Tag: Thoughts

peace over performance.

Posted on by Ajmal

You don’t have to live at the pace of everyone else. The message waiting in your inbox isn’t an emergency. The notification on your screen isn’t a siren. Give yourself permission to pause, to breathe, to let the world spin without your constant vigilance. Not every moment needs a response, not every question needs an answer right away.Urgency is an invention, not a truth. It convinces you that your worth is tied to your speed, that to matter you must always be available. But your mind wasn’t built to run on endless deadlines, and your body isn’t a machine designed to operate without rest. When you slow down, when you let go of the expectation to keep up with everything, you aren’t falling behind—you’re reclaiming your humanity.Your nervous system craves stillness, your heart longs for rhythm, your breath waits to deepen. These are the gifts you give yourself when you say no to the pressure of immediacy. Let the world adjust to your pace. Let the ping of your phone wait unanswered. Choose peace over performance.Because, at the end of the day, the emails will still be there. The tasks will remain. But you—your energy, your health, your joy—are fleeting. Protect them. Guard them. Choose them. The world doesn’t need your constant availability; it needs your presence, your authenticity, your calm. Be kind to your heart. It will thank you for it.

sprinting to a blurry finish line

Posted on by Ajmal

The idea of “enough” is a quiet thief. It whispers to you in moments of doubt, planting seeds that you aren’t measuring up. That you should be further along, doing more, being more. It creeps into your achievements, your relationships, your day-to-day life, wrapping itself around you until you feel like you’re constantly chasing a moving target.But here’s the truth: “enough” was never something you had to earn. You’ve been enough from the start—before the accolades, before the external validation, before you learned to tie your worth to what you could produce or accomplish. Being enough isn’t about meeting a standard; it’s about recognizing that your existence, in all its messy, imperfect glory, is already valuable.Sometimes, the world makes it hard to see this. We are inundated with messages that tell us to keep climbing, keep proving, keep achieving. But if you pause—really pause—you’ll notice that the things that make life meaningful have nothing to do with being “enough” for anyone else. It’s in the quiet moments: the way the sun feels on your face, the sound of someone you love laughing, the nights when you rest without guilt.You don’t have to keep sprinting toward a finish line that doesn’t exist. What if you let yourself just be? What if you allowed yourself to sit with the knowledge that who you are, right here, right now, is enough? What if you started treating yourself the way you would a dear friend, reminding them that they are already whole, already worthy?Enough isn’t out there, waiting to be found. It’s been with you all along, quietly waiting for you to notice.

You are not what you’ve lost

Posted on by Ajmal

You are not what you’ve lost.It’s easy to let the pieces of yourself that have been chipped away define you. To look at the empty spaces and think they are who you’ve become. The relationship that ended. The dream that didn’t work out. The parts of your past that felt so rooted in you they seemed permanent—until they weren’t.But you are not the absence of what is gone. You are everything that remains. You are the courage to keep waking up, to keep showing up, even when it feels like you’ve been hollowed out. You are the strength that fills the cracks, even if it’s slow, even if it doesn’t feel like much right now. You are the moments of laughter that still find you, the quiet glimmers of hope that bloom despite the ache.Loss has a way of making you believe you are less than. But what if the opposite were true? What if loss only strips away what no longer fits, making room for something better? What if it reminds you of what you are capable of surviving, what you are capable of building again?You don’t have to rebuild all at once. Start small. Start with the pieces of yourself that feel steady—the parts that never left, even when everything else did. Hold onto them. Nurture them. Let them remind you that there is still so much of you here, so much worth loving, worth fighting for.You are not what you’ve lost. You are what you’ve kept. And what you’ve kept is enough to start over. What you’ve kept is enough to make you whole again, in a way that is new, in a way that is yours.

