Writing 101#3: One -Word inspiration

Prompts come in many different forms. Sometimes a single word is all you need to get your mind’s wheels turning. Here are six words:

Treasure

Regret

Home

Love

Uncertainty

Secret

Select one word in this list that speaks to you in some way.Have you always wanted to write about that wrong decision you made? Are you a long-term traveler looking for the right city to settle? Do you want to write about your relationship?

Regret is the word I feel speaks to me.

Although I think I’ve made right decisions in my life, my mind tells me I did not. Not working hard enough in primary and high school is one of the regrets, I have. I did not try to see what I could have accomplished if I were a little more careful in my studies earlier in life. I was happy getting passing grades without making any sincere efforts.

It is said,”Time and tide waits for no one” I heard it several times, I even loved repeating it. What I did not do is take a closer look and find out what message was  I getting from these few words.

I wanted to have a good education, I knew this was what  my parents wanted. I did accomplish this ambition. Still something tells me I should have listened to my uncle, who once told me, “Ranu you should study Philosophy.” I heard what he said but didn’t care enough to know what the subject was all about. I studied History instead, maybe I was good in remembering dates, which probably is  the reason why I opted to study   History.

Now when I look back I feel I did not make the right decision. When I read about Philosophers I find so much joy knowing, how they  entertained us with their knowledge and are continuing to do so despite the fact they are no longer among the living.

I have realized what I could have done when I was a student, the fact that I didn’t makes me unhappy sometimes.

I am happy  I got the opportunity to study about Iqbal  through online courses and Tagore,when I started blogging. Both were great philosophers in their time!

Dear participants and blogger friends, I’d love to get your feedback about my post. Thank you!

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DP Daily Prompt:

If I could take a break, I certainly would register to study Philosophy. I wasn’t aware it is such an interesting subject. It would also come in handy for the online course I am doing.

I was once advised by one of my uncle’s to study Philosophy, at that time I was too young to understand how valuable this subject is.

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k: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2015/04/03/dp-daily-prompt-7

365 Writing Prompts: Ghostwriter

If you could have any author –living or dead— write your biography, who would you choose?

I’d choose Tagore to write the introduction, he is a Bengali like me,he’d be able to begin with an appropriate song, describing the places I visited foods I like, books I  read and songs that are my favorite.

I’d love to have Wordsworth write a small paragraph, explaining my love of nature.

The last part I’d implore Iqbal to complete, he was a Muslim, since our religion is the same he’d be able to explain my dedication for daily prayer.

These are the three authors I would select to write my biography. If there are any confusions writing it, Tagore will make it interesting by filling in the blanks with one of his remarkable songs.

If Wordsworth volunteers to get the blanks filled. It would be terrific, his wealth of knowledge of nature will fit in nicely to cover the spaces.

While I think Iqbal would do even better by covering the gap with his philosophy of human mind!

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/365-writing-pr…ts-ghostw

 

Fiction: Confusion

It was the first day of class, the university was buzzing with first year students, there weren’t enough volunteers to direct the traffic in the overcrowded building.

It was Marcy’s first trip in the city which to her seemed too large, she came from a small fishing community in Fogo, she found a small corner in the corridor sat down and watched all the other students running helter-skelter, is this what university is about she asked herself?

Suddenly she heard a voice from behind, “are you lost, I’m Socrates, you might think who named me, well who else my parents they think the name might influence me to be a Philosopher, did you ever hear such a thing in your life?”

Marcy was tongue- tied how will she respond, there were a million words in her brain, she was unable to speak, Socrates knew the girl was too shy to speak, to make her feel at ease, he told her where he was from and what he wanted to study, he certainly was not in favor of studying Philosophy.

His lighthearted conversation helped her relax, she said very softly, “my name is Marcy,this is my first visit in the city, I like you, I want to be your friend.”

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/fiction-confusion/

365 Writing Prompts: Back to school

If you could take a break from your life and go back to school to master a subject, what would it be?

If I did get the opportunity to go back to school I’d like to study Philosophy. My interest is in Metaphysics.

We all by nature have a desire to know. The indication of this is the delight we take in our senses; apart from them being useful they are loved for themselves; and above all others is the sense of sight.Even when we are not going to do anything , we prefer seeing. The reason this, most of all the senses , it brings to light many different things.

