Congratulations

A short post, just to get it off my chest....


I survived today. I don't know how or even why, but I did. 






I'd like to self-congratulate myself.




Congratulations.

Metastasis

Day 2:

I feel....I don't know how I feel actually. It's a whirlpool of emotions; hard to identify and explain. More stable now; think things might be making more sense now. I'm not sure if I'm shocked or not...or in a state of shock...there's something there; a thudding, vibrating pain of some sort, a constantly present elephant in every room, every corner I go to. I'd like it to leave but I don't think that's possible any more. I took the step of writing that letter this morning- it was hard. I guess, unlike what i'd previously thought, the third time isn't a charm. Or whatever. Life must go on – despite the strong urge I'm experiencing to remain sitting here for the rest of it. I idealise myself to be consistently strong, but the weakness is hard to ignore. It's something that I must develop. Something tells me that my mind might be over-exaggerating the situation; it may not be as bad as I might be construing it to be.

It's a very “wish I didn't know now, what I didn't know then” sort of situation. It's like a permanent scar that is going to remain with you all your life, whether or not things work out. This moment can't be reversed; memories cannot be altered, emotions cannot be controlled and regrets cannot be rectified now. It's a little too late. But all you can do it to wait it out, cope and.....carry on.  

Say It Isn't So

Do you know how it feels to have your world crash down on you?

Do you know what it's like to feel like everything around you is a nightmare?

Have you ever felt a hopelessly desperate need to turn back time?

Have you ever felt such grounding regret that it makes you want to physically hurt yourself?

Do you feel a lack of faith resonate your body like an earthquake?

Do you know what it feels like to be a helpless bystander?

Have you ever felt your future hopes and dreams become unimaginable?

Do you know what it's like to hate God?

No?

Imagine all of this hitting you like a million little pieces- at once.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Let's Celebrate Death

So I was thinking about how a majority of the world is celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden. Case in point: the endless congratulatory messages from world leaders from all over the world, and the scords of people who formed celebratory mobs outside the White House, shouting pro-American slogans after the “extermination” announcement was made. It makes me think about our species, how we live by hypocritical, double-standards and how we've become insensitive, unhumane animals in an era which supposedly promotes peace, diversity, acceptance and prosperity. I don't see any of it- anywhere. All I see and hear about are deaths, bombing, terrorism, poverty and wars over land and natural resources. What have we become and what has made us this way? Why are we becoming so immune to the injury, pain, distress and death of human life? I don't want to sound like I'm in favour of OLB's life-mission, but I don't think that the solution (for both parties, America and Al-Qaeda in this case) is resorting to killing people. Everyone has a family- a mother, a sister, a father, a brother, best friends, uncle, aunts- that is left behind to suffer and mourn the loss of someone who meant the world to them. The 3,000+ Americans who were killed in the 9/11 attack are no different from the 19,629 civilians killed in Afghanistan since the war there commenced (My aim is not to highlight the disparity in the statistics between the two countries).


I'd like to quote some of the reactions to OLB's death:

“USA! USA! USA! USA! Bin Laden’s been killed! Just texted every number in my contacts!,” - Random Tweet

“Justice has been done,” - Barack Obama

“We finally got him, justice has been done.” - Senator John McCain

“We welcome the death of one of the world’s most dangerous men and highly appreciate the United States’ help in crushing this global enemy,” - Chairul Akbar, secretary general of the anti—terrorism agency in Indonesia

Osama Bin Laden was no angel- I don't advocate his mission or anything that involves killing people (innocent or “evil”). I can't imagine what distress, trauma and pain those 3000+ victims of 9/11 had to go through before they died; not to mention the people who bore witness to the entire ordeal that morning, and the suffering of the families of the people who were less fortunate had to undergo. It's not easy. As humans we're programmed to be emotional, sensitive and weak. So, whether it's an afghani woman who lost her husband in a drone attack, or an elderly man whose US Armed Forces soldier son died in Iraq by a stray roadside bomb, the feelings of losing a person you love remain constant the world over.


So, how can we sit here and rejoice at the death of ANYONE? It doesn't matter whether or not he/she deserves it- who are you to judge? Who are you the end the life of another person? Revenge is not the answer; it only breeds further contempt and violence. It's like a viscious cycle that is never-ending.


