Tag: faith

  • An immersive experience…

    An immersive experience…

    Tell us one thing you hope people say about you.

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Today’s prompt is a long reach not just for me but for any person who writes because we carry a lot of hope with each word we pen down…

    With every word we choose, we craft our world, bringing it to your eyes and ears. A Writer’s heartfelt hope is that what we write is so immersive that you can truly step into the shoes of the person we are trying to portray;

    And,

    When this sort of experience is achieved and the reader lets us know that “It felt like we swapped places with the person in the writing and were able to feel the pain and happiness as their own..”

    There’s nothing better for me to hear than this, that a piece of text was immersive enough that it made them(the reader) believe that what they read was real(even if it was fictional..)

    Do you feel that there is anything better than people telling you that it felt like they were in the shoes of the person you wrote about…?

    Not me…!

    Well it depends on person to person what they feel makes them a better writer;

    It’s a Sunday and I hope today brings you some peace and happiness, and you open your eyes to your loved ones and embrace them first thing in the morning…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

  • My first day at school and at work…

    My first day at school and at work…

    Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Well I’m not a parent right now and don’t plan on being one anytime soon, but if time and life exists I’d love to have at least one child…!

    Well I can share with you two instances,

    One being the very first day I started school. I remember it was a Monday and my mother and father drove me to my school where I saw children crying as it was the orientation day and as parents separated from their children they walked back to the school gate with tears streaming down their cheeks, screaming “mumma/papa” whoever they were close with,

    But me,

    I was completely silent and wished them goodbye too, as I sat on my seat in an empty classroom because many skipped the first day as the children began crying as they came near the school gate;

    All in it was a good day, we had fun, learnt new things and that was it for the day, around 12 it was our time to go back home, and I remember tears in my Mother’s eyes as she came to take me back to home and i was happy to see her as we went back home…

    Another instance is first day at work…;

    It was the middle of August and my father told me to swing by work, to drop off something that they forgot home, and as I arrived at the workplace I greeted him and gave him a file that he forgot, and as I was about to leave he asked me about work..?

    And I wanted to know what he meant,

    He said Point blank that he wanted me to continue our family business and also study as I got time to which I told him that either it will be work or studies because industrial work requires a strong backbone and working long tireless hours which in fact affect the other 16 hours of your life making you extremely tired and stressed about the next day…

    And as I started work I fought a lot with him with myself too, because all of the studies I perused came to a halt and all of my relationships built came to a standstill, because I hadn’t earned anything yet and I was given an ultimatum that they won’t be spending any more money on my studies and I have to work there…

    And after learning that a piece of my feelings began to die for my father each day,

    But this day that my father is no longer among us I believe that it was the best thing to happen because we bonded over things that made us similar and I got to spend more time with him during his final years with them…

    A win-win for the both of us…

    Didn’t want to take it to such a negative point but life happens…

    Well happy weekend to those who have the days off and enjoy your life to the fullest, hug your kids and tell them you love them…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

  • To experiences that shape us…

    To experiences that shape us…

    Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Yes, I’ve had a few opportunities to present myself on stage with and without a group;

    I presented a speech all alone twice and I had all of the fear before it, legs feeling like jelly, those eyes staring at me like I owe them something, but once in my zone I performed what I had to it was a speech about a religious leader the topic that I picked way back…

    Another one was a rather small group that worked in an informal setting a few strangers and a piece of information that we shared and debated it to come to a standard conclusion,;

    A mere two person discussion turned into a few people taking their side and my side, it was a topic that has such a deep belief that we all had views on it “God’s existence and his overlooking those who were unfortunate…”

    And after the heat of discussion subsided we all had tea and called it a night as we walked away a bit better person, by learning someone’s side and some facts that even changed our beliefs…

    There were instances that we had musical performances during schooling too, which were often in groups because they shifted the focus and stress from a single child to the group, which was fun and enjoyable even for the audience because they were a part of us too as they enjoyed it as much as us…

    A few instances but they shaped a version that can be traced deviated from a standard path to what it is now expanding forever…

    To experiences like these that shape us for the better;

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

  • The stress associated after work…

    The stress associated after work…

    What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    The part of routine that I can avoid or skip would be the stress associated with work that constantly looms over my head…

    The constant pressure of preparing, of being active and on my toes has broken the foundation that I stand on;

    Some days it feels like a break from it would be better,

    But returning to it feels like a trap that I exited for a little while,

    after seeing clear open skies I have to walk into the cage to be trapped yet again and work within these tubes that trap my existence within them for 10 hours daily…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

  • Some laughters and life lessons worth hearing…

    Some laughters and life lessons worth hearing…

    What podcasts are you listening to?

