A Little Update

 Lately, there has quite a lot going on around the world. All the missiles being fired, nuclear waste leaking into the ocean and smog being released into the atmosphere, is having a heavy toll on Earth.  The environment is truly suffering due to our incapability to negotiate and cease fire. This post (one of the writing assignments I did for English this year) touches up on our need to connect and reestablish our bond with mother nature.

On another note, I apologize for being inactive for so long and not routinely updating my blog. Summer has been very busy, especially with Ramadan going on. I will publish a commentary-journal post in a while that reflects on my volunteering experience, summer reading and Ramadan.

Lastly, please feel free to donate at  http://www.unrwa.org/donate to  help families in Palestine get food this Ramadan and clean water.

FFT: It always seems impossible until it’s done! (Nelson Mandela).

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Keep smiling! 🙂

         In Emily Bronte’s, “Shall Earth No More Inspire Thee,” the use of mother nature as the narrator gives the poem an insightful touch. If the poem was written from the viewpoint of  a human, it wouldn’t have the same value and effect. For example, since the poem is narrated by mother nature, there is a warm motherly and parental tone present throughout the text which makes the reader connect to the poem on a personal, one-to-one level. Throughout the poem the narrator’s tone changes from pleading to upset, much like a parents–which leads us back to the phrase, “Mother Nature.”

In the poem, mother nature wants humans to revert their current lifestyles to the times when humans depended and connected with nature. By using the statement, “Come back and dwell with me,” she makes it a clear point she wants humans to permanently return to her, and stop their reckless destruction. We can comprehend that mother nature has a parental tone in the poem because she refers to our advancement in the name of science as “useless roving” in “regions dark to thee” but yet she still invites us to “come dwell” with her. These specific phrases from the text indicate the similarities of mother nature and a parent; even when a parent is disappointed at us, they don’t give up on us. Instead, they try to help us with our struggles, and accommodate with our needs despite our growing demands. One example of this (mother natures altruistic personality) from the text is, when mother nature offers, “Then let my winds caress thee.”

 

 

 

 

 

A Call for Action!

Recently, many revolutions have begun to arise all over the world. For starters, there’s the well-known Ukrainian Revolution, Protests/Violence in Venezuela, civilian protests in Brazil over the eradication of Favelas, the decades old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the silent genocide in Central Africa— and that’s just the beginning. So much is occurring and not enough is being done. What can we do? What is there to do?

There has been much already done and a lot is still being done (well at least for some of the cases), but more support is needed so that these causes can get the results and attention they rightfully deserve. This isn’t as big of a task as it appears to be.

A way you can scream these truths to the world is by simply acknowledging the fact that they exist. Be aware and educate yourself; keep yourself updated to all of the current events (not your “Close Friends” on Facebook). This is very simple as the internet provides various mediums through which you can access information. Knowledge really is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world for the better.

Another way you can spread the fire and bring light on current events is by sharing the news with your friends, followers, acquaintances or whoever you have added/follows you. Share the news of UN intervenance in Central Africa, how the Balkans are in need of aid and assistance after the flooding or how drone strikes in Pakistan need to end; just do something. One click can potentially enlighten an individual and cause a domino effect, thus igniting an online revolution (#BringBackOurGirls anyone?). The internet is very resourceful (if used correctly), so use it that way!

 Let’s end this post by one of my all time favorite quotes!

“Your duty is to scream those truths that one should shout but that are merely whispered.” — Nassim Taleb

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 The world needs more positivity  and  hope so keep smiling!

Change

“Nothing endures but change. Change is the only constant.”

Change is one of the most vital driving forces in the universe,  for it is constant and always occurring. This is evident in nearly everything: the rise and decline of empires, atoms/molecular structures, relationships, chemical reactions and life in general. It’s not change itself that is “bad” or “good”, it’s how we perceive it. Change is either embraced or feared, but nevertheless dealt with in the end.

Recently, I’ve come to realize that change isn’t positive or negative–it just is. It’s how we deal with it and adjust to it that makes all the difference. Myself being resistant to change, I’ve decided to alter my attitude towards change.

Change and it’s impact on my life

Over the course of the past few months, I’ve undergone quite a (positive) transformation. I’ve changed from being a pushover in middle school, to a more open-minded and social individual. That in itself is a huge step forward for me. I have flourished in the academic pressure evident in my highschool, though am I no way close to some of my peers. I’ve also learned to embrace my inner self and gone are the days when I made decisions by thinking “What will others say? I don’t talk much…I’m more of the soft/outspoken person..”. Instead, I’ve gathered the scattered confidence within me and decided to talk with fellow classmates and answer questions and/or make comments in class. And let me tell you, this has been the best form of change I’ve experienced for a long time. My classmates are now more familiar with me and I’ve made lasting friendships with people I would’ve never approached. Change (so far) has done me good.

How you can embrace change

Change can often be frightening (okay…maybe very frightening), but remember that life goes on, and until it does, it’s not over! You can always apply again for that summer program you got rejected from. Change is a systematic way of keeping us all in check and it spices up our lives. How bland will our lives be if we were just handed a million dollars at birth? (Not the best example ever but I’m making this up as I go at midnight so just please go along with it.) We would have no value for things and wouldn’t have the pleasure of overcoming obstacles. It’s hard, I know, but you have to understand that the fear of change is a limitation that you place upon yourself, and no one else but you can lift it. Change is a constant variable in life and since we can’t control, we are better off being familiar with it. So if you’re going off to college, getting ready for a job interview, or transferring schools, remember to have a positive outlook on the situation! Life is a journey, not a destination ( F.F.T–quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson) and it’s better to go with the flow of the universe.

Personal note

I know how frightening change is. I wish I knew I had learned how to embrace it earlier so I wouldn’t have started off my Freshmen year as bumpy as I have. (Though, now I am up and optimistic as ever!) As always, keep smiling!

Here’s a quote to ponder on: “The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the prices of change.”-Bill Clinton

Follow me on Twitter: @Sabah3051