chasing your internal compass

This is an illustration from a vague memory of a night at Zanzibar.

There’s a persistent whisper in the wind, telling us that success glitters under the spotlight, wrapped in dollar bills and woven with public adoration. But what if true fulfillment lies not on some predetermined pedestal, but within the unique landscape of your own heart? Forget the extrinsic markers of achievement. Imagine success not as a glittering trophy on a distant shelf, but as a warm hearth fire crackling within. It’s the comforting glow that radiates from doing what sets your soul alight, from using your unique talents to make a ripple of positive change, even if it’s just a smile on a stranger’s face. Forget the cold, external pressures that define achievement solely by outward measures. They’re like fleeting shadows compared to the enduring warmth of intrinsic joy.. It’s the spark of joy ignited by using your skills to make a positive difference in the world, no matter how seemingly small. This isn’t to say external rewards are meaningless. Financial security and recognition can bring comfort and validation. But when they become the sole measures of success, they risk eclipsing the intrinsic joys that bring true meaning. Think of them as sprinkles on a delicious cake, not the cake itself. The beauty of defining success on your own terms lies in its boundless possibilities. For one, it’s deeply personal. The artist might find fulfillment in capturing fleeting emotions on canvas, while the scientist might chase the thrill of unlocking the universe’s secrets. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula. Secondly, it’s dynamic. Your passions and goals might evolve, and your definition of success should dance along. The baker who once dreamt of Michelin stars might find equal joy in teaching children the magic of homemade bread. Finally, it liberates you from the shackles of comparison. When you chase an internal compass, you’re no longer competing in a never-ending race against others. You’re celebrating your own unique journey, reveling in the small victories and learning from the inevitable stumbles. So, silence the external noise and turn inward. What ignites your soul? What impact do you long to make? Let those be your guiding stars, and you’ll find the path to a success that resonates deep within your being, a success that shines brighter than any external validation could ever hope to achieve.

art | Maker

The beauty of a skillfully crafted product reflects the beauty of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the craftsmanship alludes to the beauty of the name, which was the root of the craftsmanship. The beauty of the name of the craftsman’s art speaks to the beauty of the craftsman’s traits reflected in that art. The beauty of man’s being, fashioned as he is in the loveliest of forms, indicates the existence of the Maker, while the reality that, along with his extensive powers, entrenched in that finest of forms, he soon declines and dies, demonstrates the existence of the resurrection. As you read these lines on the blog, pause for a moment, and ponder on the transitory nature of our existence. Are we truly racing after things that matter when we know that life’s too short? As I read somewhere, the most effective approach to recalibrate perspective is  to conceive of today as your last day and look at the world from a wider  perspective. Be a bird.

art and the Maker | Original fine art from The Border Of a Mind

gleam

This is an art installation that I have recently worked on. I’m calling it gleam.

“Gleam” – Original Artwork from The Border Of a Mind

..“Don’t dissolve, but gleam
with the beauty of what’s in your heart.”

― Rafy Rohaan

fabric of the world

Love these lines gushing with solace! There’s a beautiful kind of calm disposition on complete reliance to divine will.

fine art: theborderofamind studios
Should you not gain your wants, my soul, then be not grieved;
But hasten to that banquet which your Lord’s bequeathed.
And when a thing for which you ask is slow to come,
Then know that often through delay are gifts received.
Find solace in privation and respect its due,
For only by contentment is the heart relieved.
And know that when the trials of life have rendered you
Despairing of all hope, and of all joy bereaved,
Then shake yourself and rouse yourself from heedlessness,
And make pure hope a meadow that you never leave.
Your Maker’s gifts take subtle …and uncounted forms.
How fine the fabric of the world His hands have weaved.
The journey done, they came to the water of life,
And all the caravan drank deep, their thirst relieved.
Far be it from the host to leave them thirsty there,
His spring pours forth all generosity received.
My Lord, my trust in all Your purposes is strong,
That trust is now my shield; I’m safe, and undeceived.
All those who hope for grace from You will feel Your rain;
Too generous are You to leave my branch unleaved.
 - Ali bin Muhammed bin Hussein al-Habshi

unfolding thoughts

I recollect reading somewhere that if we need to bring about changes in our lives, the first step would be to change our thoughts about our life.

“Unfolding Thoughts” – Original fine art from The Border of a Mind Studios.

If you would like to change your life, you must first change the way you think about your life. Thoughts are not just thoughts. They are bridges and doors and entryways and foundations. They magnetize and repel. They can build a house and tear it down. They can energize momentum, or keep you idling within your own little world forever. Thoughts are investments, and they are decisions. The mind will generate an endless series of options-some inspiring, and others terrifying and so you must choose. You must choose what you will return to, what you will believe in, what you will place weight on. Because thoughts create feeling, and feeling creates desire, and desire creates action, and action creates reward, and reward creates more desire, and before you know it, a thought became the torch that led you down the path that is your life. If you would like to change your life, you must first change the way you think about your life. There never was another way.

place in your head

“Place in your head” – Original Fine Art from The Border of a Mind Studios

“Writing is a job, a talent, but it’s also the place to go in your head. It is the imaginary friend you drink your tea with, in the afternoon.”

Ann Patchett, Truth and Beauty