Do I want to be a part of a world that believes that the road to peace lies in the murder of members of the human race?


Food for thought.

Baby Got a Little Problem

Baby got a little problem with the drugs man
And I tried to stop her, well
But she loves them
But I can’t do nothing that, last one man
Her nose keeps on bleeding but it’s, but it’s
but it’s nothing and I
And I won’t forget when, when she said

I lick a ring around this L
So that it burns all night
And I pass round that philly so, so
So we can all get high
You see I never knew
I never had a clue that
That you were capable of love

- Capable, K.O

From a Psychotic Girlfriend, With Love: “Five things I'd like to teach the average Pakistani Boyfriend.”

"So you call me crazy, huh?"

(A note to any idiot who will read this and get offended: No, this is satirical piece based on nothing factual.)


1) You made your choice, deal with it:

Think back to the time when you began liking your girlfriend (let's name her Sadia to make my writing easier). So, Sadia was just the girl you thought would be perfect for you: she was pretty, confident, intelligent, sociable, had a body you wanted to keep holding all the fucking time, she laughed at your jokes although you knew she didn't find them funny, she gave you those sexual innuendos which were oh-so-appealing....and somehow, despite being a tigress with you, managed to wow your mum with her domesticated facade. So, now, you and Sadia have really hit it off and it's come to that point where you're talking to each other all night, indirectly insinuating your feelings for each other, exhausting your SMS packages more rapidly than usual, and ofcourse, sickening your best friend with the stories of “ OMG ALI SHE TOLD ME SHE WANTED TO LICK MY CALVES LAST NIGHT!”

Eventually, you pop the question..she says yes, obviously and you two become an “item”. The first month is glorious: the excitement, butterflies, the awkward kisses which eventually improve and become amazing, the dates and sweet love talks ofcourse. But one day, Sadia tells you she doesn't like that pair of green Converse sneakers you were absolutely loved. Okay fine. You didn't wear them infront of her.

The pressure increases.

“Salman, I don't like you talking to Ayesha. She's such a slut. Why did she say hello to you? She only said hi to make me jealous!”

“Umm..okay Sadia...I'll try to keep out of her way.”

But it's not enough .

“Salman, do you KNOW what Faiz did today? I saw him staring at you. OMG he's gay isnt he! You CAN'T ever talk to him again! Promise me!”
“Sadia he's not gay. He was probably just looking over his shoulder.”

“I'm going to cry! I can't handle this!”, comes the reply as she starts screaming her lungs out until you have no other option but to concur that Faiz, poor thing, is gay with a irreversible crush on you.




Two weeks pass.




You get a text in the middle of the day saying “When you messaged me telling me that you loved me, you didn't add an exclamation mark at the end of it.you wrote “I love you.”, but not “I love you!!!!!” You don't love me anymore! I KNEW it! It's Faiz isn't it! I always knew you were gay! I hate you! I hate your guts! Fuck off! I never want to see you again! I hope you die and get eaten by maggots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “

Silence.


Well, Salman. You made the choice, so now you have to live with it. I don't understand why boys don't expect girls to be emotional. It's like its some sort of revelation to them when they experience it first hand. And they react in two ways; they either a) flake out b) cry

Relationships aren't only about what you know of the person when you first start going out with him/her, but about the new aspects you discover; and yeah, that could mean that you run the risk of finding out that your girlfriend is a serial rapist (if you're really lucky).

Like honestly, if you want no drama, no emo bullshit....go out with yourself. Masturbate. Your dick is your best friend for life.

2) No, I will not wear a shuttlecock burqa to that crazy party happening on Saturday night.

No, we don't live in 400 BC anymore. No we don't all support the Taliban. Yes, we like being sluts at times. No, I will not wear that shirt with a neckline that reaches my chin. No, my dad's name is not Osama Bin Laden.

Boys think it's very sweet and caring and affectionate of them to impose restrictions on their girlfriends which conserve their girlfriends reputation and dignity. But honestly, it's pissing off.

Do I tell you to pull your pants up when your swagger around with half of your bright green boxers visible to the world? No. I don't care.

