You know, bravery doesn’t always look like scaling Mount Everest or reshaping the globe. More often, it’s about facing those ordinary days – those unremarkable Tuesdays and those seemingly endless months. It’s about pushing yourself forward when every part of you yearns to just sink back into the comfort of the past.
Let me tell you, I’ve been there. Those days when getting out of bed felt like my personal Everest. I realized that changing the world sometimes means changing your own world, bit by bit, at your own pace, as you mend your heart and soul.
Bravery isn’t just about loud battles and visible scars. Often, it’s a quiet struggle, a soft, persistent glow inside you that flickers even on your darkest days, reminding you of your strength, your growth, and the hope that’s always there, waiting.
I want you to think about this: What’s your personal Everest? What quiet battle are you fighting? Remember, every step forward is a victory, no matter how small. Each day you choose to move forward, you’re showing incredible courage.
So, here’s my challenge to you: Embrace your inner strength, no matter how soft or quiet it feels. Let it be your guide through the tough days. And most importantly, never forget that even in the quietest moments, your bravery is making waves. You are growing, you are strong, and above all, you are not alone. There’s hope, always. Let’s climb our mountains together, one small step at a time.
Meraki” (v.) to do something with soul, creativity, or love; to leave a piece and essence of yourself in your work.
Meraki, a word that resonates with the ethos of a true artisan, embodies the act of pouring love, creativity, and soul into one’s endeavors, leaving a lasting legacy through one’s work. | The Border of a Mind Studios
In the realm of creation and artistry, there’s a concept that transcends mere functionality—it’s called “Meraki.” This term, with its roots in Greek language, encapsulates the act of infusing one’s soul, creativity, and love into their work, leaving a fragment of their essence in everything they do.
Consider the tale of a Sculptor, analogous to the narrative of ‘The Carpenter’. Where a carpenter assembles structures, a sculptor shapes raw materials into expressions of their innermost feelings and thoughts, transforming stone or clay into timeless wonders.
It’s simple to fall into the trap of routine, to perform tasks robotically, whether at work, at home, or in one’s pursuits. The path of least resistance often leads to mediocrity.
Remember, mediocrity fades into obscurity. Mechanical actions fail to leave a mark. Merely existing in a role doesn’t carve pathways to excellence.
Reflect on Michelangelo’s words, who labored tirelessly to achieve his celebrated skill, reminding us that mastery isn’t a product of chance but of persistent, dedicated effort.
Attaining greatness, sculpting a magnum opus, demands more than hard work—it’s fueled by the passion that kindles this relentless drive.
On my conversations with numerous experts across various fields that I have come across, and each time, when questioned about their capacity for harder work, the unanimous answer was a resounding “Yes.” Yet, the pivotal inquiry remains: Why don’t they?
The answer lies in commitment. To elevate one’s efforts, one must deepen their emotional investment. Greater care breeds more substantial action, leading to profound development and creation.
Recall a moment from Steve Jobs’ youth. Observing his father meticulously crafting both visible and hidden parts of a fence, Jobs learned a valuable lesson about integrity and commitment in craftsmanship, understanding that true artistry is recognized by its creator, irrespective of external validation.
In a world where many settle for the basic, those who adopt the role of a true artisan, a sculptor of their fate, stand out. Their dedication to their craft draws admiration and demand.
The journey to becoming an artisan isn’t swift or straightforward. It’s a path strewn with trials, failures, and lessons. It demands persistence, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Embracing your work as an art form, pouring your heart and soul into it, will eventually lead to mastery, enriching the world in the process.
Meraki, a word that resonates with the ethos of a true artisan, embodies the act of pouring love, creativity, and soul into one’s endeavors, leaving a lasting legacy through one’s work.
Channel your passion and soul into your pursuits.
Imprint your essence into your creations.
Craft masterpieces that are the very embodiment of your love, effort, and artistic spirit.
Don’t let your food get cold watching someone else’s plate.
In the banquet of life, where abundance spills from the cornucopia of opportunities, there lies a subtle but profound wisdom: to savor your own. The phrase “Don’t let your food get cold watching someone else’s plate” is a metaphorical morsel to chew on, reminding us of the perils of comparison and the distraction of envy.
It beckons us to focus on our own plate, our own journey. Each of us is served a different portion, spiced with unique challenges and garnished with personal triumphs. To gaze longingly at another’s feast is to let our own pleasures go unappreciated, our own blessings unnoticed.
Embrace your plate, for it is yours alone – full of the flavors you have chosen, the ingredients you have gathered, and the meals you have prepared. Let not the glint of silver from your neighbor’s setting cause you to miss the warmth of your own. For it is in the appreciation of our own sustenance that we find true contentment, and it is by tending to our own harvest that we grow.
