Farah's Log

Senraan Ra Baairya

2011-06-07T01:50:00.000-07:00

The Mountain

2011-04-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Bounce back to Life!

2010-08-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

Deep breath.
Hold it in.
Slowly out.
Repeat 7 times.

Put hand on heart and say 'all is well'!
Close your door and do 9 sit ups.
Wave your hands round and round and swing you hips...

Smile at all time.
Make sure the door is closed!
Laugh out loud as much as possible.
Relax. Sit back.

Think of all the good and enjoyable moments of your life.
You are now ready to kick ass!

A poem..by an Old Lady from her death bed

2010-07-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

When an old lady died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it was believed that she had nothing left of any value. Later, when the nurses were going through her meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Ireland. The old lady's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the North Ireland Assn. for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on her simple, but eloquent poem. And this little old Scottish lady, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet:

Crabby Old Woman
What do you see, nurses?
What do you see?
What are you thinking,
When you're looking at me?

A crabby old woman,
Not very wise,
Uncertain of habit,
With faraway eyes..

Who dribbles her food,
And makes no reply,
When you say in a loud voice,
'I do wish you'd try!'

Who seems not to notice,
The things that you do,
And forever is losing,
A stocking or shoe

Who, resisting or not
Lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding,
The long day to fill?

Is that what you're thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse,
You're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am,
As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding,
As I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of ten,
With a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters,
Who love one another.

A young girl of sixteen,
With wings on her f eet,
Dreaming that soon now,
A lover she'll meet.

A bride soon at twenty,
My heart gives a leap,
As I make the vows
That I promised to keep.

At twenty-five now,
I have young of my own,
Who need me to guide,
And a secure happy home.

A woman of thirty,
My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other,
With ties that should last.

At forty, my young sons,
Have grown and are gone,
But my man's beside me,
To see I don't mourn.

At fifty once more,
Babies play round my knee,
Again we know children,
My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me,
My husband is dead,
I look at the future,
I shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing
Young of their own,
And I think of the years,
And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old woman,
And nature is cruel,
'Tis jest to make old age,
Look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles,
Grace and vigour depart,
There is now a stone
Where I once had a heart...

But inside this old carcass,
A young girl still dwells,
And now and again,
My battered heart swells.

I remember the joys,
I remember the pain,
And I'm loving and living
Life over again.

I think of the years,
All too few, gone too fast,
And accept the stark fact
That nothing can last.

So open your eyes, people,
Open and see,
Not a crabby old woman;
Look closer - see ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an old person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.

UNDP Public Service Song on Climate Change

2010-03-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

To Everything Turn, Turn, Turn

2009-06-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to be born, a time to die.
A time to plant, a time to reap.
A time to kill, a time to heal.
A time to laugh, a time to weep.

To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to build up, a time to break down.
A time to dance, a time to mourn.
A time to cast away stones.
A time to gather stones together.

To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time of love, a time of hate.
A time of war, a time of peace.
A time you may embrace.
A time to refrain from embracing.

To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to gain, a time to lose.
A time to rend, a time to sow.
A time for love, a time for hate.
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

Aik Alif

2009-06-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

Ik alif teray darkar
(Only an Alif is what you need)

I’lmon bus kareen o yaar…

(Stop seeking all this knowledge my friend)

Parh parh sheikh mushaikh sadaawein

(The preachers blurt out what they read)

Be-ilmaan nu lut lut khawein
(They rob the ignorant)

Tenu kita hirs khwar
(They have made you greedy [for rewards])

Bus kareen o yaar

(Stop this my friend)

I’lmon bus kareen o yaar
(Stop seeking all this knowledge my friend)

Parh parh ilm te faazil hoya

(You read to become all knowledgable)

Te kaday apnay aap nu parhya ee na
(But you never read yourself)

Bhaj bhaj warna ay mandir maseeti

(You run to enter your mosques and temples)

Te kaday mann apnay wich warya ee na
(But you never entered your own heart)

Larna ay roz shaitaan de naal

(Everyday you fight satan)

Te kadi nafs apnay naal larya ee na
(But you never fight your own conscience)

Bulleh Shah asmaani ud-deya pharonda ay

(Bulleh Shah you try grabbing that which is in the sky)

Te jera ghar betha unoon pharya ee na
(But you never get hold of what sits inside your own house)

Look Busy Do NOTHING!

