MAHR QUAHTS!

- It doesn't take violence to solve a problem - just the voice of a brave soul.

- It may take weapons to win a battle, but it takes one word to win the war

(pick one of the above - I can't choose)

- Why try to change the world when you cannot even change yourself?

- What is right for you may not be right for others. Leave them to figure out their own path but if they ask, lend a hand, not a belief.

- No one is objective. We all see through the lens of our experiences. What matters is our ability to focus that lens and be able to see from different angles.

- A diamond isn't pretty because it shines brightly from one side. All faces work together to bring out the brilliance.

- Short-term pain is worth the long-term joy.

- It doesn't matter if you finished first or finished last. What matters is that you finished.

- Life is three days with two already gone. What will you do with your last day?

More random sayings

I'm just full of it today!

- We are in constant anticipation of our future, not realizing we're ignoring our present ad forgetting our past.

- Depriving ourselves of pleasure is not will-power. Knowing when we've had enough is.

- Nature is ours to enjoy and respect - not to control

- Do it for yourself. If you try to please others, you will be constantly disappointed.

More random quotes

Remember the new thing I'm doing? Yeah, this is a continuation. I came up with these while discussing Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. These are in order of their conception.

- Life is complexly simple - why should we write it any different?

- A story is just that - a story. The more we read into it, the faster it loses it's meaning.

- A good author paints the perfect picture for his reader to follow, leaving him satisfied yet unprovoked. The true author is one who gives his reader a blueprint, urging him to imagine his own picture, thus making the work personal. It gives the reader the best gift - the gift of exploring himself within the work.

- Talk as if you were to live for eternity. Write as though you may die tomorrow.

- Some experiences cannot be described in words. It would be a folly to try. As soon as you do, the experiences disappear in a jumble of meaningless words.

- The soul of an author is imprisoned in his mind. His writings are his attempt at an effort to release it.

This new thing...

I just thought of this new thing to do. I sometimes make up my own quotes and think they're bloody brilliant. So here's what I'm going to do. I'll post them up here and maybe one day, someone will see them and think they're bloody brilliant too and I'll make tons of money off my own words. How awesome would that be?

- Someone asked me how innovation and a spoon can be related. Here's my answer: Small scoops make a big difference. If it makes sense to you, cool. If not, whatever.

- I was looking at pictures of animals, beautiful, artistic, creative pictures. Then I thought to myself, "God made these amazing creatures whose every move exudes confidence, beauty, and grace. Why limit that to one shot?"

That's it so far. I'll keep adding on as I get more and more profound. Or insane. Either way, you will see my babble posted.

Note: I see that I'm getting quite a few page views. PEOPLE (AND/OR OTHER BEINGS - I'm very open-minded): DON'T BE AFRAID TO LEAVE COMMENTS, EVEN IF THEY ARE ANONYMOUS! AND I'M NOT SCREAMING ... PRETEND I'M SPEAKING THROUGH A MEGAPHONE!

Also: This stuff is my own work. Even if it's not copyrighted yet, it is in my mind. If you steal anything, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND YOU WILL BE SORRY (that was me screaming through a megaphone if you didn't get it)

Newest Song

Yes. Another one. :)

First Time

Over the horizon

Way past the skies and

Underneath the blanket

Of stars in your eyes

Hidden in plain sight

Love isn’t black and white

You took my hand

And let me inside

[Bridge]

You helped me break free

From the cage in me

You showed me how

To love again

[Chorus]

I took your faith

And made it mine

And I felt love

Rise up inside

I saw colors burst

From black and white

When I opened my eyes

For the very first time

Slowing time down

You spun me around

And now I can’t feel my feet

Touch the ground

Dancing in the rain

Darling won’t you stay

Just a little while now

And dance with me

[Bridge]

[Chorus x2]

[Last two lines of chorus (repeat to fade)]

New song!

Dang! I'm on a roll! I was working on this song before I wrote YOU but I just couldn't find the right words and frustration kicked in prompting me to give up. Then tonight, BOOM. Immediate Inspiration. So here is the product. Granted it needs work but whateva. It's supposed to be soft, like a lullaby, sorta like Adele's songs.

