Mirette Baghat's Blog, page 2

Too Much Knowledge Isn't Good!

some time ago, I used to crave any kind of information about anything, thinking that I should be updated with all the affairs of life. This appeared especially at work where I wanted to be engaged in all conversations "gossips" in the workplace, believing that this makes me powerful and up to date with whatever is happening. Yet, that harmed me more than it empowered me, since I only had a limited heart and mind, and by not filtering what comes inside, I often felt overwhelmed. With time, I realized that important knowledge gets wasted amid trivial stuff. And so gradually, I decided to change my attitude towards accessing knowledge. I decided to engage only in meaningful conversations and to choose succinctly what I say and what I choose to let inside. My filters were prepped up and my time and effort wisely used.

So next time you feel overwhelmed by the flood of unprocessed information, words, and feelings, put your filters up and check the access points (be it media, face to face conversations or simply surrounding noise) and figure out a way to filter out only what's meaningful and relevant before its gets inside of you for processing and saving.

Namaste! 

Respect The Waiting Season

We need to accept the fact that life will always have its ups and downs. There is a season for ploughing, a season for planting, a season for waiting, and a season for harvesting.  There are some seasons that are more celebrated than others, like the harvesting season, and there are seasons that are looked down upon like the waiting season. However, if we looked deeper, we will see that all the seasons are equal in importance, for they all contribute towards the final outcome.

I'm speaking about this because currently I'm passing by a waiting season. I've ploughed my land, planted the seeds, and now I'm waiting. Unlike farming, in real life you don't really know how long you will be waiting, maybe a month, and maybe a year. You just need to have faith in the process. The other challenge is that you don't really know the outcome of the waiting, the crops might not turn out as you've expected. But again, it's all part of the process that needs to be respected and accepted.

So, how to deal with the waiting season? Is it just a matter of putting our lives on hold until something turns out? I believe it's a matter of perspectives. You can consider the waiting period as a preparation period as well, for the labor time will soon follow, and so you need to prepare yourself. I usually use this period for spiritual, emotional and mental growth, working on myself, my body as well. I use it as an investment time to further develop my knowledge, skills and strengthen my spiritual life. So, at least, I don't see it as wasted time, but a time most appreciated and used.

So, eventually, my two cents are, don't run away from the waiting season, or try to make it shorter or cry over it. Respect it. Respect the meaning behind it, and prepare yourself for what will be waiting for you afterwards.

Namaste! 

So Many Blessings 2015

As 2015 is coming to an end, I want to thank her for being so inspiring and beautiful and generous. It has been one of the most different years in my life, and I'm so much in awe for all the experiences I've been through, all the places I've gone, and all the amazing people I've got to know. Thank you!

Here is a snapshot of the year.



January 2015
After going through a lot of trials and hardships during this period, I decided to take a break from work and live a quiet time to rediscover myself and my priorities in life. It was quiet a brave decision for me given the fact that I’ve been working continuously since I graduated from university with no breaks in between. Now after almost a year, I can confidently say it was one of the best life decisions ever.
It was still a difficult period though with dad poor health condition and spending most of the month in the hospital. But we always witnessed quite a lot of miracles during this period that reminded us of God’s everlasting love and care.
February 2015 
I was on a notice period at work, doing my best to finish everything on time before leaving work. I also presented my these proposal at the university and it got accepted. I used this month to do a tight plan of all the things I wanted to do during my career break, I was already getting super excited. I applied for theatre school, counseling school and different traveling opportunities. I started my career break with a breathtaking vacation to Nubia- Aswan.



March 2015
This was the first month in an exciting journey of my career break. I made sure to keep it super busy in order not to feel a sudden drop in my activity level after leaving work. I started living on a low budget to save money, riding public transportation instead of taxis and living the life of a free wanderer. I started attending the school of social theatre at Jesuits centre, an intensive training for four days a week. Although I didn’t continue the school, I truly enjoyed the three months I spent there and learnt quite a lot.  I also became part of Microsoft Aspire mentorship program for college students. I resumed my counseling studies, started meditation practice, and started conducting a series of community trainings on a pro-bono basis. It was a great start to a new life. 


