Friday, February 27, 2009

What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us

Significant as they may be, the past for teaching us lessons and the future for providing us hope, we live, dwell and exist in the present. Just as an individual to himself is the most significant figment of existence, the moment he lives in is all that matters, for the past is gone and unchangeable and the future uncertain and undefined.

Man should breathe every moment with the sole aim of bettering himself, live a life of value and raise the standards he sets for himself. One thing a person will never regret at the end of his life is the values he cherished, the positive and productive goals he nurtured, the grit and determination he expressed in standing firm on what is the absolutely right thing to do.

Man is made of immense capability and strength to over haul the largest of obstacles in life; to accomplish huge and unimaginably sublime dreams and aspirations. We should put our heart to such dreams and nurture this capacity in us, develop it into the gigantic potential that we have.

An example that can suffice much of what I am trying to explain is that of Lance Armstrong, who fought testicular cancer to achieve the amazing fete of winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive years. Now that is the nature of human potential and I believe every human has such capability lying dormant in him and it is only a matter of realization before one can embark on a journey of self discovery and attempt to achieve the near impossible, on the way displaying his reason d'ĂȘtre.

It is very important that we set our priorities right and put our energy in the right direction. Highly significant is the fact that every person discovers his innate capability and passion, his field of interest, the things that drive him and determine what he has been made for. Then he needs to relentlessly work towards that goal with zeal, rigor and discipline. He will suffer setbacks and challenges but to face them with courage and not lose hope will surmise how man can give true meaning to his life.

Would like to end with an Urdu couplet from Mohammed Iqbal, one of the most famous poet, thinker, philosopher and writer from the Indian subcontinent,

Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqdeer se pehle
Khuda bande se khud pooche bata teri raza kiya hai
(Exalt yourself so high that before issuing each decree of fate
God will Himself ask you, His servant, 'Tell me, what is your wish?')

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Sweet Beginnings!

The reason beats me too. Why should a person who does not exactly hate writing take so long to enter the world of blogs. One very candid but simple reason could be procrastination! The same reason which probably has kept me from doing many things I would have loved to or desired for so long.

I owe a few explanations, one of which is why I named my blog the way I did. 'Neural Tangles' is I presume a very new term most of you have heard but I shall try to devote an explanatory post for it sometime insha'Allah. The other is how exactly I intend to use my blog, what purpose would it serve and things of such nature. Which reminds me, of all things, my readers should expect a lot of humor in my writings.

My energy would be spend more in making this stuff immensely creative and interesting rather than exactly looking at trying to pen in stuff which is beautiful or of a high literary caliber. I could even, if I feel like want to share some stuff I have already written in the past.

Fear is, as most know one of the most common of human emotions but what fear could one have while starting a blog? The fear of discontinuation, or that of perennial writer's block, much less momentary pangs of fear of being rejected or ridiculed by the reader's world who by the way are what writers binge on for their success. But man is akin to trials and tribulations, and fear, no matter how strong has stiff competition from yet another human emotion, courage!

My blog could be expected to be on a very wide range of stuff, very much like my mind which has time and again gathered pleasure from numerous and vastly unrelated sources and genres of human preoccupation. For many this blog could be a seriously unexpected journey into the many facets of personality that I own.

Most of all I hope, insha'Allah that this blog shall play a major role in being productive and turn out to be both a valuable asset as well as a vibrant and concrete portal for expressing my thoughts, ambitions and desires.

This post is probably meant to be an introductory of sorts, a raiser of expectations or a warning of I know not what. Hope you have the ride of your life as my reader, while I read your minds trying to figure out what suits you best!

Some times ideas just strike your mind, don't they. So, it just hit me, how would it be if I end each of my posts with a nice saying? Sounds good, doesn't it? So here goes...

Wish me luck!

"You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it , however."
- Richard Bach, Illusions.