getting away from the mundane

I recently had a conversation with some of my friends about how couples tend to slowly get into a level of conversation that is very mundane, away from the elevated and uplifting that characterize the beginning of the relationship when everything is new and you want to find out as much as possible, discuss different points of view and see what the other's plans and goals in life are.

why is that so? maybe because in the beginning, there's so much investigation to do, so many questions to ask and different points of view to figure out. once the excitement has worn off, it's easier to get into the lull of "what do we need tonight?", "who should do the shopping?", etc. and then we just continue on our day...

but then this quote comes to mind:

Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk.
- Bahá'u'lláh

I'm not saying that the mundane conversations are unseemly, they're even downright necessary - consultation and communication about even the simplest things is key to a successful relationship. it's more the danger of getting stuck in these types of conversations, and not exploring new arenas of thought that is the worry. if the union in marriage is the foundation for a healthy society, shouldn't the couple be more open to new information?

so how can couples manage to get themselves out of the everyday and mundane? if we are to be able maintain a high quality level of conversation for an extended period of time, we need to expose ourselves to new activities and thoughts, ideas and conversations from other people - becoming outward-oriented in our thought and reach, spending time with those that may not have the same points of view as we do, just to get some new insights into life.

another way is to read. a lot. read different books, from various authors and sources, and then talk to people about them. share ideas and thoughts, reflections and learnings. it is a very good way of getting out of old thoughts and habits, ways and manners.

here is another insight from farnam street on what happens as we get older:

As the years go by we view our familiar surroundings with less and less freshness of perception. We no longer look with a wakeful, perceiving eye at the faces of people we see everyday, nor at any other features of our everyday world.

we have to be open to new impressions, and like a child be willing to constantly learn new things. so what if we don't figure things out at the first attempt or fail? let's try again!

service and invention

I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others... I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent...
- Thomas Edison

why do we circumambulate?

oftentimes before going to pray at the Shrines, we circumambulate in silence and reverence, before going inside. recently, I've had the conversation with some friends asking why this is the case - why do we circumambulate? what is its significance?

according to wikipedia: Circumambulation is the act of moving around a sacred object. reading the following quote might give a nudge in the right direction:

The spiritual world is like unto the phenomenal world. They are the exact counterpart of each other. Whatever objects appear in this world of existence are the outer pictures of the world of heaven. (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 9)

so what would be the spiritual equivalent of circumambulation? maybe it could have to do with the fact that when we circumambulate in the physical world, our center of attention is the Shrine and the Manifestation of God, and a reminder that we should try to do the same in the spiritual world:

The state of prayer is the best of conditions, for man is then associating with God. (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 201)

so in the same way that our physical bodies center around the physical remains of the Manifestation of God when we circumambulate, we should try to have our soul and thoughts constantly centered on the Manifestation, His life and teachings.

how to do that is another subject altogether...

interesting point regarding SOPA

while reading about the SOPA(*) hearing, there was talk about hastening up the process, despite it perhaps not being entirely ready yet:

Over and over again, opponents of the bill repeated the phrase that at the very least, the bill “wasn’t ready for prime time,” because it hadn’t included the input of technical experts, let alone addressed their complaints or concerns, and that there was no reason to rush it through the House.

Still, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), pointed out another reason for urgency.

“The House feels like it’s time to get something done, before we enter into election season,” Johnsons said. “That’s a legitimate political concern.”

However, he added: “I’m troubled we are making a decision without adequate data,” and said “haste makes waste.”

isn't it insane that election season dictates what can and should be brought up and when?

* wiki page on SOPA

google reader

do you go through your unread articles to just lower your unread counter, or to actually learn something? with the vast amount of information to be read, it seems oftentimes we go through articles and news just to feel good about not having such a high unread count. but let's say you had to limit yourself - which 10 feeds would you keep it to?

winding down

it seems that with people spending their last hours and minutes awake in front of the computer, skyping or chatting with friends, that there is very little to no time to wind down before going to sleep. how do you sort out your impressions and experiences of the day, if you are not allowing yourself some silent moments and time for reflection before sleeping? I think the last 30 minutes awake should be spent away from new impressions - TV, computer, etc. - and spent instead on prayer, meditation and reflection.

the sacrifices of 'Abdu'l-Bahá

reading this last night left me speechless:

I noticed that my own presence in that room was another source of torture to all of them. This was due to the fact that parents and children were suppressing and restraining themselves by trying to be quiet and polite in my presence. So, in order to give them freedom, I accepted the morgue of the barracks, because that was the only room available, and I lived in it for about two years.
(from Voyage of Love)

great relief

unsubscribing from stuff in google reader... ahhh, feels good!

