smile

Poem: And She Laughed
Poem: And She Laughed 1950 1300 Nadir Keval

Often times, I wonder
what beauty lies behind her smile.
It must be from beyond my pastures
to know what grows when her soul desires.
I look beyond my own flaws,
to see what truly matters.
I look at her, in awe of what I saw,
because her heart leaves all she touches inspired.

At times, I show my self,
a man imperfectly human.
I be myself and trust that she
would embrace me as I am.
Perhaps the most sincere of things
is when she looks at me and smiles.
And when that smiles lifts the edges of her mouth,
bringing a genuine glow to her face,
I hear the most encompassing of sounds,
as she softly laughs from her heart.

And that is what I seek.
A love to give and a love received.
Where come rain or shine,
be the act hers or mine,
laughter would unconditionally sprout
from a lifetime of shared and embraced smiles.

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Poem: Flight
Poem: Flight 1920 1080 Nadir Keval

Every breath
is a yearning
for her voice,
for her touch,
for her presence.

He takes a leap
of faith,
of love,
with a smile
because he knows
that if there are two things
to completely trust in,
they are God and love…
specifically God’s Love.

The leap,
a lift off the ground
with excitement
and certainty of reaching
the other side
to togetherness.

Suddenly,
a shortness of breath.
Wonders and doubts
of whether or not,
he could soar…
or even hope
to glide
to the other side.

Then, just as suddenly,
a sense of being grasped;
pulled upwards,
being gifted with wings
tearing through his skin,
but giving him what he would need,
to take flight
and float into her embrace.

He stands tall,
takes in a deep breath,
comes down to one knee,
with her hand in his.
He thanks God for his wings,
and asks her for her heart.
She says, “I’ve trusted it to God…”
looks up to the skies,
smiles and says,
“And He said
He’s been saving it for you.”

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Quote: Simply Smile.

Quote: Simply Smile. 150 150 Nadir Keval

Poem: True Beauty
Poem: True Beauty 2560 1703 Nadir Keval

They ask me,
“What makes her so beautiful?”

I say,
“Her soul.”

They ask,
“But what of her appearance?”

I say,
“It is given value through her soul.”

They ask,
“What of her mind?”

I say,
“It is but a nomad guided by her soul.”

They ask,
“And what of her faith?”

I say,
“Ah, now that is the question.
It is the water and the sun that nourishes her soul.
It is the strength that flows truth to her ever-loving heart.
It is the soul of her soul.”

They ask,
“Then what matters to you most?”

I smile,
“That her faith be her purpose,
her constant epiphany,
and the essence of her happiness.”

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Poem: Struck By An Arrow
Poem: Struck By An Arrow 960 854 Nadir Keval

There is that simple moment,
When a man sees the woman he fancies,
Open her eyes with a smile in her heart,
Hoping she is thinking of him.

She turns a light pink,
As the tips of her lips
Reach for the skies,
And her smile makes the moonlight
Seem like it’s shine isn’t too bright.

This is the dream I hold deep in my heart,
To have as my truth and my fantasy.
She is like an arrow through my heart,
Except unlike cupid,
She’s a dream turned reality.

I do pray that one day,
I could show her my all,
And let her see that my words,
Are my lesser quality,
As my actions will prove,
That I will always try
my best to be worthy
Of her
And her family.

God-willing, one day,
We will find our way,
And our families will love
Each other as though
they were part of each others’ destiny.

I will pray and pray,
And ask Him to guide us.
So we can see
If we should be
Each others’ passports
To a Heavenly Eternity.

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Poem: I am happy
Poem: I am happy 2000 1500 Nadir Keval

Today, I wanted to yell out to the world,
“I AM HAPPY!”
But I refrained,
because I knew that there existed beings
who felt inclination and satisfaction
in seeking out my every smile,
and tearing it into so many pieces,
that it would take me another series of sleepless
and tear-filled nights,
trying to piece it together again.

You see, the thing that was interesting about these people,
was that they would tell me to be my best.
They would say that I should take hold of my life,
and go after what I believed would make me happy.
Then, as though they were waiting for me,
to hand them the gun that would puncture
and burst open my heart,
they would tell me that by living for me,
and seeking out happiness
instead of taking on more responsibilities,
was an act of selfish arrogance and being inconsiderate.

I’ve heard people say that misery loves company,
but it’s beginning to get crowded.
The world is filled with unhappy people,
and I’m here, trying to break through the barrier.
I love to meet people, even for the first time,
giving them my smile, even if it’s only mine.
The reason being because I know what it’s like,
to want happiness, but to be reminded that life is strife.
So maybe, just maybe,
my smile, as crooked and as simple as it may be,
could cause a crack in a world of hardened hearts,
to share a moment,
a mere moment,
of happy.

