the darkest corners of the abyss.  And with love comes pain that is unimaginable which comes from the uncertainty of love.  Love between 2 lovers is certain, but the uncertainty of the future from those 2 lovers may create such a fear or cognitive torture that love can become the cause of pain in one's mind and heart.
Love is beautiful, pain is temporary and uncertainty is certain in this game of love.  You wish to spend every waking second with your lover, but how can that be achieved when we live in such a dense World where everyday priorities can relinquish that desire.  The only way is to keep that lover in your heart, her memories cherished in your mind and the fragrance of her essence close to your soul.
Sometimes things happen in this World where we might lose that person we so much cherish and desire.  This is the eternal pain of life.  Maybe God has better plans, imagine if the girl of your dreams passes away very young.  Perhaps she was needed in heaven for something greater.  Our lives in this earth are very short-lived and pass by like the blink of an eye.  Don't worry, after you pass away in your short-lived life she'll be waiting for you in heaven with keys to the palace she so lovingly decorated for your arrival.
Your angel awaits..

Social Stigma

Whenever we see a person walking by in the street we will judge them based on their appearance, what they wear, how they talk and how they walk.  The most striking judgement we make is on physical looks and attractiveness.  Suppose that person has a lobsided eye then automatically we'll label them as lobsided.  Suppose that person has a deformed hand then we'll automatically come up with thoughts only about that hand, ignoring the rest of their healthy body.  I don't find this fair, or even acceptable but unfortunately that is the way our minds work.  Our brain always looks for patterns and when something stands out we only tend to focus on that logical ambiguity.
I believe that for people with disabilities, they must be given the opposite treatment in society.  What is a defect in society's standards, should society be held in charge for labeling people according to their physical extremities? Because the way fashion models look these days, society in no shape or form has any validity to make a statement on what is considered beautiful and vice versa.  In essence I believe that people with "disabilities" are more special, for they stand out from the general population.  And put yourself in their shoes, they're aware of that and you staring downright at them in a public place doesn't make their life easier.  Instead you should be more courteous, smile and be extra polite.  Because all they need is approval from the public to put a bright ounce of optimism in their delicate lives.  

The Future of Education

Our current education system is faltered.  Students are assigned particular readings and are tested on specific dates on those on topics.  Everyone learns at the same time at the same pace.  What is wrong here is that everyone learns at their own pace.  Some learn better with visuals, other learn better with experience.  One thing is for certain, schools have become boring and outdated in this aspect.  In the present technological renaissance in which we live in, our iphones and android phones have literally raised our standards for entertainment.  No longer can we sit down for 45 minutes and read black text written on whitepaper in our school textbooks.  This is a major crime for the cognitive development of our future generations.  They deserve better than to be forced down to regurgitate outdated facts and memorize texts which they will all soon pass from their short term memory.
The problem here is that students today need to be focused on the task at hand and if that task fails to please them they will most assuredly not be motivated to accomplish that task, hence playing the role of procrastination.  What education needs to do is to become involving and engage its students to become active participants of learning.
Students today are bombarded with visuals and audio which grabs their attention within full spectrum of colors and sounds.  So why hasn't education not caught on entertainment's advice? Be engaging!
We should implement our education system to actively engage our students to become active learners and become "their own teachers" by garnering intrinsic motives within their psyche and fulfilling the mission of creating a curious learner who actively seeks the answers for his questions. Creativity stems from our subconscious processes which are overlooked by our current schooling system and that is where the insanity lies.  Students must be encouraged to "express themselves" by having a creative atmosphere in schools.  In the end of the day, the best teachers are those who inspire their students to make a change in this World for the better.  Or else mediocre teachers will only create frustrated working class people who may never "amount to anything".  The choice is yours education, make the right one!
A great starting book for the future of education would be to read "Democracy and Education" by John Dewey (1910).    

If only Money wasn't a commodity...

