An Open Letter to you.

Dear Reader,

Hello. I know. I know. It has been a while since I have last updated here.

So, what has been keeping me busy? Has my career taken off and I no longer have time for blogging? Please wait while I roll of the floor laughing myself to tears.

Okay. I'm back.

In my previous blogs you must have read sentences that outline the doubts that plague an author while he/she is trying to write her book. Guess what? That was the easy part.

As I walk further and further onto this path I realize that everything is a lot harder than the last. Marketing your book and getting it out there has been my toughest challenge (yet). It has been a painful series of rejections coming in every way and form and it fuels the constant doubt whether or not my writing deserves to be published.

I want to get real with you for a moment. The main reason as to why I haven't posted in such a long time is because I have been afraid. Afraid of recording my failures. How do I tell the world week after week of my rejections? Of countless failed avenues and trials? It is not an easy truth to put out there and so I have been hiding behind my Instagram photos (which you should really check out, I've gotten SO much better at photography =D).

Now comes the real question. Why am I so persistent and stubborn with this? There is only one answer to this question. The reason why I will not give up is because of you, dear reader. Every time you mention me in a review, every time you message me about my book, every time you click a like button, the share button or leave me a comment I am back! Strong and fierce!

In the past year I have attended many conferences, the two main ones being BeingMe and RIS. In these conferences I have set up booths for my book and I had some expectations going into these conferences. My main focus though, was exposure for my book, but you, dear reader, you sneaky wonderful person you, you broke right through my expectations. You bought books from me, you thanked me for writing them, you gushed about my characters and you encouraged me.

You made me realize why I had started writing in the first place. It was for you. To put stories out there that made the Aaliyahs, the Fatimas, the Khadijas, the Shamshas, the Tavilas feel as important as the Janes, the Emmas, the Katherines and the Christinas. You renewed my intentions, you gave me the encouragement and the motivation that I needed. And because of you I am always seeking new avenues, new ways to better myself so that I can be all that I intended to be.

So, here is to you, dear reader, and the kindness that you shower my way every, single day.

Thank you,
Sheeza

P.S: I have ventured into YouTube and will now be posting content on it regarding writing your book, marketing it, and getting it published! Tune in and support me, please!

First Chapter of "The Sky Realm."

Hello everyone!

Today is a SUPER EXCITING BLOG POST! For my 40th entry I would like to tell you that I have succeeded in raising $2500 for my KICKSTARTER!

And for that I am going to reward you, dear reader, because it was your belief, your encouragement and your faith in me that has gotten me this far!

And without further ado, here it is!

Chapter 1:

The cold breeze of the mountain did everything it could to throw her off balance. It howled and moaned, spitting out snow to cloud her vision. Grandmama, however, had prepared her for this—and more. She walked along the wire, stretching out her arms to help balance her delicate body structure.

One, two, one, two. She counted her steps mentally, focusing on the numbers instead of the wire underneath her small, yet stable, feet. Each step brought her closer to her destination, and so she eagerly began to quicken her pace. Her slow and focused counting had become a mantra that she was now chanting faster and faster in her head. She looked up to see the red flag and smiled victoriously. She was almost there. She was tired of walking the wire, and now she wanted to just rip through the air and capture the red flag. She hunched down on the wire, used her body weight to press herself down, and leaped. As she cut through the cold mountain air, she reached out and grabbed the closest rock she could find, securing herself.

Hoisting herself over the rocky edge, she stepped up to see what she had seen every day of her life for the past two years. Grandmama stood there twirling the red flag between her fingers, a smug smile on her withered face. Once again, as always, she had gotten there before Aaliyah could.

“You concentrate too heavily on the prize,” shouted Grandmama over the howling wind. “You must observe and calculate before taking the leap.”

Aaliyah stepped towards her and reached out to touch the fiery, red tip of the almost frozen flag. “I didn’t see you anywhere.”