April 2015
I continued the theatre school and was preparing for a street performance. I continued working on my thesis. I had a good family time during Easter holidays. I started volunteering with St. Andrews for refugee services, giving professional development workshops to refugees. One of the greatest things that happened to me is coming back to creative writing, a long forgotten passion. I wrote a short story called “A Crow’s Pilgrimage”

May 2015Another big turn for me was switching to a vegetarian diet during this month. I still don’t know the reason behind this by my body was shut off completely for eating meat.  Finished the process  of data collection for my thesis. I had an amazing and enriching volunteering experience with the refugees at St. Andrew’s and the feedback was truly amazing. I got accepted into “OUR SCHOOL” training workshop in Switzerland in June, and was so excited for my first traveling opportunity during the career break. I also got an interview with Peace Revolution for the meditation retreat in Thailand in August. The career break was getting more and more interesting.




June 2015 
During my career break, I was continuously thinking that it’s time to leave Egypt and go abroad for some time. So I started exploring opportunities, and applied for a Fulbright scholars program in the US, for which I’m  still waiting for the final result. I went to a beautiful trip to Switzerland with such an amazing group for “OUR SCHOOL” training workshop. I learnt a lot during this trip and got to know amazing people, besides the breath-taking scenery. I was going through a very difficult breakup during that time, but thanks to God and the amazing support of my close friends, it turned into a blessing in my life.  I also went on a nice vacation with my family and brother to Hurghada.


July 2015 
I continued poetry writing and came back to my page on all poetry and started taking an online poetry class. I wrote another short story and submitted it to an international contest- I didn’t get to win though. I started meeting old friend whom I didn’t get to see for ages and appreciate the quality time you spend with your good friends. Another amazing experience during this month was my trip to Jordan to attend the “Drama in Education” certificate by Qattan Foundation. It was a great learning experience, and I got to learn a lot of the Palestinian culture during this time as well. 




August 2015
No words can do justice to describe the artistic meditation retreat I participated in during this month at Thailand with Peace Revolution. It was truly one of a kind experience, transformative and life changing. I came to know and experience the true meaning of inner peace, stilling the mind, and becoming one with the universe. I’ll forever be grateful to this kind of experience. I started to integrate mindfulness practices to my life as soon as I came back, and started this blog “mindful living in the city” This retreat also connected me to an old passion of spoken word arts, since I did a performance during the retreat, and I decided to give more attention to my writing since then. 


September 2015
 My career break was coming to a temporary end. I was planning to go to South Africa on January for a five-month trip, and so I needed to go back to work to start saving some money. I started working at one of my old workplaces but then left after the first week because I felt I didn’t belong to that place anymore. I had some complication with my thesis defense which led me to register for another semester. I felt I needed to cut the clutter out of my life especially after coming back from the retreat, so I decided to withdraw from a number of activities that didn’t fit into my life anymore. I was becoming more and more sensitive towards who I truly am, and how I am spending my time. Another interesting thing that happened is that one of the e-book publishers- Bahati Books contacted me to publish one of my stories which they read on my blog. It was a great opportunity for me to get introduced to the publishing work. They helped me in editing and publishing the story. Although it wasn’t marketed widely and I had to discontinue my work with them, I’m grateful for the opportunity to get published and take the creative writing even more seriously. Another amazing thing happened to me was starting a new relation with a man I greatly admire, and I pray that we end up being together very soon. 



October 2015 
I went back to work at Save the children, my old work place for a two and half month consultancy. I felt very strange the first week at work. I even got sick. But I had to remind myself that I’m working in something that I love, even if I still hated the nine to five kind of lifestyle. I started planning for a local PR meditation retreat at Egypt along with other colleagues, and we were getting excited to have PR come to Egypt. I started giving drama classes for primary school students at Jesuits school, which was a disastrous experience and I figured out I would never work in a school again. I created a spoken word profile at soundcloud as a modest start to publicize my spoken word.
November 2015 
I was getting busy preparing for the meditation retreat in December. I also did my thesis defense, however I didn’t pass and had to do major revisions for the thesis. I’m still stuck in this painful process and not even sure if I’ll get out of it alive or not. I started writing a new short story “Rites of Passage into Death” and decided to contract an independent editor to have freedom in publishing later on. 
December 2015 
The most beautiful thing in this month was the meditation retreat that took place at Nubia. Whenever I go to this place I feel totally at my center, it’s like a place where I’m meant to be. I started planning for 2016. I did a drama session with a group of  children which I enjoyed and I spent some quality time with the family during the holidays. I finished the draft of my short story and it’s out for editing and can’t wait to publish it. I’m getting excited already for the new year!!! :)


 
Cheers to a beautiful year gone by, cheers to much more beauty to come!