So, as you sit down to the table of life, take a moment to inhale the aroma of your own endeavors, taste the richness of your own toil, and bask in the warmth of your own creations. Your plate is as full as you make it – don’t let it go cold.
“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.“
Marcus Aurelius
The Border of a Mind (dot) com
In the intricate interplay of interpretation and existence, we navigate the delicate balance between what is uttered and its deeper significance, what is observed and its true essence. Our conversations and observations, akin to echoes in a silent hall, are colored by the shades of individual belief and experience. Each word spoken is a stroke of opinion, creating a portrait that may diverge from the actual hues of fact. Our vision, too, is not a clear lens to the world, but something that shapes the world according to its own design, often adjusting or leaving out details to fulfill its vision.
We often pirouette between what is said and what is meant, what is seen and what is understood. Our conversations and observations, like whispers in the wind, are tinted with the hues of personal belief and experience. Each word spoken is a brushstroke of opinion, painting a picture that may not mirror the true colors of reality. Our eyes, too, are not mere windows to the world, but artists that sketch the world as they see fit, often adding or omitting details to complete their masterpiece.
Consider a mother watching her child play, seeing not just the actions but a tableau of potential and dreams. Or ponder a scientist peering through a microscope, where each discovery is shaded by years of knowledge and expectation. These are not just acts of seeing or hearing, but intricate ballets of interpretation and meaning.
Our journey through life is punctuated by these moments of misinterpretation and clarification. Memories, like old photographs, fade and warp with time, leaving us with an impression, not an exact replication, of events. This distortion is not a flaw, but a feature of our human experience, urging us to question, to wonder, and to seek deeper understanding beyond our immediate perceptions.
As we wade through the river of our experiences, we should hold our truths lightly, knowing they are but reflections in the water, susceptible to the ripples of new insights and perspectives. In embracing the uncertainty and fluidity of our perceptions, we open ourselves to a world richer and more varied than we could have imagined.
In the soft light of dawn, as the world awakens from its slumber, so too does the human soul stir with a poignant realization. Each morning, as we confront the mirror, it reflects not just our physical form but a deeper, more profound truth. The act of cleansing our face, the routine of brushing our teeth, these are not mere habits; they are silent sermons on the fragility of our human existence.
Behold, the thin veil of skin that encases us, how delicate and vulnerable it is! This body of ours, a marvel of creation, is yet so susceptible to the wear and tear of time. Our need for sustenance, our battle against sleeplessness, hunger, and thirst – these are not mere physiological demands. They are, in essence, subtle reminders of our inherent weakness, signs from the Divine that our earthly existence is but temporary.
As we age, each wrinkle that etches itself onto our face is like a gentle whisper from the Almighty, reminding us of the fleeting nature of worldly life. The whitening of hair, the aging of hands – these are not mere signs of physical decline but are profound symbols of the inexorable passage of time, a time that draws us closer to our return from this temporal world.
But amidst this temporal decay, there lies an immutable truth – the soul does not age. While our bodies are bound to the relentless march of time, our souls remain untouched, timeless in their essence. The beauty and vigor of youth may fade, but the radiance of the soul only intensifies with the wisdom and experience that comes with age.
In this transient world, where outward appearances often hold sway, aging serves as a potent reminder of the impermanence of physical beauty. It invites us to look beyond the superficial, to recognize the enduring beauty of the soul that outlasts the decaying shell of the body.
Thus, as we greet each day, let us embrace our vulnerabilities, not as signs of weakness but as divine messages guiding us towards a deeper understanding of our true purpose. Let us cherish the aging process, not as a decline but as a journey towards spiritual maturity, a journey that brings us closer to the divine.
Illustration of Ehan drawing. The young artist at work, his hands now shaped by visions, spreading color upon the bare canvas of imagination. With each mark and stroke, a new world emerging – ideas given form, creativity set free to paint what lights his soul and lift the corners of tomorrow’s dawn.
As the river of time flows on, winding through the valleys and canyons of life, I’ve come to understand my conscience as a lighthouse, piercing through the thick fog of perceptions that fill my mind. The harshest critic lies not in the eyes that view me, but in how I believe they see me—a hall of mirrors reflecting my self-doubts like glaring spotlights.
