Excerpts from a Prolific Thinker

Too shallow to see... Too insignificant to decipher... Too uninteresting to mention... Maybe just a shadow of something that  never was A remnant of the vapour of something that almost was Or was it? Such as he was looking for the third time to see The birth of a cloud above the sea I could look ten times and say All there is to see is not much per se A limelight maybe could point out To the outspring of something that nobody expected  To something that everybody doubted To be called anything else than a bout A spark, a tin, a doubt Maybe something or maybe not One thing is certain  It would always be more than nil Because nature does not condone void Nor does it sustain veil As a matter of fact, When nature sees a breath fighting for its growth and survival Striving to become more than ephemere Or elevating itself above mere essence Nutrients, light and water will altogether conspire Hold, uphold and catalyze what never was To be more than a shallow cause A glorious cons...

A path is a path. Even when it leads nowhere. Even when it circles back to where we started off, or at least the point at which we think we started off. In that context, both ends of the path coincide. A path knows no intentions, bad or good, no pretention beyond its shallow limits. Limits that can be blurred by the growing grass, the eroding soil, or the overflowing waters. A path can be wide or narrow, depending on the intention or the capacity of the one making the path. It is usually created by an external force that digs, with plow or wind or water, through the nature to make a specific corridor where strangers (to that nature) can penetrate the space, without ever merging with it. A path might remain visible for anyone to see among the green fields, and can sometimes get lost in the movement of high wheat fields, only allowing the walker to see few meters ahead and not preoccupied in advance of what the end of the path beholds. Image source : Picjumbo While a path will ...

In a kingdom, far far away, during one of the king’s banquet, a sponge and a net found themselves in a fierce rhetoric contest. Arguing on apparently different grounds but with similar weapons. Hoping to be consecrated by the king, playing an informal referee role, arbitrating on matters arising from the heated debate. Standing from his chair in an extravagant arm gesture, Sponge begins his declamation. “I am a Sponge. Here for you, to absorb all that is passing by, from water to hardened dirt, I endeavor to take it, absorb as much as possible, and keep it close. Offering a benevolent shelter to all, regardless of their nature and intentions. I will keep the good soap as carefully as the dirty water. What a friend I can be, for all that are looking for attention, care and kind arms. How useful am I when you just need something to absorb the excess, the unwanted and the unusual.” His voice lowers, the spark in his eyes seems to dim, he continues, gazing into space. “But as...

  Finding one’s purpose is the key to self-realization If you are anything like the millions of people searching on the internet for self-development topics, you might have come across web pages and articles related to Purpose , Passion , or Vision as these are the 11 th most researched topics in that area. Originating from the 14 th century, “purpose” – from Anglo-French purpos , Old French porpos "an aim, intention" (12 th century), and from porposer "to put forth” – is generally defined as something set up as an object or end to be attained: an intention. Though its appearance in our modern vocabulary is relatively old, the twenty-first century has sparked a keen interest in the importance of purpose in one’s life. Robert Byrne famously stated that “the purpose of life is a life of purpose”, as an author and Chess master who pursued his passion until his late 70s, the key message was that a life with a clear goal is the essence of a life worth living. We a...

Funny how we get so caught up in our expectations, towards ourselves, others,  the world,  life. We erect them as standards to be met, promises to be fulfilled, goals to be achieved. On what basis? On previously agreed standards, normal/regular/expected course of action? “Expected”. Again, we project on the future, what it should hold as a customer who would have paid for a product online and thinking (rightfully?) that the goods paid for, will arrive when it is supposed to, with the quality and colour portrayed on the website. But life has no customers! It gives no promises! Frustrations in such a world become a waste of time. 24 hours in a day, 365 days (or so) in a year. Not one more minute. And yet we so often take our time for granted while on the other hand expecting so much from it. Most of us are born and grow up within an ecosystem where rules, standards and the interpretation of reality offer predictability and indications on what to expect. Waking up in the morning,...

  Young, fragile, plagued by complex challenges and yet full of passion and energy. The African continent is often defined in similar terms than its large youth. If history attests that the oldest known human skeleton was found in Eastern Africa, there seems to be a gap in data and historical research between the estimated living period of Lucy, 4.2 million years ago, and history of the continent as it unfolded thereafter. When it comes to Africa, there seems to be less interest about its past and long history than its future, expected growth and upcoming challenges. There seems to be so much more to be done than already achieved, so many needs and so little resources. Needless to say that Africa holds huge proportion of natural resources. 30 per cent of the world’s mineral reserves, 8 per cent of the world’s natural gas, 12 per cent of the world’s oil reserves, 40 per cent of the world’s gold, up to 90 per cent of its chromium and platinum as well as the largest reserves of cobalt...