Optimism in the Storm

In the face of life's darkest storms,

When the winds of change blow wild and warm,

When the road ahead seems rough and long,

Remember to keep your head held firm.

For in the midst of every trial,

There lies a glimmer of a smile,

A spark of hope that can ignite,

A fire that burns with all its might.

So when the clouds obscure the sun,

And all around is dark and done,

Think of the rainbow that awaits,

Beyond the tempest and the straits.

For every night, there comes a dawn,

And every seed must crack and spawn,

So hold on to your faith and dreams,

And let your heart and spirit beam.

Life is full of ups and downs,

But with each step, new hope abounds,

So let your optimism guide you,

And in the end, you'll surely thrive.

So keep your head held high, my friend,

And never let your spirit bend,

For in the end, the sun will shine,

And all will be yours, the sweet sunshine.

Giving Advice is not Advisable

 As human beings, we are always ready to be helpful, telling around what to do or our personal stories about how we do something, and it turns out all right. So by sharing our experiences, we advise friends and family on every occasion. It's second nature for some people to tell others what to do and choose even a simple scarf or dress. Darling green is your colour. You must wear green when you want to choose purple as we feel like wearing purple and that green 'advises' fill the wardrobe with three different greens. Life is full of bits of Advice or reviews about 'which school', 'what diet' or where to go and 'what to eat. Earlier, this Advice came from parents, friends, or dear old aunts in the neighbourhood, but now it is everywhere on social media or online shopping reviews. All this controls what we think, what we like, and who we are.

I have one central theme in my training: a counsellor giving Advice is not ethical, "You are not there to give a solution; Your job is to be empathic and listen. You have to be genuine". The person sitting opposite the seat asks you 'what you think about it and what you must do. Pause and repeat, of course, in your head boundaries, ethics And then, sorry, I am not here to tell you what to do. What do you think about it? Someone and something constantly probes us as the therapist, pushing us sometimes to say something, but hardcore training makes it firm. All those long essays we write and all those books we read, our tutors and supervisors make every effort and peel that layer off from us, and we always say we are not here to tell you what to do.

On the other hand, I am on the other side of the therapist's thoughts. I was feeling stressed, and I called everyone, and they told me I must see a therapist. They are trained and help you. So my idea of therapy was for someone to give me a tailor-made solution or a pill, and then everything became rosy, and my therapist asked me what I thought about it.

No one ever asks me what I think. My parents told me, do not to do it, or my teacher, 'Why don't you do this in that way? Then society, this is the norm, and this is not.

Ok, let me think …

Why are my eyes getting teary? What's wrong with me. Why am I crying about it? It's simple; just someone first time asks me what I think about it. It's not a big deal.

Why is the room so quiet…

Why is my therapist not saying anything? Where is the clock? Is time up? Can I run without saying goodbye and never return?

But …

What about the solution I need. Who will help me …

Oh, it's me who has to help myself. Why did someone never tell me about it? Its simple answer is in me, which is what I think about my issues, not someone else. So I sipped some water, looked up and said I needed to slow down and guess what I wanted, then what someone else told me to do.

Therapist, you look so calm, as if you have discovered something. Would you like to talk about it?

You just told me you must slow down. What do you mean by it…

You are beginning to be compassionate towards yourself. We are almost approaching the end. Why don't you tell me what you think of the self-care routine so you feel less stressed?

by Zahra

Daily Gratitude Practice

 

First, gratitude is arguably essential in achieving a happy state of mind. The key is to start your day right. When you wake up,

