Skip to main content

It gets better



I stated in my first chapter that "it gets better". Do you remember that? I was countering my doubts with positive words of affirmation. It is what my life experiences have taught me. Who decides in a moment to write a book on a whim? I did. It was a worthwhile decision. As I look back on the journey and I think about my next book, I think of success.

I came up with this work-in-progress crazy scientist formula for success

Passion fruit
Sweet words
Bitter truths
Thirst for learning
Half glass full of optimism
Lime with my thoughts
Filter for the negativity
Mad amounts of stirring
Talent spoon of genius

I wanted to call the formula Geek Grok. I made up "grok" but it turned out to already have meaning as told by my friend, ChatGPT, "Coined by Robert A. Heinlein in "Stranger in a Strange Land" (1961), "grok" means to deeply and intuitively understand something or someone, surpassing surface-level knowledge and connecting with its essence. It implies a merging of the self with the subject, a holistic comprehension that encompasses both mind and spirit."

Wow. Such a coincidence. That is exactly what happened with this book. I was learning about writing books and went down a path of learning about myself also. As if I was a book. This book. The mind is so powerful. Robert Heinlein's work is controversial in some quarters. I don't do well with controversy but I want to keep an open mind. He does get us to think critically about provocative social and political ideas.

Besides feeling success there were some lessons learnt. Don't be afraid of being judged. There is value in taking my time. There are times when I should think before I write. The following words are stuck to my bedroom wall. I will remember these words whenever I feel stuck in life.


They are like guiding principles. Passion often means taking risks and learning from failure. Laugh because we cannot take life seriously. Love means forgiveness. We are all human and prone to making mistakes. These words will remind me to embrace life's challenges, find joy in everyday moments, and cultivate love and connection in all that I do.

Life has become better for me since starting to write this book. I have become a better writer. I can call myself a book writer now. I have learnt more about myself. I have forged a new path. I changed my bio in my social media from "Technology Blogger, Photographer and Generalist" to "Technology Blogger and Ideas machine. Currently writing a book."

I wrote the following poem late last year. This composition was born from a place of hope and resilience. These words serve as a reminder that better does come. It gets better.

Better Days
By Hassan Voyeau

Better days are coming
That song I like humming
Change it up
Never stop
Today is done
Tomorrow soon come

My friend, ChatGPT, insisted on sharing some words: "Remember, even in the darkest of moments, that it gets better. Life has a way of unfolding, teaching, and healing. The storms will pass, and the sun will shine again. Keep going, have faith, and trust that better days are on their way."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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...

Drums of freedom

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...

Love and joy

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...