Things I learned in 2011 #4 Patience

Don't expect the world to change in a second after making your decision. Changes don't just happen overnight. Be patient. It's going to take time for the sun to shine after the darkness.

Things I learned in 2011 #3 Take baby steps

I had a habit of setting goals for myself . Writing a list of dozen goals that I wanted to achieve that month, but ending up reaching none.

However, I realized that my overwhelmed brain was unable to process those many goals at the same time.

so if you want to achieve your goals...

Take small steps every single day


and they will be easier :)

Things I learned in 2011 #2 Confidence and courage

Sometimes, you want something, like if you get it, you will be the happiest person in this world.

However, you are afraid of the criticism that you will receive from people watching you, so you let it go sadly.

But the truth is..

No one cares about you that much.


Everyone is concerned about their own problems that they don't even see what other people are doing.


So next time you want to do something, but not brave enough..

Go for it.

Things I learned in 2011 #1 Stress? eliminate it

In that crazy world, where we have to battle time and have loads pressure to complete a series of tasks, causing stress & breaking down & ignoring more important things in life.

Eliminate it.
right now.


I came to conclusion that this huge amount of pressure in unnecessary. There should be a balance between all areas of your life that include; family, finance, personal, work, fun and more. I realized what life is about being happy and healthy, and if you are putting your absolute all in one or two areas only, you are not happy. And that's what you need.

Things I learned in 2011

Is this really happening? 2011 has come to an end. It was like yesterday when it was only beginning and I was writing the "things I learned in 2010" posts...

Speaking of which, I will be writing a bunch of posts entitled "things I learned in 2011".

The first one will be posted in the next few days.

Land of the unknown

She was feeling lonely
spending all her time alone.
She wanted to depart
and arrive in the unknown.
She wanted to fly
but her wings hadn't yet grown.
She was hoping, wishing
she would never be just another clone.

What you want to do VS what you should do

Which do you chose?

What everyone else is telling you to do to have a good career?

Or what you enjoy doing despite the career/success?

Do you ignore criticism?

Or are you obsessed with other people's opinion?

Where do you want to go?

Do you settle for small town crowds?

Or do you want to go far and be worldwide?

Are you satisfied with your current situation?

Or are you thinking "that is just not it"?

Tomorrow & yesterday

Tomorrow is a day I'm longing to meet.
Tomorrow is why I'm holding on.
Tomorrow is a lovely day, hopefully.

Yesterday was bittersweet.
Yesterday is gone.
Yesterday is a day I'm leaving behind, hopefully.

Send me your feedback

3 unrelated thoughts

1. I wish there was an application in the App store called MindReader. Instead of typing the thought yourself, it would read your mind then it would capture the thought, saving you time & energy.

2. I dreamed last night of Beauty & the Beast! I don't know why. Maybe because yesterday I was thinking of my favorite childhood movies and this one crossed my mind. The dream was so weird. There were those people who turned into furniture; the clock, the candle holder & the teapot. There was the beast; scary on the outside, sad on the inside. There was a reportage on TV in my dream, about the movie, how it was made, its success. I kind of want to watch it right now.

3. Something I tweeted the other day.

Have a nice day.

True friends are there till the end

As time goes by, you know which friend is your real friend, which friend is just "passing by" & which friend is only pretending to be your friend for a particular reason.


Hold on to real friends; they are a real find.


"Many people will walk in and out of you life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart."
~Unknown

I wish

I wish the world was filled with people who understands
I wish everyone wouldn't wish for a magic wand
I wish everyone felt good
I wish no one was misunderstood
I wish no one would have a broken heart.
I wish no kid would starve
I wish no one was cruel
I wish no one would feel uncool
I wish we all respect one another
I wish we wouldn't laugh at each other.
I wish there was no hate
I wish we would live before it's too late
I wish no one was afraid.

Enough said.

If I publish a book, will you buy it? Please vote

You all know that I have been working on my debut novel for a while now. I have posted on this blog many poems and short stories. I want to know your opinion of my writing generally. So please vote in the link below. Thank you.

Link

Summer

The sky is blue
clear of clouds.
I think of the shattered hopes
on the ground,
like broken glass;
it's a million pieces, if you have to ask.

The grass is greener than the other times.
I assume it seems full of life,
only on the outside.

The waves are striking the shores of the sea,
like they are trying to yell at me,
for leaving them behind.

The sun is shining like summer days,
but the wind is blowing.
The sound recalls memories to me
and my thought are flowing,
like never before.