THANK GOD for everything you've been blessed with. Count at least three things you are grateful for. First, you should be thankful that you woke up again this morning. Congratulate yourself and feel gratitude that you are again alive. You and I take this life for granted, but did you know many people did not wake up today? Now look at your loved ones, your family or friends; they, too, are alive. You didn't get any shocking calls from your loved ones in the middle of the night, which means that your family and close friends are all well. You can never take this precious life for granted when one person dies every two seconds. So, start feeling grateful for that. If you are reading this on an electronic device or can buy things using your computer and internet connection, you are way better off than most of the

population on the planet; this is something else to feel grateful for. However, let's be clear, at no stage does feeling grateful mean one should become complacent and lazy. No, we should always give our best yet accept that things will not always work out the way we want while always being grateful at every level, whether material, physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. "Consistently grateful People are happier, more energetic, more hopeful, and report experiencing more frequent positive emotions. It tends to be helpful, empathic, spiritual, religious, forgiving and less materialistic than others who have lessened exposure to gratitude. Happiness happens as soon as you practice gratitude. When you express gratitude, you can never be sad simultaneously.

People who are grateful might not be depressed, anxious or lonely. Research demonstrated that people who kept a weekly gratitude journal for ten weeks and noted only five things they were thankful for were significantly happier than those who didn't.

How can gratitude be made a part of everyday life?

Simple. It doesn't take more than two minutes. As you wake up, try to count three good things in life. They don't need to be massive; they can be even more minor things like good sleep, the comfy feeling of your bed, a cool breeze outside your window, or seeing your partner or kids sleeping and relaxed. These simple things could be reasons for feeling grateful or anything you feel good about. Some people use a gratitude journal, where they write a few things

they are most thankful for daily. You can write in it anywhere, in any simple notebook. Whether you think about it or write about it, the key is consistency. Write three to five things about which you are grateful every morning. During the day, look at the things that are going well in your life and feel thankful for them. It reinforces this habit. Do the same thing before going to sleep. This practice is a lifesaver, as everyone invariably does when you hit a rough patch. "If you aren't grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more?" ~Roy T. Bennett. Practice it, and you will start to attract abundance and joy in your life. The key is to sincerely thank you from the heart and with feelings. Try it out for yourself. Benefits of gratitude: Physical: Stronger immune systems, less bothered by aches and pains, lower blood pressure, exercise more and better care of their health, sleep longer, and feel refreshed upon waking. Psychological: Higher levels of positive emotions, more alertness, aliveness, and awareness, more joy and pleasure, and more optimism and happiness. Social: More helpful, generous, compassionate, forgiving, outgoing, less lonely and isolated.

by Zahra 

The Path of Life's Sorrows

The path of life's sorrows, we tread it every day,

With heavy hearts and weary souls,

we find our way.

Through darkness and despair,

we search for the light,

But often times it seems so far,

out of reach and out of sight.

Regrets and memories linger in our minds,

Reminding us of what once was,

and what we left behind.

But still,

we press on,

through the pain and through the loss,

Hoping that one day,

our feet will find a way across.

We long for hope and happiness, but they elude us still,

And all we feel is emptiness,

a feeling that we can't fill.

But even on the darkest night,

a glimmer of hope shines,

Guiding us through the sorrows,

helping us to find the lines.

So let us journey on,

my friends,

through the hardships and the tears,

For though the path may be rough,

it is the journey that we must bear.

For in the end,

we'll find the light, and all our sorrows will subside,

And we'll look back and realize,

it was worth the path of life's sorrows to abide.

Giving Advice is not Advisable

 

  As human beings, we are always ready to be helpful, telling around what to do or our personal stories about how we do something, and it turns out all right. So, by sharing our experiences, we advise friends and family on every occasion. It's second nature for some people to tell others what to do and choose even a simple scarf or dress. Darling green is your colour. You must wear green when you want to choose purple as we feel like wearing purple and that green 'advises' fill the wardrobe with three different greens. Life is full of bits of Advice or reviews about 'which school', 'what diet' or where to go and 'what to eat. Earlier, this Advice came from parents, friends, or dear old aunts in the neighbourhood, but now it is everywhere on social media or online shopping reviews. All this controls what we think, what we like, and who we are.  