4 years

what a bounty

real life angry birds!

post-it wars!

this looks amazing and hilariously fun! taking post-its and creating huge characters from different games:

is it a waste of time? well, as mentioned in the article, I think there's something about bringing people together and having fun, getting to know each other outside of the regular working environment. building stronger bonds of friendship creates trust, and promotes cooperation. I wish I could do something like this myself!

your happiness

"you're as happy as you make up your mind to be", from things we forget. so true.

20 amazing places to see before you die

check it out on bored panda! unfortunately, I've been to exactly 0 of them :(

Shohreh's story: How Iran violated a top student's rights

Even for the fortunate ones who might be offered a place, expulsion often follows during the course of their studies. In recent months, two students at the Isfahan University of Technology were prevented from registering for the next term, also for having "incomplete documents;" a Baha'i studying English literature was thrown out of the University of Kerman; a biomedical engineering student at the University of Sahand was dismissed; and a physics student at the University of Mazandaran was expelled after completing eight semesters on the honor roll and gaining admission to a Master's program.

read more here. 

pasta salad

250 grams pasta

2 cucumbers

3 tomatoes

feta cheese

cream cheese

salad leaves

can of corn

delicious!

fly like a bird!

Bahá'í Gardens - a Hillside of Beauty

from israel21c.com:

The Bahai Gardens, on Mt. Carmel overlooking Haifa, are part of the Bahai World Center. Besides receiving Bahai pilgrims from around the world, many thousands of tourists visit yearly, to view the amazing gardens, fountains, and views down to Haifa Harbor. The gold-domed Shrine of the Bab, dedicated to Bahai's founder, can be seen from the 19 garden terraces.

if you can't change your fate...

... change your attitude:

from things we forget

the art of flattery

reading this article reminded me of the following words of 'Abdu'-Bahá:

To be silent concerning the faults of others, to pray for them, and to help them, through kindness, to correct their faults.
To look always at the good and not at the bad. If a man has ten good qualities and one bad one, to look at the ten and forget the one; and if a man has ten bad qualities and one good one, to look at the one and forget the ten.
(Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Baha'u'llah and the New Era, p. 82)

A study published recently in the Journal of Basic and Applied Social Psychology found that just under half of people who were asked to help out a colleague with a favour were willing to do so. However, if the colleague first gave the person a compliment before making the request, 79 per cent of people were willing to help. Interestingly the increase in help occurred regardless of how likeable the requester was. It was the requester demonstrating their liking for another by complimenting them that increased their persuasiveness.

Numerous other studies have consistently shown how effective it can be to tell others that you like them and to give genuine compliments. Waiters receive bigger tips after praising diners for their menu choice. Hair stylists get higher tips after telling clients how much they like their new hairdo. Moreover, the effects of compliments hold true even when people know that the flatterer has an ulterior motive. But the lesson is not to use false compliments as a universal, and rather blunt, instrument of persuasion. Instead it is to selectively look for genuinely likeable features in someone and tell them.

Perhaps the most underused place where compliments can be employed effectively is with the people we are least likely to compliment at all - those we dislike and find difficulty dealing with. Again the suggestion is not to lavish fake or bogus praise but instead to look for genuinely admirable features about such individuals - their strong work ethic, attention to detail or reliability. Doing so might mean the difference between successfully getting business done or not.

http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/the-art-of-flattery

consultation

Man must consult in all things for this will lead him to the depths of each problem and enable him to find the right solution.

(`Abdu'l-Bahá, The Compilation of Compilations, vol. I, Consultation)

try something new!

interesting ted talk about making small, sustainable changes. well worth a watch!

friends are...