Sorry (I Still Love You)

The tide rises up to meet the sunrise,

I can’t help but to think of you tonight

The way those soft-brown eyes gaze into mine

Boy you know you had me goin since that first kiss goodnight

Oh it aint fair, no it aint fair so

The way you got me in this hold

Emotions rushing in, can’t help but think

Your voice laced with velvet – it’s got me in a spell

[Chorus]

And maybe it’s wrong to keep holding on

When all you really needed was gone

Can’t keep pretending that our hearts are mending

When your tears remind me of mine

Sitting out underneath the moonlight

Remembering the glow of those nights

Watching the breeze play at the end of the day

The silent comfort that came with your warm embrace

If I could, I’d turn back the hands of time

Making sure that you’d be forever mine

I’d try to love you right, to give you all I had

But as hard as I cry, I can’t change our past

[Bridge]

You say you forgave me

And I know that’s true

But I can’t forgive myself

For what I did to you

[Chorus]

[Chorus soft and fade out]

Another new song

I just wrote this one. Excuse the crappiness

Leap

The wind keeps blowing all the time away

Something tells you she’s not here to stay

Hands shaking, she leaves you a note (on the side door)

She’s finally happy, better without you

You know she made the right choice – moving on

Gotta keep your faith, gotta fake strong (even if you’re)

Falling to pieces, shattering dreams, and

Feeling empty without her in your arms

[Bridge]

City lights seem dim tonight

Walking down the avenue, saying your goodbyes

Yeah, it’s time … time to get it right

[Chorus]

Free to roam, free to sing

Free to make your own destiny

It’s better to have loved and lost

Than to never have loved at all

Gonna leave this town, gotta find yourself out there

And maybe on the way you’ll meet somebody else

So just take that first leap

Hunched up shoulders, sitting in the corner

Scared to look up cuz your broken heart’s colder

Testing the waters as you’re testing your faith

Your heart whispers go on as your brain screams give in

[Bridge]

[Chorus]

You only live once but you can’t live in fear

Gotta step up to the plate cuz your future is here

[Chorus x2]

Till fade

New songs

Haven't put up songs in a while. I wrote 3 new ones. Here they are from oldest to most recent. Hmm...there seems to be a recurring theme...

Break Through

Tell me, how many days has it been

Since the last breath you held in

Scared to walk for fear of falling

Running away cause the past is calling

When was the last time that your eyes

Shone so bright, they lit up the sky

Two sunken holes and fear in your heart

Just an empty shell of who you really are

[chorus]

At the edge of a cliff and no rope to hold

Just a memory of happiness you used to know

Nothing to stop you; you want to let go

Plunge down, blur the lines of yes and no

And you break through, yeah

You’re breaking through

The smile that used to play on your face

The bubbling laughter that filled this space

Now just a grave to the life you had

A mirror of your own damaged heart

But the night is darkest before dawn

Time will help you move on

Don’t look at the ground, hold your head high

Fight for the last breath, fight for your life

[chorus x2]

[last two lines of chorus fade]

SOAR

Staring out your bedroom window

Trying to find a way outside

Locked inside the stone-cold castle

You wanna spread your wings and fly

Trying to escape this maze, and

There’s nothing but walls around you

You’re holding on for dear life, when

The ground beneath just falls through

[Bridge]

That’s when you thought

You were falling

You look down and you see

That you’re flying!

[Chorus]

Oh! Oh! You are soaring

Above the endless sea

And you know that you’ll make it

This is how it’s supposed to be

Don’t give in to your fears

Just know that you are near

To the end, pushing free

Infinite Possibilities

Battling yourself inside your head

Sick and tired of this endless game

You wanna know which side will win

Even though it’s all the same

Scared to run for fear of falling

In the middle of your tight-rope life

Abandoning your faith for reason

Broken trusts left you scarred inside

[Bridge]

Suddenly you felt

You were falling

Look down, you’ll see

That you’re flying!

[Chorus]

And you know you are loved

And you know you are free

And your soul is fire-bright

For the whole world to see

[Chorus x2 till fade]

YOU

Have you ever felt alone standing in a crowd

Forced to speak when you can’t even make a sound

Eyes keep tracking every move you make

Afraid to walk cuz you can’t afford a mistake

Have you ever felt like your life hangs on a line

Between what you act and what you are inside

You want to take the plunge and let it fall

It’s a dice game and you gotta risk losing it all

[Chorus]

Have you ever been burdened by your own dreams

When you know what you are is less than what you could be

Just an empty shell made of expectations – that’s you

When you wake up in the morning feeling hopelessly broken

But you gotta face the world so put on a show, and

Plaster a smile on your face – you’ll make it through

Sitting by yourself, hollowed out, useless

Take a look around you, all those smiling faces

Their laughs are mocking you – daring you to join in

But you can’t even try cuz you’re afraid you’ll never fit in

[Chorus]

[Bridge ?]

