/ˌriːˈbuːt/ (of a computer) to switch off and then start again immediately, or to make a computer do this: If this doesn’t work, close the application and reboot the system.

 – Cambridge English Dictionary

How are you enjoying your reboot? As we take a closer look at the malfunctioning applications in our lives, what are the ‘bugs’ that we are encountering? One thing has became apparent to me, that a fundamental shift in our mindset some time ago, has set us off course to such a degree that our present day external crisis is a clear reflection of the inner crisis we have been feeling as individuals for some time.

Even as far back as a couple of hundred years ago we were living in relative harmony with our planet and its inhabitants. Starting with the industrial revolution, the race to be bigger, better and best has taken a toll on the Earth, on our animal kingdom and not in any way least, ourselves. Today we live in the most technologically advanced world, built to provide the kind of comfort and ease that mankind has never known before, yet as a whole, we are feeling confused, unhappy and unfulfilled.

At some point we bought into the story of lack. We began to believe we were not enough and thus began the race to prove ourself. There is a parallel story here; every human being’s deepest desire to be more, to grow and to expand. We have confused this inner evolution for external validation.

How much more do we need to accumulate before we feel enough? Let’s realise that personal growth is not signified by a heftier bank account or more expensive things. Acquiring more is not the same as being more. It’s time to open our eyes to the fact that there hasn’t been much inner progression for some time. As a species, our self-centredness and entitlement have kept us confined to a level of immaturity which now needs to be transcended.

The sole purpose of our planet and all its living creatures is not to serve us. I think we have grossly misunderstood our ‘Specialness’. With our misguided superiority we have taken what we wanted without one thought for where it’s coming from and who’s suffering as a result. This lack of regard and respect for the other has cost us our own happiness. And it’s right here, in this flawed mindset that both the problem and the solution lie. There is no ‘other’. 

It’s time to grow up, and realise that we are just a minor part of the greater whole. It’s time to remember that our responsibility extends beyond ourself to our planet, all the creatures that inhabit it and to each other. The illusion of separation must come to end before any healing or returning to our original state of wholeness can begin.

 

 

Best
Afshan x

In the last week or so, every time I’ve tried to meditate, I find myself on the run, heart beat elevated, mind scattered and often holding my breath. Only now, as I listen to the sound of rain falling in a forest, do I feel as if I am coming to a stop. The sun rising and the moon in its cycle seem to be the vestiges of an old life. Reality seems to have become perforated, as if veils are lifting and multiple existences are merging.

The sound of rain, always brings me back to a part of myself that I long for. It’s as if all the years spent living in a desert suddenly catch up with me and I realise how parched I am, how arid to my core. Which is it? Release or relief, or does it even matter? All that I need to remember is that in a changing world, I have been lost before, not fully comprehending, and like the cycles in nature, I have always found my way home.

I ask myself what are my anchors? Almost immediately I am aware of a counter question. Why do you feel the need to anchor? The moon is not pinned to one point in the sky, winter doesn’t question the arrival of spring,  just as the planets move to perfect order. You are no different. Surrender to your own flow. Allow what is, to be.

Would rain ever be the beloved without the longing of the desert? Let all illusions dispel.

 

Best
Afshan x

These last four months in isolation have brought up a lot. Whether we are aware of it or not, much is surfacing for us all. As I consider our shared experience of life post covid, I realise that this virus has brought us to an abrupt halt, shaken us to the core and left us feeling barely able to understand it, let alone equipped to navigate it effectively. I think it’s safe to say that we are in deep waters indeed, clinging to the bits and pieces of our old life. It’s hard to imagine what the future will look like once this comes to an end. I know there are parts of the old life that we all long to get back to; feeling safe, feeling free to interact with others, to travel but I wonder if other aspects will have the same hold on us.

I have been going through my own personal metamorphosis for some years now. What I came to understand intellectually is now sinking into full assimilation in my body. I am feeling the fragility of what it means to be human, realising at once how brief our life span is, as well as how little we have in our control. Coming face to face with the simplicity of what we need for a comfortable life, namely shelter and food, has lead to absolute clarity. All that we create after this point is our choice. A family, an empire, a solitary journey by ourself.

I believe there is a deep longing in us all for expansion, to be more than who we are. Are we getting lost in how we’re setting out to manifest this desire?

In the last few months I have experienced how powerless I am in controlling anything beyond myself; how vulnerable I feel as so much of what I had filled up my life with, is reaching resolution. Who am I, as the roles I have played, come to an end and how much of what I set out to do, have I actually accomplished? As I write this, I hear how daunting and downright uncomfortable this sounds and it has been, but there’s another side to this story, one that makes it well worth seeing it through. In the aftermath we find answers in the form of clarity, wisdom and strength. Nothing is as empowering as seeing something for what it is.

To those of you who are trying your best to stay afloat on a turbulent sea, you know what you need to do. It is difficult but stay with it anyway. Your surrender will lift you above your present limitations, to that place of boundlessness that you’ve been seeking your whole life.

 

Best
Afshan x

Through its architecture and design, the Ismaili Centre in Dubai pays a mystical, almost lyrical homage to celebrating the Divine. Walking through the hallways I felt as if I was actually journeying within a three dimensional form of sacred geometry, so often used in Islamic Art. One of the things that really stood out to me was the Iwan, or an anteroom as I chose to remember it. This space serves no purpose but to connect two other rooms. What I found fascinating about this was that until that moment, I had not experienced a transition stage between one point and the next in such a clear and marked way. In our heads, we move rapidly along the current of an almost incessant chatter, barely aware of any moments of respite. Had I not seen this space, not only acknowledged but honoured in physical representation, I may have forgotten a fundamental truth, a great gift.

This never before navigated place that we find ourself in at this time, can also be thought of as an anteroom. A space between life as we knew it and life as it will present itself. Understandably, a lot is coming up for all of us. What it is on an individual level is as different as are we. Alongside, some causes such as racial injustice and gender discrimination, that concern us all are also surfacing for our collective response. Neither of these two topics are new. This has been going on for a very long time and we need to address them both now. All agreed.

However, what does concern me is that protests, which are necessary in their own right must be recognised as what they are and in no way be confused with what they are not. Yes they can be the first step in heralding the change. No they are not the only or the best method to bring in a lasting transformation. All protests come to an end at some point and so can the impetus behind the causes they stand for. If we are looking for lasting solutions, we need to focus where we are encountering these issues; in our day to day lives. To arrive at a collective turnabout, we need to become individually responsible. We need to grow beyond our superficial divisions of colour and gender. These ill founded discriminations have enabled us to adopt one type of behaviour for ourself and another type for the other.

February before last, I remember lingering in the Iwan, feeling as if I had been given room to take a breath; sensing that this undefined space had been considered for me beforehand so that I may take a moment to move forward in a more conscious way. Today we find ourself in a similar transitional space, unique because we stand to attention both as an individual and a collective. What light do we carry with us as we prepare for our next step?

The shift that needs to take place in each of us is the realisation that we are all the same. It is my belief that the day we look at another human being and see ourself, is the day when all illusions fade and we begin to create the life we all dream of.

 

 

Best
Afshan x