... God's hugs:

patient

purposeful

considerate

grateful

joyful

engaged

cooperative

enthusiastic

optimistic

accepting

sincere

generous

inspiration and guide

“…the honor and distinction of the individual consist in this, that he among all the world’s multitudes should become a source of social good. Is any larger bounty conceivable than this, that an individual, looking within himself, should find that by the confirming grace of God he has become the cause of peace and well-being, of happiness and advantage to his fellow men? No, by the one true God, there is no greater bliss, no more complete delight.”
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization

creative

trusting

flexible

fair

words of inspiration

We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
-Aristotle, 384 BC-322 BC

reliable

detached

nachos!

quick and easy, and tasty:

assertive

twofold transformation

post from the great blog engendering equality:

I wanted to share this Ted Talk from Layli Miller-Muro, founder of the Tahirih Justice Center, as she discusses the importance of transforming ourselves and our institutions as a means of achieving the equality of women and men. Sometimes in the process of trying to engender equality we can forget that it will take more than just changing our own views or the views of those around us. We really have to change systems and laws which are so much apart of the perpetuation of inequality. Its not enough to simply promote equality within these broken systems and processes. Also the importance of doing this, as Miller-Muro points out, is something that necessarily involves both men and women.

strong

considerate

how to talk to girls

this article from the huffington post is so very important in trying to elevate conversation and steer us away from our usual instincts in when we meet girls.

Little Maya was all curly brown hair, doe-like dark eyes, and adorable in her shiny pink nightgown. I wanted to squeal, "Maya, you're so cute! Look at you! Turn around and model that pretty ruffled gown, you gorgeous thing!"

But I didn't. I squelched myself. As I always bite my tongue when I meet little girls, restraining myself from my first impulse, which is to tell them how darn cute/pretty/beautiful/well-dressed/well-manicured/well-coiffed they are.

so what should we do instead of focusing on their looks?

Try this the next time you meet a little girl. She may be surprised and unsure at first, because few ask her about her mind, but be patient and stick with it. Ask her what she's reading. What does she like and dislike, and why? There are no wrong answers. You're just generating an intelligent conversation that respects her brain. For older girls, ask her about current events issues: pollution, wars, school budgets slashed. What bothers her out there in the world? How would she fix it if she had a magic wand? You may get some intriguing answers. Tell her about your ideas and accomplishments and your favorite books. Model for her what a thinking woman says and does.

it's well worth a read, to avoid promoting the focus on looks and appearance in the world.

forgiving

sunrise, sunrise!

I got up at 5 am today to play football. luckily, I had a beautiful dawn to go with it. I snapped two shots, but they don't make justice to the beauty of it at all:

cheerful

regrets of the dying

very interesting post, I'm copying the whole thing from here:

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.


2. I wish I didn't work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.


3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.


4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.


5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.



Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

orderly

creative food days!

I've had three days of food-related creativity, and am finally able to post pictures for it!

first one was a sushi dinner we made happen... brought together some friends, made the whole thing ourselves, and ate and enjoyed it. this is what the table looked like before:

(unfortunately I have no after pictures!)

the next event was a dinner at home. it was slightly pot-luck, but we ended up making salad, rice + meat, and dessert. this is the ever so delicious chocolate mousse being made:

I can tell you it was yummy!!!

finally we went out to a café last night with a group of friends, and these lamps were among the coolest I've seen:

if it's not clear, those are spoons being woven into it!

honest

joyful

responsible

open

young men postponing adulthood

the vancouver sun has a very interesting article about young men postponing adulthood - basically refusing to "grow up". the article is here, and is well worth a read. there were also some very interesting points at the end, regarding talent vs. effort:

The second is a cultural bias based on the "entity theory of ability," which means a predetermined competence in an area.

"Most of us are steeped in a culture which says we're born with this competence; in North America we have a love affair with talent," he says.

The truth, however, looks more like "incremental theory," which states we can improve how well we do a task given a concerted effort. "It's known as 'deliberate practice.'" he says. "We love hearing stories of Mozart and Rafael, but we forget they practised!"