Don't tell me who I can or cannot go out with. Don't order my food for me; yes I want that deep friend chicken drowned in heavy garlic mayo cream with a side order of potato wedges AND fries.

Don't stop me from consuming what I want to consume. That's my personal duel with God. You have your demons to battle when God will be asking you about that time your mom caught you having sex with your ex-girlfriend in your dadi's bed.

Yes, I will act like a retard on ecstacy if I want to. I will be loud and obnoxious. I will cuss in urdu and laugh like a mad-man if I want to. Don't make that disgusted face.

You chose to be with me.

And NO. I will NOT cancel my plans with my girlfriends just because you're free after hanging out with your boys all day. No, I will not.


3) I'm not your maid.

Just because I'm a girl doesnt mean I'm your maid.

I will not wash your underwear.

I will not make your bed.

I will cook for you once in a while but don't make it a regular expectation.

If you pee'd you pants by mistake, no I will not sit there and lovingly wash your boxers for you (the same applies if you thought you needed to fart but accidently soiled yourself).

Yes, I might enjoy some of the things I do for you because I like/love you, but that doesn't mean that you don't reciprocate. If I ask you to do something for me, don't be a selfish bitch- be caring enough as to listen to me. So what if I want you to give me a bikini wax? So what if I ask you to play dress up with me and cats? So what if I want you to wash my period stained jeans?

Reciproate. Balance it out. Equalise the relationship. Don't expect things from me that you expect your maid to do.

4) Yes, I will complain, nag, seek attention, be pampered. I have a vagina.

Did you think that I was born without emotions? Just because I was all cool and composed with you initially doesn't mean that I don't want to occassionally yell at you, cuss you out, cry my eyes out, want you all to myself, expect surprises from you, be taken out on dates, be pampered, be taken to that new boutique that just opened up although you detest going shopping or being bought that flower randomly?

Yes, I'd like you to empathise with me and give me what I want. Don't get pissed off when I get my period. Did I choose my biology? I'm not a customized Subway sandwich.

Yes I will get pissed at you during my time of the month. Understand. What if you had blood coming out of your vagina for 5 days straight every month of your fucking life till you were 50? 

What if you had to either wear a mini pillow between your legs or stick a oversized capsule in your vagina (which by the way, you hadto pull out with a string that was attached to it. What if the string broke? Whatchu gonn' do now, huh?)

Don't give me bullshit about your 'bro's over hoe's” policy. I bet if I told you I was lying waiting in your bed with only a rose in my mouth, you'd immediately forget all about this “bro code”. I don't mean for you to ignore your friends, but maintain a balance. I'm not your pet iguana.

5) You're the man. Act like a man, not a statue.

Please don't act like a pussy. You don't have one.

Don't be an emo little prick. Don't cry everytime we fight. Stand up for me when you need to (but don't over-protect me).

No I don't want a 10 page letter in my inbox after every fight we have, in which you tell me about how your feelings were hurt and how you were about to cry but stopped yourself until after I hung up.

No.

But then again, don't be an emotionless statue. If I ask you how your day was , don't tell me you don't know. You have feelings, you're human.

And lastly....when I go bra shopping, NO you cannot come inside the changing room with me.

Happy Birthday to Me

10th may. One day till I turn 22 and I feel this uneasy sense of anxiety seeping through my body. I can't explain where it's coming from and how EXACTLY it's making me feel. It's a sense of fear of moving forward and of adding a year to my life. It's scary. I know I'm not turning 50 or something, but if I really think about it, just a couple of years ago, 22 seemed like s huge number- and now, here I am...22 in 24 hours.

Life has passed by pretty quickly. It seems as if it was just yesterday that I was standing in the morning assembly line at school, aged 10. Life was so easy back then. People were so pure. The world didn't have so many expectations from you; your responsibilities revolved around completing your homework (colouring geographical maps, making sentences of the 5 new words you had learnt at school that day). Your friends were innocent and young- you'd play baraf/paani during school break times, you'd cry because a boy would hit you, the most scandalous thing you'd hear was about someone being caught reading sweet valley UNIVERSITY instead of TWINS during library period. Those were the good days. You had no regrets, no feeling of emptiness, regret or societal pressures controlling your every move. You were left to yourself to express yourself and be who you felt you wanted to be. You didn't know what the world was really like so you were always in a hurry to grow up- to SAY that you were a teenager, to experience independence and autonomy, to sit on that stage on your wedding day in that carefully picked out wedding dress. These were your dreams. You wanted to be that doctor, that actress, that vet, that model, that journalist- these were your goals.
But you always wanted more. You didn't know that growing up and entering the world was no walk in the park; you didn't realise that what you had was what older people envied- youth, freedom and carelessness.

