Originality, Does It Exist?

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs — things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery — celebrate it if you feel like it”: Jim Jarmusch



Stumbling upon this quote added up to my special collection of inspirational sayings. It got me thinking: how can one be original? Does the word original exist?What with all the distractions and other materials that we are showered with everywhere we turn our heads to. And I remember when I asked about what it was that inspires you and someone answered: "Everything, anyone". That is so true because usually you don't choose what inspires you. You just know and only realise it when it actually does.

Sources of inspirations, like most things, differ from one person to another. What might speak loud to you wouldn't necessarily be as clear to others and vice versa. “It’s not where you take things from — it’s where you take them to’’ that matters. I believe that holds up and there is so much truth in it.

At the end of the day, the significance of turning up with something big has a lot to do with how you transform it into, not to forget to give credit to all that inspired you in the same process. Because these small things that stir up something in you would definitely fill that void which have been empty for sometime. It is only these certain motivations that kick it up a notch, producing what is now considered as your own personal work.

Coming up to our first point; in the midst of it all, how can one be original? Does it even exist?

One can argue that it doesn’t, considering all the ready-made materials and imaginative worlds already created and crafted in front of our eyes that can be easily summoned within a click of the mouse.

However, you could be the only one that came up with an idea and actually applied it. Originality is related to application. If you want to be original, go out there and show what you got. Be creative, think outside the box and start working on your idea.

What's your take on originality? Do you think it even exists? And what inspires you? How do you usually act on it?

Article published today, 25th of May, on Oman Observer.

It's The Small Things...

As you’re heading out the door a total stranger opens it for you, the smile you see on the face of an elderly woman when she’s leaning on her son for support, the cute and warm laughter of a baby… I know I would not stop here for these little gestures that lighten up our entire day deserve a list of its own but here is me trying:

[Photo Credit]

Whenever you go, make sure to carry a valuable thing with you, it’s not a pen nor a bag but a facial expression and what is more beautiful than a smile? Yes, this smile of yours at the first of the morning can encourage others to be positive, to follow the same path in order to have what you seem to spread around contagiously: energy and happiness.

‘Sorry’ is a one-letter word that can be easily said but when meant can have an even larger impact. Always be careful to say it at the right time and in the right places for it may change your relationship with someone or destroy it.

‘Thank you’ is a rather two-word phrase but can be used almost everywhere. Be thankful to what you have, to others, to your family, your peaceful life and just about everything in between.

Avoid any aggressive situations that can make you go angry in a blink of an eye, don’t let simple things like forgetting where your key chain is change the whole atmosphere for you.

Take time-outs, because who doesn’t need them? Reward yourself knowing that you deserve it. Go out, enjoy. Life, as they say, is too short. You have a remote control that doesn’t has a pause button so without thinking of its existence, just hit the forward button and have a blast.

من أجمل ما قرأت

من أجمل ما قرأت

أنا أضعف شخص في هذا الاجتماع، أنا بلا حزب وبلا فصيل وبلا يد تحميني في ما تسمونه الحكومة وبلا شلة تناصرني في أي مكان لكنني أملك هذا... ورفعت قلمي بيدي اليمنى عاليا أمام عيني

ص 209 من وُلدت هناك، وُلدت هنا لمريد البرغوثي

Spark Of Inspiration

Imagine what you are writing about, see it and live it. Do not think it up laboriously, as if you were working out a mental arithmetic. Just look at it, touch it, smell it, listen to it, turn yourself into it. When you do this, the words look after themselves , like magic. If you do this, you do not have to bother about commas or fullstops or that sort of thing. You do not look at the words either. You keep your eyes, your ears, your nose, your taste, your touch, your whole being on the things you are turning into words. The minute you flinch, and take your mind off this thing, you begin to look at the words and worry about them..then your worry goes into them and they set about killing each other. So you keep going as long as you can, then look back and see what you have written.

The above was a quote by the great poet Ted Hughes which I found in a book whose name I can't seem to remember that revolved around improving your poetry skills. Funny how a single paragraph can excite that living creature inside you who have been waiting for the exact moment to get inspired back and help you get on with what you enjoy doing the most; writing.

I believe my writer's-block have stayed for so long and I know I must do something about it. I'm glad to say that I haven't got out of the zone totally as I still write my article every week but story-wise, I've missed the thrill and excitement I get over scribbling down the next scenes and scenarios through my characters words. Good news is, a couple of days...Thursday, tops, I'd post a new chapter of Hiatus Lane, inshAllah.

