FatimaFSK

In the conversations that overflow cafes, offices, classrooms, and living rooms, we are accustomed to hearing two fairly distinct impressions of life. One individual is smiling and commenting, "Life is good." The other person is frowning and grumbling, "My life is awful." Though such phrases appear to be based on very different circumstances in life, they don't need to be based in objective reality at all. They most commonly result from something greater and more encompassing:  personal attitude. The truth is, the majority of people have no idea that they're not just existing through life, they're also  existing through the story of their life . The difference between a person who sees life as being good and someone who sees life as being horrible is less about what happens to them, but more about the way that they choose to react to and account for what happens.  The Power of Perspective The person who says, "Life is good," is not trouble-free...

Back in the day, a great deal of emphasis was given on mannerism and learning the art of extending courtesy. It was not just limited to the drawing rooms of Victorian colonies but in all cultured societies. Children were groomed about how to sit, eat , speak eloquently and taught values of empathy, compassion and respect. It was about learning to develop self consciousness and regard for others. But now we are living in a world where being loud is perceived as a symbol of strength, unfiltered speech is glorified and appreciated.  We have lost the class in our act and confused honesty with harshness . When our words lack compassion , kindness and empathy which are the basic constituents of a moral connection , then this society is like a garden of artificial flowers with no depth and freshness . I believe  an opinion, no matter how honest, that lacks compassion is not an act of integrity. It is an act of aggression. The Moral Weight of Words Another serious misconception in tod...

Imagine this: You, the essence of you, your spirit, your consciousness, your soul hovering silently beside your physical self. You are invisible to the world, but profoundly present to the reality of your own life. You’re no longer the one caught in the hurry of the day, the constant ticking of the clock, the demands, the roles. You are simply observing. Witnessing…… ……..You see yourself wake up. A regular day has started. Just the familiar feeling of waking up, opening of eyelids , the first action of reaching for the phone, the slow shuffle to the bathroom. There is nothing grand in these early minutes everyday but there is something sacred in the simplicity. The fact that you rose again, in the comfort of your house. You observe a silent agreement with life:  I’ll try again today. You watch as the version of you you’ve built over the years takes form , through the clothes you put on, the face you present to the world, the roles you step into. Parent. Partner. Colleague. Friend. ...

In the most terrifying moments of your life when your child is losing and regaining consciousness in your arms, or your elderly parent cannot catch their breath, you rush to the nearest hospital. You don't look for luxury or reputation, all you need is help. But when you get to the emergency room, you're not met by a doctor or a stretcher. You're met with a chilly question: " Do you have money for admission ?" Until that fee is paid, no treatment is administered. No drip is given. No doctor appears. At that very moment,  the patient is not seen as a human being fighting to live, they are seen as a pending transaction.  This is not a tragedy of a single person. It is the everyday reality of millions of working-class Pakistanis, the 80% who lack any insurance, financial safety net, and very frequently any free cash in their pockets. Most of the middle class Pakistanis live paycheck to paycheck. There is a little opportunity for them to save for emergencies. In a sit...