“That’s because you were too busy watching the prize instead of your opponent.” Grandmama draped a hand over Aaliyah’s shoulders and began leading her home. “My dear Hummingbird, it will be too easy to lure you out. You must harden your heart and learn to sense and see things like a warrior, and not like my granddaughter.”

Aaliyah sighed. She had heard her grandmother’s instructions to strategize like a warrior multiple times, but could not bring herself to do so—especially not when her opponent was her own grandmama. The seventy-three-year-old woman was the only family she had left, and she wanted to remain the little girl her grandmama had raised her to be and not become the warrior she was currently trying to sculpt.

          “Maybe tomorrow,” she murmured, contemplatively. They walked towards the old village, the snow crunching loudly underneath their feet. She saw what they always saw on their walk back from Snow Mountain: loud vendors advertising the rainbow of freshly caught fish, a sprinkle of small huts depicting warmth as smoke escaped from their chimneys, and the familiarity of villagers as they prepared for the day. All of them were very fond of the couple, especially of her grandmama.

 Grandmama was the village’s healer; she had been taking care of the villagers for as long as Aaliyah could remember. Aaliyah loved the story of how they came to live in Shankshaw. It was their story, and she heard it every night after dinner.

“Good morning, Aaliyah,” Cercie shouted from his fish stand. “I have the usual ready for you.”

Aaliyah smiled and waved at him.

“Go get it.” Grandmama nodded her head in his direction. “I am going to go get the fire started. My legs could use the warmth, especially if I’m going to make it through tonight’s festivities.”

Aaliyah grinned widely and made her way towards Cercie’s fish stand. She smiled as her eyes first caught sight of his crooked teeth and then his hazel eyes. They were a familiar and comforting sight for her. It was his parents who had taken them in when Grandmama had nowhere to go. Cercie was only seven moon years at that time, but for some reason, he was highly intrigued by the child and her grandmother.

“Are you excited about the Lunar Festival?” Aaliyah asked him eagerly, clasping her hands together, her brown eyes big and bright with excitement. “My dress is almost complete,” she added. “Grandmama just has to put on, as she likes to call it, ‘the finishing touches’ and ta-da!”

“You know, most girls sew their own dresses,” Cercie informed her with a raised eyebrow, although his voice hinted no signs of accusation. “And here you are making your poor Grandmama do your bidding for you.”

Aaliyah rolled her eyes. “Nobody can make Grandmama ‘do their bidding’,” she rebutted. “And not that it’s any of your business, but I did help Grandmama plan out the dress and designed the details on the sleeves.”

“Always unconventional, that’s what you are and no one here knows you better than I do, Hummingbird.” His eyes gleamed mischievously as he pushed her buttons.

“Don’t call me that,” Aaliyah snapped. “And, no, you don’t know me that well.”

Cercie smiled as he tied the paper around the fish. “I know you well enough to know that you lost to your grandmama again today.”

Aaliyah opened her mouth to argue with the fisherman but decided otherwise. She pressed her lips in a firm line, stopping herself from giving into the bait and exhaled softly. “Tonight is my nineteenth Moonday, and I am not going to let you spoil it,” she replied cheerfully.

 “Ah, the nineteenth Moonday. The birthday of all birthdays; it’s your Initiation into womanhood.” Cercie winked at her, a slight smirk making its way on his face.

Aaliyah’s eyes widened momentarily, and she blushed red. She looked away, her eyes finding refuge elsewhere. Then, without looking back at him, she mumbled her good-bye before he had the chance to ridicule her important day any further and ran off.

He is only making fun of my nineteenth Moonday because he doesn’t see the importance of the day, Aaliyah thought, huffing. She remembered his Initiation and how excited everyone was that the strong and valiant Cercie had now officially become a man. He was pronounced the protector, the highest level of honour one could achieve in Shankshaw. He didn’t need to work at his fish stand anymore, but for some reason, he was still there. It was something about keeping his identity strong.

That was two years ago.