Today, and every day onwards,
I will remind myself to be happy.
Because I have learned that there is no purpose in worries,
or letting the harshness of others get to me,
when I accept not my fate,
but the fact that God is always with me.

Copyright © Nadir Keval

10 Tips for Daily Happiness
10 Tips for Daily Happiness 2560 1532 Nadir Keval

In the world we live in, it’s very easy for us to become overwhelmed or sidetracked by the smallest of things. Still, that is no reason for us to allow our circumstances or the words or actions of others deter us from being happy. Life is a roller coaster of ups and downs, as I mentioned in my video a few months back (The Roller Coaster of Life – Nadir Keval), but the thrilling results are worth the struggling climb.

Throughout my journey in entrepreneurship, faith, health, and the other aspects of my life, I’ve found that there are certain things that are great ways to strengthen our relationships with our own selves. Here are 10 tips I’ve come up with over the years:

1. Keep it simple

When you’re ambitious, or have a lot of things on your plate, it’s fairly easy to overfill our daily to-do list. I did this for years, before I realized that the saying, “Slow and steady wins the race,” is one of the wisest things ever said, especially for one who leads a life in need of self-discipline and unrelenting drive. My suggestion would be to stick to no more than 3-5 things on your daily list of tasks. I guarantee, that will be enough to keep you busy, because in a day, things are bound to come up that are out of your control, and keeping a semi-short list of tasks will help you accomplish your daily goals, while also not leaving you feeling overwhelmed or unaccomplished at the end of the day. If you finish those things, you can always add more things, one by one.

2. Pray

A relationship with God is one of the greatest blessings one can have. It is something that is available to all of us. All that’s required of us is that we reach out for it and respect it. Every person has their own faith, but I can only speak of my own experiences as a Muslim. Amongst the things I love most about my faith is the beauty of prayer and supplication. Through five daily prayers, I am blessed with 5 short vacations, where I can detach from my struggles and goals, and connect with Allah and with my self. Through supplication, I always have someone to speak to when I feel overwhelmed or need help in coming to a decision. The beauty of whom I speak to when supplicating is that He, Allah, is capable of all things and wants what is best for me. How beautiful a feeling it is, to know for certain that I will be okay, and will never be alone, as long as I have faith and prayer.

3. Eat

We live in a world that confuses me. Either we eat too much or we eat too little. Personally, I consider food to be the artistic tools God has given us, with which we can create pieces of art to not only enjoy through vision, but can enjoy as nourishment. Some of these artistic pieces God has given us are art in themselves (try a cold mango on a hot day, and you’ll see what I mean)! My advice: eat well, eat often, and eat pure. Strike balance in your meals and in your day. As the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “The vessels the children of Adam (AS) mistreat most is the stomach. Eat as though your stomach is in three parts. One part for food, one part for water, and one part for air.” (paraphrased)

4. Stay Active

To love food is a great adventure, but just as important as it is for us to enjoy the food that nourishes us, it’s just as important for us to stay active and take care of the body we’re nourishing. Even if it means doing something active for 30 minutes a day, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Start small, and keep moving forward. Do this for you. For some ideas, and more to come, check out my food adventures!

5. Reflect

We live in a day and age that’s all about constantly being on the go, constantly doing “productive” things in order to stay afloat in this world of constant competition. What only the successful realize is that there is a huge amount of benefit to simply taking a few moments for you every day. Turn off all of your electronics, wear something comfortable, and do simply sit and relax. Think about your life, your experiences, your goals, your heart, and your faith. Just think, and find the good in all aspects of your life, especially the things that seem bad, all in order to find peace within.

6. Me-time

I can’t express enough how important it is to do something every day that is just for you. It makes all the difference in your life, in your mental health, in your happiness, in your success, in your peace. Designate one hour per day, without fail, towards doing something just for you. The pressure of the world and of life and those who surround you will make this a difficult task, but do it for you. It’s of the utmost importance.

7. Interact

Solitude is sometimes a phenomenally beneficial thing, and I can attest to how much it’s helped me get things done in my journey towards the fulfillment of my dreams. That said, at times, it could also result in loneliness. We are creatures of companionship. Interacting with others helps us feel and stay connected. It helps us come up with new ideas, and new understandings of the world and the people in it. As I mentioned before, life is about balance, and in the matter of interacting with others, this balancing concept is very important. Spend time on your own, take time to take care of yourself, but be sure to interact with others, to make friends, and to spend time with those who make you happy and inspire positivity in your life.

