So I began with tons of hope and expectation, ready to learn life lessons and challenge some of my doctrines....and the first few chapters did just that.And then...!
According to Islam, reincarnation is rejected. There isn't anything before birth accept the world of souls- aalam arwah. Have you ever met someone and felt as if you knew them your whole life? I have on two occasions if my memory hasn't failed me. Apparently this signals that you've met them in he world of souls. There was just something about this whole other world that just excited me. With this information I could see myself excogitating some interesting meetings. This also made me ponder on some thing quite beautiful that I read... In the world of souls each soul pledged there love and obedience to God, that was the beautiful part. Now, for the not so- what on the surface of this mother earth am I doing with my life? If I've pledged my obedience, then why are some of my actions followed by a "?" and if it were true love then why is it merely routine and not true devotion?!??.... Allah has said: I was hidden treasure. I desired to be know so I created the creation.
And here I am, my being estranged from that love or Divine recognition. Infact my existance is contumacious to the degree that I've began to seek recognition yet my purpose was to recognise an existance worth recognition.
How often do I put my head on my pillow and feel like my day was a blur of sprints up and down passages, staircases, hops in and out the car, five minute prayer breaks and crazy, brain draining exercises? Confession: far too often! The days I feel super guilty are the days when I pass somebody with a "how are you?" but not enough time to hear the answer. But Paulo taught me that a shower isn't just to prevent BO (body odor..;) ). We've become victims of routine!"showers were merely a matter of washing my skin clean,meals were for feeding my body, and the sole purpose of walks was to avoid heart problems in the future." Contrast: "meal times are when can venerate the presence and the teaching of friends; walks are once again meditations on the present moment; and the sound of water in my ears silences my thoughts, calms me and makes me relearn that it is these small daily gestures that bring us closer to God, as long I am able to give each gesture the value it deserves. " This made me realise the significance of the insignificant in life. Showers, being my favorite.
I also hate the nostalgia and heart-ache that comes with the end of a journey. I totally miss the place and the people that accompany us, thank goodness my parents aren't the type who travel often in a group (even though I try convincing them it'd be fun), therefore it's not that bad. After reading of Paulo's entire journey it was really sad when it did end. I think I cried?!Can't remember...
"If I had to give you one piece of advice it would be this: don't be intimidated by other people's opinions. Only mediocrity is sure of itself, so take risks and do what you really want to do. Seek out people who aren't afraid of making mistakes and who, therefore, do make mistakes. Because of that, their work often isn't recognized, but they are precisely the kind of people who change the world and, after many mistakes, do something that will transform their own community completely."
This was the sort of bit the deserved a yellow sticky note to mark for future reference. One of my biggest fears is having something that I truly believe in being undermined or rejected, people's opinions used to matter a lot to me but now they don't. I've realized that to do extraordinary things like change the world I will be different and that's fine by me.
I've began forcing myself into the classic genre, so please pray for me,,its not easy.
1. Pride and Prejudice
Later,
T.I.