Aaliyah shook her head twice, dismissing her thoughts and continued home. Grandmama would be waiting for her. Hugging the fish close to her, Aaliyah looked around the familiar landscape. Today, she was looking at it through the eyes of a child, but tomorrow she would see it through the eyes of a woman. She remembered hearing that there was wisdom in a woman’s gaze. A woman saw things differently than a child did. Aaliyah had always wondered what that meant.

What would the mountains look like through the eyes of a woman? Would the grass around her be any greener? Would she suddenly find a new purpose in her everyday life?

          There used to be a time when humans had demolished every ounce of nature, delving into technology and creating inventions to make their lives easier. But all of that had unexpectedly backfired.

          Humans were consuming more than they were producing and soon it caught up to them. In school, she had seen images of the riots and the chaos that had spread. With no food and no clean water left to drink, human life had become endangered. Aaliyah couldn’t fathom the idea that there were only a handful of humans who knew how to grow their own food.

          The dirty water and the lack of produce had an enormous impact on human society. Crime rate rose, making human life disposable and soon the population had become miniscule. The individuals who had survived had chosen to reconnect themselves with the Earth and its resources.

          Aaliyah smiled as she waved at her neighbours. She preferred this life to the one she had learned about in school. Her eyes softened at the comforting sight of the house she had grown up in. It was a small and cheerful place, covered with colourful flowers and exotic herbs. Aaliyah couldn’t help but beam with pride when she saw the ceremonial wreath hanging on the door. She ran to take a closer look at her Initiation present from the elders. Every year, individuals undergoing the ceremony were presented with the wreath to honour their Initiation, and today it was Aaliyah’s turn. She ran her fingers over the wisteria branches and the mistletoe circling the wreath and couldn’t stop the smile from turning into a grin.

She placed her right hand on the doorknob and turned it, letting herself in. Maybe she would see things differently tomorrow, when she was a woman, but for now she was going to stick with the choices that had been laid out for her as a child. After all, it was a good life.

***

It wasn’t until after lunch that Grandmama commanded Aaliyah to heat the water for her bath. It was Grandmama’s job to prepare the baths for the Lunars. As a healer, Grandmama knew every herb, root, beet, and plant known to mankind, and she would use only the sweetest smelling ones to prepare the baths for the girls who were on their way to becoming women. Aaliyah had watched and helped her grandmama draw up many, many baths for the other girls, and today Grandmama was finally drawing up hers.

“It’s all set up,” Grandmama gestured towards the steaming tub. “Now hurry in and wash yourself up before the water turns cold.”

Aaliyah leaned in and breathed in the sweet smells of honeysuckle and lavender. This was her favourite part; there was something magical about these smells, and Aaliyah couldn’t help but revel in it. Her grandmother had made sure to use her favourites. “Thank you,” Aaliyah’s voice sang out as she called out after her grandmother’s retreating. Quickly undressing, she stepped into the invitingly warm water and felt her sore muscles relax almost immediately. After the training session in the blistering cold this morning, the water felt immensely soothing. She sighed loudly and let the water submerge her into blissful abyss.

***

The dream started as it always did.

She was floating in the darkness, unable to see anything. Aaliyah moved her head restlessly, from left to right, trying to peer through the black.

“Hello,” she called out. “Is anybody there?” This time her voice was hushed with the uncertainty of what was yet to come.

A water bubble floated up, stopping only a few inches away from her face. It was as if she was looking at herself in the mirror. Her caramel face was dominated by large, haunted eyes, which were as brown as mud. Her black hair was streaming about her in waves, and her lips were painted a ghastly blue. She kept her gaze fixed on her image as she reached out to touch it. The bubble popped, and she found herself holding a black feather.

She woke up with a start, choking out the water. Grabbing onto the ends of the bathtub, Aaliyah hauled herself up and coughed out the water. It’s the same black feather, she thought.

Her breaths were now coming out in slower counts, but she continued to exhale forcefully. She ran a hand over her dark hair, slicking it away from her face, and sat back down in the water.