The media will extol the talents of a hockey player or rock singer, only looking at the end of the equation, he says. So a young person starting a new job, for instance, is much more likely to give up if it's difficult, choosing to do nothing until he finds something he's good at — "instead of saying, 'Hey, the research says that if I practise, I will develop competencies.'"

Practice makes talent, D'Alessandro says. So even someone with no innate talent, with enough practice can bridge the gap, become better, even become expert.

"Avoiding exposing oneself to opportunities to practise, say, demanding new job tasks, deprives oneself of the opportunity to experience competence feedback, to increase self-esteem."

caring

fill right/down

anyone who's had a lot of tedious work filling out excel sheets is going to love this! filling out cells with adjacent data, done so easily:

ctrl-r: fill right

ctrl-d: fill down

can't believe I didn't know about it until now!

decisive

appreciative

30 days of creativity, day 15: moon eclipse haiku

eclipse of the moon
like veils covering your eyes
burn them with your love

wind tunnels look cool!

hopeful

random rock poem

today is day 14 of 30 days of creativity! here's a random piece of poetry that I saw on a rock on the street, couldn't help but take a picture of it:

it seems to say:

An angel face smiles to me
Wader (?) a hidlight (?) of tragedy
That smile used to give me warmth
Farewell, no words to say beside the mark on your grave
And the lord's forever burning candles

after a bit of googling, it seems to be a song by nightwish, angels fall first:



and here are the lyrics:

An angelface smiles to me
Under a headline of tragedy
That smile used to give me warmth
Farewell - no words to say
beside the cross on your grave
and those forever burning candles

helpful

few bits of advice

from daniel akerson:

Acknowledge your mistakes, learn from them and move on.
Don’t be afraid of new ideas; be afraid of old ones.
Be faithful to your family and friends. You’ll get the same in return.
Tell the truth and always play by the rules.
If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

source.

confident

money and people

things we forget is a simple blog that puts up small post-its with deep messages. here are two recent ones that I think were very poignant:

where are your priorities?

kitchen haiku

30 days of creativity, day 11:

refrigerators
are more than just keeping cool
a kitchen haiku!

inspired by threadless t-shirt

kind

tagxedo!

tag clouds are fun to create, especially when you can make them in different shapes and forms. tagxedo allows you to do exactly that. here's one for this blog:

make one you too!

beautiful

new uses of the violin

who said the violin should only be used to play classical music? here's a creative example of other things that can be done:

accepting

on creativity

righteous

human tetris

brilliant concept, beautifully done!

generous

pick-up line of the day

girl: my grammar is good
guy: my vocabulary is good; do you want to get together and make some sentences?

courtesy of sahar, believe it or not....

enduring

steadfast

diligent

30 days of creativity, day #4 - picture!

a picture of a hibiscus:

committed

30 days of creativity, day #3 - creative cooking!

today I followed up on my first day of creativity, where I was cooking. this time I was aware enough of what I was doing and took pictures. I made a simple but very tasty sandwich with onions, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, some cheese, mayonnaise and mustard. this is what it all looked like:

step 1: chop up some onions and mushrooms and fry them. (I used the oil from the sundried tomatoes)

step 2: chop up some sundried tomatoes and add to the mix.

step 3: add a slice of cheese and stir it around

step 4: this is what it'll look like - a bit messy, but oh so tasty!

step 5: prepare a pita with some mayonnaise and mustard

step 6: slice of cheese, and then the mixture on top of it

step 7: slice up some feta cheese and eat!

my first bite was an explosion of epic taste in my mouth. yumm!!!

how amazingly brilliant

combining cello and beat-boxing, producing such an amazing result:

30 days of creativty, day #2!

a picture through a wrist warmer, giving a cool homing effect:

serving

fortitude

30 days of creativity, day #1!

30 days of creativity is a social initiative encouraging people to create stuff (anything) every day for 30 days in june. I decided to join, and so every day I'm going to try on doing something... day 1 was making a sandwich!

ingredients:

• mushrooms
• sun dried tomatoes
• slice of cheese
• baguette
• red onion
• fresh tomato
• feta cheese

fry mushrooms + onion + sun dried tomato + fresh tomato. cut the baguette in half, put everything in, warm up the oven, put it in. eat. enjoy.

unfortunately I forgot to take a picture. but it was good!

interest and motivation

very interesting post from signal versus noise:

I have a very hard to impossible time forcing myself to do things that I don’t want to do.

