Zaid Ismail's Blog, page 36
June 10, 2021
That toxic status quo
When we are raised in an environment focused on discipline before purpose, or compliance before understanding, we develop the belief that fitting in is more important than what is right. This same mindset leads us to be bullish in our efforts to uphold the status quo because of the inclusion that it offers, while violently […]
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June 5, 2021
Don’t pay it forward
Vengeance is easier than understanding. Bitterness is easier than forgiveness. Mirroring the behaviour of those who treated us badly is easier than rising up to be better than them. Each time we choose the easier path, we become the very monsters and degenerates that created the hurt and pain in our lives. Too often, we […]
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June 4, 2021
My echo chamber
For what feels like an eternity, I’ve been grappling with whether I have anything of substance to share beyond my first novel. Will it be an indulgent rant of self-pity, or will it honour the human struggle? Am I invested in it the way I was with the first novel? Or is the tedious repetition […]
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June 3, 2021
Forgotten bones
Sullen heart Tainted soul Exhausted spirit Far from home A journey long A stranger lone Broken promises Forgotten bones Cryptic poetry from a cryptic soul For each to take What echoes with their own… Photo credit : Adobe Stock #authorsofinstagram #poetry #spilledink
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June 1, 2021
Recognise your demons
Some of the most disheartening moments we may experience include trying to help someone we care about while they reject our efforts. The harder we try, the more they resist. The more persistent we are, the greater their anger or bitterness towards us. Most often, it’s not because of who we are or what we’re […]
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May 28, 2021
Celebrate your humanness
Tears are not weakness because it takes strength to embrace your humanness. The worst brutes lack the courage to be human because appearing unaffected by others is their idea of strength. Sadly, such a show of strength seals their hearts to emotion and blinds their eyes to the harshness that they exhale, creating distance between […]
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May 26, 2021
That empty bench…
The saddest scene for me has always been the abandoned park bench. It echoes with profound intensity the pervasive isolation that too many experience, but too few reveal. There is a shame that is carried upon the broken wings of abandonment that anchors us in that space between wanting to create beauty in this world, […]
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May 19, 2021
Own your self-worth
Before we can allow the world to define us, we have to first give up what we believe to be true about ourselves. I’ve seen so many test their significance in the lives of significant others, and when they don’t get the affection or inclusion that they want, they readily assume that it’s because they’re […]
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May 18, 2021
The silent ones
True misery doesn’t love company. It decays the soul in silence. When someone is complaining, it’s because they still have hope that someone cares enough to listen or respond. Or even to empathise. When they give up on these three things, they go silent because they have grown to accept that no one else cares, […]
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May 17, 2021
Seize the moment…not the day
Tomorrow is not just another day. Tomorrow is simply today again, only with less time than we had yesterday. If you’re not focused on what you need to achieve today, you’ll always be trying to finish what you should’ve done yesterday. That’s how procrastination and misplaced optimism wastes away a good life. By all means, […]
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