In embracing peace and unity

I personally couldnt be bothered about those who don't like others who embrace the 'we're-one-big-happy- family' idea or whether they are being introverted, private, introspective and even solitary. It is a personal issue by choice to be such and such. After all, we grew up looking at the world differently simply because it is how we want it to look like and to be like. As long as those people do not drag the others into the role play of being the victims of the situations, its fair enough for everyone else, isnt it?

Every moment of happiness and every smile counts in this short period of time called LIFE.

The recent incident; burning of churches, demonstration against the non-muslims using Allah in referrence and etc, that happened around this country has brought to our attention. This occurs especially to us who live in this generation who always celebrate the 'Malaysianizing of Malaysians' ; accepting everyone as part of the family regardless the differences in colors, language, religious belief and so on. Yes, there are things we often disagree but not many of us who really put ourselves out there to do something about it, to celebrate these differences as part of what unity is all about. Unity takes more than just the old conventional gathering, watching Malaysian traditional dances and parades, singging National anthem, shouting out loud '1 Malaysia' in Dataran Merdeka. Mind due, we are not the 'Rais Yatim' generation!

The crave of showing the older generations and the ignorant group of individuals of what peace and unity really means in its real sense has led a few youngsters to organize something called Tali Tenang: Cool and calm people. A walk along the streets from Bangsar LRT station to Bangsar Sports Complex, holding strings together, was more than just being a symbolic meaning of unity, of calm and cool Malaysian. It has certainly proved that unity is simple. It is right in front of us, all around us. Believing in it is not enough. As wise man said, 'action speaks louder than words'. The cheerful look, the support that we had from the public who passed by and the smile in everyone's face, had certainly proved that we are calm and cool Malaysians in general.

Walking along the street of Jalan Maarof

Smiling and waving at everyone who passes by
Toughest challenge.. getting almost 250 people to cross the street

@ Bangsar Sports Complex

The glass...

This glass, a special glass, handle it with care. Its more fragile than any glasses you ever found. This glass is delicate, created before the time of Adam and Eve. Destiny was written on it, inside it, above it, below and all around. As time goes by, you would see it one after another.This glass is filled with life and humanity, faith and morality. The glass was not flimsy rather it owns the fragility in its beauty, given to each of us as the most precious gift the day we were brought into this world.

Today, one glass is back to where it belongs and so as the person who held it. Al Fatihah to a dear friend, Bibi Yasmin. She was strong in battling the leukimia. She fought with all her strength and yes, she won the battle. May Allah bless her soul and be granted a special place among the mukminin.

She was once, among us, who held this glass. But her glass was crystal clear that you could see every inch of the beauty of it. She was known to most as the happy-go-lucky person even the very day when she found out about her disease. I knew about it the month after that when she didnt attend most of the classes. She was, indeed the epitome of good things in life. Never hurt anyone, none bad things about the others ever been uttered. She was to me, a definition of a real good friend and she made life so simple, and I am pretty sure everyone who knows her envied that.

Looking back at the glass that we carry with us, it made me realize that this glass of mine isnt really as clear as I could see thru it. I'm taking this opportunity to look back at myself and the fragile glass that I am holding.. it may be taken away back to its place in the next second, the next hour, the next month or in years to come. Be it whenever that it is going to happen, I shall take care of it just as the way it was given to me and shall not let it shattered easily. And for that matter, I would like to appologize to friends, family and everyone for the things I did or said that may hurt all thru these years. For I am only like anyone else, born to make mistake.

May the Almighty inspire us all with peace and insight to help us understand the intricacies and complexities of this life.

What is your art?

A wise man said, life is an imitation of art. Some others prefers to see that life itself is an art. I agree. I see life as painting. Body is a canvas. The canvas that we paint the art of our lives. It doesnt matter how we paint it, we know no one leaves the canvas blank. Who we are is hardly defined by the colors we used. The art itself does not depend solely on colors. But the brush does play the role. Soul is the brush, the mechanism that controls the colors as we go through the journey creating our art.

Art is however subjective in definition. Every single things, ideas and emotions have their own art and we are not subjected to look at it in one direction. To feel the presence of ourselves is to get in touch with our being every second and to find the art hidden. The art of freedom to Coelho (the writer) is not the absence of commitments but lies in the choices of task that he made. Freedom to me is when we finally understand and ready to set free ourselves from defining things as what they are and who we are. We are everything that the universe has to offer.

It is hard to search the right answer of who we are. No one knows not even ourselves. But if we know what art we're carrying, the knowledge of the universe will certainly helps us to get to know our soul and the souls of the others. It'll guide us in making decisions, shaping our perceptions, and balancing between rational and emotion.

Officially 27 and loving every bit of it!

Alhamdullilah, at the time of writing this, i'm still alive and kickin'! Yes, I am officially 27 years old. A wise once said, "Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old". Indeed. I am grateful to be able to see and feel the most precious gift given by God, the beauty of life. If it had written there that I'll be gone in the next second, the next minute or hours..years.. you should know and let the others know that I have lived my life perfectly.

p/s: Thank you God, Thank you everyone...