2009-06-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

A Prayer

2009-06-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Dear God,

Be my friend,

Be my guide,

Be my soul,

Make me whole.

I don't want to feel empty,

I don't want to feel numb,

I don't want to feel weak anymore.

I want to be content,

I want to be well,

I wish to be blessed evermore.

Show me the way,

To make my dreams come true,

Show me the way,

How to live them through.

Make me happy,

Make me strong,

Be my guide,

Be my soul...

RUMI - A Spiritual Treasury

2009-05-31T00:40:00.000-07:00

THE SUNBEAM fell upon the wall;

The wall received a borrowed splendor.

Why set your heart on a piece of turf,

O simple one? Seek out the Source

Which shines forever.

~ Rumi

MASNAVI II:708-9

Food for Thought

2009-05-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

The following words are written by Andy Rooney an American radio and television writer, a humorist and political commentator. He says, I've learned that...

The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

When you're in love, it shows.

Just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.

Having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

Being kind is more important than being right.

You should never say no to a gift from a child.

No matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

Sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

We should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

Money doesn't buy class.

It's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

Under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

To ignore the facts does not change the facts.

When you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

Love, not time, heals all wounds.

The easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

Everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

No one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

Life is tough, but I'm tougher.

Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

When you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.

One should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

When your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

The less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Ghazali's Last Poem

2009-05-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111), popularly known as "Imam Ghazali", was a 12th century Islamic jurist, theologian, philosopher and mystic from Persia.

Imam Ghazali woke up one morning and offered his prayers. He asked for his white shroud, kissed it, and stretched himself out full length. Then saying, "Lord, I obey willingly", he breathed his last.

Underneath his headrest they found the following verses:

Say to my friends, when they look upon me, dead
Weeping for me and mourning me in sorrow
Do not believe that this corpse you see is myself
In the name of God, I tell you, it is not I,

I am a spirit, and this is naught but flesh
It was my abode and my garment for a time.

I am a treasure, by a talisman kept hid,
Fashioned of dust, which served me as a shrine,
I am a pearl, which has left it's shell deserted,
I am a bird, and this body was my cage
Whence I have now flown forth and it is left as a token
Praise to God, who hath now set me free
And prepared for me my place in heaven,
Until today I was dead, though alive in your midst.
Now I live in truth, with the graveclothes discarded.

Today I hold converse with the saints above,
With no veil between, I see God face to face.
I look upon "Loh-i-Mahfuz" and there in I read
Whatever was and is and all that is to be.

Let my house fall in ruins, lay my cage in the ground,
Cast away the talisman, it is a token, no more
Lay aside my cloak, it was but my outer garment.
Place them all in the grave, let them be forgotten,
I have passed on my way and you are left behind
Your place of abode was no dwelling place for me.

Think not that death is death, nay, it is life,
A life that surpasses all we could dream of here,
While in this world, here we are granted sleep,
Death is but sleep, sleep that shall be prolonged
Be not frightened when death draweth night,
It is but the departure for this blessed home
Think of the mercy and love of your Lord,
Give thanks for His Grace and come without fear.

What I am now, even so shall you be
For I know that you are even as I am
The souls of all men come forth from God
The bodies of all are compounded alike
Good and evil, alike it was ours
I give you now a message of good cheer:
May God's peace and joy for evermore be yours.

See the beautiful media rendition of this poem,

Let's go Bananas!

2009-05-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Take a look and change the way you perceive bananas!!!

A Guide for Life

2009-05-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann

Happiest People in the World!

2009-05-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

The happiest people in the world are not those

Who have no problems,

But those who learn to live with things that are less than perfect.