The dream always ended with the same black feather, Aaliyah mused, but why? What was the big deal about this feather?

The water had turned awkwardly cold, and her fingers were now as pruned as Grandmama’s—maybe worse. She pulled herself out of the tub and wrapped a soft, white towel around her body. She couldn’t stop her thoughts from circling around the feather. It had been haunting her dreams for quite some time now.

Aaliyah began to comb the water out of her hair with her fingers. The wise elders of the village had taught her to pay close attention to the language of nature. The colour black, as far as she was concerned, had never been associated with anything good. “It could be a feather of a crow or a raven,” she whispered to herself. Either way it couldn’t mean anything good.

“I’ll ask Grandmama about it first thing tomorrow morning, after the Initiation,” she reasoned with herself as she finished getting dressed.

***

As the sunset painted the sky with hues of pink, orange, and purple, Aaliyah sat herself at her grandmother’s mirror, waiting for Grandmama to work her magic on her hair.

“All right, we have an hour before you need to be prepped for the ceremony,” Grandmama informed her as she closed the door behind her. “Now, let me see what needs to be done about my Hummingbird’s hair.”

Grandmama picked up her silver brush, her only prized possession, and started brushing the tangles out of Aaliyah’s hair.

“Tell me our story, Grandmama,” she pleaded, knowingly.

Grandmama laughed out loud. “You probably know that story better than your old grandmother does by now.”

“Probably.” She smiled affectionately at the old lady. “But there isn’t a better storyteller than you for miles and miles, Grandmama.”

Grandmama placed the silver object back on her table. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” She winked. “All right, where do you want me to begin?”

“From Snow Mountain,” Aaliyah blurted out without hesitation.

Grandmama shook her head and began her story. “It was after a five-day walk that a woman with salt-and-pepper hair saw a smoking chimney. She pressed the child closer to her chest, transferring every ounce of her warmth to the child and started running towards the first sign of life she had seen in days. Her fingers were numb, her toes were blue, and her lips were a deep shade of violet, but she kept pushing herself forward, focusing on the wispy, thin trail of smoke rising from the hut she could now see in distance.

“The snow had started falling harder, making every step a struggle, but the woman was determined to get the child to safety. The numbing cold was travelling up her body quickly, compelling her to surrender, but the child’s steady heartbeat kept her going.”

Grandmama picked up the laurel wreath, an essential representation of an Initiator, and placed it gently on Aaliyah’s head. Aaliyah’s eyes, however, were fixed on her grandmother’s reflection. “The woman somehow made her way through the piles of snow with her frozen feet and pounded on the wooden door. A little boy with hazel eyes opened the door…”

“Cercie,” Aaliyah interrupted hastily with a knowing smile.

“Yes,” replied Grandmother. “Little Cercie opened the door, and I all but fell inside the house, I mean, the woman all but fell inside the house. The last thing she remembered was the little boy screaming for his mother before the darkness enveloped her, and she passed out at the front door.”

“You woke up to a warm blanket, a burning fire, and white bandages all over you.”

“Yes, but what was the first thing I checked for?”

“The child,” Aaliyah said with a grin.

“And where was the child?”

“Getting fed the usual by Cercie,” Aaliyah replied with a roll of her eyes.

Grandmama’s eyes were as gentle as her steady hands. She cupped Aaliyah’s right cheek and smiled at her. “Sometimes I feel you tell the story better than I do,” she said. “And you are going to be most beautiful Initiator yet.”

“Am I done?” Aaliyah asked, raising a hand to pat her hairdo.

“I believe so, my Hummingbird.”

Aaliyah stood up and turned around to face her grandmother. “How do I look?”

FIN

So, what did you guys think? I have poured love into these words and bound them together and I need you guys to pledge and pre-order your copies of the novel so I can get the FIRST INSTALLMENT of the book out! So, SHARE, PLEDGE, and SPREAD THE WORD!