A letter to you (hoping that you read it because I really want you to)

Dear Happiness..

I'm glad that I've opened up myself in knowing you. How are you? I'm doin' extremely good in here. Its all because of you. It took me a while to gain the trust in you, in knowing for what you really are, walking down the lane slowly, trying to understand you deeply. Its all worth it. Oh, did I mentioned, i'm doing really good in here? Oh yeah, I did.

I'm sorry for not be able to thank you earlier. I've been busy lately, trying to fill up each moment with good things around. The truth is, it isnt really that hard. In a way you've shown me that the good friend of yours, joy, exists in almost everything and everyone around me. I dont have to look further. The only thing I need is the sense of gratitude from the moment I wake up till the moment I go to bed. I began to realize that being thankful for what God has given me, no matter how small those gift the others might think of it, it makes everything fall into place. It may not be the case of everything I planned work smoothly, but at least it is still on the track. Thank you Happiness.

They may said that I am what I am now is all because I'm in love. True and there is nothing wrong with it. I'm in love with love. Hey, isnt Love your old friend too? I've learn so much from Love. The most valuable lesson Love taught me is to feel the feeling, not to understand the meaning of it or trying to make sense out of theories made by anyone. Love has no boundaries in the sense of time and space. Love the past, the present and the future moment because only by then there will be the connection between the existence of the body and the soul. Live with no regrets, hate not for who you were in the past. Love said, i will find happiness once I understand the whole meaning of love. I did, didnt I? I've finally understood you. Few months back, I met someone and fell in love with him. We promised nothing but to make each other happy. Up till today, we still keep our words on it. Isnt it great? He knows you too, I guess. Do you? hmmm...

I guess that's all i could write to you for now. Hope i could write more sometimes in the future. Till then...

Love,
Izwa

The Unspoken Words of Love

LOVE is fitrah. A nature. No matter how much we tried to pull ourselves from it, just like a strong magnet it holds us back. Is it because God granted every each of His creations with hearts that we are bound to have it or is it because since we are the creations of Him that He puts part of His traits in us? Is love lies in the heart.. the heart that beats? What if it stops beating? Where the love goes? Does it change its form, then? I guess love doesnt come in specific shape, placed in specific spot. Love is like soul. Perhaps, love is one of the element in the soul. The soul never dies so does love.

A wise man told, love thyself before loving others. We humans are bunch of ignorance. We also like to take for granted for the things we presume we know. Take a time, feel the love within us, the love for ourselves and the love connection with the Universe. Love will take us to a whole new level, love is no longer a tangible thing that needs to be justified. Feel the feeling because no matter where the journey takes us, we know we have love surrounds to keep us warm and comfort us. Learn the essence of love before knowing what it takes to love the self..or the others.

The language of love, beyond holding hands, three words "I Love You", a song to be sing, it is a chemistry that not only flows within two souls but thru the entire waves in the universe. Hence when love strucks, everything seems to fall into places. Live each moment of it. Love condemns promises. Make no promise to another because love has no contracts, rules and no one is bind to the boundless emotion. Sell not the soul. embrace while we're at it and celebrate the precious gift of the heart.

Love the love..

The Art of Losing

Losing is hard and painful. But losing is not always a bad thing. It is a call. A call that tells us to look upon things and people we have and to realize that they are as much important as ourselves regardless it is in the past,the present or the future moment. It is also a sign of not taking for granted the existence of the things and people we have around us.

A place Called Here by Cecilia Ahern according to my sister is a beautiful story about a land where things and people we've lost are well-kept and living their lives. Ever wonder why we kept on losing one of our socks, each time? They are in this fantasy land where they belong in the first place. More than just bringing us to the imaginary world, the story tells us that sometimes we forgot that losing takes beyond the meaning of disconnecting ourselves from other things or other people. It is the act of letting go simply because they deserve to be in the place that they are destined to be.

People tend to lose things everyday in life. It is not because we are not meant to have it or that of a bad luck. Sometimes without realizing we often wish of having something more than what we have at the present moment. The Universe works its magic. In getting what we wish for, something else has to go. Mom lost her phone twice, the same brand and she then decided to get a different one. She loves it regardless how much we hated it. A dear friend lost his car back years go and he finally gets to drive the car he always wanted. Though it is nowhere near his dream car he is glad that he finally own a better one than he had previously.

Nature tells us that life is a cycle. Youth is the best moment for everyone. Those who are afraid of losing this phase shall not live. Losing youth is not a sign of that death is one step ahead. It broadens our definition about living the life. A moment is as important as the other. The feeling of losing youth happen to those who couldnt find the meaning of happiness in each moment they live, each things they do and all the people they meet. Losing is a moment when they miss the second chance given.

Losing someone dearly is tragic enough but losing the faith in God for what has been written is worse. It doesnt matter whether it was a mistake made by the hospital, a conspiracy of the others or taken by someone who decided to play the role of a Creator, its all just a storyline to get to the final end of the chapter in their lives. We who live shall alway keep the faith in Him until our story is fully written.