Dear friends,

Once I ran into a nice statement and it went deep into my heart and touched it. I stopped for a while and thought. It is typical of me to overthink when I find a reason for thinking. After that, I find it a good opportunity to put the pen to the paper or my fingers to the keyboard and let my thoughts flow on a piece of paper or the computer screen. Those sentences goes right below (Note: These words may seem repeating and boring. But these are the thoughts passed through my mind for a while and I felt like sharing them with you.):

“Some people assume that they have lots of problems in their lives. As a result, there is no time and energy left for them to talk to God and worship him. But the opposite is true. They are in trouble and misery since they don’t talk to God, don’t call him, and don’t beg him for his help.”

Well. Religion is nothing but a set of thoughts and teachings or a guidebook that persuades us and lets us know how to have a healthy lifestyle. I’m not pointing to a particular religion in this blog. I am talking about any religion that teaches us good traits and actions—a religion which is in favor of humanity and every positive action and behavior.

But why religions provide us with some rules and teachings and ask us to be obedient to them? Does God really need our worshiping? What are these religious teachings and rituals for?

These teachings and written words in scriptures are for us to know how to live a good life. Every sin to which we are warned by our holy books is unhealthy for us. Can you name a sinful act that is not against our health? Jealousy, arrogance, violence, cruelty, wrath, and et cetera are unhealthy for us, aren’t they? Each one may cause negative feelings to us or have negative outcomes in our personal or social life. Reversely, positive traits like generosity, kindness, affection, sympathy, patience, and so on, are more compatible with our nature (Al-Fitrah) as a human. We believe that God (literally speaking) has inhaled from His soul into the humans' souls. It is meant that we naturally like the positive traits at our hearts. And we don’t feel good when we do or face a sin. But we may fail to obey God and commit sin. Since it’s typical of human beings to get used to things they are dealing with routinely. Some feel neutral towards some sins and they don’t feel bad about them after a while. In other words, their hearts are dead and they cannot realize the negative feelings they experience after repeating and repeating sinful deeds.

To put in the nutshell, God doesn’t need our worshiping but we need it. There is no one kinder than God to His creatures. We believe that mothers’ or fathers’ loves, for example, are the strongest loves that are unconditional and heavenly. It will give an idea on how kinder the creator of these precious gifts (for example, love) could have been. He is the all-affectionate, the all-merciful, the all-benevolent, and etc to the human beings; and He encourages them that He forgives them if they truly and regretfully ask Him for His forgiveness.

That’s why He states:” اِن الله يُحبُ التوابين و يُحبُ المُتطِّهرين “

If someone asks God for His forgiveness at the bottom of their hearts, God will purify them and their hearts as if they have not done that sin.

We have to keep in mind that He is always here and there waiting for us. It is our own choice to take the first step and call Him.

Thanks for reading.

Hurieh, July 7^th/ 2016

Talking about the stock market, the first thing may come to minds is easy money some people get in stock markets. But this is only one side of the coin. The stock business can be risky, too; and you may lose your money all of a sudden. To be a successful investor, you should have a good knowledge of stock business or you can simply hire a stockbroker. I’ve never been to the stock market before. But as a learner of English, I’d like to learn some stock market vocabularies and share them with you, too. Let’s go. 

Stock market: In the stock market, investors sell and buy the shares (stocks) of companies so that they can earn money from the future profits of the company based on the number of shares they are holding.

Stock exchange: It’s a marketplace where investors can sell and/or buy stocks.

Stockbroker: Brokers are licensed professionals who connect buyers and sellers of the stocks. In other words, you pay them a fee (called a commission) and they buy and sell an investment on behalf of you.

Bubble: Bubble is a situation in which the prices of a company go up all of a sudden. But it doesn’t mean that the company is doing well. But it can be due to the increased demands of the buyers, and it may lead to a sudden burst (failure). 

Bull market: A market situation in which the prices are going up. It means a company is doing well and is making money. This situation may encourage investors to buy the shares.

Bear Market: A bear market is when the prices are falling. And it means that the company is losing money. This situation may encourage investors to sell the shares.

***

Let’s discuss:

Have you been to the stock market? If so, did you get a huge sum of money or you lost? Could you share some business terms with us and define them?