The Sky Realm. 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1646862381/the-sky-realm

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down..

isheeza

I Dared to Dream and Now, it's Coming True!

Hello dear reader, I hope that your Monday is going well. Are you as excited about “The Sky Realm” as I am? It’s INSANE how many people are shouting out words of encouragement and helping me achieve my dream!

Do you remember my KICKSTARTER goal? Well, we are almost at the half way point.

That’s right, only $300 until we reach $2500! And as soon as we reach that goal I will be putting out the first chapter of my book!

(Did you just scream out loud, cause I totally did and I’ve read the chapter at least 46 times).

On that cheerful note, let’s get on with today’s post!

I have always believed that books have the power to inspire, encourage, strengthen, and free an individual. I experienced this as a child and as an adult. Books are and always will be close to my heart. They were there for me when I felt alone. They provided me with stories to distract me from my terrible days and magical lands to escape to when Earth wasn't where I really wanted to be.

I was (and still am) an avid reader, devouring books day and night. Soon, I discovered that I could write, too. The euphoria that I felt when I was able to arrange different words from the English language into a sentence and make them fit like they had always belonged together was the first sign for me to pursue my career as a writer.

But, what fun are dreams that come true with a flick of a magic wand, dear reader?

Society and culture told me that writing wasn't really a career. It became more of a hobby that I indulged in, to lower the shouting voices in my head, the ones who demanded to be written. 

I was swept away in the daily rituals of life that label us as functioning human beings. I went to school, I got a degree, I helped out at home and I got a job as a teacher. Don't get me wrong. Teaching was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. To be in charge of a human's mind and to have the responsibility to mold it was nothing short of exhausting- and I loved every minute of it. My only complain was that I didn't get to write. There was simply no time. 

A year later I understood that I would not be able to pursue teaching and writing simultaneously. My passion of writing overpowered my love for teaching. I couldn't bear the thought of not being able to write. It meant that I would not be able to pursue my dream and that broke my heart little. 

I suppose my heart wasn't ready to admit defeat just yet, which is why it would come to me, every night, and quietly whisper in my ear, "Is this the year you become an author?" and every night my answer would be the same. "I don't know."

And then, one ordinary day I decided something extraordinary, dear reader. I came to realize that I have one life and I am the only one accountable for it. Nobody cares whether I write or not, except me! Suddenly the "I don't know," wasn't good enough and I picked up my laptop, opened a blank word document and started to type.

And do you know what happened after that? I was writing. One word after another, misspelling simple words like 'climb' and 'feelings' because I was so excited and nervous. My fingers were literally shaking. They are shaking now, too.

It was a canonical moment for me, dear reader.

And now a year later, here I am with the hopes of publishing all of the words that I have written with your help. But I will not ask you to make an impulsive decision. What I ask of you, dear reader, is that you give my novel summary a chance. Read it over and then decide whether or not the words that I have written speak to you and beckon you to lose yourself in Aaliyah's world. 

And if you choose not to, I will not give up. Because for the past year, every night, when the same quiet voice comes to me and asks me, "Is this the year you become an author?" 

My answer is always, always, "Yes." 

  ***

Below is the website where I am accepting pledges. Help me achieve my goal! 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1646862381/the-sky-realm

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza

The Sky Realm: Production Stage.

Hello dear reader! How have you guys been? Are you as excited about the release of my debut novel as I am?

You know what I recently learned the other day about publishing? I learned that one should refrain from announcing themselves as a debut author. Why? Because it makes the agents and the publishing company reluctant to take you and your work seriously.

Simply put: They won't give you shot because you're not a sure thing.

Can you believe that?

I don't know about you, but I was infuriated. Wait, let me say that again, INFURIATED.

That's better, now I can go back to ranting.

When the idea was first suggested to me by fellow authors (that's right I know authors now, which I can say things like 'fellow' and 'author' and sometimes 'fellow author') and publishers I outright refused.

