The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Sonder.

Read I Am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj. An inspiring teacher who did not propound any ideology or religion, but gently unwrapped the mystery of the SELF. A simple, direct & sublime guidance on destroying false identities. He shared that our mind can recognise its own state of being – not “being this or that, here or there, then or now,” but just a timeless being. Our self already exists & doesn’t need to be found.

Our deepest identity is not our name, profession, body, emotion or thought. We are the awareness in which all these experiences appear. Before thinking “I am successful” or “I am happy”, there is simply the feeling of existence: I AM. The self is the light in which everything appears, the awareness in which everything happens.

This doesn’t mean rejecting our personality, passion or ambition. It means ceasing to confuse them with our core identity. We can still pursue our goals or dreams without being defined by it. We can experience failure without being diminished by it. We can navigate challenges without being overwhelmed by it. Our worth or value is not determined by our possessions, appearances, expectations or achievements.

Questions like Who Am I? have no beginning & no end. It is crucial to know the answers, for without a full understanding of oneself, both in time & in timelessness, life is but a dream, imposed on us by powers we do not know, for purposes we cannot grasp. One of the deepest lesson is that we don’t need to become someone special to discover ourself. We just need to understand what we already are.

This beautiful philosophy greatly helps in relating with the people around us, because we separate an emotion from identity. We can therefore interact with greater awareness, love, freedom, respect, compassion & peace. Meaningful & motivational.

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The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Sonder.

“Somewhere, someone is living a day that will change their entire life” – Plato. Sonder is a profound realisation that every stranger we meet has a life just as vivid, complex & meaningful as our own. Every person has their own dreams, joy, grief, memories, fears, secrets & stories. Everyone we meet is living a life as extraordinary as the one we believe is uniquely ours.

Sonder is more than a word. It is a new way of seeing the world. Sonder reminds us that every stranger carries an entire universe within them. The world is much bigger than our own experiences. Every life is extraordinary, even when it looks ordinary. While we are thinking about our life, millions of other lives are unfolding around us.

We naturally experience the world through our own perspectives. Sonder shares that our perspective is only one among billions. “You will never know how many lives you briefly touched. You will never understand the full weight of a stranger’s silence, the reason behind someone’s smile or the memories hidden behind familiar faces. Live your life as though it matters, because it does. But, remember that everyone else’s life matters just as much. You are one universe among billions, so is everyone else. We cannot know everyone’s story, but we can acknowledge that there is one” – Buddha.

Sonder inspires us to be empathetic & kind. There is something so beautiful & surreal about Sonder. Somewhere, a child is experiencing a childhood they will reminisce in adulthood. Somewhere, a person is achieving a dream they once thought impossible. And, all of this is happening while we simply go about our day.

We are both insignificant in the vastness of the universe & immeasurably significant in the small universes we create. Every individual finds meaning through their own experiences, aspirations & choices. Everyone experiences the world through their own unique consciousness. Every human life deserves dignity, love, compassion & understanding. Perhaps, the most beautiful thing about being human is knowing that we will never fully know one another, yet we can still choose compassion. Millions of stories, one shared world.

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The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Löytö (discovery in Finnish).

The greatest discoveries begin mostly where certainty ends. Beyond what we know lies everything we have yet to discover. There are no limits to what we can discover when we dare to explore. Every unanswered question is an invitation to discover. “Wonder is the beginning of all wisdom” – Socrates.

The first step towards discovery is curiosity. There is always more than meets the eye. A curious mind turns ordinary moments into extraordinary revelations. The beauty of discovery also lies in seeing the familiar differently. Ask more questions. Make more discoveries.

Perhaps, discovery is simply the art of noticing what we once overlooked. Every new experience adds another dimension to the way we see the world. We don’t just explore the world, we also discover new versions of ourselves along the way. Some of life’s greatest treasures are found in places we never intended to go. To discover is to give the unknown a chance to surprise us. Keep wandering. Keep wondering. Keep discovering.

1. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes” – Marcel Proust

2. “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing” – Albert Einstein

3. “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known” – Carl Sagan

4. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all” – Helen Keller

5. “Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen, yet thinking what nobody has thought” – Albert Györgyi

6. “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” – Aristotle

7. “The journey into self-love & self-acceptance must begin with self-examination” – Bell Hooks

8. “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life & you will call it fate” – Carl Jung

9. “Discovery is not always about finding something new, it’s about seeing something familiar in a completely different way” – Vincent Van Gogh

10. “The more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know” – Albert Einstein

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The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Löytö (discovery in Finnish).

Beautiful books on the fascinating subject of self-discovery. Read The Seeker’s Guide. Elizabeth Lesser synthesises the lessons learned from an immersion into our world’s wisdom & intertwines them with illuminating stories from her own experiences. She offers meditative exercises, shares how to create a personal practice, gauge one’s progress & choose effective daily habits for joy & fulfilment.