I have one central theme in my training: a counsellor giving Advice is not ethical, "You are not there to give a solution; Your job is to be empathic and listen. You have to be genuine". The person sitting opposite the seat asks you 'what you think about it and what you must do. Pause and repeat, of course, in your head boundaries and ethics. And then, sorry, I am not here to tell you what to do. What do you think about it? There is always someone and something probing us as the therapist, pushing us sometimes to say something, but hardcore training makes it firm. All those long essays we write and all those books we read, our tutors and supervisors make every effort to peel that layer off from us, and we always say we are not here to tell you what to do. 

On the other hand, I am a person on the other side of the therapist's thoughts. I was feeling stressed, and I called everyone, and they told me I must see a therapist. They are trained and help you. My idea of therapy was for someone to give me a tailor-made solution or give me a pill, then everything became rosy, and my therapist asked me what I thought about it. 

No one ever asks me what I think. My parents told me not to do it, or my teacher asked, 'Why don't you do this in that way? ' Then society said this was the norm, and this was not. 

Ok, let me think … 

why my eyes are getting teary? What's wrong with me. Why am I crying about it? It's simple; just someone first time asks me what I think about it. It's not a big deal.

Why is the room so quiet… 

Why is my therapist not saying anything? Where is the clock? Is time up? Can I run without saying goodbye and never return? 

But … 

what about the solution I need. Who will help me … 

oh, it's me who has to help myself. Why did someone never tell me about it? Its simple answer is in me, which is what I think about my issues, not someone else. I sipped some water, looked up, and said I needed to slow down and guess what I wanted and what someone else told me to do. 

Therapist, you look so calm, as if you have discovered something. Would you like to talk about it? 

You just told me you must slow down. What do you mean by it… 

it seems you are beginning to be compassionate towards yourself. We are almost approaching the end. Why don't you tell me what you think of the self-care routine so you feel less stressed? 

Art of saying ‘NO.’

The main point of saying ‘No’ is to say ‘yes’ to something else. But how to say it frequently and gracefully. Usually, we avoid saying ‘No’ because of social awkwardness and pressure or say ‘yes’ to everything. So how can we make it easier to say ‘No’?

1- When people ask us to do something, we think saying ‘no’ will impact our relationship with them. It seems incorrect or pleasant, but we must remind ourselves not to deny the connection or person. It will help us to make the right decision with courage and compassion. Soon people will know that you do not over-commit.

2- Do not find fancy ways of saying ‘No’ and keep it simple and blunt. Like I would like to help you, but I’m already overcommitted.

3- Remember what is essential and what needs to be done first. Give value to your time and commitment, as no one can do everything simultaneously.

4 by saying no, the first short-term impact on relationships is the reaction of annoyance, disappointment, or anger, but you will get respect and professionalism in the long run. We must choose between being popular by saying yes all the time or being respected only when we can do it but saying no often.

5- Make saying no consistently and gracefully and make it your lifestyle. Do not hide your no in silence or pause it and think if another person is getting your unavailability; otherwise, be bolder and say it. Don’t use a soft no like using the ‘word but’.

6- Email/text is an excellent point to start saying no and using a planner or digital calendar to clearly view your available time.

7- Of course, we cannot say no on some occasions, and persons like a manager or depending on what someone is asking at that point take a pause and tell them you have rescheduled some things to put this in, and you might need to make some arrangements, and you will let them know once you do it.

8- Use humour where you can or offer an alternate.