All labors of passion hold equal worth; the baker kneading the pliant dough, infusing it with care; the painter splashing the waiting canvas, colors dancing into shapes; the gardener nurturing the fertile soil, seeds blossoming with patience; the teacher shaping young minds, igniting their potential. Riches jingling in pockets often masquerade as success, their metallic sheen veiling a soul’s true wealth within. Real prosperity resides in one’s essence, beyond material things that rust and fade. It takes a man of wisdom, kindness and wit to be admired yet unfettered by fortune’s gilded trappings, fame’s seductive allure. The drive to unveil such inner gold becomes his golden key to achieve whatever great heights he desires.
So, I ask you, as a valuable reader, what secret dreams stir within the depths of your heart? What passions blaze in your soul, yearning to shine forth, to prove your worth? That treasure lies inside you, waiting to be unearthed. Delve the caverns of your mind, unearth your hidden gold, and let your inner light glow, as bright as the sun. For your true wealth lies within, untouched by outside eyes, resplendent and free.
the uncredited multitudes, whose names we neglect as we leave the theater, collectively create the movie’s essence. So too in our lives
As I traverse through the three and a half decades of my existence, I grapple with the transient nature of human connections. It is a reality that eludes romanticism or poetic grace. To those who have traversed my life’s path and those yet to do so: My love is yours. My longing, unending. Should you ever yearn for a return to me, you shall find the rear entrance unlocked.
In the world of cinema, it is not the musical accompaniment that entices the audience, yet it remains an indispensable element in enriching our visual and emotional experience at the theatre. So too, in life, are the myriad souls who subtly enhance our existence, though they may not occupy the limelight. The Careem cabbie suffusing your commute with good cheer. The office attendant who grasps the precise alchemy for your tea and coffee. The building maintenance expert who diligently rectifies an issue that has been gnawing at you. The familiar autorickshaw driver gifting you a hometown mango without embarrassment. The pediatrician offering a lolly pop to your toddler son after a checkup. The pharmacist who devotes extra moments to elucidate a doctor’s prescription with tenderness. In life, as in film, we focus on the stars – our lovers, family, friends. Yet the uncredited multitudes, whose names we neglect as we leave the theater, collectively create the movie’s essence. So too in our lives. Yet, it is those unsung heroes, whose names blur into the background as we exit the theater of life, that contribute to the wholeness of our life’s narrative. Think about it for a while.
I am not a big admirer of a culture of haste and frenzy that prioritizes material wealth and status over the quality of our inner lives and deeper human connections. With a lofty aim to unlock our innate creative potential, I believe undivided stretches of focused time represent one of our greatest resources for artistic productivity and spiritual growth. I sometimes discuss with Netta on the importance and benefits of undivided time during our we moment discourses.
A plate painting done by my two-year-old son. The swirling coalescence of colors on canvas, artlessly applied by tiny fingers yet conveying profound depths, stops me in my tracks. The brushstrokes of my two-year-old son, perhaps guided by some innate yet untutored wisdom beyond his years, reveal the ineffable dance of chaos and order, signifying nothing yet containing the whole universe in their abstract simplicity. I see eternity in a grain of sand, infinity in a child’s primitive painting. The small hand that mixed the paints with such care, adding depth and texture through the miraculous alchemy of color, bestows upon this humble work a luminosity that belies its humble origins.
In essence, there’s a new wave of understanding that challenges the pervasive culture of haste and frenzy that has arisen in the wake of globalization, driven by an insatiable quest for material abundance and social status rather than a focus on the intrinsic quality of life and the essence of existence. Despite their 35-hour workweek, the French exhibit greater productivity than their American or British counterparts. Meanwhile, Germany has instituted a 28.8-hour workweek, resulting in a remarkable 20% increase in productivity. I can see this trend influencing authorities in Middle east as well where I’m residing.
The philosophy of leisurely deliberation does not imply a reduction in productivity or accomplishments; rather, it advocates for the pursuit of excellence, efficiency, and meticulousness in one’s work, all while minimizing stress. It calls for a rekindling of the importance of family, friends, and leisure, emphasizing the present moment, tangible and specific, over the abstract and global. The movement urges a return to the core human values and the elegance of simplicity in life.
This paradigm shift promotes a more contented, buoyant, and efficient work environment, where individuals can revel in their innate talents and expertise. It is now imperative for organizations to pause and contemplate how they can achieve superior quality and efficiency without haste, thereby enhancing the caliber of their products and services while preserving the essence of their raison d’être.
Countless individuals spend their lives in a perpetual race against time in a rat race. Others, consumed by anticipation of the future, neglect to embrace the present moment, which is the sole temporal reality that truly matters. Time is a universally equitable resource, with no individual possessing more or less of it than another. The distinction lies in how each person utilizes their allotted time. It is incumbent upon us to savor every instant. As eloquently expressed by John Lennon, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