Regards,

Hurieh, Jun. 18^th/ 2016 

The holy month of Ramadan is right around the corner. It is a great feast in which Allah (SWT) hosts the guests himself. Muslims all around the world are called to get united in this holy month, and take part in this sacred feast. Now, the question is: ”Are you ready to take part in this magnificent event?”

We are taught that every party needs its preparations. In order to respect the host, we should abide by the rules of the party in which we are planning to attend. Now that Allah (SWT) is holding this feast, what preparations should be taken into account by the guests?

FIRST step is to get to know the philosophies and reasons behind this togetherness. Ramadan is the month of “Blessing”, “Forgiveness”, “Mercy”, “Devotion” and many different benefits. Ramadan purifies spirits, uplifts souls, softens hearts, strengthens faith and tolerance, provides spiritual and physical well-being, and so on.

For some people, Ramadan is a beginning. But for some other people, it is the continuation of a path and a promise. We should get to know where we are standing. After that, we can take the next step.

And the SECOND step is to know how to prepare for this month. What responsibilities are designated for us as honorable guests of this great feast? Is Ramadan only about feast and fast? What’s the use of tolerating long hours of starvation?

Ramadan is more of a school than a feast. It is the month of awakening and awareness. It’s the month of sowing and reaping. It is the month of self-evaluation. Among all of us, there are only few people who can successfully recognize true essence and value of the holy month of Ramadan and practice what they are expected to do. Beg all of them to remember us in their prayers. Let’s hope we will also be included in this category in coming Ramadan.

BY THE WAY, how do you get ready for this great feast?

May Allah (SWT) bless all of us!

Hurieh, May 31st/ 2016

Dear friends,

I have written a story by myself. Here, I want to brainstorm you with an idea. Could you please tell us the morals of this story from your perspective?

The sky was dozing off. After yawning and stretching its arms for a few minutes, the sleepy sky started wearing its nightgown, and the stars were turning up one next to another. One of the stars saw a mass around which was a lot bigger and shinier. Looking at that full round bright mass, the star kept silent for a while; and then, decided to strike up a quarrel with that.

“What is your name?”, the star asked egotistically. The star waited for few minutes and got no reply or attention. The star looked at shining mass with fiery wrath and repeated the question with a louder voice.

The big star took a look at the small star gently and replied:” I’m sorry. I did not notice such a small star. You asked about my name, right? I am the moon- the brightest star in the sky that dazzles the eyes of every beholder. I shed the gleams of light on the sky and small stars like you when it is pitch black.” 

The star was too furious at the moon and replied back :”It is stars that twinkle at night and beautify the sky.”

The moon and star had a long crazy argument all over the night trying to brag about their own superiority. Eventually, the sky which was watching them regretfully all the night was fed up with all the racquet and decided to take off sleep gown. The sky started wearing its daytime clothes that a shinier smiley star appeared with so much elegance. All the noises shut up all of a sudden, and there was no darkness and gloom anywhere. The moon and stars were gone all.

Regards

Hurieh, May 24th/ 2016

Almost all of us have some memories of our childhood. Some memories are very vivid. Some other memories have left only blurry footsteps on our mind. Some people easily review every stage of their childhood, but some others have a hard time turning the pages of their lives’ books to recall their memories.

A child’s world could simply limit to his/her toys and games. As small kids, the most valuable belongings of ours were toys. We could not even think of losing them even if they were crushed or torn. It sounded like we were born only to be cheery, to laugh, and to enjoy every minute of our lives. Although our feet were on an earthly ground, but we had the feeling as if we were living in fairies’ land—with no useless worries, sadness, or struggle. Anyway, I am wondering if there is someone who cannot remember their most favorite valuable childhood toys.

My lovely toy, as a toddler, was a doll made from velvet cloth in dark red color. So, I could easily bath her besides playing with her. At those old days, we did not have this chance to choose among a variety of toys in different shapes and models. So, I guess the majority of girls had similar dolls. Sometimes, a simple toy could be a good reason to gather neighboring kids all together and play in groups. It is a pity that I was not a good owner for my doll, and do not remember what happened to my lovely doll at the end. After that, I have not seen that lovely doll at any kid’s hands. I wish I still had it.

 Now, among available toys and playthings, If I want to choose, I would say that musical toys are my choices—particularly those music boxes in which there is a doll that dances and signs a relaxing song when you open its door, or those toys that hang from the kids’ carriage or bed, round around a circle, and sing an appealing song.