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Well there aren’t many podcasts that I’m in these days but there are a few that bless my ears…

    One of the podcasts that I used to listen to was “Violating community guidelines” by Sarah Schauer and Brittany Broski;

    I know weird names but they complimented each other and the funny instances on their podcasts were so hilarious that I often laughed out while working making people think that I’ve gone crazy 🤪..

    48 episodes discussing the trends on the social media and what went on during the year 2022 and the end of it,

    Started in January of ‘22 ending in December of the same year, Ive found myself to go back to it year after year and boost my mood and give me laugh whenever life pins me down…

    These days I’m invested in a podcast called Alan watts daily wisdom and yes they’re sharing the timeless teachings of the philosopher Alan watts through ai in his voice to all the world to listen and view too…

    Started a month ago and 24 videos in gathering a whopping 108k followers as we speak (on yt) I’ve found it very helpful and informative by giving me insight to live this life better in ways that are often overlooked…

    Hope you will find these worth your while…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

  • Life saving advices to cut screen time…

    Life saving advices to cut screen time…

    How do you manage screen time for yourself?

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    I’m pretty sure most of the world is suffering with this disease of a very long screen time, hooked on Instagram reels, YouTube shorts and videos, clips on TikTok and many more…

    Time seem to pass by so quickly when we are hooked on them that it feels unreal;

    You started watching them at 10 at night and suddenly it’s 1:30 before you can see the time on the phone which was there all the time…

    There are a lot of things that I use to achieve my goal of reducing screen time a few of them are->

    • Having a separate phone for doing writing without any distractions so that I can focus when otherwise I would find a way to stop writing and doom-scroll Instagram..
    • Tracking screen time on both my phones just to keep in touch with how much I used a single app and how much I need to cut back…
    • Presetting a timer on each app which I use a lot for example I set a timer for an hour on Instagram which is a lot less from 4-5 hours which used to happen without knowing…
    • Trying to avoid using phones for the first few hours I usually wake up and pen my ideas or any dreams that I had, which makes all of it interesting as it boosts my writing skills and also imaginative skills which help me remember what happened in my dream world…
    • And at last, I keep my phones a bit away from me like for charging away from me when I have free time so I’d have to walk to it to get it as I’m on my bed, which cuts the interest in getting up and grabbing it a bit more…

    The last one is a big mind thing I know…😭😂

    And I hope these works for someone in need…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

  • Failed attempts at remembering my childhood…

    Failed attempts at remembering my childhood…

    Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live?

    Hi…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    (I hope Halloween went for all those who celebrated..)

    I’d love to live a specific age in my life once again, well tbh I’m not that old yet but there’s an age which I’d like to return once and live my life to the fullest…

    It would be my childhood i.e. the age when I was between 6 years to 12 years, because I see people remember their childhood,

    but I really have no clue as to what my childhood was or what were my quirks or things that I used to do…

    I’ve seen people remember their childhood with photos and memories, but it’s all a hazy flashbacks for me, every once in a while someone will ask how my childhood was and I’d remember bits and pieces of it nothing more ;(

    I know it might feel sad to hear, but when you actively fight for survival after being the sole earner, things tend to fall apart real soon…

    Every once in a while someone in my family will say do you remember that (A core memory from my childhood)..?

    I’d shake my head and agree with them even if they lie through their teeth, because I have little to no recollection of what happened back then…

    It’s sad and disappointing but that’s how it is for me, so I’d like to live my childhood once again…

    Cheers (To some dreams that might come true in the near future) 🥂

    Love Waakiye🤍

  • Spirituality in India: Beliefs and Contradictions

    Spirituality in India: Beliefs and Contradictions

    Daily writing prompt
    How important is spirituality in your life?

