Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Fed up
As an American Muslim, I am sick of defending myself. I'm tired of letting the media and those that know little about my faith judge me based on the acts of a few. I will not care if those that may have seen a DVD in the mail or read an article by a Islamophobic columnist determine what they think about me and a billion other people. If you want to think that way, go ahead. It is ludicrous to me in principle for someone to think in that matter, therefore, I will not encourage it by being baited into answering their mocking viewpoints.
If I formed my views of more than a billion Christians based on the KKK or Nazis, it would make no sense. I would have to question my methodology and figure how I could come to such a conclusion. I would challenge myself to meet more Christians personally, and not just stand from afar to judge a people. We may do that in reference to animals in the wild, but as humans, we should be willing to learn more.
Western minds have made this mistake time and time again. Framing the "orient", Africans, Indians to all be a certain way and these racist prototypes still linger in the minds of many today. As a people, we have come further than that, and as a nation, we are better than that. I challenge every one to break out of the mental slavery we have been shackled to and become more active learners in our assessment of humans.
If I formed my views of more than a billion Christians based on the KKK or Nazis, it would make no sense. I would have to question my methodology and figure how I could come to such a conclusion. I would challenge myself to meet more Christians personally, and not just stand from afar to judge a people. We may do that in reference to animals in the wild, but as humans, we should be willing to learn more.
Western minds have made this mistake time and time again. Framing the "orient", Africans, Indians to all be a certain way and these racist prototypes still linger in the minds of many today. As a people, we have come further than that, and as a nation, we are better than that. I challenge every one to break out of the mental slavery we have been shackled to and become more active learners in our assessment of humans.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
disorder --> order
energy or order has a tendency to head towards disorder. this is very similar to life. it's easier in life to fail, to do the wrong thing, to be a sloth. imagine holding something ~ 35 lbs in the air. using both your arms, you are able to maintain it in the air, but this takes effort. mentally, from your body, etc. not having any of those components will allow it to drop. succeeding takes effort. think of gravity. we have a tendency to be grounded to this earth. but only with some effort (jumping, going in a plane) can we be released from this pull of gravity. now imagine if you conquer gravity, you find a way to go beyond it (think astronaut). then you are truly free. this is confusing even my brain, but think of this spiritually and practically. it's just another principle of this world.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
some advice for you
in my experiences, advice is a funny thing. most of the time, people end up doing what their gut told them, regardless of what you may present. and the person giving it is in a weird position of power/wisdom, so it creates an interesting dynamic. (or maybe that's just me and my friends)
one interesting thing is to note what someone tells you. most people's advice is given through their lens on the world, taking on their experiences in life, in what they have observed, learned, etc, and they are trying to make sense of your reality on their terms. it is close to impossible for someone to truly think from your point of view. because of that, you can tell a lot about what someone thinks of this world, what their experiences have been, etc. maybe this is really elementary, but i just found it amusing to see another way in which we can try to learn about people.
one interesting thing is to note what someone tells you. most people's advice is given through their lens on the world, taking on their experiences in life, in what they have observed, learned, etc, and they are trying to make sense of your reality on their terms. it is close to impossible for someone to truly think from your point of view. because of that, you can tell a lot about what someone thinks of this world, what their experiences have been, etc. maybe this is really elementary, but i just found it amusing to see another way in which we can try to learn about people.
Monday, August 11, 2008
jumping off the cliff
a year ago, i had made a pact with a friend of mine to "jump off the cliff". to us, that entailed putting our faith in what we believed in whether it be justice, happiness, or our patient's health. the point was to not only think and believe in certain ideals, but to push ourselves into action by somewhat jumping off blindly, and letting the wind (our ideals) guide us. to not be inhibited by what others think, to not be inhibited by our own insecurities, and to stay on the cusp of action, and to live in this world as the way we wish to see it, always looking to gain in experience or knowledge.
during this past year, i have gone up and down in the wind, as one may suspect, at times getting caught up on a branch, or even plateauing. i would, however, like to think that because of this thought, i have pushed myself harder than i ever have to be my ideal. whether it was applying and getting rejected by many global health fellowships (though eventually getting one), being a clown with patch adams, or standing up to my seniors and attendings at the hospital.
this year, i have rethought this cliff metaphor, and am ready to go again. i have made a commitment to positivity, to not be stagnant in my thoughts of idealism, and to push myself with small actions everyday. i am going to share some small examples of what i've been doing in hopes of spreading the cliff metaphor.
- While jogging near my apt complex, i always jog (half out of breath as usual) past something called the "Life House". I never really knew what it was but it always had a group of people sitting outside. While seeing an old lady sitting outside, i decided to go up to her. we began talking, and she told me how the house was meant for those that were disabled but lived independently. within minutes she was telling me about her life, her family, and how she'd love to cook a souther dinner for me (or maybe i asked her if she would but still). a similar episode happened the next day i was jogging. this time a 40 yr old guy that was HIV+, had suffered a stroke recently, however felt blessed everyday of his life that he was living and able to share his story with others. it's amazing how much strangers can share within a short amount of time, and how much we can gain by just talking to those who we might not think to talk to. we all have something to gain from each other if we are willing to stay connected. this thinking was somewhat inspired from patch adams and his method of meeting people by picking up a phone book and just calling random numbers. though it is a skill doctors have to get accustomed to because of our profession, it doesn't mean we take advantage of it. the key is to have a dialogue and listen.