Photo source: here

“Pain is a part of life. Sometimes it’s a big part, and sometimes it isn’t, but either way, it’s a part of the big puzzle, the deep music, the great game. Pain does two things: It teaches you, tells you that you’re alive. Then it passes away and leaves you changed. It leaves you wiser, sometimes. Sometimes it leaves you stronger. Either way, pain leaves its mark, and everything important that will ever happen to you in life is going to involve it in one degree or another.” - Jim Butcher

Fear VS Bravery (Alyson)

Alyson looked out the window and watched her fear leave. 

She had been honest & wearing her heart on her sleeve.

She didn’t want to be afraid anymore,

so she kicked fear out of her door.

So what if I am not just like everyone else?

so what if I am a mess?

I’m going to live my life the way I want.

I’m going to mute the voice that says “don’t”

Nothing is going to hold me down today.

It’s not going to help anyway.

Alyson, I admire your bravery

but don’t be too brave.

I won’t be able to help you,

when it’s too late to be saved.

Alyson didn’t listen.

She was too excited.

She was so emotional

and she couldn’t hide it.

It seemed to me that she was like

an angry/excited warrior,

that was crazy enough to try to battle a dragon,

thinking he was superior.

Alyson fell down.

Her head hit the ground.

She was injured & bleeding.

Her eyes were painted with regret.

She knew that emotions made her forget

that she was only a human being.

Alyson, get well soon.

You will be okay.

But don’t forget the truth;

you are only human and you will remain this way.

________________________

Being brave is good, but it doesn’t mean being crazy. 

Cautious is better than daring.

Don’t be afraid to try & don’t be fearless. Choose wisely your fears.

Don’t let emotions; love, hate, anger, pain,...etc, drive your decisions, or you will truly regret it.

Ignorance is not bliss

You call me ignorant but you know that is not true.

I'm aware of many things unknown to many, including you.

Now, watch each and every dream of mine coming to life.

I told you I wouldn't surrender. I told you I would survive.

““You are what you are and you are where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You change what you are and you change where you are by changing what goes into your mind.”” - Zig Ziglar

"We all get lost once in a while, sometimes by choice, sometimes due to forces beyond our control. When we learn what it is our soul needs to learn, the path presents itself. Sometimes we see the way out but wander further and deeper despite ourselves; the fear, the anger or the sadness preventing us returning. Sometimes we prefer to be lost and wandering, sometimes it's easier. Sometimes we find our own way out. But regardless, always, we are found." — Cecelia Ahern (Thanks for the Memories)

   An amazing quote from an amazing book

What if

If only I could stop thinking all the time
about the what if's, could be's, and now what's.
If only I could stop thinking about yesterday & tomorrow.
If only I could clear my my mind.

It would be a sunshiny day.

Send me your feedback

What happens now?

It's over now.
We've come to an end.
What now?
What is going to happen next?
All I can do is smile
and be realistic.
In the meanwhile,
I will stay optimistic.

Send me your feedback

Voices

Maybe it's just their imagination, or may be this is real.
Maybe it's one more hidden fact that needed to be revealed.
They could hear voices the other day.
Voices that were telling the people leaving to stay.
This place needed them, they claimed.
They said that despite the major changes in this town, but it is still the same.
Don't leave this city, please.
You will miss the smell of the summer breeze.
And the city needs people to be a living place.
To be the hometown of that to-be well-known face.
That face who will win awards and prizes,
as he finds out that this place is filled with surprises.
Surprises you will never forget,
and events you could never expect.

Send me your feedback

The commenting option is back :)

Typical

She had so many thoughts,
running throughout her head.
She was always talking,
but her voice was never heard.
She wished she could make a difference,
but sat back and watched, instead.
She was waiting for things to get better.
Until then, she was going to find her place in this world

Today, I start writing my novel!!!!

So I've been planning my novel for a while now. Been collecting ideas, thoughts & cliffhangers till I finally decide to write them as a novel.

Been thinking about it since yesterday and now I decided:
I will start writing my novel today!!!

Today IS the day that I've been longing for. Today is the day I do not procrastinate anymore.

I will be posting day-to-day thoughts about how my writing goes on twitter.

Send me your feedback

“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain. And most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” - Dale Carnegie

“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.” - Marcel Pagnol

“There are two kinds of secrets. The ones we keep from others and the ones we keep from ourselves.” - Frank Warren

أيام

لن نتراجع الآن فقد مشينا طريق طويل، ولا خيار أمامنا سوى الاستمرار في المشي مهما قابلتنا صعوبات.

Photo source: Google Images

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Word of the day: oblivious

oblivious |əˈblivēəs|adjectivenot aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one : she became absorbed, oblivious to the passage of time

Inspiration is everywhere!

