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Twinkling city lights

Image credit Sarah Whiley

Saying goodbye to my city

Leaving it’s twinkling lights

As the plane takes off, I look down

And wipe a tear from my cheeks

Goodbye my beloved city- till we meet again!

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In response to; MLMM- Photo Challenge # 531, hosted by Sarah

#Keepitalive

#MLMM

#PhotoChallenge

A to Z Challenge – An abecedarian

This year for my A to Z challenge, I have written about words/ character traits that describe the best approach towards living a good life.  

Attitude is very important 

Bandwidthshould be the criteria 

Commitment , to uphold the values 

Determination to always be good 

Equality for everyone- my slogan 

Forgiveness is the best charity 

Good will  for everyone 

Humor makes life more enjoyable 

Integrity should be the focus 

Justice in deed and speech 

Kindred spirits the chosen friends

Light and Joy spread around you

Magic of imagination that stimulates the mind 

Nobility is the trademark of character 

Optimism is a blessing 

Pragmatic to live a balanced life 

Quick witted is a wonderful trait 

Receptive to new ideas 

Sincere from the core

Thankful for all that we have been given 

Unbiased in dealing with everyone 

Visionary needed to show us the way 

Warm hearted people make the world better 

Xenophilea love for people of every race and culture 

Yielding in both speech and actions 

ZenSeeking the calm of the universe 

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#Keepitalive

#AToZChallenge

Truth and the 7 Grandfather teachings

The image below is from Magda Ehlers.

The image depicts a closeup of a Galapagos tortoise in a wet grassy area.

Mish, our host for dVerse says;

Your mission is to write a poem influenced by The Seven Grandfather Teachings in any way that you would like to approach the theme. You may choose to focus on ONE or embody them all.

TRUTH (DEBWEWIN) – The turtlecarries the teachings of life on his back. Slow and meticulous. Understand the importance of the journey. Be true to yourself. Speak your truth. 

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Truth is indeed slow because it needs to be understood deeply

Don’t just glance at it and then run around

Spreading half- truths, it’s even worse than lies

Let’s understand it first, assimilate it deeply and then

Talk about it- for a word of truthfulness is a gem

Not to be scattered lightly- it carries weight and responsibility

Don’t fall into the trap that if not spread like forest fire

Truth will be buried under the ashes of falsehood

Be the gently plodding turtle and step surely and securely in truth

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In response to; Melissa’s FFFC # 370

Also in response to; dVerse Poetics, hosted by Mish this week

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#FFFC

Unbending, non- compromising, life long beliefs

  • Dogmatism — emphasises the rigid, unquestioning adherence to one’s own beliefs.
  • Solipsism — conveys being trapped inside one’s own head, unable to truly engage with others’ perspectives.
  • Monologuing — highlights the one‑sided, self‑absorbed communication style.
  • Cognitive rigidity — a psychological term for inflexible thinking patterns.
  • Doctrinaire mindset — stresses the strict, almost ideological enforcement of one’s views.
  • Echo‑chambered consciousness — a more metaphorical phrase, suggesting thoughts reverberate only within the self, never meeting outside voices.

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Of all these terms, I think dogmatism fits me better- and though I don’t like this term entirely, it explains my rigid adherence to my faith.

There is a difference between faith and beliefs- faith is based on my religious convictions and though I augment it by reading about it, listening to different scholars explain finer points of its teachings, I hope and believe that it is strongly ingrained in my soul that I won’t let it ever go. But beliefs can be about other things- like the earth is round, that it is orbiting the sun and not the other way around, and other scientific facts that have been proved beyond a doubt.

So though there is a possibility of newer discoveries changing what we believe to be the truth now, religion is something that, by the Grace of Allah, I hope to adhere to till my last breath. Aameen.

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In response to; RXC # 428, hosted by Reena

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#RXC

Helping people

Help- a universal cry for assistance that should be hard to ignore or unhear.