New Lifestyle

While being stuck at traffic the other day, I asked my aunt what she'd want her little daughter to be when she grow up and she replied with '7afi'9a lelQuran'. I told her that I meant a future occupation and she said 'That doesn't matter, I mentioned what matters eventually'. I was silent, contemplating the beauty of the few words she uttered.

Reaching my freind's house for the Quran lesson, I met my turning-point when the after-lecture that followed the recitation of the Quran discussed 3 main things; Are we really obeying Allah's words, following the Prophet's steps and respecting our parents? Through answering these questions between myself, I realized there's more to life than my current lifestyle; going to school, coming back, doing homework, watching TV, reading, writing and praying five times a day. There's much more than that and I need to opt a change.

Life's full of pleasures which keep us away from the significant tasks we’re supposed to do instead; like preparing for the after-life.

قال تعالى

اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا وَفِي الْآَخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُور

سورة الحديد ~ الآية رقم 20

Hence, I started learning the quran and thankfully, I’m blessed to have realized that I can only depend completely on my memory when it comes to memorizing Quran verses than the hard time I spend in learning school materials and thinking that I’m a short-memory holder.

قال رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم :
يقال لصاحب القرآن : اقرأ و ارتق و رتل كما كنت ترتل في دار الدنيا فإن منزلتك عند آخر آية كنت تقرؤها

Now, I truly believe the saying ‘If there’s a will, there’s a way’.

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اللهم حفظنا القرآن كما تحفظه الملائكة
واستعملنا واشغلنا واكفنا به عمن سواه لوجهك الكريم

What Keeps Me Going...

With days passing by so fast, my writer's block keep occurring more often. I'd be clueless on what to write about for my column and on every Sunday night, I switch on my laptop and place my fingers on the keyboard, waiting for some miracle to happen and hit me with ideas.

Last night, while my Dad and I were cutting and pasting his own articles and placing them in a portfolio, this mini conversation happened:

Dad: What day is it tomorrow? Saturday?
Me: No, it's Sunday.
Dad: Okay.
Me: Why?
Dad: You haven't written your article yet.

I should have known, one way or the other, that he'd bring it up even though I had repeatedly asked him not to.

While I was browsing through his articles that dated back to 2003, I'd noticed how, over the years, the papers have turned to yellow-ish brown. He'd had 2 pages full of his coverage on a specific event and I had asked him if he really did all of that in one day. He'd said yes: He'd attend an event at night and would come back home, note down the details, even if it meant staying up till mid-morning, because, he said, he is supposed to turn it in by the morning.

I wondered if I'd be capable of doing that when I'm reluctantly writing for my column before the day of submission it self. Dad showed me his column; it was full of interesting articles and plots, rich in meaning and vocabulary and I wondered if I could ever live up to his achievements.

If Dad, I decided, wasn't pressing me in about sitting down to write up something for my column over the past few months, I know for a fact that I'd become careless by the day and forget all about it. Keeping the fact of having asked him that it truly bugs me aside, I am happy to realize that this is exactly what keeps me going: Him.

New Hope For Tourette Syndrome Patients

The Doctors episode on Life-Changing Procedures featured Tyler Boshae with Tourette's Syndrome. Read more about him here.

This video contains some disturbing footage of Tyler suffering from his uncontrollable tics..

After the Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, he now has a better quality of life and as he put it, "I want to emphasize that this procedure, it's groundbreaking, it's life-changing, but it's not a cure. It didn't take my condition away completely. It gave me a much higher quality of life, almost a complete flip, but I still have bad days, I still have hard times. My tics still kick up a lot, but this procedure has made it so much more manageable, enjoyable, and I'm able to enjoy being with my family now, and can be with my friends and do activities. It's great."

Watch this video to know how life-changing this was for him.

During the procedure, an electrode was implanted in the thalamus part of the brain (where the electrical impulses and sensory information are interpreted). After surgery, electricity was used to stimulate certain parts of the thalamus and control the cells that cause these painful and unmanageable tics.

If you want to help the foundation Tyler created, click here.

This story reminded me of a non-fiction I read (Torn Apart by James Patterson and Hal Friedman) based on Corey's rough childhood. When reading it, I couldn't imagine how hard this must be. But pictures speak a thousand words..

Allah gave us many gifts and the most important of all is health. We complain a lot but our sadness doesn't stand a chance near the miseries other disabled people suffer from.

The least we can do is thank God for what he's given us...and see the large picture..