Was I being egotistical? Was I being arrogant? No, of course not. For me, this is a matter or faith and belief.

The truth is that I am excited to be a debut author. I am excited that "The Sky Realm" will be my first published novel. It is my biggest personal accomplishment thus far. How can I simply leave my debut novel on the back burner and let it simmer.

J.K. Rowling had a debut novel, Veronica Roth had a debut novel, Rainbow Rowell had a debut novel and so will Sheeza Iqbal.

I bet you that if a publisher magically knew that J.K.Rowling was going to be huge, her debut novel would be HUGE. I mean, launch party with a million celebrities huge and everyone would be riding around in go-karts!

And every news channel, every tweet, every instagram photo and every newspaper would be raving about her and her debut novel. Stories about her being a single mom on welfare would be used to define her passion, her struggle and her utmost faith in the words that she used to form her book.

Am I right?

The point here, dear reader, is that it is easy to rave about someone, to have faith someone, and to sympathize with someone based on their success.

It is however, equally difficult to do so when they are down in the dumps. How do these fellow authors and publishers know that I won't be a success if I'm not given a fair chance?

And that, dear reader, is what I'm fighting for. That is what I want to prove wrong.

It is not fair for us to say who can and who cannot be successful. I feel like we should support dreams and help whoever we can however we can to help them make their dream a reality.

What's the thing that's keeping you from helping others? As yourself that question and take the step forward.

And you can start by supporting me. I am here to ask you to help me get "The Sky Realm" out to the public. We're now putting the finishing touches on the book cover and my baby will soon be ready to go. I want every book store, every internet reading site and every person to know about it and to own a copy.

Here is where I need your help, dear reader, I need you to pledge and help me reach my goal of $5000 so that I can get the FIRST INSTALLMENT of the book out. A lot of you have helped me with my goal and I'm excited to say that I've raised $1700!!

You money would help me create a marketing strategy, get my book out there, and help with the production and printing costs.

I still have a long way to go and  I need your help in supporting me! So, what d'you say, dear reader, are you ready to make history with me?


Check out the link and pledge any amount that you can.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1646862381/the-sky-realm


until next time,

smiles up and doubt down.

isheeza

The Sky Realm: Summary

Hello dear reader and welcome to your Monday. I am your host isheeza and tonight we will be uncovering a hint of magic with a dash of impossible. 

Are you ready? Are. You. Ready?

So, dear reader, guess what you have the privilege of having access to today? GUESS!

If you read the title then your guess should be spot on and if not, well then I label as a lost cause. Anyhoo, I have gotten my hand on the exclusive summary of the Sky Realm for you. How is it exclusive you ask? 

Well. 

This summary reveals much more about the book than the summary I have chosen as the blurb on the back of my book. 

That's right. I have TWO summaries. If I haven't impressed you now then I am a lost cause. 

So, here it it. The exclusive summary for the loyal and loving reader of isheeza. I do hope that you enjoy it and get your impossible on for the book launch (you'll know why I said impossible once you read the book. It'll be our inside joke). 

Introducing the most awaited novel of the year: The Sky Realm 

The place between Earth and space is where her rightful home is.  Aaliyah, an everyday 

teenager led to believe that she is nothing more than an ordinary village healer, discovers that 

she has the potential to control all four elements: air, water, fire and earth. She is an Ultimate.  But Aaliyah soon realizes that finding her true identity isn’t as easy as she was expecting it to be. Now, with the help of the chief’s daughter, an unexpected mentor and the boy next door, Aaliyah must do everything in her yet-to-emerge powers to defeat Lord Aerious and salvage her home. Her journey of a thousand miles will start with a spark and consume her as she strives for justice, love and power. 

***

I hope that gave you a glimpse into the world that I have been pouring over for the last 9 months. The launch date will be announced soon. And for those of you who want pre ordered, exclusive copies I have the link for you below! 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1646862381/the-sky-realm

until next time. Smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza

Heartaches

Hello dear reader, welcome to Monday. The day where you get to read the wise words that flow from my brain and into this blog. You lucky thing, you. 