As the title says, If only it were true..Where would humanity be right now? Where would our priorities shift towards? Who would be the richest? Who would be the poorest?
Throughout time, money has been used as a trading chip for goods and services.  Now with so much scarcity and poverty running throughout the World it gives no indication that this source of commodity is doing any good for the poor and unprivileged. It's sad to say but the top 10% of the World own 90% of the Wealth.  Where is the justice in that? I see none, only anarchy and slavery at the hands of the rich and privileged.  It's no surprise that poor nations like Africa suffer while other parts of the World invest billions in luxury resorts.  It's a humane tragedy that no one does anything about it and would instead prefer to intoxicate themselves in the weekend to remain ignorant about issues that should matter the most.
"Treat others the way you would want to be treated"..What happened to this universal law? Is this not a rule which everyone should generally agree on? Yes but very little people actually practice what they preach.  Giving gives receiving..yet people prefer to snatch from the lot of others just to increase their own wealth and tend to forget that God is the greatest provider of all sustenance.
It's a tragedy to realize that over 18,000 children die of starvation each day...not a month or year but a day...its unfathomable that we face global poverty even today when we have become a defined Global Village.
What happened to another beautiful saying "Love thy neighbor"...in today's society a neighbor does not mean anymore 'he who lives beside your house' but the total populace of the World.  Our neighbors are now widespread throughout the Global regions of Earth.  It's sad to say that we become so concerned about out financial matters that we forget about those who have no money at all to account for..imagine what they are going through..
The fact that you are able to read this in your computer/phone comfortably shows that you are indeed privileged and lucky enough to gain the bountiful blessings of God...cherish your rewards, but appreciate them more by giving back to those who are under you in that regard...giving is the best form of charity, and happiness of others is happiness for your self

Soulmates...

We all long for that everlasting 'love' in our lives...Some go searching for it in the farthest regions of the Earth, while others find it without even thinking about it.  It is this exotic love which we all seek and its the epidemy of our humane existence, "to love and be loved" but as well "to find our true love"...
I believe that our soul mates exist, just like we do, they do as well..somewhere on Earth waiting for us to find them..Some don't believe, but maybe that's why they'll never find one, because they never gave it a chance, or they might get lucky and chance will prove them wrong by helping them accidently find theirs.
How do you know if he/she's the one?
Pretty easy. The very first time you meet her your heart will tell you "she's the one, she's the one..." you will never be more sure of something in your whole life, because from that moment on your heart will completely take over your thoughts and she becomes your World, forever and ever.  It's the greatest feeling in the Universe, nothing is better, nothing! Because everytime you think of her you get such a euphoric feeling of amazement that your existence on this Earth becomes meaningful with an ultimate purpose, "to win her heart over...once and for all"...She will be the first thought in your head when you wake up from your slumber and she will be the last thought in your head before you go back to sleep. That is the power of her attractive pull, her energy which rejuvenates yours and fills you with utter joy and spiritual radiance.  Seeing her and just being with her fulfills your life's existence..for there can be nothing more beautiful than her, she is the definition of love and your soul's existence.  She is the answer to all your questions, she is your weakness, but also your greatest strength.  She is the divine light which lights up your shadows of uncertainty, she is the joy, the happiness and the suffering which you will endure, but not alone, with her.  Not everyone finds their soulmate, but the ones that do, are the luckiest people on this God-given Earth.  For when they do find them, they will know that they're 'the one' and my greatest advice to all is, to fight for her, because if you don't fight for the women of your dreams, then prepare for a lifetime of regret and nightmares.  

Utter Madness...

Why has this World become so blind? Why has killing innocent people become such an act of valor? I ask with pure sadness in my heart and sympathy for those unfortunate civilians who die at the tyrannical hands of the opposition.  It is not any more a fight against Satan but the fight against humans themselves.  Recently I read an article on drunk US forces going to a nearby Afghan village and killing 16 people in the middle of the night.  Nine of them were children along with 3 women! What madness I tell you, what madness! Who deserves to die for no apparent cause? Who deserves to live when they're not worthy?
I cry for these children who lose a lifetime of hope in seconds at the hands of these vicious, vile and manipulative US forces.   It's not fair...it gives you the worst feeling in the World when innocent people die and the evil live...it kills you inside...
These are the times we live in, when evil runs rampant and the good suffer for being good.  I ask myself "why?" and I am left with nothing but an awkward silence waiting for the answer but it never comes...

