Manal’s Blog

Author: Manal

  • Beyond gratitude

    Beyond gratitude

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    by

    Manal
    in

    Gratitude is such an amazing feeling and it does not even have to be for something big. The energy of gratitude is the same whether I’m thanking God for the scent of a flower I came across while walking in the park, or for news of a loved one healing from a disease. Yes, intensity…

  • The art of being a feminine experience

    The art of being a feminine experience

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    by

    Manal
    in

    The other day I woke up with a delicious feeling of femininity and a deep sense of what it means to be a woman in a relationship. Although there was no one lying next to me, I imagined what it would be like to experience a loving relationship with a masculine man whose presence oozes…

  • Inner pease is not perfection

    Inner pease is not perfection

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    by

    Manal
    in

    There’s this assumption that people who write about inner peace must have mastered it. As if peace is a destination someone arrives at and never leaves. The other day someone said: “The people who write about inner peace the most seem to experience it the least.” Maybe… but I truly believe that only people who…

  • From head to heart

    From head to heart

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    by

    Manal
    in ,

    Yesterday, something happened that triggered me harder than I expected. My ego was the first to jump into defence. My inner child stompped her feet, she felt neglected, like she didn’t matter. A swell of emotions was about to take over my entire being. But my heart stepped in and saved the moment. A few…

  • The journal that couldn’t hold my feelings

    The journal that couldn’t hold my feelings

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    by

    Manal
    in

    I thought writing was helping me heal. Sometimes, it was helping me avoid feeling altogether I remember quarrelling with my mom that day about which was more important: tucking in the carton lid of a cereal box or the plastic bag inside it. As funny as it sounds now, I was fuming. I retreated to…

  • A little less foreign

    A little less foreign

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    by

    Manal
    in

    Yesterday, I had a great time with friends. I spent the day with three of my closest friends, people with whom I can be fully myself, without ever feeling judged or needing to wear a mask. That’s rare, and I don’t take it for granted. The day started simply: a shower, a short walk in…

  • a man decides to go for a walk.

    a man decides to go for a walk.

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    by

    Manal
    in

    Steve returns home — April 1,1983, a man decides to go for a walk. Around the world. — Steve Newman, 28, a freelance journalist, left his house in … a man decides to go for a walk.

  • The day I didn’t get a KitKat

    The day I didn’t get a KitKat

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    by

    Manal
    in

    Have you ever felt the universe directly and literally talking to you? Yesterday, it happened to me; not once, but several times, as if something was gently nudging me in the same direction. A month ago, after an incident at work, I started contemplating the idea of leaving my job and dedicating my time to…

  • Time waits for no one

    Time waits for no one

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    by

    Manal
    in

    This is a story I wrote years ago about not taking action on the things that matter to us, thinking we have time. I find the core message very relevant to me now as I contemplate new decisions that impact both my career and my personal life. I hope it resonates with you too. Happy…

  • The gentle blueprint Sandybell left on my soul

    The gentle blueprint Sandybell left on my soul

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    by

    Manal
    in ,

    I was born in 1981, the same year a tomboyish girl with blonde pigtails and a Scotch Collie first appeared on television screens. Her name was Sandybell. In my house, she wasn’t just a character; she was a nickname. My parents saw her in me or perhaps they created her in me. They styled my blonde hair…