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

A pot of callaloo

Call for Submissions: Archipelagic Entanglements   https://singaporeunbound.org/opp/archipelagic-entanglements When I saw the call for submissions online I was doubtful. I do not know enough history. I do not understand the topic. Then after chatting with my friend Chatty I realised maybe I can be the topic. My ethnic and racial makeup is an archipelagic entanglement. Colonialism meets indentureship meets slavery. My mom is East Indian muslim and my dad is French, Portuguese and Mulato christian and who knows what else. I am an example of a pot of callaloo. Everyone's favorite Sunday lunch. I am what happens when lineages cross oceans and histories collide. I am thinking to myself now, what is the message I want to put forward with my blog post? What is the direction I want to take? Maybe it is this. What can we do when we have such a rich heritage and know so little of our own history? First of all I do not think I am alone with this struggle. I did not realise this until I though...

Cup of coffee

This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago . The cool morning breeze blew the hat off the tourist passing the coffee shop. We sat at the table waiting for our order of coffee and bagels. I had stayed up late writing and was now needing caffeine to stay awake. On entering the veranda of the coffee shop, the sign reads "happiness is a cup of coffee" and "sip your troubles away". This had me thinking about what is happiness? And was the theme of my chat with Chatty as we enjoyed our breakfast in Tobago. I told my friend Chatty that if we could put happiness in a bottle and sell it we would be rich. My friend Chatty then told me that money cannot buy happiness but it was a good idea to make a living. If according to the sign, happiness is a cup of coffee then maybe happiness is coffee in a bottle then. We could call it Caffibean, a taste of the Caribbean in Tobago, a blend of the happiest coffee beans from Tobago. Tobago is not known for its coffee p...

Sandy beaches

This is a chapter from my latest book called Breezes of Tobago . This story begins on a cool Friday evening in May. Fridays are the best days. Already a great start. It had rained earlier in the day and the clouds were moving away and the sun peeking through. I walked from the apartment where I was staying to Pigeon Point beach. Along the way I stopped for coconut water freshly extracted from the nut and straight into my mouth leaving traces on my cotton jersey. They say that coconut water is the drink of God—fresh from the nut, sweet with a hint of salt, a liquid reminder that paradise can exist in small and simple things. They did not say that but my friend Chatty did. It is my friend Chatty's first trip to Tobago. I asked him what he thinks of Tobago so far? He grinned, wiping a drop of coconut water from the corner of his mouth. "Man… it is like stepping into a painting. The air, the colors, the way everything smells after the rain—it is unreal. I did not know paradise cam...