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    Well,
    The country that I belong to,
    has very deep-rooted spiritual beliefs,
    which makes it one of the most populous,
    religious based countries in the world…

    A place like India,
    which is the birthplace of many religions,
    including,

    • Hinduism
    • Jainism
    • Buddhism &
    • Sikhism

    There are widespread religious beliefs around the place I exist,
    A big Hindu temple within 500 meters of my residence,
    A mosque within the same distance,
    And within a 10-minute drive,
    a Sikh temple called a Gurudwara,
    and a Jain temple too within that,
    and crossing the gurudwara you’ll find a church too
    (In opposite directions tho)…

    I mean,
    all the hustling bustling goes on during the day,
    and by the night,
    those people who sat Infront of the religious places,
    begging for money,
    become the richest as they buy alcohol and other intoxicants,
    and do it yet again Infront of the said religious place and take rest on the pavement or the sidewalk,
    when nothing else matters,
    because they have already eaten their full,
    during the day…

    This is the enabling that religion has done,
    Of course,
    when asked it’s said,
    “They’re not responsible for what goes outside the premises…”
    like they can’t physically enforce the stoppage of this,
    by appointing people whose sole responsibility is to deter such people…

    But,
    things like this happen,
    Again and again,
    because they just up and move themselves away from the area,
    the area which they have to “keep clean”,
    the entire crowd moves,
    and the same thing happens,
    a few meters away…
    (Us Indians and our way to hack anything’s that’s enforced right…?)

    Coming back to the prompt’s question…

    The things like these,
    the hacks,
    the people who become these addicts by the night,
    the people who among the chaos,
    become the thieves,
    snatchers,
    took a long time ago my faith on religion…

    The way,
    the internal management of a religious place functions,
    is the same as a business,
    they do take up cost cutting,
    the prasad (the food presented to the deities),
    is used and recycled,
    for those who don’t take it home,
    and sold to the same devotees yet again…

    Being one of the most religious countries,
    and praying the G0ds and G0desses,
    and on the other hand,
    we hear news of a girls being brutally Rped,
    people being killed over little things,
    family disputes making people kill their own flesh and blood,
    but,
    on the other hand,
    this becomes a birthplace of religions,
    and a hub of spiritual beliefs…

    The stark contrast,
    in what’s told,
    what’s heard,
    what’s seen,
    and what’s reported…

    A toast to chaos,
    and such a widespread nature of ill management of it…

    Cheers 🥂

    Ashamed Waakiye🤍

    A star here,
    Another there,
    another one,
    where it shouldn’t have been,
    A havan,
    an offering,
    and all of it shall go away…

    The already G0d fearing,
    Thinks,
    “G0d forbid,
    another problem…”
    So,
    they set the appointment,
    and a priest appears,
    at the given time…

    Taking place of a G0d,
    Or his minion,
    he prays and prays,
    and burns incense,
    using wood using camphor,
    creates a place packed with soot,
    and smoke,
    a heavenly fragrance it leaves,
    until its cleared,
    and things become the same,
    same as the day before…

    The same chaos,
    the same panic,
    the same things,
    repeat the next,
    and the same problems,
    become the common,
    like it was the day before…

    “The Star That Shouldn’t Be”
  • Conquering the Fear of Death: Insights and Reflections

    Conquering the Fear of Death: Insights and Reflections

    Daily writing prompt
    What fears have you overcome and how?

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    There are constant fears that stay on this mind,
    bugging it,
    making it worry unnecessarily,
    by taking a good chunk of mind and its processing…

    Imagine you’re at work,
    and a random thought comes and interrupts your thinking,
    sometimes it comes when you’re sitting at your desk,
    or in a meeting,
    explaining a presentation,
    that can be make and break type thing,
    But,
    being human,
    there are many things whose answers are unknown to us,
    till yet,
    even with all of the advancements,
    in the fields of science and technology…

    The question in question…
    “The Paralyzing fear of death and what follows…”

    The question whose answer is unknown and shall remain until the near future,
    but,
    seeing many from my family taken up by it,
    and making numerous trips to places like Haridwar,
    where remains of the deceased are taken and scattered as per our rituals,
    but,
    there’s something that even that fails to answer..

    WHY,
    WHY DO WE DIE…?

    The fear stays as we watch our elders grow weak,
    their movements,
    their agility take fall,
    they aren’t as strong as they used to be,
    but,
    it feels like they are using their remainder,
    to live,
    and within a few more years they’ll be using their reserve too,
    and after that,
    when we will reach a stage where,
    their existence will be replaced by us,
    and our young ones and the cycle shall continue forever…

    Maybe,
    the day we are supposed to leave and go back to the constant,
    the non-existence of life,
    or a free space where we reside permanently away from the cycle of life or death,
    our departure is calculated at the very beginning,
    so is our birth at the time of our conception,
    but away from it all,
    where we live without this fear,
    the constant fear of running out of time…

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye 🤍

    Maybe,
    just maybe,
    this is how it feels…?