Empty Your Head by Journaling Daily

  

   You learned how heavy our mind’s workload is; thousands of thoughts run through our heads every hour. In our journey to build a happier brain, we must consciously generate more optimistic thoughts. But our minds are still in a primitive age and inclined to think of negative reviews more than positive ones. So, what do we do about it? The solution is to create another brain out of our brain: a brain that does the ‘storage’ work on paper, where you can dump out whatever is going on in your head and make your head empty once again. This process is called journaling. Having a separate paper brain outside will empty your head and allow you to control your thinking process by directing your thoughts in the way you want. In fact, journaling is considered the most beneficial kind of writing. “Expressive writing”, often connected with journaling, is incredibly therapeutic. The study found that participants who wrote about traumatic, stressful, or emotional events were significantly less likely to get sick and were ultimately less seriously affected by trauma than their non-journaling counterparts. You can distance yourself from your thoughts and emotions if you consistently start seeing them on paper. Precisely, your conscious memory and RAM (just like a computer) should not be used to store the running thoughts; instead, they should be used to create new ideas.

Writing empties the conscious space so that much better work can be

undertaken by the mind, such as generating fresh ideas and thoughts.

Moreover, you can now see what’s going on more objectively. You can

distinguish if something is just a fearful, negative thought or if it is really

worth paying attention to.

Journaling also makes you more grateful and happier because you can see all the good things happening in your life now.

What should you write in your journal?

What one should cover in one’s journal is as follows:

What are you grateful for regarding your previous day?

What are your specific accomplishments?

What are your particular desired areas of improvement?

What are the top five things that you must do today to take your life

to the next level?

Journaling is a technique to bring happiness. Here is how it works:

Sit in a quiet place, and take twenty to thirty minutes to think about what you expect your life to be one, five, or ten years from now. Visualize a future for yourself in which everything has turned out the way that you’ve wanted. You have tried your best, worked hard, and achieved all your goals. Now, write down what you imagine. In a sense, this writing exercise puts your optimistic ‘muscles’ into practice. Even if thinking about the brightest future for yourself doesn’t come naturally at first, it may get there with time and training. Amazing things can come about as a result of writing. Also, researchers recommend a 20-minute replay exercise. He says writing for 20 minutes about a positive experience is a GREAT way to boost your happiness. I’ve told you many approaches to journaling, as I didn’t want you to limit what has worked for me only. Everyone is different, so you may prefer a different technique to express your thoughts and emotions. This journaling exercise aims to empty your head and help you see your thoughts and feelings from afar. Again, ten minutes of daily journaling will start to enhance the level of your clarity and bring a smile to your face. You become more focused and action-oriented since you can see clearly on paper and identify what matters and is worth ignoring. 

Inked Imagination

Inked Imagination: Exploring Mental Health through Photography and Walk and Talk Therapy

As humans, we all have our struggles and hardships that we go through in life. Some of us may have experienced traumatic events or have ongoing mental health issues that we are dealing with. While there are various ways to cope with these challenges, one avenue that has been particularly helpful for me is photography.

I began my photography journey a few years ago as a hobby, but it quickly became much more than that. Through my camera lens, I captured moments of beauty and inspiration in my surroundings that I may have otherwise overlooked. It gave me a sense of purpose and helped me to find joy in even the most minor things.

But it wasn't just about the act of taking pictures. The process of editing and manipulating the images also became a form of therapy for me. It allowed me to express my creativity and emotions in a way I couldn't do with words alone. Through editing, I could take a photo and turn it into something entirely new, transforming it into a representation of my Imagination and emotions.

As my photography skills improved, I began to use my camera as a tool for therapy in another way - through the walk and talk therapy. This approach involves going for a walk with a therapist and using walking to release stress and engage in conversation.

For me, combining photography with this approach has been incredibly beneficial. During these walks, I bring my camera and take photos of anything that catches my eye. It helps shift my focus from my thoughts and worries to the beauty around me.

As I take pictures, my therapist and I converse about my thoughts and feelings, which helps me to process and work through them. Then, we use the images I've captured to visually represent and explore these emotions, allowing me to better understand my thoughts and feelings.

Through this combination of photography and walk-and-talk therapy, I have found a new sense of purpose and meaning in my life. It has allowed me to connect with my surroundings in a way I never thought possible and has given me the tools to manage my mental health healthily and productively.

