Manal’s Blog

Author: Manal

  • 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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    Manal
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    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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    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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    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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    Manal
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    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
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    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…

  • Openness is a window that opens inwards

    Openness is a window that opens inwards

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    by

    Manal
    in

    Last year, when I started my journey to becoming more authentic and real, the very first trait I thought I should embody was openness. Thinking that in order to be authentic, one should hide nothing; show themselves fully; to wear my heart on my sleeve, to say what’s on my heart and mind openly. A…

  • The lady of Shalott

    The lady of Shalott

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    by

    Manal
    in

    I was recently reminded of a song that I loved a very long time ago, but it had slipped my memory. The song is a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, sung in the magical, nostalgic voice of Loreena McKennitt. “The Lady of Shalott” is a tragic story of a lady who lived in Arthurian legend. She is…