Healing is not a straight road

Posted on by Ajmal

Healing is not a straight road. It’s not a map you can follow or a recipe you can master. Healing is messy. It shows up on the quietest days, in the middle of a task, in a song you thought you’d forgotten. It ambushes you when you least expect it, making you feel like you’re back at the beginning, even when you’ve come so far.But here’s the truth: healing is not about perfection. It’s not about waking up one day and realizing you’ve left all the hurt behind. Healing is about learning how to carry it differently. It’s about allowing yourself to breathe, even when the weight hasn’t fully lifted. It’s about finding the strength to sit with your wounds, even when they sting.Some days, you’ll feel like you’re making progress. Other days, you’ll feel like the same person who cried on the kitchen floor months ago. Both are valid. Both are part of this journey. Healing isn’t about racing to the finish line; it’s about the quiet moments when you remind yourself that it’s okay to take it one breath at a time.Be gentle with yourself in this process. Let the tears come when they need to. Let the joy find you, even in the smallest moments—a warm cup of tea, a laugh with a friend, a morning where the world feels a little softer. Don’t rush it. Healing will never be linear, but it will always be yours. And that’s enough.One day, without even realizing it, you’ll notice that the sharp edges have dulled. The ache you thought would last forever has softened into something bearable. And in that moment, you’ll understand—you’ve been growing all along. Even when it hurt. Even when you didn’t see it. You’ve been healing in ways that only time could reveal.

carrying gratitude with you

Posted on by Ajmal

Gratitude is something you can carry with you, something that finds its place in every corner of life. You can pause to be grateful in the hush of early morning, cradling a cup of coffee as dawn breaks through your window. You might whisper thanks while waiting in line at the lulu hypermarket, or as you sit in traffic watching the world rush by. Gratitude can sneak up on you while taking a quiet walk by the corniche, feeling the sand beneath your feet, or as you pause to watch children laughing and playing in a nearby park .You can take a moment to feel thankful while curled up with a book, losing yourself in the worlds within its pages or my blog even : ) if you read it often, or just before biting into a warm slice of homemade samoosa or a morsel of chicken dum biriyani. Gratitude can be as simple as the warmth of a shared laugh over a kitchen table or the quiet contentment that follows a long phone call with an old friend. You can say a quick thank-you as you catch the colors of a sunset spilling across the sky, or as you stand barefoot on cool grass under a blanket of stars. There is no right place or time to feel gratitude. It’s a gift you can give yourself at any moment, wherever you are.

there’s more to life

Posted on by Ajmal

If you’re reading me here for quite long, you might notice that one of the aspects that I often pencil here is about hope. Never loose hope in life. Kindle it with whatever you can . Life is hope. There is no dead end for anything that you and me encouter or experience . Life has an endless capacity to surprise us, to offer moments of wonder, and to open doors we never knew existed. There are experiences waiting around the corner, possibilities we haven’t yet imagined. For every coffee shop we haven’t discovered, there’s a unique ambiance to savor. For every song that hasn’t been written, there’s a melody that will someday resonate with us, capturing emotions we didn’t know could be expressed in music.

The beauty of life lies in its potential for the unknown. There are countless cities, neighborhoods, and landscapes to explore, each with its own charm, history, and story. Somewhere out there is a place that will capture our heart, a view that will take our breath away, or a sunset that will etch itself into our memory. And with each new person we meet, there’s a chance for a deep connection, a shared laugh, or a conversation that will stay with us. Our minds are like that as well.

Clothing that makes us feel strong and confident, books that will change our perspective, meals that will linger in our memory – these simple joys remind us that there’s so much to live for, so much left to discover. Each day, we have an opportunity to create new memories, to embrace joy, kindness, and love. Even in difficult times, life’s abundance is there, waiting for us to reach out, explore, and connect. Don’t ever loose hope.

There is, indeed, always more to life. More laughter to share, more love to give, more kindness to receive. This vast, beautiful world is filled with infinite moments waiting to be lived, if we choose to believe in the endless possibilities ahead. Never loose hope.

journey, not race

Posted on by Ajmal

I want to comfort you especially if you’re overwhelmed and it can be daunting, especially with the weight of unfinished tasks, new responsibilities, and the unknown that each day brings. It’s natural to feel a little anxious, but we often overestimate how challenging things will be and underestimate our own resilience. The reality is, we’re usually more prepared than we think, and the journey through the days is filled with small victories, even if they aren’t always obvious.Each day is an opportunity to take things one step at a time. By focusing on what’s immediately in front of us rather than the entirety of the week, we make the mountain seem more manageable. Breaking down tasks, setting small goals, and giving ourselves credit for each accomplishment – no matter how small – can make a significant difference. Trust in your own ability to handle what comes, and remember that you’ve faced countless challenges before. This week is just another chapter, one you’re fully equipped to navigate.The key is patience with yourself. Not everything needs to be solved today, and not every day will be perfect. Allow yourself grace in the process, recognizing that effort counts just as much as outcome. Sometimes, just showing up and giving it your best is all you need to do. So, let this be a gentle reminder that you’re not alone in feeling the way you do, and there’s a quiet strength in taking things day by day. You’ve got this, and each day is a fresh chance to prove it to yourself. Be at ease.