We do not regard any of these senses as wisdom; yet they do give the most authoritative knowledge of particulars. They do not tell us ‘why’ of anything— such as why is fire hot; they only say it is hot.These and many other questions that I have will help me learn if I invest some time in this subject.

ttp://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/365-writing-pr…back-to-school/

DP Daily Prompt: I Did it My Way

When I was a child my older sister always bossed me around. She’d say, I would never be educated, I was lazy, I didn’t study hard enough. Of  course compared to her I was one miserable child who skipped school when she wanted to and things like that,whereas my sister would study till 3 am every morning.  I wasn’t made with enough determination to work hard.

When I make the comparison, I must let my readers know that when I was in standard three, she was in college. I haven’t heard of any seven year old in God’s green earth studying till 3 in the morning.

As we were growing older her criticism was getting more than I could handle. Then came the time when I was required to choose a subject to do my masters degree.  I wanted to study Economics, I wasn’t hard working enough, I’d fail , it was enough for me to think about it.

“Oh, but she said, study English.”

“I said, No I won’t ” and chose History instead. I was stubborn, I didn’t appreciate her interference. When I look back I think I should have studied Philosophy. It would have been a subject,I’d truly enjoy.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/daily-prompt-my-way/

DP Daily Prompt: Back To School Post By Ranu

philosophy (Photo credit: Leonard John Matthews)

The one subject that has interested  me for a long time is the study of Philosophy. Since it is connected with reality,existence,knowledge,values,reason,mind and language. I feel I will learn a lot from studying reality,existence and all the rest.

When I am curious about something and ask why that is so,I am told this is reality. Reality in a layman’s language would be it is  what you see. I think it is deeper than what I see.I am not convinced with this answer.

I know it comes from the Greek word Philosophia,which means love of wisdom.

I think it is a subject that I’d like to explore.

Book Report ,( A Novel) “The Valkyries” Posted by Ranu

Paulo Coelho (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Valkyries ( pronounced  val’ki:ri) : It is a Scandinavian myth.Valkyries are twelve maidens who hover over battlefields and conduct the fallen warriors to Valhalla.Valhalla is a hall in which the souls of those who died in battle feast with Odin, the supreme god for eternity. The author of the book is Paulo Coelho,who is a famous writer from Brazil. The publisher of the book is Harper Collins.The first edition was published in 1996. There are 209 pages in this book. This particular book is not among the best sellers.

There are several blurbs written for this book.I will only quote one: “Coelho is a pilgrim of a literature that soothes the soul,and of a philosophy that rediscovers the spirituality in people,our personal quest and reunion with the forgotten,everyday beauty of the world in which we live and paths we weave.His books are a mirror: Refreshing,intense,messengers of love and man’s most essential path.His magic irradiates when,after reading his books,one feels happy.”__El Espectador, Colombia

I started reading his books,partly because of his Philosophy and spiritualism, and also some of the things he writes about in a way resembles ,”The great poet and philosopher, Allama Iqbal.” I started studying about Iqbal since late 2011 and am continuing to do so, even today.

Valkyries is the fourth book  of Paulo Coelho I have read so far.

The main characters are: J., Paulo,his wife Chris, Gene a man in his twenties,and the Valkyries. These are the primary characters.There are others without whom ,it will be challenging to proceed.

My intention is to give the introduction,I will give a gist of the story in parts. For now, this is all,I will write.

To be continued!

Timeless Quotes from the Buddha

As a mother at the risk of her life

watches over her child,so let everyone

cultivate a boundlessly compassionate

mind towards all living beings.

It is a man’s own mind,

not his enemy or foe,

that lures him to evil ways.

To live a pure unselfish life,

one must count nothing as

one’s own in the midst of abundance.

Hatred does not cease by hatred,

but by love alone; this is an ancient

and eternal law.

It is better to conquer yourself,

than to win a thousand battles.

Then the victory is yours.

It cannot be taken from you,

not by angels or by demons,heaven or hell.

The secret of health for both

mind and body is not to mourn

for the past,worry about the future,

or anticipate troubles,but to live in

the present moment wisely and earnestly.

We are what we think.

All that we are arises with our thoughts.

With our thoughts we make the world.

All things appear and disappear

because of the concurrence of

causes and conditions.

Nothing ever exists entirely alone;

everything is  in relation to everything else.

Believe nothing no matter

where you read it,or who said it,

no matter if I have said it,

unless it agrees with your own reason

and your own common sense.

Even death is not to be feared

by one who has lived wisely.

There are two mistakes one

can make along the road to truth.

not going all the way,and not starting.

I loved the Timeless Quotes from the Buddha and decided to post it.