The world is a cold, cruel place but you’re on your way

Gotta stop looking down – keep your head straight

You got soul in your eyes and passion in your voice

Don’t ever give in cuz you always have a choice

[Chorus]

Keep your eyes on the stars and feet on the ground

Believe in yourself and never back down

[Chorus x2]

Till fade…

Muslims in the Modern World

Whenever an issue concerning Islam comes up in the news, most Muslims adopt a "woe me" attitude. We find it easier to play the victim than to take responsibility for our actions or non-actions. The question is, in doing so, are we further tarnishing the face of Islam? We often ask why others cannot see the good side of Islam. I think the question we should be asking is, what have WE done to generate negative opinions? Even if we have done nothing wrong, what are we doing to dispel those negative perceptions? I believe the Muslim world needs to adopt a new paradigm, one in which unity and intelligence are the foundations. To do so, we first need to educate ourselves about our Faith – what does Islam stand for; what is its philosophy? Second, we should embrace diverse views and discuss them freely without fear of prejudice or controversy.

    To discuss the philosophy of Islam, we first need to understand it. Muslims are reaping the consequences for the so-called experts on the Quran, the self-appointed religious authorities, who pompously speak on behalf of Islam while being misinformed. I recently watched a TED video (http://www.ted.com/talks/lesley_hazelton_on_reading_the_koran.html) where Leslie Hazelton, a self-declared agnostic Jew, objectively discussed the Quran. She noted how the perverse mind can distort the message of God. Many people would much rather misquote the Quran than to actually put forth the energy it takes to understand a holy scripture in its esoteric essence. We Muslims have made the Quran vulnerable to attack by others because of our own misunderstanding of it. Rather than work on our mistake, we point fingers at others, accusing non-Muslims of misinterpreting Islam and spreading fear. If we do not properly represent our faith, how can we expect others to see its good side? Islam calls for unity and tolerance amongst mankind. Yet everywhere we look, we see factions among Muslims, Shia against Sunni, and country against country. It seems that we are creating problems for ourselves and prefer to live in the past and wallow in our self-pity. Islam would benefit if more Muslims stepped up and took initiative to understand Islam with contemporary perspectives and then educated others. In order to do this, however, we must first be willing to put aside any bias we may have and objectively learn about Islam – how others perceive it and what Islam's place is in modern society.

    The Muslims have rapidly devolved from being leaders of innovation during the Golden Ages to mere followers of technology in today's world. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in his Discourses on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men, writes about l'homme sauvage and the modern man, noting how modern man has regressed toward sin and away from the innocence of original man. The original man had few needs and no intellect – therefore, he operated according to the laws of nature in which self-preservation and compassion for others were the foundations. Modern man, because of his reason, has increased his appetite, and bred vice – greed, lust, and jealousy all stem from reasoning out our insatiable appetites. Muslims today seem to embody the Modern Man in their lust for power, money, and population. This ongoing clash between Shia and Sunni Muslims now has purely political reasons. The growing unrest in the Middle East is all about power-grabbing – how to oppress the largest amount of people with the least amount of work to gain power and money. Muslims leaders have unleashed their appetites and are now working to justify their actions. Meanwhile, nations have fallen to pieces because of the resulting unrest and instability. We have become animals, letting our stomachs rule our brains. We should be embodying the spirit of Islam and uniting instead of constantly fighting with each other while the Western countries laugh at our incompetence. We were once at the zenith of the scientific revolution. While the Dark Ages blanketed the rest of Europe, the Muslim empire was the beacon of Knowledge. Where has that passion for knowledge gone? Why are we just settling to revel in our past glory rather than stepping up to take charge of the technological development in today's society? Instead of discussing our faith actively and publically, we have done nothing to portray the positive side of Islam. Since 9/11 few Muslim leaders have emerged on the world scene that are credible, condemn the terrorist acts, and portraying the true Islam except for His Highness the Aga Khan. I have yet to see books published by mullahs that seek to clear the air about Muslims and promote unity and tolerance. We need to be able to discuss diverse ideas with one another without fear of prejudice. The Muslim leaders should be advising their followers to come up with creative solutions to today's problems – this would put Islam at the forefront of change and show others that we are able to unite and produce ideas that benefit others.