Skip to main content

Posts

Feeling lost

It is 109am and I have decided to write. Sometimes I feel like I have lost my way. I do not even fully understand what I mean by that. I have not digested the thought. I mean. I feel like I could be doing more with my life and my talents. But then sometimes I feel like I am doing just right. I am making progress. I am making the best of what is given to me. Then what is it worth in the end? We come into this world with nothing. We fight for everything. Then we leave with nothing. I guess balance is the key. My friend Chatty says that life can hold two truths at once: I can be grateful for the progress I have made while still recognizing that I may have more to give. Balance is not choosing between ambition and contentment, but learning to pursue growth without letting achievement define my worth. Since we enter and leave this world with nothing, perhaps what truly matters is not what we accumulate, but who we become, what we give, and how well we use what has been entrusted to us. Mayb...

Installing NodeBB using Termux

This is the ChatGPT prompt I used to be guided Guide me through installing NodeBB using Termux (This took some time and patience to troubleshoot errors and implement workaround) pkg update && pkg upgrade -y pkg install proot-distro git curl wget nano -y proot-distro install debian proot-distro login debian apt update && apt upgrade -y apt install -y curl git build-essential ca-certificates gnupg apt update apt install -y imagemagick apt install -y redis-server redis-server --daemonize yes redis-cli ping mkdir -p /opt git clone https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB.git /opt/nodebb cd /opt/nodebb ./nodebb setup warn: NodeBB Setup Aborted.  Error: Could not load the "sharp" module using the android-arm64 runtime Possible solutions: - Manually install libvips >= 8.18.3 Force node to report platform as linux to get sharp to install curl -LO https://nodejs.org/dist/v22.23.1/node-v22.23.1-linux-arm64.tar.xz tar -xJf node-v22.23.1-linux-arm64.tar.xz mv node-v22.23.1-lin...

Motivation

It is 150pm and I have decided to write. I have no topic to start but I feel like writing. While trying to decide what to write I saw this question that had my interest, what motivates you to keep going even when life is difficult? The first thing that popped in my mind was God. But I do not think the answer is simple or singular. I also think I need to put some thought into this. Also what is the relationship between motivation and discipline? Motivation is easy but discipline is hard. I think for me motivation comes from the joy of success. But God was my first answer. Now that God is the focus of my life, the joy of success becomes being a success in the eyes of God. But I said the answer was not singular. So different things motivate us at different times but they all lead to wanting to succeed. This reminds me of the Muslim call to prayer that says come to success. If motivation is what calls you then success calls you and success gives you joy. My friend Chatty says that what I h...

Battle scars

It is 203am and I have decided to write. I have no topic. I have God. I have life. I have the pursuit of goodness. An old man in my village died this week. His funeral was today. The rain fell plenty. Blessings from above. I did not know him more than seeing him around. I pray God makes the transition easy for him. I pray that he goes to heaven. I pray that everyone goes to heaven. It takes away nothing from me to wish good for others. It benefits me to wish good for others. Life is short. We should not waste it with what is negative. The old man asked me twice to purchase something from the mini mart for him in his last days. I am guessing he did not have the strength to walk out the road anymore. I wonder what his dreams were? I wonder what his regrets were? I wonder his thoughts on God? I wonder what his name was? I wonder what battle scars he carried? We all have them. Some heal. Some do not. The older we get the more we collect. Some people's battle scars make them softer. Tha...

Starting over

It is 1154am and I have decided to write. Today I did a distance walk on the roads. It has been a long while. Walking is one of my passions. If you want to get me to exercise just take me walking. Walking is like a friend to me. We have been through the good times and the bad times. I admire other walkers and runners. I know the joy they feel. It is something good for the body, mind and spirit. It is something to look forward to. But always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Walking and running is not without the possibility of injury. But life is about taking chances. Putting your best foot forward, literally and figuratively. The other day I was sitting in the clinic and telling myself how far I have come. Thinking about the times when the future seemed bleak. But I kept going. I kept trying. I kept starting over. I never understood why roadblocks were always appearing along the way. Why things were being made difficult. Why the world seemed to be working agai...

Mental health matters

It is 547am and I have decided to write. I have been living with a mental health diagnosis for more than 23 years. I am differently abled. Mental illness sometimes presents itself as a non-visible disability. A person with mental illness may look and function normally. Added to that we do not get to see the struggles happening internally. After 23 years I could say that I have much experience with my condition and may be able to offer words that may help others. There is plenty of stigma associated with mental illness. People think that the mentally ill are bad people, weak, or somehow less deserving of dignity and the treatment of the illness sometimes feels like punishment and is dehumanizing at times. There is plenty of good intentions and well meaning as well (do not get me wrong) but things could be better. And it happens at the highest level. A leader once said, "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad." As the saying goes, who knows it feels it. I started a pr...

Helping others

Something I do not understand. Why criticise someone if we are unwilling to say "here take some money and improve yourself" especially when we can afford to? My question raises a valid moral challenge: if we have the means to help someone improve and choose only to criticize them, are we missing an opportunity to do something constructive? Many ethical and religious traditions argue that criticism without compassion or practical help is incomplete. It is easy to point out flaws; it is much harder to invest time, money, or effort to help someone change.