47 posts from 2008

He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey.
He who blames himself is halfway there. He who blames no one has arrived.
(Chinese proverb)

Good stuffs. Mum's mutton briyani kicks arse. I'm having more later.

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to others is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken,
because the greatest hazard in life is to do nothing.

The person who risks nothing,
does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.

Chained by their attitudes, they are a slave,
they forfeited their freedom.

Only the person who risks can be free

Source: http://www.iamthewitness.com/Risks.html

There is no real democracy in this world so don't get too caught up in it. Freedom is in you; conquer yourself and free your soul!

MashaAllah, the thoughts that come to me today.

If we are the product of our past, I think I've emptied my soul somewhere there because I feel nothing.

Stumble Upon is a great add-on for firefox to feed on your boredom. From great recipes (5-minute cake is one example!) to kick ass photos, there's a lot to be discovered. I stumbled upon this piece of written which I think struck me in a weird way - I think I can relate to it very much.

Click on this link to read the complete piece. Some snippets:

Kids

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard. My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on. When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away. My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back. When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self consciously and listen. My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own. When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk. My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.

After reading it, I lay back, let out a sigh and thought to myself, "I used to be like that". Yeah, I miss being a kid. You can read my archives and hear me nag about how important it is to think like a kid. And now, I'm turning into someone I preached I won't be 1 year ago. And I look around, the friends who shared the same mindset with me back then, are turning into that kind of person as well. Everyone's changing and I'm kind of following suit or perhaps it's the other way around.

I miss my creative and adventurous side. Sometime I let it it peek out, like last Saturday, I spent my evening taking a long walk with my dear camera. It was so refreshing. Sometimes I just deliberately locked it up. Most of the time, I just wish it was here and I could relate to it again.

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have you found? The same old fears.
Wish you were here. 

I am 7 different persona, traveling through different areas...
Searching for the One to peace, looking for the One to heal...
Been walked through many scenes, stay up through many dreams,
And mate with too many sins, burnt ties with too many kins...
Drunk in my own world,
and in my dead conscious I see dancing pictures of my cold soul,
Look at my heart, you see dead black coal..
The imam told me, peace is in me,
Sugarman made me see that me... is still empty...

Arrogance and conceit in a person may be recognized by three signs:

1. When alone does he feel gloomy, and in company feel happy?
2. When people praise him, does he perform more worship?
3. When they speak badly of him, does he perform very little worship?

Only that which cannot be lost in a shipwreck is yours.

Yesterday I had a great conversation with my mum. Nah, not really a conversation, more of a lecture. She was telling me about how everything, no matter good or bad, has something positive about it. She was telling me about how everyone is different and how important it is to look at the positive side. It is amazing how everything is. She keep telling me that I have to be honest and true about who or whatever I'm dealing with. She said to me do everything for Allah. I thought about it, and that's just the way it is: do everything for Allah, truthfully. Sounds easy but very hard in practice. It's amazing that everyone's unique but everything leads to One. How do I reduce everything to the only One? That's the challenge.

She keep telling me that there's nothing be to stressed about, etc. In essence, I need to work on my mindset. Life supposed to be easy, right?

No kidding.