excitement in the mundane

Posted on by Ajmal

I dont know what situation your mind is going through when you’re reading this post, and sometimes it happens that we often overlook the small joys that once thrilled us. I thought of writing about it to remind both of us about it because nobody really tells us about it. As children, we found wonder in everything – a trip to the park, a favorite cartoon, or the promise of a half-day at school would fill us with excitement. But as we grow older, responsibilities, routines, and pressures slowly overshadow these sparks of joy. We become less present, and in this process, we lose touch with that natural inclination for excitement. Rediscovering this perspective isn’t just about enjoying life more; it’s about cultivating a deeper appreciation for the present and reclaiming a sense of wonder.

Imagine the impact of simply looking forward to a warm tea on a chilly morning or a brief walk under the evening sky. It’s not the grand, life-changing events that fill our days with meaning but the ordinary moments that we choose to cherish. It’s easy to underestimate how uplifting it can be to have small things to look forward to – a favorite song on repeat, a book waiting to be read, or a new recipe to try. These are things that make us feel connected to ourselves and keep us grounded in a world that’s often overwhelming.

Developing the ability to find excitement in the mundane is an act of resilience. It’s a gentle rebellion against a society that often insists that happiness lies in milestones and achievements. By choosing to embrace the small, everyday moments, we give ourselves permission to savor life. This isn’t about ignoring challenges or pretending that life is always simple, but rather about infusing joy where we can. Reclaiming this sense of excitement is about reviving a lost zest for life and, in doing so, finding happiness in the here and now. Before you scroll down to your next task, I want you to be at peace thinking about it. Have a great day ahead. And please come back soon for my words : )

longing isn’t bound by rules

Posted on by Ajmal

In my thoughts before writing abstracts on the blog, it’s always etched in my mind that longing isn’t bound by rules. You can yearn for a moment, a feeling, a place, or a version of yourself that no longer exists. You might miss a person who once filled your days with laughter, or a quiet morning spent in a city that now feels like a distant dream. You can miss the person you once aspired to be, or the path you didn’t take, a life that seemed possible but never came to be.

There’s an ache in recalling a shared meal with someone you’ve lost touch with or a fleeting connection that slipped away too soon. You can feel the absence of a friend who lives oceans away, or the gentle embrace of a loved one sitting right beside you. Sometimes, you even miss the things that never truly belonged to you—a cozy armchair by a fire you only saw in passing, a sunset view from a mountain you haven’t climbed, or a life story you glimpsed but couldn’t make your own.

And perhaps, there’s the most bittersweet longing of all: when what you miss reappears in your life, only for you to realize that the memory was warmer, more comforting than the reality. In that moment, you understand that sometimes, the idea of something holds more power than its presence ever could.

things left behind

Posted on by Ajmal

There’s a quiet tragedy in things left behind. Empty rooms that once echoed with laughter now sit in silence, their walls bearing the fading traces of past lives. Buildings stand unfinished or forgotten, relics of dreams that were never fulfilled. Streets no longer walked on, chairs no longer sat in, stories that will never be told. There is a sadness in abandonment, distinct from the solitude of choosing to be alone. It’s the reminder that everything, at some point, was cherished, needed, or inhabited.We are creatures made for connection, drawn to places, people, and memories. To be left behind, or to witness something left behind, stirs something deep within us. It’s why we hold onto family, create communities, and fill our lives with others. Belonging is not just a desire—it’s essential. When we see something or someone cast aside, it echoes a fear and longing we all understand. Perhaps that’s why we look at abandoned places and feel a strange familiarity, a reminder of the need to belong, to love, and to live fully, lest we too fade into forgotten memories.