Sometimes, you can feel like the wind is always howling. Like, you're alone in this big world. Like, no one understands you. You search for some reason to keep going on this never-ending dark road, but you can't find any.

But, inspiration is actually everywhere. Sometimes you can find inspiration in:
*a lovely painting
*a breath-taking quote
*a realistic tweet
*a word from a little child
*a beautiful painting
*or anything else

Where do YOU often find inspiration?

Let me know your thoughts!

كيف أقول ذلك

لماذا نريد أن نغير أشياء لا يمكن تغييرها؟

لماذا نحاول أن نكون مثل الآخرين و نحن لنا شخصيتنا الفريدة؟

لماذا نرى مميزات الآخرين ونرى عيوبنا؟

لماذا نفكر في الماضي و كيف كنا نريده ونحن لنا فرصة في مستقبل أفضل؟

لماذا هناك أمور تبدو كبيرة و مخيفة و بعد حدوثها تجدها صغيرة و بسيطة؟

لماذا نتسائل و نبحث عن الأجوبة في أبعد الأماكن وهي في الواقع أمامنا؟

“I don’t find time to write. I make time to write. Big difference.” -Elizabeth Moon

Write about what interests YOU

I have had trouble writing sometimes when it came to assignments & school stuff. I would procrastinate. And even when I worked hard on researching the topic, it still wasn't good. Why? Because the topics were not interesting to me.

Recently, when I came to the blogging world. I have discovered that I find myself writing easily on things that interest me. And I find myself staring at a blank text editor unsure what to type on my keyboard, if I try to write about something that I don't like.

So, here is my advice to writers, whether you have an assignment to do or want to write a book, pick a topic that wouldn't bore you. Words will flow easily and you will produce in no time a well-written non-boring piece of writing.

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful. They are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul." -Luther Burbank

"Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be." - Joy Page

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. — Pablo Picasso

“When you reread a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before.” - Clifton Fadiman

قصيدة" مصر تتحدث عن نفسها " للشاعر حافظ إبراهيم

وقف الخلق ينظرون جميعا ·

كيف ابنى قواعد المجد وحدى·

وبناة الاهرام فى سالف الدهر.

كفونى الكلام عند التحدى·

انا تاج العلاء فى مفرق الشرق ·

ودراته فرائد عقدى·

اى شئ فى الغرب قد بهر الناس ·

جمالا ولم يكن منه عندى·

فترابى تبر ونهرى فرات ·

وسمائى مصقولة كالفرند·

اينما سرت جدول كرم ·

عند زهر مدنر عند رند·

ورجالى لو انصفوهم لسادوا ·

من كهول ملء العيون ومرد·

لو اصابوا لهم مجالا لابدوا ·

معجزات الذكاء فى كل قصد.

انا ان قدر الاله مماتى ·

لاترى الشرق يرفع الراس بعدى·

ما رمانى رام و راح سليما ·

من قديم عناية الله جندى·

كم بغت دولة على وجارت ·

ثم زالت وتلك عقبى التعدى·

قل لمن انكروا مفاخر قومى ·

مثل ما انكروا ماثر ولدى·

هل وفقتم بقمة الهرم الاكبر؟ ·

يوما فرايتم بعض جهدى ؟·

استبينوا قصد السبيل وجدوا ·

فالمعالى مخطوبة للمجد؟

منقول

Photo source: Google Images

هناك أمل‏

هناك نور بعد كل ظلام
هناك عمل بعد كثرة الكلام
هناك نجاح بعد كل فشل
هناك انتصار بعد فقدان الأمل

Photo source: Flickr

Send me your feedback

Millie's inner voice

Scene One

Millie, that’s enough.

Millie sighed and stopped typing on her computer. She had been working on her assignment for hours and she felt so exhausted. She had been a hard working student ever since she was a little kid.

The reason why she had been working hard on this particular assignment was its importance. If she did well in it, she would be able to travel abroad and be successful. This was something she had often dreamed of. To arrive in a far off place, where she meets new people to appreciate her rarely-appreciated hard work. A place, where she finds her long-lost victory. The crowd would cheer as soon as she arrives, as if she is the one who is going to set them all free from their prison-like lives. And her always-loud disappointing inner voice would be silenced.

Millie, get back to earth!!!

“I will be there soon, just so you know,” she said out loud in response to her inner voice.

Scene Two

Millie arrived at the airport after an uncertain journey with many pumps in the road. She almost lost hope influenced by her always-talking inner voice. However, just when she was about to give up, she found little white lights that guided her to the airport.

It was time to leave.

“Finally,” she said and their was no response from her inner voice.

