Love

Wish I could see you

But you’re never seen

Wish I could touch you

But the answer is still the same

Wish I could smell you

But you’re hidden

Somewhere unknown

Maybe inside the heart

I don’t know

What I know is

You can only be felt

Because you’re invisible

To define you

Is a mystery

Just like life

But you’re still better

Because you’re eternal

And life is ephemeral

When you enter the heart of a man

You give birth to more invisible children

Compassion, Passion

Empathy, Honesty

Tolerance, Endurance

Courage and Hope

And because of you

Man is whole

For without you

Life is useless

-MOAB © 2015

Clear Your Mind of Can’t

One of the things that stop us from doing what we’re able to do is the negative voice that says, “You can’t.” That voice roaring “you can’t” is not only living inside you, but also appears in disguise as friends, family, and loved ones. “After all, they want the best for you,” the negative voice would say.

They’ll join your negative voice and you’ll feel like they’re right. No, they aren’t. They’ll go further to elaborate the outcome of what you haven’t done yet, probably failure (shame). And this, you don’t want for yourself. You don’t want to be put to shame.

What’s your job? It’s easy. Clear your mind of can’t. Ask yourself a brutal, hard question: “Do I have passion for this?” If your answer is yes, then you can do it. I have often written that most “yes, you can” are not true until one asks himself if he truly has passion for it. For passion drives you to your dreamland. It helps you fight your negative voice and it’ll push you to do what you thought is impossible. So, clear your mind of can’t because if you have passion for it, you can do it. Go!

-MOAB © 2015

Be Human

I hate it when people pretend to be strong, when they pretend to be perfect, when they pretend that they don’t love or hate something, and when they pretend that they don’t need other people. This is crazy! These people end up being depressed and clueless about their purpose in life.

What does it take to be human? To be human is to be vulnerable. To be human is to have empathy for others. To be human is to accept failure and defeat. To be human is to share your struggles and stories with others. To be human is to acknowledge that we’re all equal, that we all have fears, passions, desires, virtues and vices in us.

I don’t care whatever you possess as a human being, just be human. And in spite of all this, to be human is to accept who you are and struggle to become a better person. Be human, folks!
-MOAB © 2015

Talent isn’t Enough

Photo Credit: Sherrys Soiledwings via flickr.com

I know many talented folks. I watch them in awe when they do things because of the skills they manifest in whatever they do. But most times, these talented folks are nowhere to be found. They get stuck and complain about the rest who are making it big.

They thought that talent alone is a prerequisite to making it big. No. Talent isn’t enough. You have to put in the hours. You have to work hard, because hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

The only way your talent will help you is when you put in the hours, work your butt off, and practice as much as you can.

-MOAB  © 2015

Don’t Be a waste

Each and every time I think about life and its purpose, I get more scared than ever. Scary thoughts encapsulated my mind and I’m forced to ask myself some brutal, honest questions. Who will miss me when I’m gone? Who will benefit from my ephemeral existence on earth? Am I living life according to its purpose? Am I doing the right thing, the right way? Am I happy with myself? Am I doing what I love? Am I fulfilling my purpose on earth?

Some days ago, I was thinking if on getting home one day and the whole eleven story building had collapsed and burnt, what am I going to do? I have all important documents inside my room; will all be gone just like that? Yes, I know this is just an evil thought but it can happen, anytime. There’s no guarantee that it can’t happen. After that evil thought, I said, “after all, there’s life.” I should be thankful for that. Even if there’s life but all the certificates and documents that one had strived for will just go in a minute. I thought if that will be my case, then I’m not doing enough. The certificates will be gone, the awards you receive will be gone but the influence and difference you make in someone’s life will remain forever even after your death.

You see, we fail to ask ourselves these questions and we end up leaving this world empty. Just a bunch of waste. I don’t want that for myself. What will you do today to make a difference? You have what it takes to make it happen. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Your accolades will not change people but your influence will. Don’t be a waste, my friend. Start something and make a difference.

–MOAB © 2015

Help Me Write a Book: One True Sentence

“One sentence is often all it takes to convey your truth. And each one of us has a sentence that we carry with us –whether it is a line from a novel, a verse of poetry, a song lyric, a personal mantra, words of wisdom from a loved one, or a simple string of words that bring you meaning. We take this “one true sentence” with us on our travels, drawing inspiration, motivation, and solace in times of trouble.”  –Amanda Festa

On the first day of this year, an idea struck me and I couldn’t help myself but to start this idea. It kept roaring in my head until I took the leap. This idea was simple but I was afraid to start because I might drop it at the middle of the ocean. I punched fear in the face and get started.

What’s this idea? It’s to write one true sentence every day. A sentence that comes from the heart and it must be less or not more than 125 characters.

Does this sound crazy? Absolutely. Is this idea new and fresh? Of course, not. But we can revive old things to become new and that’s called creativity.

