May 24, 2012
A plan of action

Is it too much to ask for peace? Is it too much to ask for love between people? Is it too much to ask for the end of war and for people to share resources like food and energy on a global scale? Is it naive? Is it idealistic? Is it wrong?

I wrote a while ago that if there was one thing I could change in the world it would be that people were more compassionate. I haven’t faltered from that. My opinions haven’t changed. I wish people did care about those around them a little bit more or, in the case of some people, a lot more. How would I go about doing that? I don’t know. I really don’t.

Over the last couple of years I’ve become increasingly disillusioned with politics and the political system. I feel that the institutions we have in place are riddled with problems and subjugate the masses. I’ve started to think that drastic overhaul of current systems would be required to allow a more egalitarian framework to come in to place. The problem is that there isn’t all that much support for my opinions. No one wants to listen to me. I’m not leading a revolution. I’m no one.

So, I’ve been thinking about what I can do to make a change. I’ve been thinking about how I can help people around me if I don’t trust the political system to do that. I realised that we have to pick our battles. I realised that we have to see what is around us and work on it - as big or small as it might be. If all of us looked to our immediate surroundings and started to take small steps to improve things it would act like a Mexican wave at a football match.

I’m going to do it starting tomorrow. I’m going to wake up and before Jumma prayers I’m going to offer to volunteer at a couple of nursing homes nearby. I’m going to offer to volunteer at a hospice. I’m going to find out if there are any organisations or charities dealing with drug and crime prevention amongst youths in my town and volunteer there too. I don’t have to change the whole world. I can start with my local vicinity and work forwards from there.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

What could you do in your community, town, or city that could make a positive change? Why aren’t you doing it?

10:36pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyM48jz7
(Notes: 6)
  
Filed under: change revolution hope compassion help politics 
January 14, 2012
I used to believe this too. I used to want to be one of these people. I took pride in the fact that I didn’t know what to do in life and used to think it was full of possibilities. I thought I could make it anything I wanted it to be. How things change…

I used to believe this too. I used to want to be one of these people. I took pride in the fact that I didn’t know what to do in life and used to think it was full of possibilities. I thought I could make it anything I wanted it to be. How things change…

(Source: )

8:55pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyEmP7EY
(Notes: 25)
  
Filed under: interesting life unknown possibility change 
January 14, 2012
If you could go back in time and change one thing about your life, what would you change?

What would make the biggest difference to the person you are now?

6:09pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyEluVnn
(Notes: 12)
  
Filed under: question change regret life 
August 23, 2011
So I’m watching Malcolm X

I remember I watched this film in high school about 10 years ago and, in all honesty, I don’t remember very much about it at all. Of course I know all about Malcolm and his reputation as a leading figure in the Civil Rights’ movement and as a prominent figure in shaping the identify of black Muslims in the US, but I didn’t know about his years as a youth and it’s surprised me.

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7:25pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONy8gINm-
Filed under: malcolm x history civil rights muslim film movie potential greatness change punk 
August 6, 2011
This is my 1000th post.

I don’t post all that much. I used to post only once a day but recently I post two or three times a day. When I first started writing I used to post about my hopes for the future and expectations. When I got to Saudi I started to write about the here-and-now. The tone shifted. Later I started to put more of myself on the blog. I stopped being anonymous and shared my face and my name with my readers - my tumblr friends. As time went on - I don’t mean this with even a hint of overstatement - Tumblr changed my life.

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5:51pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONy7_K7MI
(Notes: 3)
  
Filed under: 1000th post 1000 life change reflection personal saudi saudi arabia 
August 2, 2011
I feel like I’ve been writing about religion a lot recently…

It’s not that I’m particularly holy or pious. I’m a sinner. I’ve wronged. I’ve done things I shouldn’t have. Regardless of all that, I’m trying to be good. I’m trying to improve. I’m trying to bring my faith closer to the centre of my life.

This impacts things. It forces you to change you who are and how you act. It forces you to re-evaluate your life and how you fit in to your surroundings. I don’t think I am the person I was a year ago; I’m certainly not a person I was four years ago.

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9:43pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONy7qVSO2
(Notes: 19)
  
Filed under: religion islam holy pious journey writing imrpove life philosophy change path self improvement haraam police God Allah muslim help money faith husband wife marriage challege curious inspiration pray worship blessed alhamdulilah 
July 16, 2011
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?

First of all, let me try to work out what it was that happened five years ago and then tell you if it matters…

So… five years ago today would have been… July 16th 2006. I would have been home from university after my second second year and about to head in to my final year. That year was a very big year for me in so, so many ways and I’ll explain why. It was a year where my life changed in really big and drastic ways. The things that made me extremely upset then were the same things that had been making me feel before and since.

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10:29am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONy79_vVs
(Notes: 5)
  
Filed under: 50 questions time pain sad sadness university life change run running weight loss exercise mother reltionship family fight distance friends alhamdulilah good times future perception present 
June 18, 2011
Answer “50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind” over 50 Days

I found this list of questions on a website and want to answer them over the next month and a half. One each day. Reblog this and so the same!

From the site:

These questions have no right or wrong answers.

Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.

  1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
  2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
  3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
  4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
  5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
  6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
  7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
  8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
  9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
  10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
  11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do?
  12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
  13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
  14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
  15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
  16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
  17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back?
  18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
  19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
  20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
  21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
  22. Why are you, you?
  23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
  24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
  25. What are you most grateful for?
  26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
  27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
  28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
  29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?
  30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?
  31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
  32. If not now, then when?
  33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
  34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
  35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
  36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
  37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
  38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
  39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
  40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
  41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
  42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
  43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
  44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
  45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
  46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
  47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
  48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
  49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?
  50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

6:19am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONy6CBaRI
(Notes: 32)
  
Filed under: 50 questions philosophy think thought thoughts age happiness trying life short actions change rich money believe average right wrong lunch advice creativity holding you back let go move state country genius simpleton fear memory 
March 22, 2011
I’ve been thinking about how much people change…

Psychological studies show that personality tests have very high validity and reliability. That means that when tests are administered they are very often correct in judging a person’s personality and… if repeated, they get the same results over and over again. The personalities we have are very stable. After a certain age we don’t change much. But, that’s not always true…

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7:39am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONy3leIzb
(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: personality psychology college experience change life outlook reliablility validity eduation evolution