The Conflict at Heart

Hello, dear reader. Tonight's post is a little different and unconventional from your blogger. It circles around one of the biggest issues of today.

Palestine and Israel.

I have been getting a lot of requests to say something about the battle between Palestine and Israel and I've always skated around the issue, trying to stay away from it. Why?

Because people blame and point fingers a little too quickly. So I was a little, okay no; I was pretty hesitant.

And also because conflicts are never one person's fault. There's always blame to share and there is always fingers to point. It's so hard being at fault.

It really is.

I cannot judge a whole nation based on one person and, honestly speaking, I haven't done the in-depth research that will allow me to make a correct decision - if correct is the right word

But whatever is happening to the people in Gaza, and the images, videos and messages that show up on my social media feed is heart-wrenching and painful to watch.

No human should have to go through this pain.

 And so the following is a tribute to the hearts that are hurting, the voices that have been suppressed, the supporters around the world, and most importantly, it's a tribute to the strong hearts out there, those who face turmoil everyday and still find the strength to continue believing.

This poem was a present given to me by an individual (@sunndips), who understands the power of a clean heart.

As you read this poem I want you to imagine a world without humanity and to reflect and realize that this is what we are leading our future generation towards. This is what we are teaching them - may it be unwillingly.

***

After so many counts of being torn apart
I wonder if this beating is still my heart.
There must be a muffled ache inside
For I have realized, I'm quite yet alive.

All my fears are now suppressed.
Here's an emotion I had yet to express.
This blind rage must not permit a fool.
My heart has indeed become an unstoppable tool.

This hatred I've been taught so well.
This pain I've been blessed with...
This stain - you can't wash it away.
There is no forgiving - even if I may.

You must be blinded

You must be so lost

If you think that I’m your prized gold,

Instead, realize that I am now beyond your mighty hold.

Lying on this serene bed
I assure you, there is a beating in this heart.
It is you who has lost all feeling.

It is you who has a wicked soul.

You must be suffocating

You have no way out.
Indeed you are the wrongdoers
For you have wronged our innocent souls.

So fear a trial, written under your name

For we shall rise again.

I now wait, to finally close my eyes, one last time

For you will see that we will, indeed, rise once again.

#FreePalestine

#FreePalestine

#FreePalestine

It's time to gain back the humanity that has left our hearts, dear reader, because if we keep walking on the current path, our hearts will blacken and eventually die. 

And that is a world I would not want to exist in. 

isheeza

More than a Pretty Face.

Hello, dear reader. I hope your Monday was good and now you're ready to be comfortable and enjoy this post.

So, yesterday night was a Supermoon and it was beautiful! I spent the night sitting on a beach marveling at the beauty of the moon. It was breathtaking. The beauty of the moon never ceases to amaze me.

I have always been fascinated with the night, the stars and the moon. The amount of beauty that the night brings with it is boundless and I can never get enough of it.

As I sat there and enjoyed the view in front of me I couldn't help but stare at the moon; I was spellbound. I wondered if the moon knew how beautiful it was. How many people have been taking pictures of it, trying to capture its true beauty but, as always, have unwillingly failed. How many people have written quotes about the moon and its mesmerizing beauty?

Then it got me thinking if the moon even care about its beauty? Is that what it wanted - the fame? Did it want to be known for its beauty or did it want to known for something else?

The sun, on the other hand,  is known for giving life, being bright, and helping to sustain living things. We don't reduce the sun down to a beautiful object, instead we highlight its other qualities and appreciate them all. As humans, we understand that the sun is essential for our existence, but the moon is not like that. The moon is all about the looks and not the substance behind it.

Hence the quote.

So then it got me wondering if that's what the world has boiled down to: the looks and not the substance. It's all about the amount of likes on Facebook and Instagram; how many retweets you get on Twitter, and how many followers you have. It's not about the substance, its all about popularity and the fandom.

Isn't it?

We reduce people to who we think they are by the way they look, don't we dear reader? I reduced the moon to a pretty object and ignored its other qualities. We do the same with people everyday; we focus on what we see on the surface and we make that surface a reality.

Our society functions solely against the saying, "Never judge a book by its cover." We always judge the book by its cover and not only that, we spread the judgement amongst ourselves, convincing one another that this judgement is in fact the reality.