So, now that I have finished with my travel blogs it is time for me to move the focus back on the book and other issues that emerge from it. 

On the book front, my line editing process is FINISHED! Woot, woot! Which means we can FINALLY move on to the cover of the book and I can get a definite date to you guys. Eek! I am stoked! Can you tell I'm stoked? I am so, so, so stoked! Who wouldn't be stoked if their dream was actualizing in front of them?

Everybody. 

Everybody who has ever had a dream. It's kind of insane how precious dreams are. I mean, on the surface they are this pretty shiny thing, giving us hope, wonder, and stars, but deep down, they are something more. 

I've been getting messages from people, everyday people, telling me that they are so happy that I am actually doing something about my dream. They are so excited that I am making it come alive for me and I could not be more touched by their selflessness. 

But you know what I have noticed? Every story that I receive and every story that is shared with me has a little bit of heartache. A little bit of pain and a little bit of regret. Because everyone has their own life, with their own problems, their own heartaches and their own dreams. There is one thing or the other that is stopping them, delaying them or even pushing them away from actualizing their dreams. 

When someone shares a piece of their heart with you, it is really easy to give them advice and to tell them to overcome their obstacles. But, its another thing to help them out of it. 

That is a whole new level. 

When you are advising someone on their situation you are doing the bare minimum. When you are giving them suggestions you are doing nothing more than scratching the surface. What we need to do, dear reader, is invest in that person. To spend time with the individual, to actively become involved in solving their issues and to step away from judgmental image you have of them. 

Now when you read this you will ask me why? Why should I do any of that? What's in it for me? What about me?

Look carefully into those questions, dear reader, and you will find the answer.  

It is because you are so involved with the self that you have no concept left of giving selflessly, of investing in someone else or caring for someone other than you. Some people are happy and excited about my dreams becoming a reality while others sit there and wonder, "What has she done to deserve it?"

And that becomes dangerous, dear reader. Not because you're hurting my heart, but because you are hurting your own. In fact, you are losing your heart. You are losing compassion. And you are losing humanity.

When these individuals message me to congratulate me, express their excitement for my dreams and promise a bright future for me, it makes me happy. It makes me want to dream bigger and do more. It encourages me to take bigger risks and to climb higher than I had ever dreamed of. 

And this is just by the support of anonymous messages that I receive.  Imagine if you connected with someone on a personal level, doing something for them without expecting anything in return. Imaging what you would be doing for them.

Crazy isn't it? But it works and it shows the beauty in how humans can be as constructive as we are destructive and hazardous to one another. 

Be constructive. Get out there and help someone with something for their sake. Try to understand their heartaches, their dreams, and their perspective and put yourself on the back burner. 

The results of your selflessness, your compassion and your love will be nothing short of amazing. The media and the world today does nothing more than feed our soul with the promise of "you, you, you," and you cannot help but indulge in that theory. 

That is not the way to go. Trust me, dear reader, that is NOT the way to go. Try my way. Invest in a family member, in your wife, in your neighbour, in your friend, in a stranger, in a homeless person and so on and so on. Invest selflessly and then watch the good it does for you. 

Try it, dear reader, and then let me know what your heart feels like. 

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza

Turkey and it's smooth moves!

Hello dear reader and welcome to the MOST awaited country of my Europe trip. I’ve been getting Facebook messages, tweets, and Instagram comments all of which outline your impatience because you are all SO excited for this country.

The Blue Mosque and all of its 6 pillars! 

Now before I get into this wonderful city I have to admit something to you guys. You know how we all have a list of place that outline where we want to travel in the world? Well, guess which city didn't make it on mine. 

Guess.

If you gasped and made a “you-did-not” face, you guessed it. Istanbul was NEVER on my list. The city didn’t even occur to me. I know most of you are horrified right now, a few of my friends even threatened to disown me, so, I don’t blame you. But, for some odd reason the city didn’t ever cross my mind. 

