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Adrenaline Rush
Adrenaline Rush 1200 768 Nadir Keval

I FINALLY watched Fight Club, and I have to admit, it’s a movie that’s lived up to the reputation it’s built up over the years. Someone told me that it’s about men with masculinity issues, and I felt like I would be doing something emasculating if I watched it. How that makes any sense, I don’t know. But anyways, I finally overcame that odd mindset, and watched it. And I have to say, WHOA! Amazing movie! Parts of it reminded me of one of my favourite movies, The Usual Suspects, and that just made it better.

In the end, I’d recommend both these movies to everyone, because they both leave you feeling completely mentally violated, but give you the opportunity to build up a level of adrenaline that can work in your favour by the end of it. It’s like you feel as though you need to build your confidence and self-image back up after being completely flustered by these movies. I’m telling you…by the end of these movies, you’ll just say, “ummm….DAMN.”

In memory of….
In memory of…. 3888 2592 Nadir Keval

You know, when you have days like this, when people (in this case, Canadians) are thinking about those who have passed in the ways of war, and then you look at what the world has been facing in recent years, you quickly realize that the world is in a difficult place, and seems to only be inflicting pain upon itself.

I speak of the people of the world as one entity, because in truth, we are people who should learn to live in peace and unity. But, to believe that this can be a reality would be ignorance. They say that there cannot be peace without war, just as there cannot be happiness without sadness. But that leads me to question if the world has taken this concept and turned it into a position of accepting defeat against the evils of human nature…almost as though people have forgotten that goodness lies in all of us, and is only in need of that motivation and determination to present itself.

People seem to have given up on the world changing. They think that donating some money to a charity, volunteering at an event, or things of that sort are enough. Truth be told, those things are all things we should do, but they are NOT enough. Not by a long shot.

There is a quote that often lingers in my mind throughout my days, keeping me grounded and focused on living a righteous life:

The righteous person is the one constantly thinking of death.

(I was told this is a quote from the Hadith – the traditions, actions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him – but because I’m not sure, I won’t quote it as such. Rather, try to just take the meaning of it.)

When I first heard this quote, I thought, “Wow…that’s pretty negative and pessimistic.” But then, it was explained to me, and it changed my life. The quotation means that the person who is righteous is always asking him/herself a simple question: If I were to pass today, would I be ready to face the Lord/would I be able to look back at my life and say that I did the most I could to be a good person? What’s good and what’s not isn’t the matter at hand here. To each his own in that matter. But, can we look back at our lives and really say that right now, we’re in a place that we’re proud of…not because of pride, because what we’re doing is, in an unbiased opinion, righteous.

That’s when that change needs to come. The reason I mentioned the above quote was to address the fact that we CAN in fact make a change in the world by making a change within ourselves as individuals.

“Truly, God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Quran 13:11)

So, look at that as the plan. Now, let’s work together towards actually putting this plan into action. We all know that there are certain things that we’d like to do in order to make a change in ourselves. We just need that support and motivation to do so. I’m not perfect, but I believe in doing my best to make changes in my own life, so that I can look in the mirror and say, “I’m happy with who I am.”

My friends, let’s make these changes together, and work together towards helping each other make our lives better. I started this website, as well as the programs I run, with this goal in mind: help as many people as possible. So, leave a comment below, or click the Contact button on the side of the page, and talk out your changes with me. We’ll work together in making these changes. I’ll help as much as I can. Who knows, these may be the boosts we need in order to reach our own goals!

Why I don’t write as often.
Why I don’t write as often. 1000 664 Nadir Keval

Okay, so I know it’s been ages since I wrote a blog, and that I’m not consistent with posting things, but in all honesty, it’s because I feel like if I were to write about what I do in a day, you would all quickly realize how unproductive I am, despite the fact that I work constantly hahaha. (Well, besides the many movies and TV shows I watch in a day….but that’ll be our lil’ secret hahaha) 

So, this is what I’m thinking….I’m going to start planning out my articles a week before, and then write an article everyday for you guys based on what I planned the week before. That way, I have a collection of things to write about, instead of just writing when I remember one of the gazillion ideas that come to my mind everyday.

Also, I want to start doing my videos again. Will I make a fool out of myself in the process? Probably! But, the way I figure it is that if I can’t act a fool in front of you guys, then really, I’m not ready for all the adventures and plans I have for the future.

Now, in order to do these things, I’m considering changing my website layout again because this one isn’t really compatible with video and use of the sidebar. I’ve got some great themes in mind…but just want to see which one really makes me say, “Wow, this is me.”

