A Sprinkle Of Faith !

 My relationship with religion is like an infinite roller coaster ride. Sometimes I am up to the skies and sometimes it gets very low. And I grew myself to the idea that faith will never be a constant phenomenon, like any other relationship, it needs to be nourished and maintained. 

 I am from a conservative family; as I grow up, religious duties were an obligation I had to follow like any other parental order. The 2 only ways for me to obtain the pride of my parents were studies and religion. 

 But as I get older and less intellectually dependent, I realized two fundamental things: first, I am so blessed to be raised among a religious family, and second, is it wrong not to feel fulfilled with this religion? Is it normal to have doubts from time to time? or should I just stop using my brain and follow blindly? 
This kind of confusion and struggle you start to experience with yourself, once you matured up a little bit and your mind becomes more open to all sort of ideas you couldn't think of when you were younger. 

 And now, reaching this age, I started thinking to myself, was it a better way for my parents to inculcate religion into our daily lives, isn't the moral and spiritual part more important than the "do's and don't's" part? 

 I think what bothered me and what will bother me for a long period of time, is how religious society, no matter the religion, emphasizes on things and decides to ignore other aspects that are as important as praying five times a day. 
The religion we follow now is custom made, tailored to society needs. We got used to gossiping behind people's back, yelling, cursing, and still we somehow manage to get so offended when we see someone drinking, eating during Ramadan, or dressing up a bit too tight. 

 The first thing we tell our girls is to cover their hair before teaching them any kind of basic moral values. Because of course, physical appearances get more attention and a better care. 
The only way we motivate our kids to pray is through punishment, reminding them of hell and how aggressively and unmercifully they will get burned up alive if they refused to obey. 

 It is tremendously saddening to see that religion didn't succeed to purify our core from its roots, and it only cleaned the superficial layers of ourselves. 

 I may sound like I am blaming religion or society, but in fact I am blaming none of them. A series of events, from brainwashing people to infusing cultural beliefs with religion, led us to this reality.

 I wish my elders took some time to explain to me the mental benefits of meditation and how empowering it is to the soul, I wish I have heard the rewards before the punishment,I wish I had imagined heaven before hell, I wish I have received more encouragement than judgment, and I simply wish for the day that religion will brings us together and not tears us apart. 

 In the end, I would like to mention that I have succeeded to structure my relationship with religion afar from what society wants me to believe, and I am very grateful for this faith, a faith that keeps my principals high and shown, a faith that surrounds me with peace and self-acceptance, a faith that helps me to be a better human being. And I think the religion that doesn't allow you to feel this way is more damaging than beneficial. 

 Religion is before anything else a spiritual bond that links you vertically (not horizontally) to your personal idea of a higher power, it is everyone's duty to protect that bond and no let it be influenced.

Solitude, My Best Friend!

  Solitude, what a monster! It seems like every one's biggest nightmare, but we will face it at least once in our life. How can we adapt to it? make it less frightening? 
Let's start by explaining why loneliness is our number one enemy. Well, we simply fear the echo of our thoughts, and once we are alone, our minds get even louder. Somehow, forcing ourselves to think positively only pulls us to the darkest parts of our mind. 
  Things can get out of control, loneliness can switch a cheerful and delighted person to a gloomy, low and deplorable person. 
  Being all by yourself surrounded by 4 walls is not the greatest experience of your life, but I have managed to gather enough tips to make the most out of anyone solo time. 

  1-Get organized!
I don't know about you, but whenever I am alone, my place looks like a real mess. I lose all my will to function as a human being, and hibernate in my bed sounds like a terrific idea. But, it takes only few minutes to be on the right track. I like to start with tiding my bed, one of the simplest tasks, but it can instantly change my mood. Having an organized environment stimulates your brain to structure your thoughts more effectively. 

  2-Eat real food! 
Cooking nowadays is no longer an unprecised science only designed for a group of people. Cooking had never been this easy. Get your grocery right, learn how to prepare a few easy meals and don't be afraid to fail. Nourishing yourself with the right nutriment will make you more aware of your health and how your body function. Take advantage of your solitude to come in touch with your body, it will thank you later, I promise. 

  3-Treat yourself, the healthy way! 
Enough with the unproductive activities (binge watching, stuffing your face with fatty food...), and learn how you can treat yourself the right way. The options are endless, you can start by picking up a new hobby, and finish with a home made facial sort of spa. Find what suits you and enjoy yourself while doing it. 

  4-Go out, it's mandatory! 
Going out alone is a unique experience everyone should try. Let aside the fear of strangers glancing at you, and go out! Anywhere your heart feels like going: a burger place, a fancy restaurant, a park, a museum...Don't make your solitude an excuse to lock yourself in your place. 

  5-Welcome failure with arms wide open...
Have in mind that it is never going to be perfect. Going through loneliness gets more challenging as time goes on. So there will be days where you will spend 90% of your day laying in bed and losing count of how many movies you have watched. Remind yourself of your strength, and you can always start over. 


  Everyone has their dark thoughts, and loneliness is the perfect opportunity for our demons to come alive before our eyes. But let's not all forget, being alone tests first our will and determination. No matter how challenging it can get sometimes, it is only forging us to be better human beings.