I’m hearing Adele’s voice as I’m writing this. What a year 2021 has been! Judging by the number of verifications I had to go through to log in for my blog, even my website was suspicious of me. Who was I? Indeed after a year long absence, even I’m wondering the same.
I’m literally at a loss for words. You know how it is when you meet someone from your childhood that you haven’t been in touch with and you find yourself trying to recap your life story to them in the half an hour of your visit? What gets said, what remains unsaid…
I still find myself, every now and then, asking if this is for real. I suppose it had to be this huge a shift considering every member of the human race was involved. I don’t think any of us have come out of it the same. Some are more aware of the changes than others.
So what was this past year about and where do we find ourselves in its wake? As our structures fell apart, so did a lot of illusions. We saw clearly that many of the old patterns and ways of doing things were redundant. They were no longer serving us. Whether we examined our education systems, put in place centuries ago, to check if they were still delivering on their promise of turning out well balanced, well equipped young adults ready to take on the challenges of life, or on an individual level, reconsidered our personal goals and whether they have brought us the happiness we’d hope to achieve, 2021 provided some much needed clarity.
Here’s the big question: where have we gone wrong when, despite being more advanced as a human race in every way possible, we are more anxious, more disconnected and more unfulfilled than ever before?
Standing in the debris of past mistakes isn’t the easiest or the most pleasant but it is crucial to understanding how we need to move forward and towards what. Only what is real remains standing with us. Our collective delusions have crumbled.
Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore, a Sufi poet, speaks of the concept of fanaa’ and likens it to jelaal, the hard-edged sword of Shams, annihilating everything until only the truth remains.
As all illusions fade, we are able to see things as they are. Nothing more, nothing less. What better way with which to navigate a new life.
Best
Afshan x
I guess this is pretty much most of us…asking who are we? And this question of why we are more anxious, more disconnected, and more unfulfilled despite living in a more connected world, where most of us are economically better than our past generations is something I have been searching for answers to as well. Well written as always ❤🤗
Yes it would stand to reason that progress would translate into prosperity but it hasn’t. Questioning the ‘why’ will lead us towards the answer. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely beautiful 🙏🏽🤍✨
Thank you!
This is wonderful; especially as Adele’s lines are her speaking to her younger self, it fits perfectly with the theme of looking back at our past selves, perhaps to help us figure out who we are now! Thank you for your beautiful words 💞
Thank you for sharing that. It does fit better in this context!
I sang-read the title in my best Adele baritone. 🙂
Beautifully put as always Afshan.♥️
Despite everything, I don’t want to begrudge these last three years. They’ve taught us so so much about ourselves, family, love, the true nature of friendships, what’s matters and what truly doesn’t … and never really should have but it took a plague to remind you of that!
There’s a grace in rising from loss, defeat and even pain. And I feel that perhaps we are our most beautiful in that moment of self awareness powered by humility.
Welcome back to the written word dear friend. Looking forward to more xx
Loved this ! What a beauty of a blog Afshan .❤️