Zaid Ismail's Blog, page 39

Don’t blame destiny

Most often, it is our belief in what we deserve that limits us more than what we actually deserve or are capable of achieving. It’s like waiting up all night to witness an amazing sunrise only to give up as the first streaks of dawn appear and then convince ourselves that it was our destiny […]

The post Don’t blame destiny appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Soul food doesn’t feed the ego

Be careful about advice that makes you feel good but doesn’t resolve anything. Things that make us feel good either provides us with an emotional high and feeds our ego, or with a spiritual high and feeds our soul. When we strike a healthy balance between the two, we find peace. So, be careful of […]

The post Soul food doesn’t feed the ego appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Elusive peace…

Peace…that elusive mist that needs to enshroud everything. Its absence creates the need to change the circumstances of our lives, so that we leave no space for nothing, needing every space to be filled with something. Some look to fill those spaces with trinkets and tokens. Others look to fill it with purposeful endeavours. But […]

The post Elusive peace… appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Emotional health before physical wellbeing

As well-intentioned as this is, it is not true. Our body does not have a mind of its own. And laziness is not about the amount of rest that we need. As is clearly experienced by many, getting enough rest most certainly does not guarantee productivity. Nor does it remedy procrastination. So what is laziness […]

The post Emotional health before physical wellbeing appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Be what you need

In a world that is demanding attention all the time, it’s easy to get caught up in what we need from others while ignoring what they need from us. Our humanness is often celebrated for ourselves, but set aside in our expectations from others. We all need sympathy and compassion, but are hesitant to give […]

The post Be what you need appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Ingratitude breeds ingratitude

When we’re ungrateful for who we are,When we deny any good in ourselves that others may see,When we ignore our beauty because there may exist some ugly,We protect ourselves from attachment to anything wholesome or beautiful in life. Our need for such protection is a deeply ingrained fear about never being good enough. Not good […]

The post Ingratitude breeds ingratitude appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

To be…

Much of life is wasted in the time spent considering if we should or shouldn’t do that thing that we’re passionate about. That consideration is most often based on our doubts about what others will think, and rarely because we doubt the value of doing it. Sometimes, we persevere and find the courage within ourselves […]

The post To be… appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Don’t dance with the devil

The devil lives in our doubts, and our demons thrive in our fears. What we take from life leaves us filled with hope, or ridden with fear. But because it’s what we take from it that matters, we can always revisit a memory or an experience and find something more wholesome to take from it. […]

The post Don’t dance with the devil appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

Master patience

Remembering to hold on to hope, and to abandon my expectations of others has always been my saving grace for my sanity and my dignity. Expectations, whether legitimate or not, are rooted in a sense of entitlement to receive what we need from others. Expectations are key to a healthy relationship, because when we can […]

The post Master patience appeared first on Zaid Ismail.

A brain dump

Some find solace as the years progress. Some find love. Some find an emptiness where space was once held in hope for a significant other. My contemplations of which applies to me hold no sway any longer. Writing this post creates a delusion of its own. Although it could be interpreted as gratitude or reflection […]

The post A brain dump appeared first on Zaid Ismail.