But not everyone responds positively to the cry for assistance because, for them, others don’t have the same importance they attach to people of their own race or nationality.

Recently we watched a very moving movie about the civil war in Syria- I was a stranger– and how families are forced to flee their own country to avoid being killed, it was so moving and based on stories of millions of families.

The story revolves around people from many cultures and countries who either helped selflessly or tried to profit from the misery of others.

It brought home the reality that people are willing to help others even if it means they are putting themselves in danger, and for people who were total strangers to them.

I’d recommend that movie, if you want to watch a serious story because it restored my faith in humanity.

In response to; Six Sentence Story, Denise

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#SSS

Z for Zen

This year for my A to Z challenge, I will be writing about words that describe the approach towards living a good life.  You can think of it as an extension of our life lessons posts too.

I want to cultivate zen in my lifestyle.

A mindset of calmness that encourages me to stay away from strife, and needless chaos. Acquiring a zen mindset needs practice and meditation. But if one gets to that stage, it brings on a peaceful mind and calmness that is so helpful in tackling life in today’s chaotic world.

Yoga and meditation both are tools to acquire a Zen mindset. Meditation helps to calm down the mind and yoga helps to relax the body. There are many forms of yoga and one can choose one that is compatible with our age and lifestyle.

I have been planning to start yoga or Tai Chi soon ( I do hope it is soon) and I’d advise you to practice these calming techniques.

#Keepitalive

#AToZChallenge 

WQ # 224 – Making a difference

How often we have heard this excuse

One man cannot make any difference

But as is said- drops of water combine

To make a strong torrent of forceful water

Similarly, people when they unite can become

The agent of change- one that can reverse

The situation and make better what was bad

Trust in the power of change

Trust that positive energy can

Make things better, even if small

Do your own part and see change

Happen!

When we are overwhelmed by the evil around us, we often feel helpless and incapable of changing the situation, but if we get together, believe in ourselves, and strive to make things better, to the surprise of many- change does happen!

See how a young activist- Greta Thunberg has worked to bring awareness about the injustice happening in the world and now she is attempting to bring food and medical aid to the people of Gaza where Israel has banned the supply of both.

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Marsha at Always Write started WQ and has now passed the hosting duties to Kym at A Fresh Cup of Coffee and to me, Sadje, at Keep It Alive

WQ will be posted every other Wednesday, once at Keep it alive and once at A fresh cup of coffee.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=c0efdbe6b4add43dd7ef

I’m also joining in Linda’s One Liner Wednesday

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#WQ

#1LinerWeds

Y for Yielding

This year for my A to Z challenge, I will be writing about words that describe the approach towards living a good life.  You can think of it as an extension of our life lessons posts too.

Yield- means give way.

Whenever I’m driving, I stop for people trying to cross the road (- we don’t have much awareness about traffic laws and people try to cross the road when the traffic is light.) And I’ve noticed that in return, a car often would stop for me and let me pass.

Yielding in an argument creates a peaceful environment, too. Sometimes it is apparent that arguing is futile because the other party is not listening to our argument so just yield. And this gesture is often more effective than the continued debate. Perhaps it is something the other party is not expecting so they too become peaceful.

Children are taught to yield in a fight or argument and if one child walks away from the fight, the fight stops automatically.

#Keepitalive

#AToZChallenge 

Haibun Monday- Silence

Let’s ponder silence as we understand it. Then bear witness to it in haibun! This week, write a haibun that alludes to silence in any way that works for you.

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The early morning when the sun hasn’t even woken yet is the most calm and quiet part of the day. The birds who wake up at first light to sing praises to their Creator are still slumbering in the nests and humans think that it’s still night time and are reluctant to leave their comfortable beds.

God Almighty loves it that we forgo our sleep to stand in prayer in front of Him and ask for forgiveness for our sins, intentional and unintentional. He is ever forgiving and merciful.