Loneliness...a sad, sad endeavor

Our greatest threat in our existence is one thing, to suffer at the hands of hate.  Religions may call this sensation the 'devil' and athiests may call this 'depression filled with anger and hate'.  When one reaches the peak of their spiritual enlightenment, a great feeling of hope is splendoured all over the grails of beauty and love.  This majestic feeling is only sensed though, when a person lets go of all the negativity they ever had.
The greatest threat for man is not an outside enemy, but their own 'self'.  Many people have this longing for a 'purpose' a certain 'virtue' that they want to conquer but how can one end the problems of the World if they do not first resolve problems within themselves?..As Shakespeare says "Know Thyself", these two words paint an eloquent picture in my mind.  A burlesque feeling enters my spirit with the enlightening thought that to 'know one's ambitions in their heart' will solve the life long question of 'what is my purpose in life?'..Look deep within yourself, introspect your heart and see what makes you the happiest. The greatest tragedy in life is when a person does not listen to their heart and blindly follows the ambitions of the mind, which can lead to a lot of money, but little spiritual reward.  I stand amazed at the person who does not value their spiritual core but puts such an importance on the artificial value of monetary gain.  These people are deceived, to the point at which they will experience the revelation of their wrong doing at the time of their death when they will lay lonely in their beds, on top of piles of money underneath their mattress but with no family or friends to give them comfort.  For it will be too little too late...
Man's worst enemy is blind ambition I say...study my words, because you may be thinking that there are worse things out there to be his worst enemy such as hate, poverty, evil but with a little thought you will see that these connotations are actually the effects of blind ambition and not it's cause.  To be 'blind' in your ambitions means to not be aware of your true gifts and sources of happiness in life.  To be ambitious about the wrong cause leads one to the wrong path, which in turn follows a path of avarice, hardship and loss of hope.  A feeling of loneliness then enters the mind, long after it has already entered the heart.
Be wise to yourself, think with your heart and then use your mind...where man's greatest treasure is his heart, his greatest weakness can be his mind...

LIfes Mission..

Why am I born into this Earth? For what reason, for what cause? Have I been created to follow the latest fashion trends? Buy the latest gadgets? Poke fun at those who have neither?...

Sometimes I wander, my man is such a docile creature..He has the potential to travel to the cosmos, yet he prefers to stay within his 2 by 3 meter room. Indeed man will never cease to amaze me, as he will never gather amazing results for what lies in front of him. Yet I feel as though I am too harsh on man for there are many who have discovered the secret of their true power. The true power my friends lies within you. And don't take this as a new age concept, because if you carefully study the history of the human civilization, one message stands firm..believe in yourself..that will never fail you. Guide yourself to your innermost intentions and act that vision out. Docility breeds no action, the first step is all it takes, the rest is pure inertia. Everywhere I go all I see is untapped potential, the worst of all seeing a person not even realize their greatness..Am I just being idealistic or asking too much from you? The greatest lesson in life is not to learn from mistakes, but to make mistakes so you are one step closer to making the right decisions..Without a wrong answer there would never be a right one. Everywhere I go all I see is people who have become too tired of making mistakes and are now too afraid to make another decision, persistence is all too rare these days. Man ceases to remember that an eternity of failure can be forgotten within a second of success..

But the time has come for you to get off your lazy arse..Get up! Get up! Can you hear me? I said Get up and look at yourself straight in the mirror and tell yourself that things are gonna be different now. You are not going to trap your mind anymore, you are not going to be a slave anymore, You are free now, You are the one that will bring about a change in their life and in all those who seek a change in theirs. You have what it takes, looks, wealth, lineage are all forms of prejudice which try to dissuade you but one thing to beat them all is courage. Have the courage, because that will be your true weapon against the naysayers who will and always have doubted you from the start.

Believe in your “self”, because you're all its got!   

Nature Heals!