Expanding your safe space

One of the bad experiences I've ever faced in my life was staying in a place where I didn't feel safe, where my true identity was forced to hide behind masks and masks of pretension and lies. I kept blaming the world and the people for being fake, for forcing me to act and pretend; yet the problem wasn't in them, it was in me. First, I was so insecure to be myself around people. I wanted to stick by the rule and play it safe, and the more I played it safe, the more the rule became. Second, I did to others what was being done to me, I judged people by the way they looked, talked or acted, and didn't allow them the same safe space I was requesting for myself.

In a world full of lies and fake materialism, we can either choose to follow the herd, or become the beacon of light for those who keep looking for security, acceptance and pure love. Yet, in order to become a safe space for others, we need to become one for ourselves first: to accept, nurture and release our true authentic self no matter how weird or unusual it is to the world.

So, start creating your own safe space inside of you slowly and gradually. Start ridding yourself of the lies and fears and nurture your beautiful self before you release it to the world. Those who are true to themselves will gladly welcome it, while those who are still living a lie will bash you while secretly feeling jealous of your own limitless freedom.

Namaste! 

Less is More

Can I appreciate a beautiful piece of jewelry, or a nice shirt, without the urge to buy it and take it back home to join the ever growing pile of unused  belongings?


Can I take an oath of giving away one item- or two- in place of a new item bought?


Why is elegance and style associated with having 10 pairs of pants, 20+ shirts, and endless pairs of shoes? Can I still be elegant and neat without having to wear something different everyday?


How can I appreciate the beauty of one friend lost between the faces of thousands of so called friends in my network? how can I appreciate the magnificence of an artwork crushed under piles of unused electronics and books?


How can I enjoy a life spent between buying something one day, and then thinking of the next thing to buy the next day?


It's a trap...a trap of endless desires waiting to be fulfilled...the trap of "there is always something waiting for you to buy" or "If I bought this I'll be a happier person."


And amid all the belongings and shopping...you lose yourself...you lose your true identity..your true taste..your true needs.


Consumerism comes in different shapes and forms...It's not only in material stuffs...It can appear in knowledge- not being selective about the knowledge you're exposed to; it can come in the form of people you let into your life, the words you consume, and the hours you waste away..


Think before you get and give before you get


Less is more !

The "Other" to blame

Everytime I remember the great Mahatma Gandhi's golden rule "Be the change you wish to see in the world", I discover a new dimension to it. Yesterday I was speaking with some colleagues at work, and all I could hear is complaining of how the "other" is unjust, irresponsible, exploitative, and how they are being the "victims" of the society, the system, the employer...or their husband or wife.


As I ponder on this vicious circle of blame game that we find ourselves trapped in for life, I find that it is the reason for all our misery and mediocrity. We give ourselves the excuse for being miserable, unproductive and disillusioned because somewhere-everywhere, there exists this powerful "other" who finds joy in sabotaging our endeavors and sucking our energy till there is no more. And the sad irony, is that after a while, we ourselves turn into this "other" that we blame. Under the pressure of fear and doubts, we slowly turn into that unjust, irresponsible, exploitative creatures we once blamed for our misery.


And so, Mahatma Gandhi had this awesomely simple wisdom by stating that instead of wasting our energies to find this someone to blame, invest your energy by being all the goodness, all the purity, all the happiness, all the peace...and all the love you wish to see in the world!

Namaste!

No Talk is Better Than Empty Talk

In the busy city life, it is hard to engage in meaningful conversations. You find yourself trapped in empty discussions, where people don't listen to each other since they are too trapped in their own ego. And no matter how many people you talk with in your day, you find yourself craving for true and real connection...a soul connection where someone listens to you and you listen to them and find yourself exchange a true conversation from the soul...it is hard to find that sometimes.

Not a long time ago, I found myself filtering my social networks and sticking only to those people whom I'm able to connect to on a deeper level, and this had certainly enriched my life. And at time when those soulful people aren't around, I just enjoy the company of myself... and God.

As for empty talks, I do my best to avoid them. And even when I get trapped in these kind of conversations, I try to open my third eye and see through what is being said, and feel the energies of people around me. It helps me stay true to myself no matter how fake the material world is.

