Zaid Ismail's Blog, page 54
May 26, 2020
Tomorrow is not promised
Too often we remind others that tomorrow is not guaranteed, yet we live our lives as if we have all the time in the world to make that next big decision, or to do right by others. If tomorrow is not guaranteed, neither is your next breath. When our thoughts about life remain philosophy, and […]
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May 18, 2020
Be exceptional
If we focus on the exception, well realise what is possible. If we focus on the norm, well surrender to what we think is inevitable. This is at the heart of mediocrity versus excellence. There are those that look at trends and try to follow, and those that focus on value and pursue a better []
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May 14, 2020
Expecting hope
Expectations are simply hopes with a sense of entitlement. The reason for our entitlement to the fulfilment of our hopes are many. Most often, theyre based on what we contributed towards others. Sometimes we want that contribution reciprocated because we dont want to allow others to treat us unfairly, or to take us for granted. []
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May 12, 2020
The delusion of life
A life without introspection is nothing but a delusion. Assuming that you know yourself without truly knowing yourself leads to many regrets because of poorly informed decisions. Introspection allows us to learn from the lessons of the past by revealing our contribution towards its outcomes. Mindfulness allows us to apply those lessons in the present []
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May 10, 2020
For all you unconventional moms
For the unconventional moms. The ones who are forgotten about or assumed to be doing just fine. The single moms, single dads, widowed moms, and widowed dads. This is for you.
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May 8, 2020
The nuance of a good life
Its not the blatant acts of disrespect or rejection that hurt us the most, its the subtle gestures that leave room for doubt or interpretation that leave deep scars. Nuance thrives in those subtle gestures because nuance is what allows us to avoid conflict, or resist commitment. It allows us a graceful exit for just-in-case []
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April 30, 2020
Embrace your greatness
There is greatness in all of us. Problem is, if we dont get recognition from others about our greatness, we assume the greatness is not so great, instead of realising that theyre too distracted to notice. Thats when we give up on that greatness and instead embrace something trivial that will attract their attention. Then, []
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April 28, 2020
Who says you’re not enough?
If you need to remind yourself that youre enough, you convinced yourself that you werent enough. No one can do that to you without your agreement or consent. Reminders, or affirmations have their place in getting us back on track when we become distracted from the truth of who we are. The moment we need []
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April 26, 2020
Don’t be the victim oppressor
Every decision we take has an impact on us, and on those around us. If we only consider one side of that equation, well either become victims by denying ourselves of what we need in favour of pleasing everyone else, or well become oppressors by pleasing ourselves and denying the rights of everyone else. Finding []
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April 23, 2020
The forgotten village idiot
This essay has been playing on my mind a lot lately. Covid-19 has revealed the true nature of many, which only served to reinforce this notion. Who puts a smile on the face of the village idiot? The saddest part of this essay is that most who read the title thought it to be humorous. []
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