Look out - Look up - Dream

Bismillah.

Good morning folks : )
Good morning Aunt Shabeena : D
A special greeting for you my special reader from Spain.
Good morning from beautiful Malaysia.

One of the tricks in public speaking they say, is to imagine speaking to just one person in the audience. I guess it's applicable to writing too. In my case, oftentimes I write for my self as a reminder or as a spirit booster. Yes Eza you've got to keep writing and keep your dreams alive.

Saw this as I stepped out on the hotel balcony this morning. It's a big word. Dream is a big word because we all have big dreams, don't we? The first photo was taken at 7 a.m. and the other one at 7.45 a.m.

7.00 am Dream

7.45 am Dream

Dreams can and should get more vivid over time. See that difference in 45 minutes? Of course it will look different at night as there will be spotlights. But the point is our dream must be kept there. We must keep our dreams alive. 

And yes we have to look out, look up and be conscious of our surroundings. We have to get out of the box and stand on the balcony to enjoy the view. The view is always there but if we refuse to step out of our comfort zone or 'safe' zone, we will never get to catch a glimpse of what is out there. And we have to align ourselves with a system to success. Anything that is misaligned can't work. [I thought those perfectly aligned balconies are pretty neat.]

Anyway, a system to success is about repeating a few simple disciplines everyday. By discipline we mean positive constructive action. Repeating errors/mistakes everyday is a system to failure. This I shared in a couple of postings ago. Picked that up from my trainer. Writing is about sharing. 

One system to success which I am trying to follow is: Write 500 words a day. It's not an easy feat for an amateur or should I say a would be - pro. I came across this interesting quote from Brain Pickings:

"The essayist is a self-liberated man, sustained by the childish belief that everything he thinks about, everything that happens to him, is of general interest. He is a fellow who thoroughly enjoys his work, just as people who take bird-walks enjoy theirs. Each new excursion of the essayist, each new 'attempt', differs from the last and takes him into new country. This delights him. Only a person who is congenitally self-centered has the effrontery and the stamina to write essays.''

But I think it is equally correct to say a writer is selfless and unselfish because when you write, you actually open up a lot about what goes on in your mind and heart. A writer pours out. A writer does not hoard. Not everyone is prepared or willing to do that. 

I am writing this amidst a noisy background as people are busy helping themselves to a breakfast buffet. It's good to be in my own zone and write anyway. The inner zone is a beautiful place. No one can rob you from your inner zone. That's why they say happiness is within, so no one can rob it from you, unless your definition of happiness is with-out. That's not a good idea - to have your happiness being dictated by the external - because the outside world changes and is forever volatile.

Suddenly I am reminded of this advice from Ustaz Shuib. I used to visit him right til his last day. This was in 1999. He said: Eza if anyone tells you, "Óh, you have changed.'' You must say and believe in your heart ''I am with the Qadim". What does that mean? It means you are anchored to the Lord who is Qadim. Never mind your outer, never mind the outer, never mind the changes on the outside. Keep yourself anchored to the inner, to that which never change, the eternal. Subhanallah.

Signing off on this beautiful breezy Sunday morning, signing off with the inspiring tunes by Kelly Clarkson 'Á Moment Like This'. The song starts off with a thought provoking line:

What if I told you it was all meant to be?

??

: )