    A path that’s darkened,
    with a door that stays open,
    waiting for our return,
    waiting to come back to a place that we left,
    those whom we left…

    Maybe a few moments have passed,
    as they inquired my whereabouts,
    where have i been,
    and with a smirk,
    I reply,
    I was just here,
    went out for a breather…

    And,
    just like that i lived a life,
    entirety of it,
    within a few moments,
    and no-one batted an eye,
    as we continued to sit in that room,
    staring at the walls,
    occasionally talking,
    letting out a sigh,
    and someone leaving the room,
    returning after a few minutes,
    with changed expressions…

    Some faces had dread,
    some were epitome of happiness,
    some were neutral,
    and some had fear that resembled a loss of life or,
    a broken bone or a severed limb,
    waiting for their turn yet again…

    On this floor,
    a big hall with uncountable rooms on this side and other side too,
    stretching as far as eyes can see,
    with a lift on one side that goes on floors wherever there’s room,
    last i checked as i went to get a breather,
    it was returning from floor 1618…

    “A cycle just like this”

  • Do You Practice Religion? A Personal Reflection

    Do You Practice Religion? A Personal Reflection

    Daily writing prompt
    Do you practice religion?

    Hey…

    I hope all of you are doing well…

    I really wanted this to be one of the questions/prompts,
    well before I started,
    because,
    i like to study people and their religious beliefs,
    and the way they carry it forwards after getting it from their grandparents to their parents,
    and now it’s finally their turn to pick up the rituals that their parents carried,
    watching it happen ever since a child,
    and now they embrace it with their open arms…

    I don’t practice any religion,
    or openly say that i am a part of any religion,
    but,
    in our household,
    both Hinduism and Sikhism are practiced;

    Upbringing of your parents and their place of birth matters a lot,
    My father’s origin was from Panjab,
    whereas my mom’s were from Haryana,

    both the places had a connection with Both of the religions,
    But,
    Haryana tended to have a deeper connection to Hinduism,
    her place of birth being next to Kurukshetra which is associated to the Mahabharata war,
    and birthplace of Bhagavada Gita,

    And Panjab, on the other hand has deep rooted beliefs with Sikhism,
    being the birthplace of the religion,
    that people follow worldwide…

    So,
    a mix of both is followed and respected in our household,
    but,
    that doesn’t mean we degrade other religions,
    we respect those religion that we don’t follow,
    because that’s how we are…

    I was taught to be a better person before practicing any religion,
    if someone follows Islam, Christianity or any other religion,
    it has been ingrained in my being to let people follow and practice their faith,
    until it becomes a problem for me,
    forced conversions and such,
    (a big issue here…)

    But,
    answering the question,
    do i practice any religion,
    actually i don’t…

    i believe in atheism,
    that there is no belief in me of deity worshiping,
    or praying a stone or a clay made and painted figurine,
    that most of the people follow around me…

    BUT,
    that doesn’t mean i forbid anyone else of their choice,
    they can and should do it,
    if they feel like,
    and they won’t ever hear it from my mouth that this is wrong or right,
    until they want,
    truly want my answer…

    WOULD YOU EVER WANT A MORAL COMPASS,
    THAT ALLOWS OR DOESN’T ALLOW YOU TO DO SOMETHING,
    OR,
    A BELIEF,
    THAT WHATEVER YOU DO,
    IT’S ADVANTAGE OR BLAME SHALL BE PAID AFTER YOUR EXISTENCE HAS LEFT THIS EARTH…?

    So,
    you do bad things,
    and justify it with religion,
    or,
    make others suffer just because you won’t have to face consequences now,
    but in an afterlife that you don’t even know exists or not..

    Food for thought

    Cheers 🥂

    Love Waakiye🤍

    As i watch,
    the world run down…

    Run down into ruins,
    by those who call themselves,
    the saviors…

    The savior that believes,
    by hook or by crook,
    his word shall remain the truth…

    The sole truth that prevails,
    is that we are humans,
    before being divided by faith..

    A faith that i follow,
    a fight that ensues,
    my fight,
    the fight,
    it goes on between me and my fate…

    Between me and my faith,
    a person who sits back like a wraith,
    all observant,
    until it’s his turn,
    to narrate…

    “A personal quest…
    To reclaim the voice,
    I let silence arrest.”