Circumspecte

Y'all know how much I adore Paulo Coelho. Well, saw this on his blog , and I just had to repost it here! His description of the writing process and himself as a writer just take my breath away! If you haven't read "The Alchemist" yet, please put it on your list of URGENT to dos!! Simple words with so much weight! Enjoy!! -- Google Alerts is great. Sometimes I found things about myself that I did not expect. Today I found an old interview for an Indian newspaper – and here are some Q&A Could you recall from your life where you felt the feminine face of God? It was in 1992, when I was sitting inside of a grotto, in Lourdes. Since then, I try to accept my feminine side. When I write, I am a woman. I got pregnant from life, and I don’t know how the baby looks like. My pregnancy cycle lasts for two years, and I don’t take notes, I don’t make plans. The only thing that I know is that life put inside me a seed that will grow when time comes. Then, when time comes, I...

So, today's a special day in the Islamic Calendar. It's the day of Arafat - a day when all the Hajj pilgrims descend upon Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia under a state of "Ihram" (purity) and commune one on one with Allah. It's an open doorway to the heavenly chamber where gratitude, asking for forgiveness, committing oneself and praying for anything really rule supreme. Mount Arafat has a huge significance in Islam. It is believed that Adam and Eve found each other at that location after being cast out of paradise. It is also believed that Judgement Day will take place at that very mount. Perhaps, the most important thing about Mount Arafat for the world's millions of Muslims is the fact that it was on that very mountain that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) "perfected" Islam with his final sermon. For my Muslim brothers and sisters, I believe this is a great reminder about our rights and responsibilities as Muslims, and for how we should lead our lives. Fo...

This piece is an excerpt from Paulo Coelho's "Stories for Parents, Children and Grandchildren" and it's definitely one of my favorites! Great comfort for when things don't go the way you might want them to, and also a good reminder about being thankful for whatever good comes your way without being too attached. Enjoy! --   A Traditional Sufi Story Many years ago, in a poor Chinese village, there lived a farmer and his son. His only material possession, apart from the land and a small hut, was a horse he had inherited from his father. One day, the horse ran away, leaving the man with no animal with which to work the land. His neighbours, who respected him for his honesty and diligence, went to his house to say how much they regretted his loss.  He thanked them for their visit, but asked: 'How do you know that what happened was a misfortune in my life?' Someone muttered to a friend: 'He obviously doesn't want to face facts, but let him think...

"My Wish" I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow, And each road leads you where you want to go, And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose, I hope you choose the one that means the most to you. And if one door opens to another door closed, I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window, If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile, But more than anything, more than anything, My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small, You never need to carry more than you can hold, And while you're out there getting where you're getting to, I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too, Yeah, this, is my wish. I hope you never look back, but ya never forget, All the ones who love you, in the place you left, I hope you always forgive, and you never regret, And you help somebody every chance you get, Oh, you find God...