Sunlit bedroom with handwritten pages, books, and a cup of coffee

Silent Acts of Bravery

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Daily writing prompt
What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done when no one was watching?
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The bravest thing I have ever done when no one was watching is simply showing up.

Most people probably would not consider it brave. It does not look heroic, and there is no audience to witness it. Yet I think people are often oblivious to the courage it takes to keep showing up when you are fighting a battle within yourself.

My mind is both my jailer and my punisher. The things others have said and done to me may have hurt, but it was the war my mind waged against my self-worth that left the deepest scars. There were many moments when I wanted to disappear completely, convinced that my existence did not matter.

But every day, even when no one was watching, I chose to show up. I got out of bed. I faced the day. I carried on despite the whirlwind of emotions in my head and the constant urge to run away from everything.

The bravest thing was not winning the battle. It was refusing to surrender to it.

Even when I felt like everything was against me, I stood back up. Even knowing I might get knocked down again, I still found the strength to continue. I took it on the chin and faced the music, not because I was fearless, but because I refused to let my fear have the final word.

No one applauded those moments. No one even knew they happened. But when I look back, I think that quiet decision to keep showing up, again and again, was the bravest thing I have ever done when no one was watching.

Student studying at a desk beside a stack of books

Beyond their Values

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What’s something you do completely differently from how you were raised?

I think most people are different from how they were raised. I used to think that I got my morals from my parents. While that was definitely a starting point, I think over time my ideology has diverged from theirs.

What my parents think is right made more sense in the society they grew up in. The society today is very different. I also realized that even with my parents’ guidance, or rather their instructions on what was right and wrong, I still wanted to challenge everything during my rebellious phase.

The restrictions my parents set felt constricting and suffocating. I had to break them. In some cases, I got burned, and in some cases, I learned. Just because my parents were right does not mean that I was wrong.

My parents brought me up in a very strict household where there was always a clear flow of authority. Being the youngest, my opinion was rarely sought. But life has taught me that sometimes even the youngest person has valuable opinions.

When I was younger, I used to keep my mouth shut and listen, but now I choose to speak up and voice my opinions. I realize that regardless of age, people deserve to be heard. I think this is probably one of the biggest ways I differ from what I was taught growing up.

Opening the App folder

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What are your favorite 5 apps on your phone?

My favourite apps in no particular order are

  1. Picsart
  2. Pinterest
  3. Spotify
  4. YouTube
  5. Procreate

I am learning digital art so the drawing apps were bound to appear. Pinterest gives me ideas about art stuff that I want to do. Last but definitely not the least music is a mandate to stay sane. I need music playing in the background when I am doing anything.

Wooden desk with open journal, drawing tools, tea, and watercolor paints

Following My Passion Without the Weight of Reality

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Daily writing prompt
If the salary was the same, what job would you be doing right now and why?
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If my salary were the same, I would be a writer and an artist. They are the things I am most passionate about and the things I love to do. I have heard that when we do things we love, work becomes something we look forward to. I love writing and anything related to art, because it allows me to turn the worlds in my imagination into reality.

Words are my comfort space. They are what kept me grounded in reality. When the world seemed to drown me out, when my mind felt like it was sinking and I could no longer breathe, writing helped me. Somehow, putting words on paper reduced the burden I was carrying, even when no one was around. I loved reading books and realized very early on that the worlds they offered gave me a break from the reality that was crushing me. I wanted to create a world of my own, maybe one that could give someone else that same escape, that same space for imagination that offers a break from reality.

Art always makes me happy. I am not very good at it, but it makes me happy. While I may sit and criticize my work later, it does not matter in the moment. When I am sketching, drawing, painting, or creating anything at all, I love it. I do not know the reason for it. It just makes me happy. I love the mess I create while making art, and I love seeing how it turns out.

So many

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What’s a book you never finished but still think about?

I love reading books. I love the mysteries, the plot and the worlds that are only present in imagination.

During a very troubled phase of my life I started getting disturbed when the there was a story line that hinted towards something bad, going to happen I closed the book and tucked it away in my book shelf.

I am not the kind of person who prefers to flip to the end of the book to see if the characters and up getting happy ending. Instead, I would just stop reading the book. It was quite the same case for TV series, which entered towards dark phase for the protagonist. My mind could not handle the stress that was associated with the emotions that come when you connect to the characters. Unfortunately, during that period I ended up, leaving a lot of books unread.

But now that I have finally started facing my fears again, I think it’s time for me to go back to the incomplete world hidden in the books that I have long forgotten. It is strange to think how many parts of me I give up in an effort to fit in where there was no place for me. I think it is time to finally give importance to things that makes me happy. And to finally do things that brings me happiness.

Woman reading in a lantern-lit garden beneath a starry sky

Fantasy world

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Which fictional world would be the most fun to vacation in?

I think that if I could be part of a fictional world, it would most certainly be a world where magic exists. I love reading books that revolve around magic, special powers, and worlds that exist only in the imagination. There is something fascinating about the idea that reality can be shaped by creativity, courage, and a little bit of wonder.

Imagine using magic to complete daily chores that you don’t like doing. Laundry could fold itself, dishes could clean themselves, and cleaning the house would take only a few seconds. Imagine instant costume changes with no worries about surprise events or running late. Life would feel a little less stressful and a lot more fun.

But what interests me most is not the convenience. Imagine a world where you can heal nature and help people heal as well. Forests damaged by pollution could be restored overnight, rivers could run clear again, and barren land could become green and full of life. Magic could bring hope where there is despair and give people a second chance when they need it most.