So here's my two cents, don't engage in empty talks and meaningless conversations.Avoid them and stay true to yourself and the world. Treat your words as gold, you don't spill gold anywhere, do you?!


Namaste!

Same Old Place...Brand New Me

Breaking news: I'm back to my workplace after nine months of a career break that was more than amazing. Well, I have to tell you that I've always dreaded this moment of coming back to the office life of continuous stress, endless deadlines and politics...lots of politics!!!

Yet, I had to be back, because this also happened to be the place where I learned quite a great deal about a cause which I'm so passionate about, that is child protection and child rights; and that was also the place where I got to meet very inspiring people and mentors, and work together to turn our dreams into a successful projects on ground.

So, my challenge was not really going back to my work, but was to find the answer to the question of how can I protect myself from the destructive stress and negativity that slowly creeps in your body and psyche.

I just started off this week, and although I had the usual stomachache on the first day of work and reluctance to become an office prisoner, I gradually adjusted myself to the environment while integrating my new Zen practices and regime.

 I start off my day early in the morning at 6 am, I do meditation in the fresh air of my balcony, and then a bit of yoga followed by  a delicious healthy breakfast. this gives the right kick start to your day.

On my way to the office, I do things that gives me peace, like reading a good book, listening to good music, or simply planning the schedule for the day.

I stopped drinking coffee at the office, replaced it by endless mugs of herbal drinks which leaves me feeling rejuvenated and at peace. I still drink coffee but only twice or three times a week.

A healthy meal during the day is a must. I stopped doing the regular ordering of heavy junk food at the office (thanks to peer pressure!) and replaced it by light meals that gives me the energy I need without leaving me sluggish.

I also use the lunch break to have a slow meditative walk in the sun, which refreshes my body and mind and energize me to continue on with the day.

Finally, I play a chakra healing music in the background while working and it puts me in this peaceful meditative state all day long!

I'll keep experimenting and sharing my good vibes with you all!! :)

Namaste!






 

Mother Eve

When God created Eve, everything was made perfect; She had a man who was crazy about her, and a God was so loving that he made it his own business to make sure they’re both happy. She was living in a paradise, a queen on a throne…nothing to disturb her..she had a world of her own.Yet, do you think that made her happy or at least satisfied?! Well, I don’t think so. She was still looking for more..she believed that God was tripping her and hiding the most precious of all…the knowledge of bad and good she desired..and for the sake of a lie she destroyed it all..the love, the man of her dreams, the God of her youth…and the truth.Well, she chose…she chose to believe in a lie..to forsake the good for the evil.. to worship herself instead of the creator.. to eat the forbidden fruit even if it meant death. .and death was just the beginning.Death was not only promised to her body , but to her spirit, her core of being. She was dethroned, disconnected from divinity, and her once natural nakedness brought her shame.. she covered herself with leaves and ashes..but deep inside she knew nothing will bring her back her dignity. Once a queen, She became a slave…My mother Eve…you brought us shame, and a curse that keeps flowing from a generation to the next..We, your daughters, still make the same foolish choices over and over again…putting our ego first..destroying what has been built in years with our careless words and twisted hearts..our bodies that once had the image of God are now a playground for the devil..a hook to catch stray souls, and a shrine for offerings of blood and sweat.We roam the broken world aimlessly looking for a cure.. fantasizing about a world so pure..a paradise that once existed and embraced our souls…and more than that..a king out of whom we were brought to life..our second half..the masculine of our feminine and the strength of our tenderness ..but we know that he himself is lost as well, looking for his missing rib..for his womb and sanctuary.But mother Eve, don’t you cry, for in a dark world there exists light that guides us back home, back to the promised land, back to ourselves… this light is the power of love that flows right from the heart of God into the heart of his creation, a power so strong and so sharp that it strikes our hearts regardless of time and space.. it hurts yet it heals..and the only way to receive it is to surrender and believe to be able to receive. .. Mother Eve, it is sad that this power is still mistaken by so many lies…we still mistake lust for love, possession for love, greed for love and loneliness for love. And we end up losing faith in finding true love, that it when it finally finds us and reaches out to give, we refuse to receive.Mother Eve, I know you are now redeemed back to your kingdom, back to your king..I ask you for a sense of direction , healing and redemption, a new heart to believe in the miracle of love, and a new spirit guided by a divine light.