I can’t do this all alone. Good things always involve other people in order to make it happen. And that’s why I need your help to spread this idea across and beyond my reach.

This is what I’m doing…for each true sentence, I’m writing the story behind it and why it came to being.

This is my first one true sentence that I wrote on January 1st:

Blessed are those who act on their good intentions. #1truesentence

I have written more till date…and still writing

Why am I doing this? It’s because I believe one true sentence can make a difference. And, of course, behind every one true sentence, there are long stories filled with reality, inspiration, life-changing nuggets, and empathy.

What are you going to do?

Write one true sentence that comes from the heart and it should be less or not more than 125 characters. Get yourself a journal, scribble it on paper, or post it on Facebook or on Twitter. Don’t forget to add the hashtag #1truesentence and let the idea spread like a virus.

Are you in? If yes, then let’s do this together. Because it’s not books that change people, it’s those one true sentences in books that touch lives and change people. Yours, too, can make a difference.

-MOAB © 2015

The 1 Star Reviews

I have been reading customer reviews on Amazon (both the books I’ve read and the ones I’d like to read). I don’t bother reading much about the 5 star reviews, because, of course, they’re awesome. So I moved to the 1 star reviews and read what people are saying. “This book is terrible,” a customer said. “Don’t waste your money and time,” another customer wrote. And many others like that.

Some people who are trying to be constructive wrote why they don’t like the book they’re giving 1 star review. What struck me most is that there are 1 star reviews for the books that I’d love to read again and again, the books that I’d recommend to friends and family because they’re good books. But for some people, they’re not good books. This really got me thinking about our endeavors in life (business, writing books, creative ideas, and whatnot) that many people will not like them. And that’s fine because our endeavors are not for everybody.

Those who give our works 1 star reviews don’t hate us. The only problem is that our ideas don’t resonate with them for one reason or the other. After all, your endeavor isn’t for everybody. Don’t let the comments, criticism of others stop you from doing your work. Your work doesn’t have to make sense for everybody, if it makes sense to you and a few people I think that’s enough. Change doesn’t start with a large crowd. It starts with an individual.

-MOAB © 2014

Why You Should Break Your Silence and Become Awesome

“Your silence will not protect you.” –Audre Lorde

There’s something that’s pushing you down to the bottom race. Have you ever asked yourself why you’re not doing what you should be doing? Maybe because you’re afraid of failure, of people’s comments, of being wrong, and of being blamed. Silence is the shackle that’s holding you back from being awesome. It keeps you safe, fit in with the status quo and you end up at the bottom. Break your silence, friend. Breaking your silence will take you places and open more ways to become awesome.

If you think that being silent will make you safe and fit in, you’re kidding yourself. Silence will never protect you. It’ll never take you places. It’ll never bring the change you’re craving. The people who are crazy enough to do what they believe in, people who challenge the status quo are the ones that are making a difference in the world. So why not join them? Why not break your silence and become awesome?

This is a clarion call to everyone who thinks they have something amazing to do, to make a difference, to create change, and become awesome. Don’t let fear win you. Don’t stay silent because silence will only make you stagnant.

Want to become awesome? Want to create change? Want to make a difference? Then break your silence.

What Does It Take to Be a Writer?

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” –Sylvia Plath

Is it a degree in Literature, English, or Creative writing? No. None of these degrees matter. You don’t even need to go for a writer’s surgery or take a writer’s pill (if there’s such thing) to become a writer. To be a writer—you only need to have the guts to write what others are thinking or imagine what others could be thinking and write it. That’s all you need to become a writer. Any other thing is just a plus. Got it? Good. Go now and write.

What Will You Make of This Moment?

 “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.”  –Eckhart Tolle

It’s true that this present moment will be gone and never come back again. That today will be gone and tomorrow will eventually become another today. But one day, everything will be gone and there’ll be no day left. The point here is not the continuation of days or the end of it, but what one has achieved or done in those days, those free present moments.

This is a hard lesson for me, because I’ve been stalling, getting stuck, and giving myself excuses that are not valid. I get stuck every time because I think there’s another day to do the work. There’s no abundant time at all. All I ever have is this present moment to do something that matters, to do good deeds, and make a difference in people’s lives. There’s no other time to start other than this present moment. If you think you’ll have this moment tomorrow, you’re kidding yourself.

So, stop stalling and start doing something right now. It doesn’t have to be something big as sometimes we get stuck thinking we have to do big things to make a difference, and we end up doing nothing at all. I know, for example, that I should be writing books, not updating Facebook status. I know, of course, that I should write more guest post and not reading more blogs. I get delight in thinking that there’s enough time, that there’s tomorrow, which has got me nowhere.  Not anymore.

You and I need to do things with urgency of this present moment. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter. Do it now or never. This present moment will never come again, take advantage of it. What’ll you do or make of this present moment?

-MOAB © 2014