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قال تعالى :
"لَئن شكَرتم لأزِيدنكم"
- سورة إبراهيم، اية رقم: 7


"And remember! your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): "If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you; But if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed."
- Surat Ibrahim, verse no. 7

Complex Creatures

Humans are complex creatures; the most curious of all. We have different reactions and thoughts. Various shapes, sizes, heights and body and we are not the same on the inside.

(1) What if our thoughts could be heard by everyone? Would it be easier to get around or?

(2) ‘Knowledge will get you everywhere’ they keep saying. What if, from your personal experience, it doesn’t? What if you had no money? Will you be able to live happily ever after? Of course not. Both of them balance each other.

(3) We wish to own all the money in the world to do this or that…you name it. But will we be able to do all of that if the power took us down?

(4) They say ‘work hard to reach your goals’. What if you didn’t? What do you do then? Work less and expect more? We don’t know… unless we try.

(5) ‘Learn from others’ mistakes’ they also say. And there’s a contradicting saying as well ‘failure is the key to success’…What’s that all about? Which is the perfect way of learning?

(6) When we were brought into this world, we came out crying. As babies, we already knew life will be difficult. Whenever we wanted to get attention for food or something else we would cry. Ever wondered why we cry too when we are beaten up? It’s the pain. And when we didn’t even make sense of things back then, we were in pain. It’s all the same, at the end of the day.

When you grow old, you realize this pain. But as kids, we couldn’t spell the word pain, let alone understand what it stands for.

Realization of the pain increases it. This is why our mothers pierce our ears straight from the first few months it self. We do not know that it causes pain; we only know when it does.

Once you are all grown up, you become a different person. And when you look back to your family’s pictures albums you realize that the baby with an adorable smile full of innocence was you though aren’t anymore.

(7) We make promises then break them. Make more promises and break some more. When will we ever stick to our word? We expect others to, don’t we? Why don’t we apply it to ourselves first? Is it too much to ask?

(8) Humans think about their own self. We’re selfish creatures that put our business as a priority and no one should deny that. We deny other lots of things, like the fact that we cannot control our thoughts. We say ‘this thing won’t come out of my mind’. You don’t want it to. It all comes, one way or the other, to you.

(9) ‘I’ve been in this situation before’, we often say to ease other individuals sadness. We do it to help them, or do we, really? No. You haven’t been in the situation. Why? You haven’t exactly been in this particular one, have you now? No and never will. Each one of us goes through different stages, phases or whatever you want to call it, and even if they look and sound similar, they are actually not.

(10) The phrase ‘I’d die for you’ is an exaggeration, a lie. You can’t die for someone. No one can. You only die when you…actually die.

Written by me; a complex creature.

[Book Review] حسن والمانجو

A short story I have recently read called 'Hassan and Mango' in Arabic that was distributed by the Rikaz campaign (and written by Abdulkareem Alshatti). At first, the title sounded silly and uninteresting at all, but why not? Is the question we should ask ourselves before judging the book by its cover.

There was a young man who loved visiting his rich friend, Hassan both for his friendship and the delicious mango Hassan's Dad brought from all around the world.

The writer wrote various sayings (or rather conclusions), explaining his thoughts;

(1) If your father was working late at work then know that he's earning extra cash to assist your family.
(2) Wealth doesn't necessarily buy you Mangos but it gifts it to you.
(3) When you're rich, you become useless.
(4) You have to be smart to become rich with lots of properties and this needs serious work with a respective certificate.

His role model was Hassan's Dad, who enjoyed spending his day at work, discussing topics that weren't of the writer's interest and reading intriguing books with deep meanings. Hassan's Dad behaviour was curious as the writer never understood why a rich person would benefit from socializing with people when he already has the money he needs.

Both friends entered college, and still the dream of becoming rich someday, haunted the writer so he decided to work at a restaurant as a waitress. The other day, he was surprised that Hassan did the exact same thing. The writer earned for tips, but Hassan wasted his time in helping old people, talking with this or that without getting paid. This sounded ridiculous to the writer. Why would you take an extra-time at work for nothing?

When Hassan was asked the same thing, his reply was this: This is the joy in life, it's of being responsible of anything, no matter how small or big it is…to feel the starvation of poor people or injustice that others are suffering from. If you chose to live for yourself, then selfishness would surely kill you.

The two grew old, got married and had kids. The writer was still engrossed in ways of becoming richer by the day while Hassan majored in weird, useless things (according to the writer) such as volunteer work, lectures world wide about safety, etc.