Help IDP from Swat, Dir and Buner

2009-05-11T06:11:00.000-07:00

A Situation that demands attention. There is a massive exodus of people being evacuated from Swat, Buner and Dir due to the Army Operation against militants that have established themselves in these areas. I don't think this is the time to argue about our opinions on the Army operation, its time we step up and help our fellow countrymen, its estimated that 150K-200K people have already been displaced and another 300K expected to arrive to safer areas. Here are a few links that might be helpful if you are looking to do your part:

UNHCR

Helping Hands

Salvation Army

Here is a list I got from chowrangi blog

Al-Khidmat Foundation

Edhi Foundation

SUNGI: Who to contact [link], where to donate [link].

Islamic Relief USA

Oxfam - GB

Plan International

International Medical Corps

The International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Church World Service

Emergency Response Unit

Life Savers Organization

If anyone has any organization or any other way in mind to help please let me know.

Saba Malik

Idea Box!

2009-05-05T01:03:00.000-07:00

Survival of the fittest – how true is it in times of global recession? How do we interpret words like ‘survival’ and ‘fittest’ with less opportunities and volatility growing by the day – may be it is time to change our perspective and revisit our business practices. Even in times of recession where nothing seems to be working one can create opportunities by thinking out of the box. Instead of feeling useless and wasting time by not being able to keep up with your current line of business utilize that time to try something new, something different which has not crossed your busy mind until today.

I would request all the readers of this post to leave at least one idea which in their opinion would work in today’s global recession. Let me start by giving one idea of my own:

- Try concentrating on small wins instead of scoring BIG!

Waiting for your ideas now...

Stream of Life!

2009-04-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

Happiness knows no boundaries and dancing, music comes naturally to us when we want to express ourselves. Our thoughts, inexplicable emotions, our joy suddenly transforms itself just to say what we at times otherwise are not able to - Magical… it is this expression which is enough to make us look beyond all imperfections.

You do not have to be perfect to be happy or to make others happy!

See what Matt is up to now… dancing around the world – uniting people across continents and inspiring everyone around just to be themselves.

The lyrics are based off a poem from Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

“Stream of Life”

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.

It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.

It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow.

I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.

And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.

Hope of a New Dawn

2009-04-07T02:57:00.000-07:00

Inspiring and Powerful...

Umeed-e-Sahar

Jigar dareeda hoon, chaak-e-jigar ki baat suno
Umeed-e-sahar ki baat suno

(I'm torn inside; hark what my tormented entrails tell
Hark to the hope of the dawn)

Alam raseeda hoon, daman-e-tar ki baat suno
Umeed-e-sahar ki baat suno

(I'm swept by sorrows; hark to what my tears have to tell
Hark to the hope of the dawn)

Zubaan bureeda hoon, zakhm-e-guloo sey harf karo
Umeed-e-sahar ki baat suno

(My tongue is tortured; hark to my wounded throat
Hark to the hope of the dawn)

Shikasta pa hoon, malaal-e-safar ki baat suno
Umeed-e-sahar ki baat suno

(My feet are lacerated; hark to the travails of my travels
Hark to the hopes of the dawn)

Musafir-e-rah-e-sehra-e-zulmat-e-shab se
Ab iltafat-e-nigar-e-sahar ki baat suno

(From a traveler through the desert of the dark dark night
come! and listen to the tidings of bright & beautiful morn)

Umeed-e-sahar ki baat suno

(Hark to the hope of the dawn)

~ Faiz Ahmad Faiz

Recipe of Life

2009-03-29T02:41:00.000-07:00

The best recipes in life are those which we create ourselves – I was told once. I read somewhere ‘Life would be much easier if I had the source code’ – interesting concept. How true is it? Would we have a better control over our lives if we had the power to change it as and when required? As much as I want to believe otherwise thinking about notions like fate, destiny and providence, where all these notions stands correct to a certain extent, I also believe we always have the other option i.e. to make a difference, to live the way we want.