Who sees the tears in
The eyes of His servants when
They bow down to Him

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The gates of mercy
Are open wide- ask your Lord
For He loves his slaves

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In response to; dVerse- Haibun Monday, hosted by Frank this week

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#dVerse

Another Sunshine Award nomination

Blogging awards

Thank you so much Rohini for this honor;

Her Question;

If your life had a background soundtrack, what song would start playing every time you entered a room?

I think the theme song/ music of the pink panther!

2. What’s your most impressive skill that contributes absolutely nothing to society?

I cut people mid conversation and say something totally irrelevant to the topic, leaving everyone bewildered.

3. If you had to rename yourself based on your personality, what would your legally questionable new name be?

I’d name myself Sadje– my blogging name. You all know me by this nom d plume!

4. Have you ever had a moment where you confidently did something wrong… and still committed to it?

People think that my political philosophy is wrong- but wrong or right, I stick to it.

5. If your thoughts had subtitles, what would the audience be most concerned about?

The speed with which I speak. It would be like the subtitles in some of the YouTube videos.

6. What’s your superpower and why is it extremely inconvenient in daily life?

My optimism. It’s not inconvenient for me, but others get irritated by my always positive outlook.

7. If you could delete one everyday task from existence, what would it be and how would society quietly collapse without it?

I do like all everyday tasks that I do. But one everyday ritual I don’t like at all is listening to news. But you can imagine that being oblivious to what’s happening around the world can be catastrophic.

8. Which fictional character would immediately regret meeting you, and why?

Any of the sad , rejected love lorn characters. I’d try to make them see the bright side of life.

9. What’s your personal version of “I have my life together,” even though we all know it’s a well-edited illusion?

I think reading my blog, most people will think that. But like everyone else, I do have unresolved issues in my life that I don’t talk about.

10. If your cooking was reviewed like a restaurant, what would the one-star review say?

She tried!

11. What’s the most dramatic way you’ve ever avoided a simple responsibility?

Not intentionally, but often falling flat on my face has resulted in me being unable to fulfill my commitments.

12. If you were a weather forecast, what would people prepare for you: sunshine, chaos, or “please stay indoors”?

Perpetual sunshine- though it might seemed forced at times.

13. What’s something you do with full confidence that absolutely nobody asked you to do?

Explaining different diseases, and medicines with their effects and side effects.

14. If your inner voice had a personality, would it be a motivational speaker or a sarcastic stand-up comedian?

You must have realized by now that I would be a serious motivational speaker with hints of a religious scholar.

15. Finally, If aliens studied your daily routine, would they decide Earth is worth visiting… or quietly reverse course?

I think that they will consider abandoning the mission, not only because of my frequent falls but also the wars, famine and genocide happening here.

Thank you, dear friend, for these absolutely hilarious questions and for your kind nomination. I will break from the norms of award nominations by not nominating 11 people for this award. I have very remarkable friends and if any of you have the inclination and time, please take up these questions and answer them. You all are nominated.

#Keepitalive

#SunshineBloggerAward

X for Xenophile

This year for my A to Z challenge, I will be writing about words that describe the approach towards living a good life.  You can think of it as an extension of our life lessons posts too.

What is a Xenophile?

A xenophile likes to meet people of different cultures, nationalities, and races. They have a fascination with knowing people from all over the world. It is in fact an antonym of xenophobic.

I have been to 4 countries other than mine and I loved my visits. My longest stay was in Seattle in America and I loved meeting people there because Seattle is a multicultural city and the people I met there were all very welcoming and hospitable.

The same was the case in Turkey. A beautiful country with wonderful people. They welcomed us even more warmly when we told them that we were from Pakistan. Their food was yummy and the amazing thing about the people there was that they were very health-conscious.

My trips to Saudi Arabia were for Hajj and Umrah but I carry great memories of my many visits to the holy land.

Do you love traveling to other countries and what has been your impression of people there?

#Keepitalive

#AToZChallenge