8. Write

Growing up, we would always hear about girls keeping diaries or journals, and if a boy were to do it, he would be teased for being girly – absolutely nonsensical and childish behavior. Some of the most successful people in the world, men and women, have kept journals as they strived towards achieving their goals. Begin writing. It’s a therapeutic way to keep your self focused, disciplined, and of clear mind. If it were not for my starting to write, by the will of Allah, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. Though I still have a long way to go, I hope to one day be the owner of a library full of my journals, insha Allah.

9. Sleep

We’ve heard about the importance since we were children. They say you must get 8-10 hours of sleep every night for the sake of your body, mind, and soul. There are many benefits to sleeping well, and that involves more than just the amount of time you spend sleeping. It also includes your conditions of your environment (a hot or cold room, lights being on, your computer buzzing away, etc), what you sleep on, whether or not you go to bed refreshed and calm, and so much more. Be sure to sleep well, and listen to your body. You may be early bird or a night owl. Regardless of which one you are, listen to your body.

10. Smile!

Sometimes, one of the best things we can do when we’re feeling down is force a smile. It can act as inspiration for a real smile 🙂 A smile is one of the things in life that can alleviate pain and sorrow at times when we feel like there is no reason to smile. Not only that, the Prophet (SAW) said that a smile is a form of charity. I’m not sure of how it is in other parts of the world, but I often try to smile at everyone I meet or cross eyes with, and the return of those smiles and the happiness it brings is indescribable. Smile, you’ll change lives…if not the lives of others, it’ll change your own life.

Now, I’d like to hear from all of you! Do you have any ideas or tips of your own as to how to bring about daily happiness? Leave a comment below and get the discussion started :)!

Poem: Coming To Be
Poem: Coming To Be 1024 768 Nadir Keval

How many times have I called you,
When you were away?
Trying to find new ways
Everyday
To make you see
How much you mean to me?

Once a year, the world celebrates valentines day,
But I want to celebrate you everyday.
I’ll make sure your every day will be
Like an unforgettable dream.
One that you wouldn’t want to believe
In fear of being too good to be true,
For how can anyone love anyone as much as I love you?

We’ve met a few times before,
In dreams and prayers,
But never in person.
It remains a disappointment to me
That our chemistry hasn’t yet seen that breeze,
That’s meant to spark our evident lover’s decree.

I believe that you and me
Are meant to defy gravity
Soaring through the skies we come to see,
That there’s a special cloud 9 made just for you and me.

Now I know all this sounds metaphorical,
But what if I told it’s how I felt?
That moment that I lay eyes on you,
I pinched myself, doubting that my dream may have come true.

See, long ago, I had a vision,
A fantasy of what you’d be like.
With no need for any type of addition,
To your image, to your heart, to your person.

I can still recall,
The beginning of my heart’s fall.
You walked by,
No notice or sign,
That you’d be that one for me.
You were so elegant,
No makeup, simple clothing.
But you seemed the most precious,
When I saw your smile.
I knew then that I was smitten,
This was the girl.
The one I’d spend my life with.
The one I’d cherish every moment with.
All that remained, was finding out how we’d come to be each other’s blessings…

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Poem: Epitomy of Happy
Poem: Epitomy of Happy 1024 768 Nadir Keval

She’s the epitomy of beauty,
Brings dreams of happiness
From the depths of fantasy,
Into a reality.
She appeals to my every attribute,
Makes me feel like my love’s the truth.
She has the smile of an angel,
You’ll see innocence in her every angle.
She’s the epitomy of beauty,
In more than just the physical,
But in her soul’s purity,
Making me fall in love with her daily.
The day I met her, I fell into a daze,
And since then, my feelings have become,
More than just a phase.
There’s things about her that I love,
And there’s thing I could do without.
But this woman’s everything I could ever ask for,
It’d be an insult to ask God for any more.
He’s sent me my own guardian,
To love and cherish me,
Without any hurting.
Now, I’m praying for the courage, to maybe,
Ask her to become my lady,
By blessing me even more,
And saying yes when I ask if she’d marry me.
I dream of days when we could start a family,
With children we would adore.
A daughter just like her
And a son, whose love for us is unconditional.
Baby, will you help me,
In finding reason to smile?
‘cause all I need to be satisfied with life,
is the chance to be your husband and make you my wife.

Copyright © Nadir Keval
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