- i picked up a can from the street so i could recycle it.
- while driving by the convention center, i saw a sign that said "WORSHIPFEST", free admission. since i have a lot more time these days, i thought why not? i went inside, and the lights were dimmed, with a christian rock group belting out lyrics praising jesus. people were twirling, dancing with flags, hands in the air, singing along. though at first, i was inclined to think what the hell (no pun intended) is going on? however, i then thought to how they would probably think that me praying on a floor is equally ridiculous, that others praying before an idol is crazy, or that jews at a wailing wall made no sense. we all think of ourselves and our culture/beliefs as normal sometimes, and miss the point of thinking that everything is relative. this is a huge point/topic but i will leave it at that.
- i acted on my own, when a nurse wasn't around, to put a bed pan under a patient. though this is a seemingly small task, it was big for me as far as acting on my own, and "doing a nurse's job" which those with white coats are sometimes not inclined to do.
so this jumping off the cliff thinking is very relative to who you are as you can see. everyone's actions are going to be personalized to what they envision as their ideals and who they want to be. however, the key is to liberate yourself from what others may think and your own insecurities to get closer to your own truth.
during this past year, i have gone up and down in the wind, as one may suspect, at times getting caught up on a branch, or even plateauing. i would, however, like to think that because of this thought, i have pushed myself harder than i ever have to be my ideal. whether it was applying and getting rejected by many global health fellowships (though eventually getting one), being a clown with patch adams, or standing up to my seniors and attendings at the hospital.
this year, i have rethought this cliff metaphor, and am ready to go again. i have made a commitment to positivity, to not be stagnant in my thoughts of idealism, and to push myself with small actions everyday. i am going to share some small examples of what i've been doing in hopes of spreading the cliff metaphor.
- While jogging near my apt complex, i always jog (half out of breath as usual) past something called the "Life House". I never really knew what it was but it always had a group of people sitting outside. While seeing an old lady sitting outside, i decided to go up to her. we began talking, and she told me how the house was meant for those that were disabled but lived independently. within minutes she was telling me about her life, her family, and how she'd love to cook a souther dinner for me (or maybe i asked her if she would but still). a similar episode happened the next day i was jogging. this time a 40 yr old guy that was HIV+, had suffered a stroke recently, however felt blessed everyday of his life that he was living and able to share his story with others. it's amazing how much strangers can share within a short amount of time, and how much we can gain by just talking to those who we might not think to talk to. we all have something to gain from each other if we are willing to stay connected. this thinking was somewhat inspired from patch adams and his method of meeting people by picking up a phone book and just calling random numbers. though it is a skill doctors have to get accustomed to because of our profession, it doesn't mean we take advantage of it. the key is to have a dialogue and listen.
- i picked up a can from the street so i could recycle it.
- while driving by the convention center, i saw a sign that said "WORSHIPFEST", free admission. since i have a lot more time these days, i thought why not? i went inside, and the lights were dimmed, with a christian rock group belting out lyrics praising jesus. people were twirling, dancing with flags, hands in the air, singing along. though at first, i was inclined to think what the hell (no pun intended) is going on? however, i then thought to how they would probably think that me praying on a floor is equally ridiculous, that others praying before an idol is crazy, or that jews at a wailing wall made no sense. we all think of ourselves and our culture/beliefs as normal sometimes, and miss the point of thinking that everything is relative. this is a huge point/topic but i will leave it at that.
- i acted on my own, when a nurse wasn't around, to put a bed pan under a patient. though this is a seemingly small task, it was big for me as far as acting on my own, and "doing a nurse's job" which those with white coats are sometimes not inclined to do.
so this jumping off the cliff thinking is very relative to who you are as you can see. everyone's actions are going to be personalized to what they envision as their ideals and who they want to be. however, the key is to liberate yourself from what others may think and your own insecurities to get closer to your own truth.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
thoughts while studying....III
a recent Pew study found that people that watch fox news know more about the news than those who listened to npr. hmmm, amazing that we needed a study to prove that those who watched a news channel, knew more about the news, than those that listened to npr whose aim is to provide a wide array of intellectual stories. amazing.
also, in the news culture of today, i am confused as to why it has become the mark of the intelligent, a mark of being "in the know" for those who know about the news. so what if you watch cnn, go to cnn.com, listen to npr on your way home, and read newsweek in the bathroom. how does that make you a more informed person and someone better to tackle the world? i don't think that knowledge of the news is what makes a person informed and smarter person, it is action and independent thought. not what some news agency tells you to know.
also, in the news culture of today, i am confused as to why it has become the mark of the intelligent, a mark of being "in the know" for those who know about the news. so what if you watch cnn, go to cnn.com, listen to npr on your way home, and read newsweek in the bathroom. how does that make you a more informed person and someone better to tackle the world? i don't think that knowledge of the news is what makes a person informed and smarter person, it is action and independent thought. not what some news agency tells you to know.
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