Even though, the writer felt proud of his achievements and reminded himself of how far he got to and that there is absolutely no reason to feel jealous of Hassan anymore but…

One day, the writer visited Hassan and rare types of mangos were presented. The writer could not get it. How come no one sends HIM these types of mangos from all around the world? But that's where he found his answers…

Hassan is now an educated man, who gets called to present lectures world wide…
Hassan now has lots of charity institutes that add up in his good deeds…
Hassan now is surrounded with a great deal of people that loves him…
Hassan now gains a good number of money thanks to the charity events he hosted…

'Hassan is a human being while I am just a rich man with nothing to add up on this world. I am just a consumer on this earth'.

Finally, he noted down the last and most important conclusion;

(5) To be happy, being rich isn't enough, but you have to be part of the society.

Throughout the book, the writer kept describing his special cravings to delicious types of mangos and I found it silly. I didn't like the title of the book as it doesn't give it much, but then realized that this whole thing started with mangos. If the writer wasn't so interested in tasting Mango, he wouldn't be able to connect with his situation and appreciate what he has.

You realize through Hassan's behaviour that being rich isn't everything. In order to get everything else, you have to be a human first, by acting like it.

Rating: 6/10, considering how short it was.

Dreaming Big

I dream of graduating with top grades…I picture myself at the graduation ceremony…my name being called out loud for everyone to hear and I have a deja-vu of walking to the stage, the only different is, I leave the rest behind me this time, for it became history from this moment onwards.

The scene dissolves and here I am, acing my third driving trial with such proud and confidence, overwhelmed by an euphoric feeling of independence.

5:30, the clock reads. This is it, I say out loud to make it sound official and surreal. My head feels heavy even though I had a little amount of sleep the night before…I take a quick bath and change into my suit, the same one I bought a month ago for the day I have only witnessed in my most beautiful dreams. Within less than an hour, I step into my own library. The secretary greets me and my employees scream ‘congraaaaaats!’ together and I am the happiest and luckiest girl in the entire world.

“Could you please…erm…dedicate this to my daughter? You are her only inspiration”, I nod, satisfied and give the mother a broad smile one that says it all. I sign on the book and stare at it till I realize that it is her copy but I am the one who has her name on the cover and this pleases me to no end.

“I dream my painting, and then I paint my dream’’ ~ Vincent van Gogh.

My wishes revolve around achieving what I have in mind of ambitious ideas. The world is only waiting for me to get out there and make a move, take a stand and announce that I am here to paint it with bright, beautiful colours.

“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes’’ ~ Mahatma Gandi

Visualizing is part of getting what you want in life. There is no shame in dreaming big, aiming for the best and setting noble goals. The shame lies in being pessimistic, excepting everything to easily come to where you are. Who tells you life is easy is insane. You cannot possibly expect to have a fairy god mother to change your status once you are desperate, nor a tall bean tree to give you gold whenever.

“We are the music-makes, and we are the dreamers of dreams” ~ Arthur O’Shaughnessy

These stuffs do not exist. Fairytales where created by great minds that chose to act, to write it all down for us but they did not stop there, did they? No, to those who could not visualize it, movies were made. They made it easier for you to get its content. Again, things did not end up here: You get to play video games based on your favourite character...the part where you get so engrossed in it that you almost forget about your reality.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you should get out of the comfort zone once in a while. Go out there and do what you’re good at, prove your existence by doing what you love with the people you love.

Note: A lot of this talk was inspired by The Secret, and reviewing the book needs a post of its own.

Enjoy the rest of your week because I am sure as hell that I am going to enjoy mine.

Inspirational Quotes

'The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we live'.

Sometimes, we just lose the sense of living. We wish that we were not brought up to this world in the first place. We cheat, lie, kill, and do other sorts of things and that’s when the regret part comes in. We often think that this sweet feeling of remorse can simply erase the others off. We walk around knowing we’re on the right path, and there’s nothing, not even a single thing can change this, when in fact, we simply lost our values and ethics in order to cope up with our surrounding. Life is ripping the humanity out of us just so it could give us a space on it. We must not forget the people we’re living close by are also humans, just like us, and by a word, we can easily hurt them. Saying sorry is the least we could do in this situation, even though they might not get over it, but at least know that your job is over by uttering this 5 letter word.

'We don't really forget anything bad that happened to us, we simply choose to ignore it to be able to move on'.

One of the blessings we own is the fact that we’re able to forget. Forget and move on, as if nothing happened. Though there are certain things which we carry along with us no matter what. It’s usually the bad things we’ve been through and decided to forgo to be able to live without the knowledge of its existence. It brings great joy to us if we believed we’re living the perfect life. The only sad thing is, we’re actually not.