The power of nature will never be understood nor comprehended by the current 'bland' ideals of "mankind".  Strolling through the foggy city, you feel clouded by the city skyscrapers and surplus amounts of bars and pubs nearby.  It gives off a miserable impression from these city dwellers that "is this the only to live life?".  What sparks the human curiosity is how much intoxication can these people take to "get away from their problems" and live the 'nightlife'.  The answer...not much. At the end of the day, the best way to enjoy life is like they say "to live your fullest" and by this I don't mean go out party and binge upon toxic substances.  Nay, the answer is to find nature, man's true calling.
Whenever you're down, feeling lonely, a little depressed, instead of going to a club, friends' party or any 'typical night out' kind of a mission, go to your nearest nature vista point.  Find a lake full of beautiful sea-green water, forests filled with massive oak trees, hills high on top of the nearest peaks and relax and have a moment of silence and enjoy the beautiful scenery around you.
Us humans tend to forget 'where we come from' and we all come from Mother Nature.  Go out, no not partying, go out and go sight-seeing! How relaxed and wonderful you'll feel afterwards is a testimony to Mother Nature Herself.

Sometimes it just happens...

As the title says, sometimes things just happen.  It's the normality of our human condition that we are not comfortable with change when something different strikes us initially.  One of the most difficult things in this life is to accept change.  Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad.  The fact of the matter is no matter what, things will always change.  One thing is for certain, that we can never be certain about what happens tomorrow.
Every day something new happens, the old problems wither away and new ones come.  But hey its not all so bad, as with death there is life.  Just as new problems arise, more opportunities come, more treasures are revealed and many fortunes come our way.
The purpose of problems in our existence is to learn from our past failures, never to dwell on them.  We all make mistakes. Some worse than others but hey "shit happens".  To think "I'm the dumbest person in the World" or "no one else would've done that!" is a mistake in itself.  The truth of the matter is we're human! It's part of the learning experience.  If you had a choice between a person who never made a mistake in his/her life and a person who made a barrage of mistakes in their time who would you pick? My answer? The latter.  Why? Because he hath made mistakes doth learn from them.  As the age old saying goes "you can't teach experience" comes into play.  Some of the wisest people we know made many mistakes in their lives.  It was their ability to learn from them that separated them from the rest of the pack.
The point here is not "never make a mistake", the point here is "make mistakes, its all right, but most importantly learn from them".  

The Reality of True Faces

This World has nothing to offer of value, except for life-long lessons and sorrows.  One of the greatest lessons one must learn in order to appreciate the sanctity of friendship is to choose your friends wisely.  At the time they may seem like a perfect fit for you, offer you their praise and settle your comfort in their false promises.  The truth of the matter is, look deeply into their true nature and see what lies beneath their eyes.
They say that you will know the value of your friend under 3 circumstances 1) In your time of need, 2) behind your back and 3) How stingy they are with their money.  These 3 traits my people are very valuable when defining the value of a person.  As fate has it, if you see that your "friend" even displays one of these traits, well then don't put too much faith in them because once the time comes, their true colors will show and all that you will be left with will be a sense of regret for all that time which you wasted with that miserable person.
We all have known people in our lives who have "burned" us in the past and have left their long lasting impressions which force us to say "never again" to share any experiences with them. These my people, are nonchalant "friends" who only see their good in situations and when the opportunity arrives "will throw you under the bus".  It's an unfortunate aspect of life but which also carries along with it, its timeless advice to keep you safeguarded from such wicked people in this World.
The fact of the matter is, they will never change no matter how much "love, respect and honour" you give them. It is simply in their nature to never understand the bigger picture in life from which you perceive while only focusing on the narrow tunnel vision on which they function in.
But instead of "hating them or wishing ill upon them" we can only pray for them to recover from their dis-eased hearts and minds.  Truth be told you will always be happy, they won't.  In their egotistical minds they are at War with everyone they see.  They have no compassion nor any lament for any person, even in their time of need for they will only "help" if they seek their own benefit in the transaction.  This psychological warfare which these people have with other people is only a reflection of what goes on in their minds.  They have no love inside for themselves, they have no acceptance for who they are, in fact they are impostors in their minds, trying to fool everybody with their "false impressions" but the saddest part of all is that they are only fooling themselves.  These people my friends, are miserable, cowards in their own right and sadly people who will never garner true friendships in their time.  "If you can't accept yourself as a person, then why would someone else?"
The fact of the matter Is, I could go on about characteristics of these people but that would only waste my time and yours.  Truth be told, the answer to this dilemma is how YOU can benefit from this ordeal.
The greatest characteristic of a thriving person is their ability to persevere.  "When the going gets tough, you get tougher."  Sometimes we feel as if we're "losing the battle", "taking maximum hits to our most vulnerable places" but in reality it is our will to succeed which determines our outcome.  Sometimes It feels like you're in the bottom of a dark, musty well, looking high above into the impossible horizon with a clear view in sight.  What you may see are dark clouds hovering with steamy rain and volumous waters falling deep into your well.  As time goes by, the water rises to your knees, eventually coming high upto your elbows then all the way to your neck.  Want to know a secret? The water will never reach higher than your neck.  "Stick to your guns and show your sterner stuff", stand firm throughout the storm and what you'll witness is sort of a miracle in your eyes.  Eventually the impossible storm will get weaker and weaker and then just stop.  As the clouds clear up what you'll now see might be the most beautiful thing ever.  Luminous rays of light coming down on your body illuminating the once dark corners of the well.  What you'll now see finally in the lighted well are impressionable stones in the walls which you can climb to all the way to the top. "No one said it would be easy" but as you keep climbing, the sight of success begins to seem more and more likely and the thought of failure begins to seem like a mirage of the past.  Eventually you will reach the top, climb your way out of the well and where once everything was dark, moist and heavy you now witness the most beautiful view in sight, utter freedom and victory.
Where you succeeded, only a hopeless person would drown because he/she would lose their spirits and in their last ounce of breath they waste it on drowning themselves down into the water because they have no hope for survival.  These, my people, are what call the real failures in life.  They are too afraid to persevere and conquer their fears and instead only drown themselves in their utter hopelessness.  As the expression goes "I was neck-deep" we can elaborate that no matter how bad the situation is, "what's the worst that could happen?" and only ask yourself this question with a broader perspective in life.  For some, losing their cellphone was a huge tragedy, while for others the same feeling is derived from losing their only son to a battle of cancer.
Our life is a test, we are simply characters in this game of life and as we all see in movies, the good guy always wins.  Perhaps that may not be true sometimes, but how does one define a win simply? Sometimes we win our battles, but lose the war, while other times we may lose the battle but win the war.  My personal opinion, it's okay to lose our battles sometimes, its part of the human experience, but in the end....Always Win The War