So, I’ll work on that today, and hopefully by tomorrow, God-willing, we’ll have a finalized new look for the website. And in regards to the other changes to the site…you will be seeing Life Lesson videos and articles, Business tips and videos, Poetry readings on video and their written versions here, and also random postings of things I found on the internet that tickled my fancy.

Alright, until then, take care, and get some rest! We’ve got a fun and long journey ahead of us! 🙂

So many results!!!
So many results!!! 1000 1000 Nadir Keval

Have you ever googled yourself? I remember, as a child, I would get so excited about searching my name on the internet, and see maybe one picture of myself. I actually remember it precisely as being the one from my first venture into the world of making money…

…drifts into memory…

I was in grade 11, in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme, and had just developed and founded the IB Fundraising Group. My objective was to raise money for students in Kenya that were trying to go to University. I learned that it would cost $400 (Canadian) for one student to attend university for an entire year! I thought to myself, “THAT’S IT?!?! I should move there!” (just kidding). So, I made it my mission to raise $400 in that one semester (4 months) so that we could send a student that we were sponsoring through a local education-based organization. I began doing my research, contacting different people, having meetings with my teams, and by the end of it, we were selling handcrafted jewelry from the town in Kenya these students were from, and bathbombs and glass animals our classmates made for Chemistry class credit.

A local newspaper heard about what we were doing, and sent a reporter to talk to us and our teacher about our plans. My picture was in the newspaper, and it was the first time I felt that I had made a difference!

After that semester, I decided (I’m not sure if this was because of a drive for more recognition or more of a sense of accomplisment…it was probably a little bit of both) to work on raising more money by selling with a new marketing and advertising plan. Well, with the help of my team, it worked, because in the next four months, we were able to raise just over $7000!!

WHAT A FEELING! Giving back and also leaving an impression on the world. It was phenomenal. I was really happy about what I had accomplished, and was sure that I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives (including mine) with everything I do.

…back to reality…

I tried looking for that newspaper article online, or at least the picture, but couldn’t find anything.

Google yourself and tell me what you found! I’m always interested in hearing about these mini adventures! 🙂

Money Vs. Passion
Money Vs. Passion 2074 3172 Nadir Keval

You know, in the last little while, I have been faced with some questions that could be life-changing. See, I have some projects that have suggested to me, and show signs of great potential financially. But, the question arises as to whether I am passionate about the things I would be getting into by doing these projects.

See, I’ve never wanted to get so involved in the financial benefits of something that I lose focus on its purpose. I mean, sure, with more money, you can accomplish more things. Let’s face it, sounds superficial, but money makes getting around easier. But, I mean, with money, there’s also to temptation and overwhelming drive towards wanting more, and increasing your list of wants, neglecting your list of needs. What about your future? What about your dreams and aspirations?

If you were afraid of losing your passion, would you pursue something like this? What if this holds potential to help you so much in your goals?

See, I think I will do my prayers, think to myself, and come to a decision. Then, and only then will I feel comfortable. Let’s see…

I know, I’m working on so many projects, and everyone and their mother is telling me to focus on just one thing at a time. But, see, I know myself. If I focus on only one thing, I’ll get bored. If that thing has a lot of constant change, that’s a different thing.

Maybe I’m wrong. Or right. I don’t know. I guess it’s about testing the waters. I think I’ll try this whole focusing on one thing at a time for a moment. See how that pans out.

Wait…I don’t think I can, considering my projects are already moving along. How’s about one big project, and one small one? Yeah, that makes sense. I’ll do that.

THEN, I can find the time to SLEEP and get back to my creative self, writing poetry and keeping up with this blog. Sounds like a plan. Let’s see how long this one lasts…

OH WAIT! I forgot to ask you… Would you choose money or passion, in your career? Which would you sacrifice? Do you think one leads to other, thus meaning that there’s no sacrifice?

Have you ever noticed…?
Have you ever noticed…? 975 650 Nadir Keval

Have you ever noticed that there are those short periods in life where things just don’t go right at all? When you begin to feel as though you may have done something that lead to your fate being as it is?

In this last little while, since the last time I wrote a blog here, I lost a relative to leukemia, someone close to me collapsed and was hospitalized, and alongside these events came the realization that there is a necessity for change in my life. I wondered what I have done to have deserved these tests, but quickly, though admittedly painfully, I came to realize that these tests were just that: tests.

I began to realize the aspects of my life that had major parts to play in my past, present and future, and realized that many of these things had elements of dysfunction and a lack of uniformity. Is this a reality for most people in the world, or is it just me?