We need to change that.

When we see a chubby person we think of them as someone who eats unhealthy and doesn't exercise. That is just your perception - you don't know the story behind the looks. What if that person has a medial condition that promotes weight gain? What if all that person eats is 2 measly carrots all day and still can't lose the weight because of a medication's side effect? You don't know because you didn't bother finding out. You based your analysis merely on looks.

And its not just you, dear reader. It's also your neighbour, your friend, me, and most importantly, it's our society. It has become the norm: judgement based on looks. There are advertisements out there that focus on all of your physical attributes: eyes, lips, face, teeth, body, etc. The media presents you with numerous options that will allow you to make yourself "beautiful."

This kind of thinking needs to be stopped. Why?

Because this approach is not humane. Being a human is more about the emotional than about the physical. Do not reduce yourself to an object, dear reader, an object who is constantly bettering his/herself just so he/she is more appealing to others. That is a short-cut.

You need to put the work in your personality, talk to people, become someone, do community service, help a stranger and be confident. These are the attributes that you should be known for. You should be more than just a pretty face.

I want to make that change, dear reader. I want to stop the process of judgement based on looks. I want to wait for the person to speak, to act, to show me who they are and then draw my conclusion.

Maybe the moon isn't all about the beauty and maybe it wants to be more than a pretty face, but it cannot do that unless we give it a chance to prove otherwise. Whether it wants to be judged based on its appearance or its qualities, it's the moon's choice, dear reader - not ours.

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down.

isheeza

I Don't Make Mistakes.

Hello, dear reader. I hope you are doing well today. I must say I’ve missed you. It’s been a while since we’ve had our little pep talks, hasn’t it?

Well then, let’s not waste any more time and get right to it, shall we?

So, you remember how one of my previous posts talked about the concept of perfection? Well this post is connected to that one.  This post, dear reader, is about mistakes.

The word itself is a taboo.

Nobody likes to make mistakes. Not you and not I.

Because we are perfect.

It is so easy to be offended when someone corrects us. How dare they? How dare they think that you don’t know how to do your job? How dare they tell you that your brownies could be chewier? The nerve!

But, the question is, dear reader, why? Why do we get so offended and defensive when someone dares to correct us?

Because we are scared of being wrong. We are petrified of making mistakes.

The world makes too big of a deal of them.

And I think that because of this notion we are scared to try new ventures and to truly become someone that we want to. Instead, we tend to choose safe options. We follow people who have already walked the path and we walk it better, steering clear of their mistakes, careful not to make any of our own. 

And I don't blame you for that, dear reader.

Today's world demands results. Quick, effortless results. The people who hire you require you to be efficient in over 100 different qualifications without which you don't even get an entry-level position. 

So you lie about your qualifications and promise that you will be able to handle anything and everything that comes your way without a hitch.

There is no room for mistakes. 

The world expects you  to achieve perfection on your first try. How ridiculous does that sound to you right now? But it needs to be done and that is why you do it, dear reader. That is why you are so afraid to make mistakes, to take that chance, to have someone come in and tell you how do something better. 

But, you know what I realized? That everyone  makes mistakes. Some people are just better at hiding them than others. It is clear to me that making mistakes is inevitable. As a human you have no choice but to make mistakes. You have absolutely no say in the matter. Even if you have planned it all out, taken care of every detail and highlighted every precaution you will still make mistakes. 

You hear me, dear reader, you will still make mistakes. 

What should you do then? The answer is, of course, simple. 

You should make mistakes. You should not be afraid to admit that you are a human being who is more than capable of making mistakes. Admit to yourself that there are other people in this world who can do things better than you and despite your planning and meticulous attention to detail you will screw up at some point.  

The next step, dear reader, is to own up to your mistake. To accept the fact that you are human and that you can make mistakes and deal with them accordingly.  Make your mistakes, learn from them and don't repeat them. 

It's time to stop being afraid of petty things like mistakes and do what you want to do. Don't let the world dictate what you can and cannot do because you're afraid of slipping up. 

Show the world how it's done, dear reader, and own it. 

Until next time, smiles up and doubts down. 

isheeza