You'd go to sleep and wake up with thoughts of that boy you'd had a crush on for months- the biggest heartbreak was the fact that he didn't know that you existed. So you'd do everything you could to be noticed. You'd feel conscious every time you'd see him- you wondered whether he thought you were pretty or not, were you talking okay, would he be interested in you? You'd fantasize about that day when he'd finally come up to you and profess his romantic inclination for you- but more often than never would this actually materialize.

You would jump around, play, skip, dance, scream and shout like no one was watching. Your egocentricity was a gift that you didn't treasure as much as you should because you were too busy yearning to grow up. You hated being told what to do by your parents, not being allowed to go to park towers without someones mom following you around everywhere you went, being told what sort of clothes you were and weren't allowed to wear outside the house, being interrogated about that boy you had begun talking to on the phone late at night, amongst other things.

Your parents were your enemies. In your eyes, you were the know-all. Their experience didn't count for shit. You'd have regular fights with them over the get togethers and parties they wouldn't allow you to attend, the boys who they felt were getting too chummy with you and of course..the constant negotiations about your curfew.

Life was good. We just didn't know it. And it's probably the same right now. On the night before my 40th birthday. I might look back at my twenties and wish that I'd been more grateful Of my youth. And I am. But I still can't help but fear growing up. This birthday brings me closer to significant life events such as graduating from college, having to get a job, getting married, managing married life, raising a family etc. I'll never get this time of my life back again. It'll never be the same again. And as much as I want to sit here and try to treasure this moment and this age, I can't help but feel like rewinding and starting my life from scratch. I have regrets that I wish to amend, experiences that I'd like to relive, people who I'd like to meet again, family traditions that I'd like to reignite, actions that I'd like to undo, bad decisions that I'd like to correct and peace of mind that I'd please like back.

Our innocence is something of the past, and corruption is the thing of the present. Sometimes I think about the effort our parents put into trying to lead us on to the right path- the lengths they'd go to to make sure that we learnt to differentiate between right and wrong so that we could preserve our innocence, so that we'd would become good human beings. What would they think now? Have we done justice to their love? Have we cheated them in a way? What will it be like when we have children of our own? If only our parents knew.

So here I am. One day before my birthday, looking back on my life, thinking about the good times and the bad. I've had a pretty fucking good life. Gods been very kind to my family and myself. I've gotten everything that i ever wanted- whether or not it was beyond our means. I'm not emotionally scarred in any way- any regrets that I have are due to my own decisions and actions ; they cannot be blamed on anyone else but myself and I'm okay with that. I want to stay where i am. I don't want to grow up. I want live life in rewind, if that's possible. I know that's not possible but it's worth wishing for.

Happy birthday.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

My Personal Dragon

I was going through Psychology Today and chanced upon this beautiful article that I'd like to share:

Sit In The Belly Of Your Personal Dragon

by Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps 

A long time ago, in the middle of a great countryside, there was a village terrorized by a dragon. A young knight came to its rescue, charging the dragon on his trusted steed. But before he could even get close, the creature merely yawned a fiery yawn and incinerated the poor lad. Then, a more experienced knight, equally fearless, approached the dragon. Using a fine, sturdy sword, he attempted to slay it. But, no matter how hard he swung that sword, it simply bounced off the dragon's scales. The dragon smashed this knight with his mighty tail. Knights from kingdoms far and wide came to demonstrate their courage and strength. They attacked with all manner of weapons - spears, battle-axes, cross-bows, and catapults. But every one lost his life to this great beast. Finally, one day, there appeared a stranger in the village. He was a bit worn down by life and carried no weapons, but he walked with a quiet strength. He asked the townspeople all about the dragon and went to observe it himself. Then, with an intense focus, he slowly - but unhaltingly - approached. And, when the awesome monster opened its mouth - apparently to spit fire - the man simply walked right inside and sat down in the belly of the great beast. After a blast of heat and some angry roars, the dragon disappeared in a puff - leaving the seated man.

I was recently reminded of this tale, which that I had read many years ago (so, more accurately, this is my memory of the tale). What made me think of it was watching a number of patients struggle with being terribly distressed, and wanting desperately out of their current situations. What's that got to do with dragons?

The tale suggests that you should do what you fear most - sit in the belly of your personal monster. That is, develop an inner calmness and strength so that you can sit with your emotions, thoughts, and beliefs.

You might be asking; How could this possibly help? The answer is based in the idea that your emotional distress (or failure to be the person you'd like to be) probably results from your being alienated from yourself. You don't want to feel hurt, so you pretend not to care; that is, until you are overcome by a tsunami of hurt. In an attempt to lose weight, you try to ignore your hunger; but are eventually compelled by an insatiable monster that demands to be fed.

The best way to respond to these experiences isn't to try harder or to pretend that your struggles don't exist. Instead, you must accept your distress; enter into that painful inner landscape, and walk through it.

By doing this, your compulsion to avoid those painful parts of your experience will no longer drive you from yourself. You will learn to tolerate them. And then you will learn to accept them. When you accept your emotions or experiences, no matter how painful or difficult they are, you also more fully accept yourself. You may be sad or angry or lonely; or something else; but once accepted, those experiences will feel 'right,' much as grief - even though it is painful - feels right when you have lost someone you love. In accepting your emotions, you are sitting in the belly of the beast.

Not only does achieving this self-acceptance mean that you can then feel better about yourself, but it is also empowering. It allows you to figure out whether there really is a problem beyond your merely cowering from your emotions. If there is, it enables you to look at it more clearly; and gives you the chance to approach it in a more confident, effective way.

You may wonder how you can learn to accept your emotions when they can be so upsetting and overwhelming. And, this is a good question. Some common ways are with personal journaling, meditation, mindfulnesspractices, and therapy. But just knowing that you need to accept all of your experiences is an important step in itself - because if you are not convinced of its importance, you probably will just continue trying to fight or deny unwanted experiences - a goal doomed to fail.

useless blog of the month

I'm listening to Rihanna rave about the sadomasochistic pain and pleasure she derives from the use of chains and whips. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to react to that. It's like humans are so fixated on sexual pleasure that we'd extract it from anything and everything on the planet if it wasn't for the social norms that control our behavior. But thanks, Rihanna. I'm sure you'll be raped and disposed off in a black garbage bag someday soon; you just incited the crazy activation of sex and pleasure neurons in the brains of millions of rapists, sex addicts, serial killers and psychotic perverts from all over the globe. Add your inherent need to take off your clothes and act like a slut to the equation and we've got a winner, ladies and gentlemen!

So, bottom-line: it's great that you're into S&M and all; but girl, I spoke to Chris Brown and he thought he was being your sex-kitten. Clarify the rules of your game next time yeah?

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Blogging through a shoot-out!!!!

blogging from during a fucking shoot out a Fucking gun battle happening right outside my house!!!! oh my fucking god I can't believe I'm blogging oh my god this is so fucking scary!!!! crazy fucking machine guns gun fire flashes I think someone tried to Rob the house smack opposite to ours. the fucking alarm system isn't even working I dont think I've ever been this scared we're all lying flat on the floor I'm partially under the bed I feel like I'm a war journalist in Iraq or some shit like that. 1250 am it starter and it's 110 am now this is a keepsake blog more than anything yes I'm psychotic blogging. Omg it's getting worse I hear police vans pulling up WTF k I'm out

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Lazy Lucy

Laziness is a silent killer.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Midnight Musings

I feel like writing nothing but a load of crap. My mind is pretty much empty- I think I'm going to make blogging a nightly routine. It's 110 am and I'm lying in bed comforted by the convenience of posting entries from my phone. I really have nothing to say but there's an internal urge that is prodding me to continue writing. I'm completely blank. Freud termed what I'm doing right now as "free association". Maybe you could psychoanalyze my post eventually. Maybe you'll uncover facets of my subconscious and unconscious that I, myself, have been disconnected from. This is a good way to fall asleep as well.

Today I discovered my loyalty towards humanistic psychology. It's quite ironic because just till about a month ago, I believed that it was just a load of bull- abstract, subjective, idealistic, optimistic and very artificially constructed. I have always invested more faith into more scientific and objective schools of thought such as the biological and behavioral paradigms of understanding how and why people behave the way they do. To me, humanism was analogous to a fairy-tale that was written on a whim to please a child- unreal, irrational and often misleading. But then, very recently, I chanced upon the works of theorists such as Horney, Maslow, Kelly and Rogers. I began to read and study what all of these people said about humans and humanity in general, about how to deal with clients during therapy, about what sort of world view one should adopt when trying to understand the next person. Although many of the ideas that have been presented contain gaps and unexplainable black holes, the underlying message/concept is one that holds the most significance.


To be continued. the writer has suddenly experienced a indescribable need to fall asleep. She's not sure if she's still typing or not.

Okay I'm back; it's 449 pm- the next afternoon.

I'd like to expand on my previous attempts to introduce humanistic psychology to my blog. Here is Carl Rogers' theory on how humans function.

I love how this theory encompasses the beauty of human beings rather than portraying us as passive objects which inhale and exhale whatever we're fed with. However, there are a few things that I question or don't agree with which I will mention exclusively, later on. But adding on to my first point, I think that Rogers has taken a first step in to explaining why people experience dissonance, anxiety, low self-esteem, and a lack of worth amongst other negative affects. I can relate to his concept of incongruence; I think it's easy to understand how society, socialisation, environmentally and culturally imposed value sets can cause conflict between the real and ideal self. For example, on a personal level, I often question the legitimacy and the truth in religion - after all, it's merely a construct which can be used as a social regulator, a sort of comfort for the "soul", a belief to pacify and explain things that may be out of one's locus of control. The feeling of rebelling within myself regarding my faith is something that I have been constantly taught to shun from my mind. This constant reminder from my peers, parents, teachers etc has caused me to embed these ideas within myself although I might not agree with them .Thus, I may experience anxiety, a sense of infidelity whenever I DO question the existence of a god. Both ideas clash, giving birth to incongruence.

Rogers's also talks about how every human is innately good. Many people may not agree with this, and I can see why. I didn't either but after much reading and debates with myself, I have reached a conclusion. I agree that humans are innately good. They function and serve a purpose that is not to harm others around them or to spread viruses. Society has subjectively defined and labelled certain acts, thoughts, feelings, religions, and needs as being either "good" or "bad". Who is to say that premarital sex is wrong? Society. People from certain cultures and religions have been taught that it is sinful to engage in sexual practices with someone other than one's husband or wife. You might argue and say that it's wrong because it breeds negative emotions, causes social disruptions, dissolves family values, hurts feelings and encourages polygamy amongst other "vices"- but I ask you, how did these themes get categorized as "bad" in the first place? If it wasn't for certain TEACHINGS, socially CONSTRUCTED cultures, beliefs, all of the above would be neutral to the human mind. Perhaps we wouldn't have felt bad that our partner was sexually active with another person if we hadn't been TAUGHT to feel bad- it's very much like "you SHOULD feel bad if X happens because it's NATURAL." How can you say it's natural? Are innate tendencies involved in defining crime and theft as morally unfit? Thus, my interpretation of Rogers belief is that without society, we wouldn't KNOW what's good or bad- we'd merely be living our lives to satisfy OURSELVES: our thirst, our hunger, our survival. It may seem like an egocentric perspective, but it's not because the interaction of the self with external players cannot be ignored. In a Utopian society, I wouldn't gather food only for myself (my actualising tendency- my survival), but would help my neighbour to help him reach his. This wouldn't be because I'd be taught to attach positive or negative attributions to the act of helping someone, but because it'd be my instinctual response to someone's need. My altruism would be a part of my actualising tendency- my path to self actualisation.

I think as humans, we starve for social approval- what Rogers calls positive regard. I am absolutely in love with his ideas on this subject- I think it's the foundation of our existence in a way. We strive to function in a world that is not only made up of people who we KNOW love us, but also of those people who are in some way connected to us. We want people to love us for who we are- and we should because the way we are built, the things we do, the way we speak, the interests we hold are all central to our existence as humans- they make up the structure of  the way we define ourselves, learn to love ourselves and feel the best at. Rogers talks about the ideal and the real self. If we disparage the image and the characteristic of our real self and solidify ourselves in to yearning to be that IDEAL person- the person who people like BECAUSE  of certain things. There's a condition attached to being accepted and cared for that motivates one to change ones true self. This, in my opinion, isn't always done consciously. I may begin to watch a specific sport thinking that I actually want to watch it, but in reality, it's only because it's a way to bond with a new group of friends who are avid football fans. I will enjoy watching the games on television, but somewhere inside, I know that I'd rather be watching a fashion show on FTV.  The conscious attempts to change oneself are more lethal because they are the roots of incongruity= more suffering.

My absolute FAVOURITE  aspect of Rogers theory is his interpretation of a fully-functioning person. The five characteristics that define such a person are: 'openness to experience', 'creativity', 'organismic trust', 'living in the here-and-now' and 'freedom'.

I love how Rogers lays emphasis on how we should live in the present (not ignoring the existence of a past and a future). I think that everyone in todays world is too busy trying to reach goals rather than enjoying and savouring journeys and experiences. A romantic relationship doesn't have to be about getting married; it's about the feelings of mutual love, understanding, sharing of experience (good and bad), learning from mistakes and sharing a certain part of one's life with another person  that should be emphasized. We're too busy thinking about how many years we've been with a boyfriend or girlfriend, how many more years till he may propose, how many months till we buy a home - this shouldn't be the motivation that we feed on. Every conversation, every fight, every holiday, every morning breakfast at the table is a part of ones phenomenal  field- how you experience or perceive it is your truth, your reality. It's your way of progressing from one stage of life to another without even knowing which stage you're at. It's like having a bath in a relaxingly hot bath-tub: savor the feeling of the warmth penetrating your body- don't think about the time when the water will lose it's warmth causing you to refill it; think about how good it feels at THAT moment. I know this is a concept that doesn't sit well with people with conservative points of view. Many people may refute my point of view saying that it goes against certain religious and cultural values. Yes, I agree that it may not be applicable to every situation you encounter in life, but definitely can with the things that you feel are ethically acceptable - which settle with your concept of the self. So, maybe you think it's important that you only be with a person who you intend to marry- so be it. But you can apply Rogers' perspective in other facets of your life which don't conflict with it.

 In conclusion, I'd like to say: Be creative. Be free. You are an independent and free-willed creature. We all are. Be open to adaptation, experience and change. Value yourself, your decisions, your feelings, your abilities, your likes and dislikes - you are responsible for everything that you do on this earth. It is your duty to actively try to help yourself reach a point where you know that you have manipulated your full capacity: no regrets, only triumph and satisfaction with oneself. Trust yourself.



***I know I had earlier decided to write about the weaknesses of this theory but I've changed my mind. Later on, I'll dedicate a separate post to that topic.***

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Four Walled Sanctuary

I'm sitting outside in the driveway of my house and my usually peaceful neighborhood has been polluted with the sounds of bustling traffic, hurriedly anticipating car horns and petrifying ambulance and police car sirens. My mother decided to take a brave step and venture out to a near by grocery store to stock up on basic supplies such as milk, petrol for the car, bread etc. I think she's over reacting because I feel surprisingly calm- after-all, I do live in Pakistan. I think I, along with millions of other pakistani citizens, have slowly but eventually desensitized themselves to the unrest that has surrounded us for years now. It's not something that has happened consciously and actively, but is something very cancer-like: silent, vicious and intoxicating. The same feelings of ill exuberance do not hit me when I hear about a bomb blast ripping through my very own locality, or in this current situation, where a political party's leader's murder has caused unrest throughout the city- so much so, that there are reports coming in about motor vehicles and public transport carriages being burnt, shoot outs occurring city wide and dozens of people being harmed as I type this. But amidst all this unrest, I sit here in the semi permeable safety of the four boundary walls that stand before me.