Is that weird? 

Anyways, because Istanbul wasn’t on my list I wasn’t very enthusiastic about it. It was the last stop in my trip and Switzerland had already given me everything I wanted so Istanbul was just a city where I would enjoy my few days in the sun before returning to the confused Canadian weather.

I managed to land in Istanbul around 6:00 pm, which meant that I could sneak some of the city in the evening, but, unfortunately for me, Istanbul had other plans. 

It was raining really hard and the traffic was absolutely horrible! My flight to Istanbul was shorter than my drive to the hotel. (I think Istanbul saw my travel list and decided that it wanted revenge).

It was crazy.

Nonetheless, after FINALLY getting to my hotel, I decided to be a good sport and went out to lift my dampened spirits with some hot Turkish food. And, oh my god, dear reader. The food.

THE FOOD.

So good. So very, very, very good!

I ate like I had been on a diet my entire life and my 10 pounds magically transformed into 30. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but you should be used to this by now. It’s me.

Anyways, after the amazing food was a day jam-packed (that’s right, I said jam-packed!) with history, culture, and religion.

I was blown away, dear reader, by the abundance of historical entities and by the measures that were taken to preserve them.

As a Muslim living in Canada I had never really had a chance to look at Islamic history from such proximity. Turkey changed it all for me. 

I got to see canonical buildings, artifacts, and institutions that were a strong part of the Turkish history. I want to bore you with facts, dear reader, fact and dates and stories that belong to Turkey.

I want to teach you Turkish History 101: The awesomeness that is the history of Turkey.

I am still that excited. But you’re going to have to check my Facebook page for pictures and facts about the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, The Ottoman Empire, and Basilica Cistern. They are indeed as epic as they sound.

What I’m going to focus on instead, dear reader, is what experiencing the history of Turkey meant for me. 

As I mentioned earlier that this was the first time I ever felt such a connection to my religion and to the history of my religion. This connection sparked something inside of me. It made me conscious about my life decisions and my priorities.

The Turks developed their city by focusing their attention on religion and education. They used their times wisely and purposefully, always thinking about the future of their people. For example, the Basilica Cistern was built in the 6^th century during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor. 

Why?

 Because the Emperor didn’t want his people to die from a drought. So, he built a huge underground water source covering 9800 square meters and filled it with barrels of water.

The Ottoman Empire, on the other hand, made sure that every single person under their rule was educated in every subject, thus resulting in multiple ground breaking inventions. For example, the Hagia Sophia was destroyed and rebuilt three times because of the constant earth quakes in the country. The architect in charge of the building understood the land’s nature and decided to add additional columns in such a way that the building survived every earth quake after that.

What I mean to point out with all of these examples is the ideals, the principles and the goals that a nation like that had. Turkey was a highly successful country under their reign. Why? Because I believe that they had the right formula. Their use of education allowed them to compete, and even beat, the leading nations of their time. Individuals understood the significance of time, purpose and knowledge and were able to use these factor in ways that were revolutionary.

I think, dear reader, that we need to take a good hard look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves, “Do I embody the morals, the principles, and the qualities of an individual who is capable of revolutionary accomplishments? Am I passing this information on to the next generation? Do I do right by others by keeping justice and integrity in mind or do I wrong individuals based on my own short comings?”

We cannot hope to be a successful generation, dear reader, if we don’t understand the factors that matter. We give too much importance to things that are temporary and, to a certain extent, useless. We have to move past selfies, whiter teeth, abs, and competing for the most likes on our latest Instagram photos. Do we want to be more than a plastic collage of selfies? Is that the history we want our nation to have OR do we want to inspire, educate, encourage and motivate individuals to think openly, act righteous, practice justice and embrace diversity ?

The choice is yours, dear reader, and for further dramatic effect in the infamous words of V.Roth I say to you: “choose wisely.”

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza