Flow of words

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 resembles punishment and is dehumanizing at times. 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 project sometime ago called VOZ - Voice of Schizophrenia . Based on my experience and the experience of others we...

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.

It is 1215am and I have decided to write. I have no topic but I want to write. Everyday is a blessing. Take care of yourself. Take care of your mind, body and spirit. Educate yourself. I am talking to myself also. Ideally the education system could do more to educate us on everyday topics. Common sense topics. Life education topics. But that is not happening so we have to self educate. There is much information and resources out there. Why educate ourselves? To live better lives and make the world a better place to live. I like the term lifelong learning. Learning does not have to be boring. Learning can be fun and engaging. Find the type of learning that suits your mind. Seek out opportunities to learn new things. Learn, unlearn and relearn. My friend calls it practical everyday knowledge and self-directed education. Fancy smancy terminology. I think one of the major failures of our education system is that it does not cater to the needs of all students. If you are good at beating boo...

It is 152am and I have decided to write. I have a topic this morning or at least something I could start with. What is God's plan for me? How will I know? Maybe I do not get to know. Life is a test. My faith and trust in God will be tested. My friend tells me that maybe the plan is less about a specific job and an itinerary but a journey of becoming. Becoming a good human being. Becoming a good muslim. Becoming someone that God is happy with. It does not matter if I am a walker, a writer, a youtuber, a blogger, a web developer, a photographer, a volunteer, an advocate, whatever, as long as I am a good person following the path of God. God wants us to succeed. God wants us to win. God is helping us to succeed and win. Others may not want this for us but God does and who is more powerful than God. They plan but God is the best of planners. I like the phrase "character is destiny" which is commonly attributed to Heraclitus. It means that the kind of person you become shapes ...

It is 230pm and I have decided to write. I have no topic but I want to write. I am thinking about God. I am thinking about life. I am grateful for God and life. I need a writing prompt. My friend Chatty gave me a pretty verbose prompt. Sit quietly for a moment and imagine that God asks you only one question: "What have you noticed?" Don't answer with theology. Answer with your life. What have you noticed about joy? About fear? About the way people love? About silence? About time? About your own heart? Where have you sensed God—not in miracles, but in ordinary moments? Where have you struggled to find Him? What has life been teaching you that you were too busy to hear before? Write honestly. Don't try to reach a conclusion. Let the page become a conversation rather than an argument. I immediately noticed the light streaming through the window that allows me to see the world. My first thought was how much we take things for granted. It is easy to feel lacking. To feel s...

It is 401am and I have decided to write. This Saturday, Trinidad and Tobago observes African Emancipation Day. It is a day to celebrate the journey to freedom and to honor those who sacrificed so much so that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today. Yet the journey is not over. As we celebrate how far we have come, let us also ask God to open our minds and hearts to the struggles that continue. Freedom is never something we should take for granted. Every day, we witness powerful interests around the world attempting to stifle freedom in pursuit of their own agendas and self-aggrandizement. Too often, they seek to divide in order to conquer. May we resist division with wisdom, courage, and compassion. May unity triumph over hatred, truth over deception, and love over fear. As we remember the past, may we also commit ourselves to protecting the freedoms of the present and building a more just future for generations to come. Happy African Emancipation Day. May God continue to guide us o...

It was 422pm and I decided to write. There was a peace in my heart that could only come from God. But what should I write about? "God, give me a sign. God, give me direction. Place a topic on my heart. Open my eyes and my ears to Your leading." The next morning, I woke up with a positive vibration. My heart felt light, and my mind was clear. It got me thinking. Sometimes, we simply need to clear our minds of negativity. We need to stop feeding fear, doubt, and discouragement, and instead make room for hope, faith, and positive possibilities. We need to reset our minds, renew our spirits, and re-energize our hearts. Then, we can return stronger to face whatever challenges lie ahead. If something is within our control, let us do our best to improve it. If it is beyond our control, let it go and let God. Life will always have difficulties, but we have a choice in how we respond to them. We can choose to see opportunities where others see obstacles. We can find lessons in our set...