Inked Imagination has become more than just a photography project for me - it's a journey of self-discovery and healing. I have found a way to express myself and work through my emotions by capturing and manipulating images. And through walk-and-talk therapy, I have found a way to connect with my surroundings and find peace in my mind.

I encourage anyone struggling with mental health issues or looking for a new way to express themselves to consider taking a camera and exploring the world around them. Who knows, it might just lead to self-discovery and healing like mine.

Label: "Mental Health," "Photography," "Therapy," "Self-Discovery"

Inner Lense

   

The Power of Poetry to Express Emotions

There is something unique about poetry that captures the essence of human emotions. Unlike other forms of writing, poetry allows for a deeper and more expressive exploration of the human condition. No wonder poetry has been a means of expressing one's feelings since the dawn of human civilization. In this blog post, we will explore the power of poetry to express emotions and why it remains a vital art form for individuals to connect with their innermost selves.

Poetry is a form of art capable of conveying complex emotions through language. Unlike prose, which often relies on logic and reasoning, poetry emphasizes imagery, metaphor, and symbolism to evoke feelings in the reader. Using words to paint vivid pictures and convey abstract concepts, poetry allows readers to connect with the author's emotions on a deeper level.

One of the most remarkable things about poetry is its ability to capture the fleeting nature of emotions. Emotions are often fleeting and difficult to express in words. Still, poetry allows for a more permanent representation of these feelings. Poets can use their words to immortalize their emotions and allow them to live on beyond the moment they experience.

Poetry can be a cathartic experience for both the writer and the reader. Writing poetry allows individuals to explore and process their emotions creatively and expressively. By putting their feelings into words, individuals can better understand and come to terms with their emotions. For readers, poetry can provide a sense of validation and comfort in knowing someone else has experienced similar emotions.

In addition to its emotional benefits, poetry is a means of artistic expression. It allows for the exploration of language and encourages experimentation with different forms and styles. Poets can create unique and memorable works that leave a lasting impression on the reader by playing with words and sentence structure.

In conclusion, poetry remains a powerful means of expressing emotions and connecting with one's innermost self. Its ability to capture the fleeting nature of emotions and provide a cathartic experience for the writer and the reader makes it a vital art form. So, the next time you struggle to express your feelings, consider picking up a pen and trying your hand at poetry. You may be surprised at what you discover about yourself in the process.

Inner Compass

  Navigating Life with Writing: How Journaling Can Help You Find Your Inner Compass

In the modern world, getting lost in the day-to-day chaos of life can be easy. However, it's essential to take time for self-reflection to explore our inner thoughts and feelings. Writing and Journaling are potent tools that help us stay connected to ourselves and our inner compass.

For centuries, writing has been used as a means of self-expression. From carving hieroglyphics into stone tablets to publishing online poetry, writing has allowed people to explore their emotions, experiences, and ideas. Journaling is a form of writing that allows individuals to track their thoughts and feelings over time.

We gain insight into our minds by writing down our thoughts and emotions. Writing can help us identify patterns in our behaviour, uncover hidden beliefs, and explore new ideas. It can act as a map that helps us navigate the terrain of our inner worlds.

Journaling is particularly effective as an inner compass. Individuals can track their moods, thoughts, and experiences by Journaling. It benefits those struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. In addition, Journaling can help individuals identify triggers for their negative emotions and develop coping strategies.

In addition to its mental health benefits, Journaling can help individuals stay on track with their personal goals. By writing down their goals and tracking their progress, individuals can stay motivated and focused on what's important. In addition, Journaling can provide a space for individuals to reflect on their values and priorities, helping them stay aligned with their inner compass.

Writing and Journaling are powerful tools for self-discovery and personal growth. Whether through creative writing, Journaling, or simply jotting down our thoughts throughout the day, writing can help us stay connected to our inner compass and navigate life's journey with greater clarity and purpose. So it's time to start journaling and find your inner compass today.

Label: Self-Discovery and Personal Growth, innercompass