#thelitbit // Mind Platter
Mind Platter by Najwa Zebian
This book is a soul speaker.
It seems to happen that when I put a book on hold, I pick it back up at just the right time in my life. Hence why it’s a common occurrence to find me in the middle of a number of books (but also because I get distracted sometimes and different books call for different moods and paces!).
But I digress. Because this read keeps things real and to the point. Getting to the raw of life and soul. If you’re looking for something that speaks to you like you’re speaking to yourself (both the encouraging self and the self that needs to be unhidden from layers of hiding), Pick. It. Up!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Favorite takeaways:
The Quest for Reasons
"The answers to some questions in life lie in the absence of an answer. The reasons that we seek, the silver linings that we desperately want to see, the hidden messages that we try to figure out may simply not exist. Or they may, but only if we change the angle from which we look at them. We rush from one stop to another in life, searching for reason, for meaning, for purpose, not realizing that there are certain stops where we must wait if we arrive before our time. We often rush and wait. Although we learn many lessons while waiting, because we have that time to think and reflect, we miss the beauty of the simple things along the way. We miss other opportunities that may have been better than the place where we stopped. We often question why the things that we didn’t want to happen, happen, or why the things that we wanted to happen have not happened yet. We fail to be thankful for, or appreciative of, the good things that we did not ask for but that happened anyway. We fail to be thankful for the bad things that we did not ask to be protected against but that did not happen. Our nature is to think more about yesterday and tomorrow than today. We waste our time when we look too far back or too far forward and miss living yesterday’s dream today. Then we wonder why our dreams do not come true."
Life, Simplified
"Don’t ever force yourself to live up to anyone’s standards. Make your own standards based on your abilities, based on your potential, and based on your vision for your future. Take time to figure out what the big picture in your life is, what your end goal is. This is personal to you. The conviction in your heart of this vision will make it shadow you wherever you go. It will guide your every step, decision, and plan. No one is more knowledgeable of the real you more than you are knowledgeable of yourself…Be the phenomenal person that you know you can be. Define phenomenal yourself. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else’s phenomenal. At all…Have your own big dreams and pursue them because you know you can. No one is stopping you from that except yourself. Don’t live your whole life comparing yourself to people you think are better than you, trying to live up to them. Live your life working to make who you are today better than who you were yesterday and dreaming that who you will be tomorrow is better than who you are today. Do not give yourself any other option than becoming better. Don’t be anything other than positive. Celebrate your little successes and improvements. Imagine how truly happy you will be."
Let Go
"We often attach letting go to negativity because we take it as giving up, and giving up is a sign of weakness. That’s not always true. Sometimes letting go can be as positive as holding on, and sometimes holding on can be as negative as letting go. Letting go of what makes you miserable is the right decision to make because while one opportunity that you are holding on to makes you cry your heart out, another opportunity is patiently waiting for you. It is patiently waiting for you to let go of what you have and hold on to this new opportunity. When you let go of what you have, do it the right way. Don’t let go feeling weak. Don’t let go feeling you’ve done anything but your absolute best. Don’t let go feeling like you were not worth the opportunity. It was not meant to be worth your pain, although it may have been painful. Think deeply into the purpose that made you take that opportunity, and if you’ve achieved that purpose, then take pride in it. Give yourself credit and don’t ever let anybody put you down. Let go feeling like the biggest winner and let loss go home with the opportunity that never appreciated you. Reflect. Learn. Move on. Hold on to the next exciting thing that the world opens up for you and put your best forward, for your best will never let the inner you down. Ever."
The First Step
"…So, if you have an extraordinary goal, go for it. Take the first step. Giving up is not easy, but holding on is definitely harder. Once you can convince yourself of that and bring yourself to accept that you need to expect hardships in pursuit of greatness, then you have taken your first step graciously. You wouldn’t worry about reaching for the fruits on the highest branches of a tree before planting the seed, would you?"
Listen
"Stop listening to the voices around you. Focus on the voices within you. Your heart’s language is the most comprehensive. Your mind’s logic is the most worthy of your time. Fix yourself before you worry about fixing others. At the end of the day, no one will walk your journey for you. You have to do that. At the end of the day, no one will dream for you. You have to do that…You are different, and that’s a fact. You are unique, and that’s a fact. Your existence is in your hands, so let it shine. Let it inspire. Let it be free."
“You know where you were born, but do you know where your soul will rise from?” - A Fateful Sky
[read on]