And one more thing to note "there's always light at the end of the tunnel" ;)

The DreamWorld

The reality of..reality

Life is truly something to wonder at. A marvel in itself, an enigma to appreciate with all its obstacles and tests.  Sometimes you feel as if its the best feeling in the World to experience life, sometimes you wish you were never born when you hit your lowest low.
Our conscience is a remarkable thing.  It keeps us from crossing boundaries and also allows us to expand our horizons with its meaningful interpretations of proper reasoning.
Sometimes life seems simple, everything can be witnessed across the grand horizon and then it feels as if the darkest clouds cover that beautiful celestial scenery making life seem so dark and impossible to live through its struggles and perils.
I could go on about how "hard" life seems but that would only cause further depression in my mood and yours so I'll save you from the despair and move on to the true issue at hand, which is what we're supposed to do when shit hits the fan.
Humans are truly remarkable creatures, their determination can be their single most important quality when faced with adversity.   How many times have you experienced a struggle in your life which at the moment seemed like the worst thing ever.  As if it was life changing, something so big that you would always remember and never forget even in your brightest days.
The solution? Resilience, Determination, the Will.  Sometimes you'll see a rich person who has everything in the World yet seems so miserable while comparing them to a poor person who smiles at you as if he has it all.  Life is long, we're here for a reason, obstacles are a part of life.  And the Creator tests those who he loves the most.  If life throws at you lemons, make lemonade.  Everything happens for a reason.  Wishing something never happened will never change what happened, it is only wishful thinking.  Understanding that everything happens for a reason and that it's always for the better will help you overcome your tragedies and make you a much a stronger person.  Just like the skin forms a hard callous after injury it can be related that spiritually and mentally we can become stronger people after a slap in the face by the harsh realities of life.
But remember that adversities come and go, it is the process and the outcome which is the most important lesson to learn from.  Anger, regret and resentment only make things more complicated, the true solution is to accept our challenges openly and even when it seems like you'll never get through this or wishing that you could fast forward in time to not experience the pain, know that you were meant to experience this and it is only for your growth and spiritual development.  One thing to sum up everything in this writing:
"A rock under pressure turns to diamond"