Why is it that as time progresses, we let go of our youthful imaginations and ambitions towards greatness, and barricade the walls to creativity with notions of what reality is? Reality should be open to interpretation. What does that mean? Well, it means that we should be able to accept the events and aspects of life, whether seemingly good or bad. But, if we feel unhappy with the consequences of these events or aspects of life, we should make changes within ourselves in order to bring back happiness. This may mean doing things that appear to the naked eye to be unexpected or outside of the ordinary, but in the end, the only glasses through which your eyes should seek contentment is the glasses of your heart.

When I say this, I’m sure that some may look at it as being some sort of abnormal thing, projecting some idealistic, optimistic approach to dealing with life, but is that true? Or, could it be that what I said earlier about restraining ourselves with this so-called reality is what seems to TRULY hold us back? It may appear as though living your life according to your hearts level of comfort may sound irreligious to those who submit to the will of God, but in fact, it is not. At least, not in my understanding.

When we approach religion (and the reason I say religion is because it is the way of life that I understand – ie. I follow a religion, and have made it my lifestyle, and know no other form of living), we are to submit to the will of God, because in fact, embrace of a religion means an embrace of its every aspect. That said, I do know that God would never place upon His creation more than that which we cannot handle. Also, He knows better than we do as to what is good for us and what is not, because there are some things we may find to be good that are actually bad for us, and there are some things we may find to be bad, but they are good for us, but we do not know. God knows best. And, finally, we cannot think that just by saying that we believe, that we wouldn’t be tested in our faith. It makes no sense to me to not test someone on their claim every once in a while, just to make sure that they’re still standing strong by their claim.

Back to the point at hand… we need to recognize that embracing a lifestyle, and embracing life altogether is not an overnight thing. It takes time. There are some things that some of us find difficult, while others find those same things easy. But there also may be times when others find something difficult that you found to be easy. This is a part of life. Growth towards being the best you can be, while being the best you can be to yourself. If you are not satisfied with life, change something about your life to see if that will satisfy you. I’m not suggesting that you live based on your whims and desires. That would be ignorant. Live according to standards you set based on your beliefs and values. Then, you will always stay within what is good for you, because you will always accept that whatever life brings you is something that has some value of good. You may not recognize what that is now, but it’ll come with time. Just be patient. It’ll all be alright.

Truth
Truth 773 1033 Nadir Keval

“Do not attach a truth with a name. Truth is truth, regardless of who says it.”

This is a statement I heard today, and it makes sense in most cases. However, I feel it is somewhat vague, considering how much it sounds like one of the quotes I’d hear in philosophy class. There’s a reason I swore off ever taking another one of those classes!

Any thoughts on the quote? I’d love to see what people make this out to be. 🙂

T.G.I.F.!!
T.G.I.F.!! 1200 800 Nadir Keval

I woke this morning an hour before I had to reach the Mosque (Muslim Temple), and that meant I had to leave within 5 minutes of waking up. So, I get up, get dressed, not able to freshen up any more than just brush my teeth.

I then leave the house, rushing to get to the Mosque. On my way there, I get slowed by traffic, and end up getting there just in time. It’s honestly an amazing feeling to get to the Mosque and spend some time there. The Friday prayer is like my weekly rehab session. I go to the Mosque on other days, but every Friday just comes with this incredible feeling of, “You can start fresh again starting today!”

The people sit silently, listening to the lesson, which is compulsory before every Friday prayer. They listen intently, in hopes of hearing that one thing, if not more, that will inspire them until the next week. Beginning with the words of peace, “Assalaamu alaikum” (May the peace and blessings of Allah [God] be upon you), the lecturer delivers a speech leaving us all speechless and smiling, to know that we are not alone in facing the day-to-day struggles we face as individuals.

After the speech, the prayer begins, as the call to prayer is made, praising Allah, and reminding us to, “Come to prayer, come to success!” We begin, and the meditative closeness to our souls comes to life. We all recognize the presence of our souls, but this feeling of just being completely connected to your center is incredible. It’s what keeps me balanced throughout the day.

We finished the prayer, and I walked outside to talk to my brothers. These people are not related to me by blood, but they are as close to me as my own blood. We discussed holding a BBQ for a youth group I work with, and to include a lesson at the same time. We think it should work out really well, and I’m hoping for it’s success, Insha Allah (God-willing).

Time to get back to work now. See y’all soon.

Two Hearts
Two Hearts 1000 926 Nadir Keval

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Allah has not placed two hearts in any person.” Subhanallah! This means that you can’t live half your life on the path of Allah, and live half doing what is unlawful. Strive towards the path of Allah, and leave the unlawful things for the sake of Allah! May Allah make us all successful in this. Ameen 🙂

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