I suspect that the kids, nowadays, do not love their toys as we used to do. I guess they are distracted with different hobbies which are mostly electronic games. And on top of that, they are getting lonelier and less cheerful.

Thanks so much for reading.

Now, let’s discuss:

Do you remember your childhood toys? Can you describe one of your most favorite playthings or share a photo of them with us? Is there anyone who has kept their childhood toys?

Regards,

Hurieh, May 22^nd/ 2016

We are living in an era when the industrialization has had a huge impact on almost every aspect of our lives particularly food industry. Thanks to the pesticides and fertilizers, the quantity of available fruits, crops, and vegetables have increased. But how about the quality?

Any of us may have seen the fruits or veggies that have lost their normal shapes or even taste. Who will guarantee that humans cannot be vulnerable towards the adverse effects of chemical substances such as fertilizers and pesticides.   

Now that organic food products are victimized by modern agriculture mostly, we are concerned about the eating disorders more. This concern may cause people to watch what they put into their mouth excessively, and as a result to be worried about their health status.

Orthorexia, in this regard, stands for a situation in which someone is obsessed about eating foods that are healthy. At first glance, this situation may sound beneficial to the person who is orthorexic. But this situation can put the orthorexic person in trouble, and lead to some unhealthy consequences such as anxiety, anorexia, lengthy starvation, malnutrition, and so on. It’s really good to avoid junk and unhealthy foods, but not in an obsessive way like orthorexic people. In other words, moderation is the best.

You can visit the following webpage to see if you have got orthorexia.

https://www.quotev.com/quiz/200413/Orthorexia-Self-Test

Let’s discuss:

Are you orthorexic or you think it’s just healthy eating? What are your recommendations for whom they are suffering from this disorder? How is it possible to follow a healthy diet without being orthorexic?

Thanks for reading, liking, and commenting beforhand. Stay fine!

Hurieh, May 17th, 2016

Proverbs are well-known sayings and informative statements among the people of every nation. Proverbs usually date back to old days. They have handed out from one generation to another with the purpose of conveying some facts.

Every proverb might have had a true story or reasonable explanation behind them. Some of them are pretty self-explanatory, but some other need to be explained. We have a huge treasure of proverbs and expressions in our enriched language “Farsi”.

You must have heard of the proverb “S/he is shedding crocodile tears” or the expression “crocodile tears”. We also have this proverb in our language, but I have no idea where it stems from. Anyway, I would like to explain this proverb and the story behind that very shortly.

“Crocodile tears” refers to the sympathy and compassion which is not genuine. The person who is shedding crocodile tears is not genuinely compassionate, but a pretender who wants to get something for his/her benefit.

It is said that crocodiles get fed with their own tears. When crocodiles are hungry, they go on the beach and pretend to be dead. In the meantime, poisonous sticky tears come out of their eyes. Flies, insects, and animals get fooled and approach to the seemingly dead crocodiles to eat from them. Crocodiles poison and hunt their prey this way, and get fed.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog.

Let’s discuss:
What are some of the well-known proverbs in your place? Do you know the story behind them?

Regards,
Hurieh, May 12th/ 2016

“The evil eye” or “bad eye”, in case someone doesn’t know, refers to a belief that some people consider it as a superstition and some other hold a strong faith on it. It is the harm to someone or something through gazing or staring at the subject of the harm. In other words, if someone gives you an evil eye, you may face a misfortune or mishap in the near future.

In Iran, this is a widespread belief among the majority of people. As a result, they follow many different ways, talismans, and amulets in order to protect themselves from the probable harm. Here, I will point to some of them.

1. To say “ما شاء الله” or “God has willed” right after complimenting someone or something.

2. To hang some specific beads or charms from the entrance doors or walls--they are mostly in white and dark blue with the picture of an eye on them.

3. To hire a magician and repel the doomed ill-fated subsequences of the evil eye through some superstitious procedures.

By the way, it’s said that the envious individuals are more prone to cast the evil eye on others. So, people label some individuals as evil-eyed and try to avoid them as much as possible. They may even complain a lot and pretend to be miserable not to receive their poisonous compliments.

Now, let’s discuss:

Do you believe in “the evil eye”? If the answer is yes, what method(s) do you follow to ward off it? Do you have any similar belief that has a huge effect on your culture in your society?