Scene Three

Years later, Millie had been working for big companies ever since she set foot on the foreign country. Millie’s dream job had become hers. Her voice was constantly heard by thousands of people after she proved herself. She never looked back.

What she wanted happened. She was living the dream.

And surprise, her criticizing inner voice had been muted by her for a long time.

Send me your feedback

Writing short stories

In case you've been following my blog for a while now, you would now about how much I love writing short stories. I do write novels as well, but short stories is something I really, really enjoy. I really love how it could start from a simple idea, but blossom into something bigger. It sums up what you want to say in a little story, without boring your readers especially if they are new.

I am currently working on a new short story, which I will post here as soon as I finish it.

Thanks for reading!

P.s. I would like to thank all my followers for, well, following. Your comments & feedback really encourage me to write more and better.

Crayons

"We're all like crayons; we come with different names, sizes, colors, sharpness, but the thing we share together is that we color this world and together we color this world creatively beautiful."

- Andrew De Leon

Creative reading (!)

"There is creative reading as well as creative writing."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Change is good :)

"We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person."

- William Somerset Maugham

Writer's block

One thing that confuses me is having so much on my mind and knowing that I have so much to say, but end up with an empty Word document.

• It's like reading an amazing book, but not commenting about it at all. 
• It's like having to work on a project that you have so many ideas for, but end up using none of them and doing an ordinary project at the last minute.
• It's like having a long to-do list, but not doing one task.

How do you handle writer's block?

Send me your feedback

What happened

What happened to the peace of mind?
What happened to the smiley faces?
What happened to the nice people you could find in all places?

What happened to the will of every human being to help?
What happened to the quiet people who didn't know how to yell?

What happened to the kind souls?
What happened to them? Where did they go?

Send me your feedback

The power of writing

"If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped change. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better."

- J.K. Rowling

Favorite books

“We don’t need to have just one favorite. We keep adding favorites. Our favorite book is always the book that speaks most directly to us at a particular stage in our lives. And our lives change. We have other favorites that give us what we most need at that particular time. But we never lose the old favorites. They’re always with us. We just sort of accumulate them.”

-  Lloyd Alexander 

Home

Finding my way back home was never easy. I was lost in the woods for hours. With disappointment and fear taking over me, I lost hope of seeing my family and friends ever again.

It was a lovely day; sunny, cool air, summer breeze. I just loved it. I wanted to go out and just enjoy the beautiful weather. I put my little iPod on shuffle and just ran on the lovely beach of California. I kept running and running and the sound of music was just loud. I couldn't hear the sound of the laughing children and the loud families anymore. I was distracted by the little boy who tripped on the sand and the sound of my favourite song that I bumped into a tree. Where did it come from? I couldn't imagine how it got here, or how I got there. I searched around hour after hour, but all I could see is trees. It seemed like a never-ending dream, a never-ending nightmare, to be accurate.

I'm not sure how I got back. All I remember is how I freaked out and kept saying inside my own head:

I love my home. I want to go home. I appreciate everything in my life; good and bad. It's perfect.

In front of me, I saw footsteps. I never noticed them before. I followed them. And suddenly, I was back to the beach.

Photo source: Flickr

Things I learned in 2010 #5: Write

If you're the kind of person

who thinks too much,

you should write;

maybe every night after you finish your homework,

or every day before you go to school or work.

Write down your thoughts, your memories, your goals.

and your view of life will be clearer.

P.S. this is the last post of the "Things I learned in 2010" series.

Things I learned in 2010 #4: Change your path if you must

Sometimes, your heart is set on something.

you feel that it's your destiny.

but later,

you open up your eyes.

you see things from a different angle.

you realize you were wrong.

When this happens,

it's okay to

change your path.

Things I learned in 2010 #3: Simplicity

We're now living in 2011.

Try to compare it with 2001.

WOW

Big differences.

However, things get so complicated.

You feel lost.

Sometimes, it's better to forget about all this "drama"

and enjoy the simple things in life.
The nature, the good time you have with your family, the fresh air.

i.e. Simplicity is brilliant

Things I learned in 2010 #2: Letting go

Sometimes people just don't like you

and act rude toward you.

Yes, you should face them.

Actually sometimes you have to.

but sometimes,

it is better to ignore them

and let it go.

Things I learned in 2010 #1: Moving on

Sometimes, it's not fair.

Sometimes, it's nobody's fault.

but things happen,

and they will happen no matter what you do.

You then have two choices:

1. 
   
   Eat ice cream and cry.
2. 
   
   Turn the page and move on.

Things I learned in 2010

Starting tomorrow,

 there is going to be a post every week about

random stuff I learned in 2010.

It's a 5-post series called "Things I learned in 2010".

so "stay tuned"!