When I feel that lack of motivation, there’s always a reason. I instinctually know whatever I’m working on is not actually worth it — that all this effort I’m about to put in is not going to pay off. Or maybe I’m just not good at what I’m trying to do. Either way, it feels like a waste of time.

Plus, I find it hard to have a wide array of things that I’m interested in at the same time. I usually pick one thing and I get really interested in solving that. Any other task that doesn’t fall under that banner has a hard time capturing my imagination and getting done. I just put that on the back burner until whatever I’m naturally interested in gets completed or my motivation runs out.

When you have a natural interest in something, your productivity goes through the roof. Even though whatever I’m naturally interested in might not, from an objective point of view, be the most important thing to work on at that time, it is the most important thing to work on because of the productivity gains I get out of just being super fired-up about it. I have to get that out of my system. And I wind up doing things really quickly.

When you’re not working on something you’re inspired by, your efficiency is so much lower. You find more moments in the day to let yourself be distracted by email or reading on the Web or something else. That’s usually the key smell I detect when I’m working on something I don’t really want to be working on: I check email much more frequently and I engage in chats about things that aren’t related to what I should be working on.

On the flip side, when I’m working on something I’m really fired up about, I couldn’t care less about new posts on Twitter or whatever. Instead, I get whatever I’m working on done right away.

gentle

patient

disciplined

tolerant

forbearing

pure

friendly

righteous

purposeful

grateful

wise

understanding

open

cheerful

responsible

understanding

mindful

perceptive

simple

generous

appreciative

determined

righteous

achieving mastery

yet another brilliant comic by xkcd today:

the second to last box is gold:

but you don't become great by trying to be great. you become great by wanting to do something, and then doing it so hard that you become great in the process.

optimistic

reverent

mindful

disciplined

helpful

teaching

xkcd has a brilliant comic today about our ability to teach:

I love the question "huh? what good is that?", as that pretty much explains how we are able to sustain and progress civilization...

courageous

pure

considerate

initiating

wise

helpful

cooperative

tolerant

diligent

cheerful

mindful

the end of class

While we wait for the mousse
Everything else is coming loose
We're sharing our arts and creations
And we find there are no limitations

Poems, paintings and songs
We find ourselves in different lands
As what we've done leaves our hands
In the arts we see no wrongs

With the help of water color
The tune of a guitar
Using modern technology
And even some ground tea

This evening marks the end of three months
We've shared laughter, joy and many songs
Walls come down, fears gone away
And we all end this, with a big fat YAY!

forbearing

what a power is love

What a power is love!
What a power is love!
It gives light
It brings hope
How wonderful love is

If you desire
Love with all your heart
It will reach the minds of men
It will reach the minds of men

What a power is love!
What a power is love!
It lights the way
Gladdens the heart
The greatest of all things

If you desire
Love with all your heart
It will reach the minds of men
It will reach the minds of men

reverent

thoughtful

grateful

understanding

appreciative

enthusiastic

loving

caring

sacrificing

caring

flexible

grateful

disciplined

strong

resilient

loving

thankful

accepting

initiating

joyful

this is prayer

inspired by the poem This is faith by Ruhiyyih Khanum and unit 2 on Prayer of Ruhi book 1.

To be in His nearness while on earth
To attain the Divine Presence in the physical world
To beseech, supplicate and ask for assistance
This is prayer.

The natural impulse in a world of nature
The light unto the ocean of His Presence
The sweetest thing in the world of existence
This is prayer.

A connection to the divine worlds far away
A fire that burns the invisible veils
A loving conversation with your Creator
This is prayer.

Creates spirituality, mindfulness and celestial feelings
Guidance to the path of God
Food for your soul
This is prayer.

Drawing closer to God without movement
Listening for an answer without a sound
Enjoying spiritual nourishment without feeling full
The ladder between earth and heaven without climbing
This is prayer.