THE MIND. Learning meditation to ease stress, tension & anxiety. THE HEART. Dealing with grief, loss or pain to become fully alive. THE BODY. Holistic healing of the body. THE SPIRIT. Experiencing daily life as an adventure of magic, meaning & mystery. Incredible.

Read The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself. Who are we? When we start to explore this question, we find out how elusive it really is. Are we a physical body? A collection of experiences or memories? A partner to relationships? Each time we consider these aspects of ourself, we realise that there is much more to us than any of these can define.

Michael Singer explores the question of who we are. Identity is to be found in our consciousness, in our ability to honestly observe ourselves & the world around us. By tapping into intuitive mindfulness, we can dwell in the present moment to achieve peace, love, success & self-realisation. The Untethered Soul examines the notion of self & the inner dialogue we all live with. Guides on simple ways to return to the pursuit of unconditional happiness. Warm & wise.

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The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Löytö (discovery in Finnish).

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. The unknown is not an emptiness, it is an invitation” – Carl Sagan. The philosophy of discovery is the study of how we find what we do not yet know, how new knowledge emerges, how we recognise something as real, meaningful or valuable. At its deepest level, it begins with a simple idea – there is more to reality than we currently understand.

To discover something new, we often leverage what we already know. Yet, what we discover may change everything we thought we knew! We may realise that a question we never considered was more important than the answer we were seeking. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes” – Marcel Proust.

Socratic inquiry examines beliefs by exposing contradictions. Bacon emphasised systematic observation & experimentation. Rather than relying only on inherited beliefs, we can investigate ideas against evidence. Popper argued that we learn by finding where our ideas fail. Kuhn shared how a major discovery can transform not only the answers we accept, but also the questions we consider important. “The more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know. Wonder is the beginning of all wisdom. Discovery begins where certainty ends” – Carl Sagan.

We often imagine the unknown as an empty space waiting to be filled with facts. But, the unknown is also what gives knowledge its direction. If we knew everything, there would be no unanswered questions. If we knew nothing, we would have no foundation from which to investigate. Discovery takes place between these two extremes – we know enough to ask meaningful questions, but not enough to know the answers. That is why imagination, playfulness, curiosity, creativity & critical thinking work together.

Discovery is the process of moving from the unknown toward understanding. It can happen in science, art, technology, nature or through the examination of our own minds. Every discovery begins with a question, a contradiction or a feeling that something is not fully comprehensible. Discovery requires looking beyond the familiar explanations, challenging assumptions, observing carefully & considering possibilities that may initially seem unlikely.

Sometimes, discovery happens when separate facts suddenly form a valuable pattern. The information may already exist, what changes is our understanding of it. A compelling idea is not automatically true. Evidence, experimentation or logical reasoning help distinguish genuine discovery from an error or illusion. A discovery changes what we know, but it can also change the questions we ask. One answer often reveals several new mysteries. Is discovery finding something new or recognising something that already exists?

Discovery is an uncovering – a planet exists before anyone observes it. Here, discovery reveals something that was already there. Discovery is an interpretation. Here, the facts may already be known, but a new theory reveals what they mean. Discovery is a creation. Here, an artist or inventor creates something that did not previously exist in that form. These suggest that discovery is not a single process. Sometimes, we uncover reality. Sometimes, we interpret it. Sometimes, we create new possibilities.

Discovery is the continuous process of questioning what is known, exploring what is unknown, transforming our understanding through evidence, imagination, creative thinking or reflection. Perhaps, most importantly, the greatest discovery may not always be finding a new answer, but learning to see a familiar question differently. “The important thing is not to stop questioning. I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious” – Albert Einstein. Question. Explore. Discover.

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The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Noor (light in Arabic).

Noor is the light that brightens the night, a beautiful soul, a heart so bright. A gentle smile, a spirit so pure, a little piece of heaven, rare & sure. Like moonlight dancing upon the sea, Noor brings peace to all who see. A thousand stars may shine above, but Noor shines brighter with warmth & love.

Even when the skies turn grey, Noor brings sunshine along the way. Noor feels like a prayer, a little piece of magic in the air. Noor is a feeling we can’t explain. A little sunshine, a little moon, a timeless tune. A tiny spark, a world of light.

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The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Noor (light in Arabic).

In Islamic philosophy, the word Noor takes on profound spiritual significance as the divine light of Allāh, love, devotion & illumination. It heralds the removal of ignorance, pain or darkness, replacing it with the brilliance of faith, compassion & understanding. The beauty of the soul is that its Noor never fades.

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The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Noor (light in Arabic).