Regards,
Hurieh, Apr. 23rd/ 2016

P.S. You can visit the following webpage to get more info over this topic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_eye

First off, I want to make a simile in order to clarify and highlight the importance of this blog’s topic. Motivation for humans is like petrol in the fuel tank of a car. It inspires the will power, instills hope into the souls, and keeps everybody encouraged to achieve their wants. Motivation is a pivotal necessity in our lives, and without motivation, we look like walking ghosts who are wandering aimlessly.
We have different goals in our lives and different motivational factors to reach these goals. Financial incentives, verbal encouragements, fame, moral values, religious beliefs, and things like these can be some incentives and reasons why a person determines to do a task. In fact, the real value of the goals we have in mind is kind of dependent on the reasons that keep us motivated rather than the goal itself.
Some people get motivated easier and quicker, while some other need to be pushed in order to accomplish a task. I believe if we come to know what motivates us more, and then, make a clear goal for ourselves we will do the tasks with more perseverance.
Let’s discuss:

• Do you have any goal at the moment, and what makes you feel the drive to do that?

• What are the most important and valuable incentives from your perspective?

• Are you a steadfast person or a person who needs the push to do something in general?

The title of the blog is written based on a quote of Benjamin Franklin who was a writer, a philosopher, a scientist, a politician, a patriot, a Founding Father, an inventor, and publisher.

The title is self-explanatory somehow, and gives you the idea of what the theme of this blog is about. Yes. The topic is about “procrastination”.

Admittedly, we all have done and still do procrastination. So, let’s put a spotlight on the reasons behind this phenomenon, and then speculate about the solutions to stop procrastinating things.

The reasons why we waste our time instead of doing our important chores may be laziness, unreasonable fears, illogical doubts, and so on. In fact, we usually procrastinate things which seem unpleasant or difficult to us. We may doubt if we can successfully get them off the ground or enjoy doing them. In such situations, instead of doing the job which is more important for us, we tend to get ourselves busy with some other things like playing a video game, reading a boring book, or logging in to myEC and starting some pointless chats (this is what I usually do when I want to get out of doing an unpleasant job). Then, after procrastinating, almost each of us start experiencing some negative feelings like anxiety, stress, remorse, and etc. We all know that there is no point in procrastinating, but for some reason, we still do it.

Now, let’s move to the ways to stop procrastination. In my opinion, the best solution for procrastination is to avoid procrastinating as soon as possible. Think about the most important jobs you have to do, provide a to-do list, prioritize the things you have to do in order of importance, and set a deadline for each item. Afterwards, give an action to each one by one with no delay. You had better start with the most unpleasant and annoying things you have on your list. Moreover, the best time to venture into these jobs is when you are in right state of mind. Some people are more productive at early morning, but some others are in a good mood at late night. Try to figure out what works well for you. And keep in mind that “the majority of our fears disappear immediately after we take the plunge.”

Let’s discuss:

What is (are) the thing(s) you are procrastinating at the moment? Do you have any idea on how to stop procrastination?

The meaning of some jargon phrases or idioms:

• Put (or turn) a spotlight on something: To attract attention to something, usually to give information about something bad.

• Get (something) off the ground: To get something started.

• For some reason: Used to say that someone does not know the reason for a particular situation.

• State of mind: A person’s mood.

• Take the plunge: To start doing something which usually seem risky or unpleasant.

Regards,

Hurieh, March 28, 2016

P.S: Don’t forget to hit the “follow” key beneath the comment box please. 

You might have heard of the term “Global village”, and probably know what it refers to. Global village was attributed to the world after the arrival of the internet technology. In other words, it was a metaphor for the immense globe which turned into a small village in which everyone could easily get in touch with other people all around the world. Nowadays, you only need to enter a few characters into the net and get access to the every corner of the world in less than a minute.

The net and electronic tools meant to facilitate different aspects of humans’ life, particularly the communication as an important necessity for us. They were assumed to narrow the gap between people, and get them together. But if we are honest enough, we have to confess that we feel lonelier than before. The rising percentage of depression which is getting to an alarming rate in some places, even some rich countries, may be consistent with this matter. The Diagram below shows the prevalence of depression in different countries in 2013. The exact percentage of the people who are suffering from this issue must have been more than this obviously.