Unable in achieving an objective at one given point in time or the other is not necessarily failure but not the right time for it to happen – that is providence helping us off and on, guiding us through different perils with or without our knowledge. There is no recipe for a successful life – it is a combination of our experiences and observations, what we learn through our mistakes and last but not the least the strength of positive thinking and never giving up! Imagine your life as a big canvas ready to be painted - so paint it beautiful – paint it well, full of bright colors. The recipe can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be – it’s just the way you look at it!

Mind Without Fear

2009-03-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;

Where knowledge is free;

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;

Where words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action--

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

~ Rabindranath Tagore

On Success...

2009-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

It is strange how busy we get battling with the daily affairs that we fail to stop and admire the simplest things in life - how conveniently we manage to ignore the obvious and move on as if it never happened, running blindly towards fame, fortune and success yet missing the essence which makes one's personality. How unfortunate we are not to feel, enjoy and realise where true happiness lies and how each one of us can make a difference. As beautifully explained by an American poet 'Ralph Waldo Emerson' some simple yet powerful and inspirational words to follow...

To laugh often and much

And the affection of children
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends
To appreciate beauty
To find the best in others
To leave the world a bit better
Whether by a healthy child
Or a garden patch…
To know even one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded

Things to do...

2009-03-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

What would you do at times when you get to hear words like unemployment, recession, downsizing, frustration, disappointment almost everywhere you go? How would you keep yourself motivated, focused and on track filtering these distractions from your daily routine thinking whether it is time to change or to continue the same way?

One of the ways to balance it is to have a look at the 'things to do' or our wish list which many of us keep making note of thinking we shall get back to it whenever we have free time. That time is here now - so let’s have a look at that list of pending items requiring your attention starting from prioritizing the top 10 things want to do. Putting off what might keep you motivated will make you grim if you don't get to it soon enough.

As for me, I am catching up on my photography lessons ~ something I have wanted to do since a very long time. Finally, one of the long awaited items on my list of things to do is coming true!

I Ask You!

2009-03-22T08:53:00.001-07:00

How did it all come to this, I ask you? When as a child I was taught not to lie, not to hurt, not to steal from anyone – was taught to be honest, comforting and gentle to everyone – was taught to become a good human being, to be considerate, to be a beacon of light for all and yet the first day I step out from the safe and secure boundaries of my home I witness the opposite. How did it all come to this; I ask you, who is to blame? I ask you!

With this contrast between the real and the unreal, where do I stand? what do I do? when I am asked to join a few who ruthlessly dictate the lives of all or else left alone to withstand the consequences of choices I never made. Where do I stand? what do I do? when I am asked to defy my essential teachings to become a fake who I am not; how did it all come to this; I ask you, who is to blame? I ask you!

This is not the world I was promised. This is not the way I set out to live – so why am I to be punished if I retaliate – why am I to be held responsible, if I fight to protect myself from the unjust ways? Where do I stand? what do I do? when I am forced to go through the constant agony and pain of daily affairs which make me forget who I am. Where do I stand? what do I do? when I am made to lose track of where I started from and where am I heading. How did it all come to this; I ask you, who is to blame? I ask you!

Everyday is a constant struggle to keep myself alive. Trying my best not to give into the vicious circle of life. But slowly and steadily I start forgetting who I am; withering away with constant poisoning inculcated again and again – such poisoning which leaves me stranded with every bit of sanity from within. Where do I stand? what do I do? when I see my beliefs being brutally murdered in front of my eyes each day; so much so that I start a life of deceit where everyone is welcomed to join but no one is permitted to leave. How did it all come to this; I ask you, who is to blame? I ask you!

How will this ever change? I really don't know. Will I ever be able to make my place, I really don't know. For how long will I have to pay the price for standing my ground; I really don't know. For how long will I be punished for enduring it all; I really don't know? How did it all come to this; I ask you, who is to blame? I ask you!

Who are we fighting? Is it me, them or us all – trying in one way or the other to break free from it all. Why did it all come to this? Why did not we stop? Is there still hope, I question, for us all? I imagine each day that tomorrow will be a better day, there is hope I can feel, there is still light for us to reach. We can't give up now for I can see some good still left in this world worth fighting for! I Believe.