A little Noor can illuminate a thousand shadows. Noor is when our heart finds peace in what our mind cannot understand. Where faith lives, Noor follows. Nature is the ultimate source of Noor. So is love. Where there is love, there is light.

Sometimes, the universe briefly removes the light in the world, so we can discover the Noor. A peaceful heart is home to a beautiful kind of Noor.

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The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Noor (light in Arabic).

Recently, the author has received interesting questions, specifically asking “why write a blog or why bother to write at all? What’s the value it brings to you or the purpose of your blog?” Here’s a humble response.

When was the last time we truly experienced Noor in our lives? I write because creative writing helps me connect with Noor. So, what is Noor?

Noor (نور) is the Arabic word for light. Philosophically, Noor represents much more than the light we can see. It can be found in true joy, compassion, peace, passion, hope, innocence & love. Our inner light helps reflect on life experiences to better understand our world & ourselves. Motivates to find meaning, healing, purpose & positivity even while living through uncertainty, stress or suffering. Noor is the truth our soul recognises in stillness, it is where our heart discovers its own light.

In Islamic spirituality, Noor has a profound connection to the divine as a source of deeper guidance & light. Here, light evokes radiance & the illumination of the soul. Noor inspires to observe our thoughts, question our beliefs & believe that we are more than our fears, pain or circumstances. Noor also represent a way of living – bringing kindness without seeking recognition, offering wisdom without reward, giving love without expectations. “When the world grows dark, seek not the sun, but the Noor within your own heart. The steps towards Noor is a curious journey closer to the essence of our being” – Sufism.

Perhaps, our modern world has become surrounded by so much artificial light. We live in a time when everything is lit, yet, many of us feel lost. Our cities glow through the night. Our phones never stop shining. Data is available at our fingertips, we can virtually reach people in seconds. Sometimes, we may have unprecedented information, yet it doesn’t necessarily produce wisdom. We may explain how things work, without really knowing why they matter. We may measure success without understanding fulfilment. We may communicate constantly while feeling profoundly disconnected.

Loneliness, sadness, emptiness & the search for meaning still remain deeply human experiences. This is the paradox of our time. Often, we can struggle to illuminate what is truly within us. Perhaps, the world is losing its relationship with light. Noor helps us question what is meaningful with silence, self-compassion, humility & time.

Noor asks – who are we when we remove everything we use to define ourself? It beautifully represents the possibility that human worth is not created solely by material achievement. It can be discovered through an honest & simple relationship with existence. Noor begins with a simple act – learning to trust & see clearly, without allowing fear, ego, belief or desire determine everything we see. The challenge is to preserve what is valuable in modern life without allowing its dominant incentives to define the meaning of being human.

The question Noor leaves us with is therefore not merely, where has the light gone? It is – what must evolve in us before we can recognise the light that was ours to seek, to reflect & live by? So, creative writing offers me the space, silence & stillness to momentarily connect with Noor.

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The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Luna (the moon in Spanish).

The moon is proof that even in darkness, there is always something to illuminate the night. Like the moon, we can still shine, even when we’re not full. It lives in our hearts, not in the sky. A little moonlight changes everything. Playful. Even the moon has phases & so do we. Sometimes, we simply gaze at the moon & let ourselves breathe. A crescent of serenity in a chaotic world. What is it about the moon that fascinates us so?

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars” – Norman Peale.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” – Neil Armstrong.

“Three things cannot be long hidden – the sun, the Moon & the truth” – Buddha.

“The moon doesn’t consider one phase better than another. She just glows, equally stunning at each turn. Why should we be any different?” – Cristen Rodgers.

“If you are the moon, it’s not the sun that reminds you of the light. It’s the darkness that makes you shine” – Jennifer Williamson.

“With freedom, books, flowers & the moon, who could not be happy?” – Oscar Wilde.

“I like to think that the moon is there, even if I am not looking at it” – Albert Einstein.

“The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light & dark moments” – Tahereh Mafi.

“The moon is a beautiful instrument of time” – Tom Hanks.

“We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side” – Khalil Gibran.

“Everybody has a little bit of the sun & moon in them. Dark & light in them. Everyone is part of a connected cosmic system. Part earth & sea, part wind & fire. We have a universe within ourselves that mimics the universe outside. No one exists without polarities” – Suzy Kassem.

“Just like the moons & like the suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high, still I’ll rise” – Maya Angelou.

“Be both soft & wild. Just like the moon. Or the storm. Or the sea” – Victoria Erickson.

“The moon was so beautiful that the ocean held up a mirror” – Ani DiFranco.

“The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen” – Shannon Alder.

“Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak & wane, sometimes strong & full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections” – Tahereh Mafi.

“The moon fascinates us in her simplicity” – Avijeet Das.

“When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator” – Mahatma Gandhi.

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