You've Got the Love!

It's never too late to start living. It's never too late to be recognizable, to feel alive, or to embrace life. You deserve to be treated with respect, for you have rights for a better future. Believe that you can achieve beyond your imagination. Never belittle yourself. Never think you're less than anyone else. Never underestimate your intuition. Become your own best friend to have the will of overcoming, conquering, and defeating your own demons. 

According to Psychologists, "Personality" is defined as a combination of emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral response patterns of an individual. Consequently, these patterns develop your character, as they shape your lifecycle. Govern them, you'll blossom; abuse them, you'll breathe heavily. Everyone of us has his/her mechanism, which is regularly affected by various inputs, and this is how we're evolved into the people we are today. To be able to peacefully get along with yourself, reflect this quote upon you; "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We, ourselves, must walk the path," (Buddha). Bring a piece of paper and hang it where you can see it every day. Highlight these words, "No one" and "Ourselves" to recognize the power of your own self-confidence. Waiting to be loved is not your only way to salvation. Loving yourself is your highest priority. Explore your missing pieces and fit them all back together in harmony, applying the help of these following main points, because no one will do it for you. Only then, your soul will be revived.

Be Good .. Be Kind .. Be Truthful .. Be Sensible .. Be Joyful .. Be Considerate .. Be Giving .. Be Passionate .. Be Glamorous .. Be Confident .. Be Strong .. Be Beautiful .. Be Grateful .. Be Helpful .. Be Patient .. 

Interview Yourself
Have a one-on-one interview with yourself. Write down a list of your strengths and weaknesses in one piece of paper; putting each in a separate column. At the end, your good qualities will lift up your mood. See?! You're not too bad after all.

"Getting in touch with your true self must be your first priority." ~ Tom Hopkins 

You're not Alone
The first thing you have to realize is that you're not alone in this world. Believe it or not, someone, somewhere is living- if not-a similar situation, then a worse life than what you're living at the moment. Be patient; you never know what the future holds for you. Accept your fate and it will turn out for the best on its own.

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Let Go of your Anger
Forgive the ones who hurt you, and forget the incidents that came along with it. If someone is sorry, give them a chance to redeem themselves to you. You never know what they had in mind. If it's still too hard for you, then make use of it in any positive way; work out, write, read… etc. Just make sure you keep your mind off of thinking.

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." ~ Buddha 

Be Kind
Listen more than you talk. Give away some charity money. Be giving, and try not to say no if someone is calling for your help. Put yourself in people's shoes to experience what they feel. By then, you'll be amazed by the amount of support you'll have later.

"Begin to be now what you will be hereafter." ~ William James 

Become Closer to God
Maintain your daily rituals. Recite more prayers from your heart. Believe it or not, this specific element is the only common factor to all good things. Stop being so stubborn and face it; you'll realize how much it makes you feel better!

"What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs (the peace of) your heart, give it up." ~ Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) 

Develop Yourself
Read more self-development books to motivate you. Find inspiration by reading true stories. Try to limit your materialistic urges and replace them with more knowledge. Be curious and thoughtful about our daily news. Novels can encourage you to be analytical and understand more people as well.

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." ~ Muhammad Ali 

Let Go of Negativity
Think happy thoughts. Fight the dark waves that invade your mind. Break away from sadness, either by having a 30 minutes wake or going on a vacation every now and then. Changing your daily routine will help you greatly. If someone invites you for a community activity, go ahead and try it; you may love it. Daily routine is a killer!

"A people free to choose will always choose peace." ~ Ronald Reagan 

Limit Your Access to Technology
Too many machinery and too many wires are more than our bodies can endure! Make sure you "Disconnect to Connect." Go out and socialize. Call your old friends and get together somewhere. Open your eyes to your surroundings. Add a little glimpse of nature to your day; "Green" is good for your system. It certainly cools you off and clears your mind.

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." ~ Khalil Gibran 

Create Your Own Masterpiece
Whether you write, cook, design… etc., unleash your talents within your friends and family, and ask them for support. Let your voice be heard and share your creations for the world to explore. Be effective and never live only for yourself; your existence will be worth-living.

"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." ~ Steve Jobs

.. N.O.H.A ..

Cilantro Central Magazine
April/May 2012

Why Is My Life So Bad?

Do you ever wonder about that? Has this question haunted you for as long as you lived? Does it usually occur to you that your lifestyle is crappier than anyone you know?

If yes, then what did you really do about it?! Did you ever consider figuring out what's going on? I understand how cranky you must feel, and I know it's not anyone's duty to understand the way you do, nor try to picture it for you. But, why don't you give it a try?! I'm sure there is someone somewhere who cares to help.

How about we make a deal?! Let's review this together. I'll invite you to live my life for a day, and I'll try yours. What will you do if I asked to experience the timeline you've been living for years? How would  you feel about that? Give it a thought, how will we live our different routines if we decided to swap lives? How will the day turn out to be for us? I bet we'll see it differently, maybe act upon it with a whole other dimension that we never thought of before. I could use the change myself.

Sorry! You had your chance, mate. You're already living a life and it's yours to keep, whether you like it or not. Make use of it. Adapt, deal, and interact with any occurrences that may or may not happen. For God's sake, do something! Oh yes, it's not easy. It's messy and hard. It's unbearable and weary at times, however it's here for you. It's hanging by the thread that you keep letting go of it everyday.

I know It may sound crazy to you, but your life IS a living thing. It needs nurturing, and it definitely needs you to stop acting like a cold-hearted selfish being, thinking only of yourself, and blaming everything on it. What if your life was a person that you actually met? Will it stand you? Will it endure the amount of pain and suffering you enjoy everyday? No wonder it keeps pulling you down anytime you decide to change.

Here's a reality check for you; you're not a kid anymore. Your life isn't a video game either. You don't get any extra lives in your "Call of Duty" or build a new "Ville" in town. Maybe, some energy boosters, though. That I can relate to, but not the full powered, super duper charged ones either. You'll need to shed a tear every now and then, you'll need to bleed, and you'll need to learn how to adapt that's for sure; just be honest with yourself, and confront it. People aren't the only ones who play games on you.

One more thing, would you please give yourself a break today?! Pamper yourself, it's not that hard. Indulge yourself, give it a chance and give in. Look yourself in the mirror and decide that you will feel happy about YOU today. Go buy yourself a present; believe me, you deserve it.

Your life misses you. It's the one thing that endures you and sticks to your side no matter what. It's the only proof of your existence. It's the gift that ALLAH, the All Mighty, grants you to be by his side for eternity. I know you're fed up living the way you do, and -I assure you- you must be missing your old self too.

Here's another reality check for you; You are loved. :)