Make of my prayer a fire to burn away the veils
And lead me to Thy presence.

reliable

cooperative

fair

assertive

optimistic

selfless

merciful

steadfast

I'm not creative

I'm not creative
I can't write
Words don't flow out of my pen
My narratives don't captivate
And I have no point to my stories
But if God is the Fashioner, maybe I can try.

I'm not creative
I can't paint
Colors don't jump from my brush
My landscapes are boring
And I have no imagination
But if I am created in the image of God, I think I can try.

I'm not creative
I can't dance
Beats don't pulse through my body
My movements are stiff
And I have no coordination
But if art is worshipping God, I think I should try.

I'm not creative
I can't sing
Melodies don't spring from my lungs
My voice carries no tune
And I have no vocal range
But if artists advance the affairs of mankind, I have to try.

God is the Fashioner, the Creator
I have been created in the image of God
If art is worshiping God
And artists advance the affairs of mankind
I help transform hearts with my arts
I will try.

diligent

just

moderate

open

orderly

haiku of the day

fasting is over
now your soul has been recharged
a new day is here

aweful

haiku of the day

spirit of service
in everything you do
now let your soul soar

respectful

haiku of the day

the Queen of Carmel
a beacon of light and hope
shine your light world-wide

serving

haiku of the day

waiting for wonder
a source of inspiration
elevate(s) your soul

sincere

haiku of the day

oneness of mankind
unity, diversity
earth is one country

empathic

haiku of the day

to improve the world
we use creativity
start imagining

sacrificing

haiku of the day

my service comes first
in service I gain knowledge
service is prayer

kind

haiku of the day

great joy in service
helping friends is like praying
it benefits both

understanding

haiku of the day

my hair is short now
but my soul remains the same
where are you looking?

helping

haiku of the day

your difficulties
are nothing but stepping stones
helping you grow more

commited

haiku of the day

best time of my life
twelve hundred thirty four days
complete gratitude

trusting

haiku of the day

poetry connects
conveying deep messages
using simple words

cheerful

haiku of the day

see the rain pouring
like the love of God for all
ignoring no one

enthusiastic

haiku of the day

while we are fasting
we stop eating at sunrise
and focus on God

caring

haiku of the day

Haram-i-Aqdas
the Most Holy Spot on earth
my soul is at home

haiku of the day

choose joy or sorrow
joy gives wings, sorrow weakness
which do you prefer?

selfless

orderly

haiku of the day

bounties and blessings
cleaning and restoring Shrine
glorious this day

appreciative

learning from mistakes

haiku of the day

spiritual growth
does not come without struggle
detachment is key

encouraging

haiku of the day

the laws are a fire
burning away our desires
leading to the light

flexible

haiku of the day

I look different
but does that really decide
my identity?

loving

haiku of the day

we studied prayer
God’s will versus our desires
ignore the second

detached

persevering

forgiving

honest

I'm not creative

I'm not creative
I can't write
Words don't flow out my pen
My narratives don't captivate
And I have no point to my stories
But if God is the Fashioner, maybe I can try.

I'm not creative
I can't paint
Colors don't jump from my brush
My landscapes are boring
And I have no imagination
But if I am created in the image of God, I think I can try.

I'm not creative
I can't dance
Beats don't pulse through my body
My movements are stiff
And I have no coordination
But if art is worshipping God, I think I should try.

I'm not creative
I can't sing
Melodies don't spring from my lungs
My voice carries no tune
And I have no vocal range
But if artists advance the affairs of mankind, I have to try.

God is the Fashioner, the Creator
I have been created in the image of God
If art is worshiping God
And artists advance the affairs of mankind
I help transform hearts with my arts
I will try.

generous

considerate

me, me, me, me version 2011

slightly delayed, but here we go again from last year, with no changes, so copy/paste it is:

Borna, a town in Saxony, Germany - maybe I should go visit myself? :)

A part of Bahretal in the Sächsische Schweiz district, Saxony, Germany - has apparently changed owners quite a lot...

Borna disease, an infection neurological of warm-blooded animals caused by the Borna virus

Borna of Croatia, a Medieval Slavic Prince of Dalmatia - wow!

A Persian word meaning "young." Can also be used as a name. The Persian diction is "بر نا" - yupps, that's me

The Rabha name of Channa amphibeus - apparently a rare species of snakehead