My safety, and the safety of my loved ones is primary to my conscience- but what about the innumerable people who aren't as lucky? What about the lay man who has to take public transport in order to reach the sanctuary of HIS four walls? What if the bus that he encounters to board is one of the ill-fated ones that is attacked? What if he isn't able to make it home unharmed? And if he is...what conditions will ensue for his family and loved ones? What if he is the sole breadwinner of the clan? What if the he is a she- the mother of young children, the wife of a poor laborer, the sister of an orphan child...? Then what? This doesn't just apply to the underprivileged class of society, it's equally devastating to see a wealthy family lose a loved one or go through such misfortune. We're all humans after-all- we all function the same way. We love, we hurt, we grieve, we recover and try to stand back up on our feet the same way as every next individual. But it's sad that although we are good at empathizing with others and condemn acts of such brutality and inhumanity, it is our very own specie that is the cause of such evil in the world today.

Pakistan has gone through a lot in the past 60 odd years since partition- it's been a rocky road with glimmers of hope which eventually lose their zeal. It's a sad sight. You'd envision positive development and growth (all, economic, political and HUMAN) to take over as time progresses - perhaps the gradual alleviation of poverty, equal opportunities for all citizens, the reduction of political malpractice, an increase in homeland security and most importantly, an increase in quality education of the masses in all spheres. Is this too idealistic a country that one yearns for after 60+ years of independence? I don't think so. Pakistan, in my opinion, has one of the strongest potentials to be a first world country; we have the natural and human resources, we have the talent, we have the intelligence, to say the least- our problem is that we get sidelined by what I'd metaphorically like to call 'extra-academic affairs'. You know how there's always that one kid in class that the teacher has high hopes in but the kid is so distracted by social activities and perhaps his newfound lady-love that he doesn't operationalize his intellectual capacities to their zenith. Thus, instead of getting an A grade, he ends up with a C. Pakistan, in my opinion, is in a similar predicament. We're too sidelined by problems such as corruption, a lack of education, political infighting, 'terrorism' and fighting off decades worth of debt, to name a few, to actually focus primarily on the real issues at hand.

I consider myself to be a very patriotic person. I feel very strongly about my country and what people may say about it. I have to admit that it was the effect of the whole 'distance makes the heart fonder' bullshit that makes me feel this way today. Living abroad makes you realize the worth of something you previously hadn't valued as much; it makes you realize that all the small things about home leave the most lasting impressions on your heart. This is why I made up my mind to return to Pakistan after my studies so that I could serve as a positive contribution to local society in any way that I could instead of being a passive bystander who was 'all talk and no action'. But as days pass and the situation seemingly deteriorates, I shamefully find myself considering retracting my commitment. I wonder whether I'd like to raise a family in a such an unhealthy environment where every day is more precarious than the previous one, where bombs explode like fireworks, where one fears having to wait at traffic signals, where one feels the most at risk and unsafe in the presence of security personnel who are supposed to protect you, where the system feeds on bribery and corruption, where justice lies in the number and color of the currency in your pocket, where education is being upheaved by extremist religious values.....and every day is the funeral of at-least one person who had the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm ashamed to be portraying such a negative image of my mother land. I really am. But sometimes, one has to accept ones' flaws instead of living in a fairyland. I want Pakistan to progress, I want us to prove everyone who is against us at this point in time wrong, I want us to be the underdog that rises to the top. But I'm scared. I'm fearful. Yet hopeful. I don't want it to reach a point where I have to choose between my country and the safety of my family.

Things seemed to have settled down a little on the streets outside. The wind seems to be trying to deliver a similar message as it softly brushes stray locks of hair off my face. Motherly. Peaceful. But then in the lapse of a second, I am able to hear the far off shrills of a racing ambulance. It's probably stuck in traffic as it tries to make it's way to the closest hospital. I wonder how badly injured the person inside it is. I wonder if he/she will survive. I wonder whether he/she is in pain. If so, how much? The four boundary walls of my house continue to stare down at me with resolute dedication to protect me. But I wonder, how long will this spell of sheer luck last? You never think that such things will happen to you. You're always that special one that God has promised go protect no matter what. But living in such times makes me question my confidence. It makes me wonder: When will my turn come?

I look towards the wall in front of me as if expecting a reply of some sort. Surprise surprise. The walls remain silent.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]