While I wouldn’t want magic to be the solution to everything, it would be nice to have it for solving existential crises. Some challenges help us grow, and life would probably lose its meaning if every problem could be fixed with the wave of a hand. However, having a little magic to guide us through our hardest moments would make the burden easier to carry.

If I had magic, I could create the perfect world for myself: a quiet place surrounded by nature, endless libraries filled with books, cozy corners to read in, and enough peace to simply exist without worrying about the pressures of everyday life. Maybe I would even extend the hours in a day so I could finally do all the things I never seem to have enough time for. There are so many books I want to read, places I want to explore, and hobbies I want to try, but somehow the day always ends before I get to them.

And, if I am being completely honest, one of the first magic I would learn would probably be invisibility. Not forever, and not for grand adventures, but for those days when I simply cannot handle the world or the people in it. The days when every conversation feels exhausting and every expectation feels heavy. It would be nice to disappear for a little while, away from prying eyes, unsolicited opinions, and the constant need to be present.

In that invisible space, I could just exist. I could wander through forests, sit by a lake, read for hours, or watch the world go by without feeling like I had to participate in it. There is something comforting about the idea of being unseen, not because I want to hide, but because sometimes I want the freedom to experience the world without it experiencing me back.

Traveler on path between ancient ruins, medieval castle, and modern city; signs read Ancient Era, Medieval Era, and Modern Era.

Back to the past

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If you could go back and witness any historical event, which one would you pick?

If there were even a remote possibility that I could travel to the past and witness a historical event, I honestly would not know which one to choose.

I was never a good student of history. I never really paid attention in class, and I did not do particularly well in my exams. The one time I managed to pass, it was by a single mark, which probably says everything that needs to be said about my knowledge of the subject. So when people ask what moment in history I would want to witness, I struggle to come up with an answer.

It is not that I have never heard of important historical events. I know there are countless moments that changed the course of humanity. The problem is that when I try to think of one, nothing comes to mind. My mind simply goes blank.

I also think there is another reason I hesitate. Whenever I imagine visiting the past, somewhere in the back of my mind is the reality of what life was like for women during much of history. No matter how fascinating an era may seem, that thought always makes me pause.

On the other hand, if I were choosing an event based purely on something that would make me happy, my answer would be completely different. I do not know if it would be considered a historic event, but I would want to attend the very first BTS performance. Not when they were already famous, but when they were still a rookie group performing in front of a small audience that had no idea what they would eventually become.

It may be a cliché answer, but like many others, BTS’s music healed me in ways I never thought possible. Their songs found me at the right time, comforted me when I needed it most, and continue to inspire and encourage me even today. Maybe witnessing a world-changing moment would be incredible, but there is also something special about being present at the beginning of something that would later change your own world.

Man reading a book in a dimly lit study beside a lamp

Thoughts in a Dark Corner

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I sat in the corner of a dark room,
Wishing to be something I never could be.
Hoping for things that were never mine,
Dreaming of happenings too unrealistic.

Waiting for the spark of joy to come to my life,
Staring at wonders, hoping they’d answer my call.
Thinking my life would change in a glowering second,
Whispering to the darkness to give room for light.

Speaking to silence, asking it to be my companion.
Listening to the voice of my heart, urging me to hold on.
Smiling at sorrows, pretending I do not care.
Lifting my head to portray the image of a stranger.

Crushing emotions to hide the fear of failing.
Dancing to beats I can never recognize.
Drawing a path I never wished to follow.
Singing a song I cannot tune into.

Saying things I never meant,
Never imagining life would twist this way,
A life to live for others,
But lived by me.

What does being free mean to you?

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I am extremely grateful to be born free.

But what does being free actually mean in today’s world. You read about the history where there was extreme cases of slavery, an era whenhumans were considered less than animals. There was no free will people lived according to the rules set by the masters. Where breathing was also done without the permission of their master.

The extreme cases makes you loose your mind. Those people struggled to determine their worth in this world they fought for their voice to be hoard in this world and through immense sacrifice they finally succeeded.

we are free from this struggle but are we really free?

The society that we live in today has created new chains.

We are boundby society’s expectation and the constant pressure of having to match what society deems appropriate slowly crashes the person from within. Today I can buy what I want and I can eat what I want and ican dress the way I want to. But still I hesitate with the one thought running in my head what will people think of me? And somehow I am paralyzed to the world’s expectation. Today you cannot see the physical chains that bind, they are the chains of my mind that are choking the life out of me.

So I ask you – Are you really born free?

Hiker pauses at a foggy fork beside signs marked West and Glencoe

“The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.” —Stephanie Perkins

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Daily writing prompt
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?
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I am a very reactive person. I am short-tempered and have absolutely no control over my feelings. I always react without thinking and often end up doing things that I am not supposed to do or hurt people unintentionally. I could be defined as the person who digs their own grave.

It’s not that I am stupid. I know that I can think through situations, but often when someone says something that hits close to home, I end up lashing out. To hell with the consequences. More often than not, instead of the other person getting hurt, I end up hurting myself even more.

I came across this quote while scrolling mindlessly on my phone, and somehow it felt like a call-out for my immaturity. It almost felt like a mockery to my face. But when I really think about it, the quote makes absolute sense.

I never thought about what I want. Not with my life, but in a particular situation.

If I am putting myself in a situation, it should be because I want something, and if I know what I want, I should do everything possible to stay on course toward it.

It is not something that I currently practice but I am hoping that I can develop that level of maturity and react appropriately to any situation that comes my way.