It’s unfair to put the blame only on the technology. The technology is a tool at humans’ hands. We humans are supposed to get the benefit of it efficiently. Now that we potentially have more chance to communicate with each other, however, it seems as if we are hiding in a cave which is made by ourselves. It appears that the technology tried to bring us much closer, but we failed to make it happen appropriately. Living this way, people around us consider us as some self-centered individuals who only care about themselves. Subsequently, the negative feelings like apathy and resentment replace with positive feelings like kindness and consideration.

What is your idea about this matter? Do the technology tools play any role in psychological disorders like depression? What are the other probable reasons for depression? What do you recommend to control it?

Regards,

Hurieh, March 27th/ 2016

1) He was Fed up with taking care of his old mother and carried her on his back to leave her in a distant valley.

2) On his way, he fell down and hurt his leg.

3) He heard that his mother was mumbling:" Oh my dear son. Let me bandage your leg."

Hurieh, March 19th/ 2016

Dear readers,

A friend of mine, from another country, was curious about marriage-related traditions and conventions in my lovely country and asked me to explain it to her through an e-mail. I would like to kill two birds with a stone and share a copy of my brief e-mail with you to ask your priceless ideas over this topic. Don’t hesitate to write down your ideas for or against our marriage conventions in comment box please. Thank you very much in advance.

Marriage is considered as a divine contract and sacred custom that ties up two souls as a single one. The main goals of marriage are to let a man and a woman make a legitimate union as “family” in which they serve each other with peace and tranquility; and to expand to a larger unit in order to keep the generation going.

I am living in a country with different traditions and customs from some other countries. In Iran, the relationship between girls and boys is set to be as conservative as possible; and it is particularly more important for girls to adhere to these kinds of conventions. These conventions are generally created according to our religious beliefs; and aimed to eliminate the probable promiscuity, and strengthen family bonds in the society.

When boys and girls hit puberty and reach to a particular age, their parents and family members get involved and set some arrangements to let boys and girls meet each other in some familial meetings. By the way, the family of boy is supposed to propose the girl’s family. Then, they get to know each other through some meetings and try to figure out if the standards of both families are met. During these few sessions, the boys and girls and their families make a decision for a life-long connection that starts up with marriage. In some cases, the youths are supposed to rely on the love in the first sight during these meetings under the concept of “traditional marriage”.

However, there are some other cases who don’t stick to the conventions and traditions. They believe that the traditional form of marriage can hardly be a romance-based marriage; so they go for “contemporary marriage” in which they marry to their boy/girlfriends.

Now, please let us know how you think about these two types of marriage. Which pros and cons do you attribute to both “traditional and contemporary marriage”? Which one is more likely to lead to a happy marriage? 

Regards,

Hurieh, March 16th/ 2016

 Whether a big luxury building, or a small rental flat, almost all of us have a special feeling about the place we are living in. The feeling that may vary in quality and intensity from person to person…

Yes. I am writing about home, house, Khane (in Persian) or whatever you call it in your own mother tongue. Our home, regardless of its size and features, is a place where almost all of us feel great comfort in it. It is like a safe shelter that links the members of a family; and a pleasing place which strengthens family bonds. Remember the time when you have been away from your home for a couple of days or longer, or the moment when you were heading off from the chaotic workplace to your tranquil home. Upon your arrival, you presumably sighed and whispered similar words: ”East or west, home is best.”

Now, Let’s go a little further to our dream lands in which there is no limitation and boundaries. A magnificent world which is under the empire of the human power of imagination not their intellect; and a place where everything is quite the same as what everybody likes to be. It is like an upward transition from the reality of the earthly world to the ideality of nowhere. So, our journey starts right here following this question: “What is your dream home like?”

My dream home is a wooden shack which is located in the countryside. It has a nice balcony which overlooks a big garden with bushy trees, nearby sea, and mountains. The balcony is surrounded by wooden fence; and the planters with colorful flowers are hung from it. The wall of the house is in green color due to the shrubs of Araliaceae plant which have covered the front wall of the house entirely. There is a rocking chair made of walnut wood on the balcony and you can sit in it, take a rest, listen to the pleasing sound of birds, and enjoy watching the marvelous sunrise and sunset.

By the way, what is YOUR dream home like?

Hxxxxx

Feb 2nd/ 2016

P.S. Talking about dream home, let’s remember those who live under no roof like people of Palestine, Syria, Yemen, so on and so forth; and wish them peace, stability, and tolerance.

P.P.S. This is my first blog here. Your precious thoughts and priceless comments are highly welcome! Thank you so much.