Whether we like it or not, we face an endless series of battles day after day. Some of the toughest battles are the ones we fight with ourselves. But once we are done with those, somehow the rest seems comparatively easier.

It’s amazing that some people can actually derive pleasure from the misery of others. Sadly, such people can’t be just wished away, they need to be seriously contended with at times. Even if you are the sort who hates fights and confrontations, you’ll soon come to realize that we don’t always get to choose whether to fight or not, let alone who and what to fight.

But perhaps there is still a light at the end of the tunnel, for most of the time we can choose how to fight. It is said that patience is the best way, but let’s face it, it is also the hardest. But trust me… once you learn how to fight with patience…it will be so much easier to win those daily battles. I guess, in the end, the choice is still yours.

As they say “if life gives you lemons, make lemonade” .

Just had red beans with tomato sauce and a nice cup of cofee, sweet and aromatic….just the way i like it….ummmmmm heaven.

Sometimes, in the good times of our lives, we can create a little heaven on earth for ourselves by doing the simplest things….
buying those shoes you have been thinking about for the last 2 months, better still buying them on 50% discount!!
reading an amazing book and losing yourself in the magical world the author has created, feeling all the emotions that the chracters feel, but in an unreal, ethereal way;
sleeping like a baby after a long tiring day that started 15 hours ago;
living life and appreciating and enjoying every moment the way it deserves to be appreciated; going on a shopping spree and buying everything you even remotely like without bothering about how much cash you have;
kissing the baby you love or better still getting kisses from the baby you love;
being alone and loving it, never feeling lonely;
being broke and loving it, never feeling poor;
being silly and loving it, never feeling idiotic;
being under dressed and loving it, never feeling self conscious;
being over dressed and loving it, never feeling ostentatious;
being wild and loving it, never worrying about disapprovals;
being exhausted and loving it, never feeling over worked;
watching other people being praised and loving it, never feeling envious;
and ofcourse I shouldn’t forget the nice cup of coffee that started it all!

As soon as we learn to find the heaven within ourselves, we can find it in a lot of places around us.

It is such a relief to see the weather taking a turn for the better. The cool breeze invigorates your senses and tickles the poetic being within you back to life. Of course no poetry is going to be produced just yet. It needs a lot more inspiration than just some nice breeze. But at least the poetic individual is there and you can feel its existence – all thanks to the weather.

It is strange and ironic that regardless of all the troubles a rainy weather brings – traffic jams and power loss to name few- it is always greeted with excitement by us Karachiites. The moment we see some grey clouds in the sky we say to each other, “Wow did you see how amazing the weather is today?”

With the first pitter patter of the rain drops, the strange fragrance of the soil reaches your nostrils, and you are ecstatic. You feel privileged to experience something so rare, it’s earthly and ethereal at the same time. The clouded atmosphere instead of appearing dull and depressing lends a strangely nostalgic mood to the scenery.

People stand on their roof tops, terraces and the roads to bathe, dance and sing in the rain. They don’t mind getting wet at all. The trees and bushes on the roads sway gently in the breeze while being washed to perfection by the rain drops. Everything looks wetter, cleaner, shinier and just generally rejuvenated.

In most cities of the world, walking a few blocks is no big deal and people do it on a daily basis. Contrary to this, you are not expected to walk at all in Karachi. This is ironic considering the unavailability of decent public transportation. However, even crossing a road is an ordeal and most people are mortified to experience it.

Following this philosophy, the sidewalks in Karachi are for anything but walking. They usually do not have enough space for any kind of decent movement, let alone walking in full stride. Why?? All sorts of reasons: beggars, addicts, plant nurseries, fruit vendors, clothing vendors, carpet vendors, pottery vendors.

In the bazaars, there are so many vendors crowding the sidewalk that you can just spend the whole day shopping from them, without having to go to any inner shops at all. It complicates the task of shopping as their presence makes it difficult and sometimes impossible to move around. Moreover, it puts you in grave danger of being pushed around by bulky females who are struggling to wriggle their way out of the chaos. You just don’t have a chance against them, thanks to their supreme health and strong determination.

Just imagine yourself in that position for a moment, no place to walk, no room to move and the perpetual threat of being pushed around. Despite the fact that we have no help from the sidewalks, we brave Karachiites still haven’t wavered from the task of walking and shopping.

Why??

On the outset, this may appear like an ambitious slogan to some, especially the cynical. But if you were in an optimistic frame of mind, it will be easy for you to realize that despite all its hardships and difficulties, life remains a wonderful gift. And it’s only fair to use this gift to the fullest by living it to the fullest.

How??

Living life to its fullest doesn’t mean that you don’t encounter hardships, or that life is perpetually pleasant and luxurious. It means diriving yourself to the edge, maximizing your potential and striving to give back much much more than you think you have received. It means having an open mind and attitude for all kinds of diverse experiences and individuals. It means having or striving to develop the kind of vision that can take you beyond your limited horizon.

What??

Sounds weird, huh? Too good to be true? Too boring and too philosophical? Well as they say, the power is in believing. Once you start believing you can make it happen and that it is within your reach, you really can make it happen. Try it with small everyday things and then go on to the bigger ones, and soon you will become a believer in believing. And as long as you can believe and strive, you can live life to its fullest!