I am at the point of my semester when Thoracic Outlet Syndrome snuck up on me last year. Emo episodes aside, it was quite a leap to finally decide to continue with the same course. One of the things that drove me on was the fact that I believed that I can train up my left end to be better and depend on it to get me through the course. I aimed to be as proficient with my left hand as my right by the end of last year.

I kept on training my left hand even though there were signs that my left arm were not spared from the symptoms my right arm is faced with. I denied the pain existed, refused to admit there is a problem. It finally caught up with me. My left hand is roughly about 60% as adept as my right..... probably having the proportionate amount of pain as well now. 

It feels like I'm going through the same thing last year all over again. I think I am better prepared this time round. This probably isn't as bad as it seems to me right now. I should not have lifted the benches and that severed buttress root at work. That is probably what's aggravating the pain that I'm having right now. I really need to understand my limits. That was last Saturday, the pain peaked last Monday. I'm taking this week cautiously. Gonna have to keep on with the stretching exercises as well.

The thought of finally finishing this semester always make me smile..... but there are still obstacles in the coming weeks. I don't mean to whine but I'm just not strong enough to keep everything in. I'm just letting a little bit out here. Pray for me that I'll get through the weeks ahead. Pray for Gaza as well.

It's not all bad though, in fact if I react appropriately, the whole experience should make me stronger. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.... cliche but true. But that.... you've got to experience yourself. A friend once told me that I need to make a decision a stick to it.... I'll try, for a lot is at stake.

At the very least, I can say that the whole experience managed to make me ambidextrous.... even if it means having to rest my arms for some time in between artworks. Shouldn't that make my art pieces more valuable?? 

Here's one I did totally with my left hand. Still can't don the fine line works with my left hand.... but I can rightfully claim to be ambidextrous can't I?

All I can do is pray and strive to raise myself to a position where I can affect change.

Problems cannot be solved at the same level of consciousness that created them ~ Einstein. Similarly an artist would need to step back from his canvas to ensure that he has the proportions correct. By detaching himself from the painting for a moment, he gets a better overview of his progress. See the big picture.

Share your knowledge. Unlike wealth that decreases through sharing, knowledge grows when you share. I share mine, you share yours. Everyone wins.

Each and every one of us sees the world with our own tinted glasses. There is perceived truth and absolute truth. Each of us have our own perceived sense of truth. Who dictates absolute truth? None other than Allah SWT. We are not left hanging to fight with one another over who is right. Allah shows the right path through the holy books and his Messengers.

Hence, you are doomed if you engage in a debate/discussion with the intention of proving that your point is right. One should engage in a debate/discussion only to find the truth, the absolute truth. Therefore, take off your tinted glasses, let go of your egos and hidden agendas. Instead put on the glasses of tasawwur islam. 

That made this year's Eid different and even more so, it made me reflect on the sacrifices that my parents have made for me and my siblings. It makes this Eid different. Instead of thinking how you can sacrifice for the sake of Islam, you can also appreciate how others have sacrificed for you.

I really should make better use of my time. But I do enjoy writing even though they remain unposted. I would look up the dictionary online on the meaning of the words which are still vague to me. I would carefully craft my sentences making the words as clear or as vague as I want them to be. 

Writing is an outlet when the words seem so hard to come out in real life. Sometimes, the thoughts have to go somewhere. Haven't done poetry for some time... that creative outlet has been expressed through school work, mostly. 

Words... stringing them together got me the first place in a composition writing competition back in primary school. Stringing letters together got me the champion spot in a boggle competition back in secondary 3. One of it. 

It's a painful irony how words eludes me when I try to speak them. 

Pictures have just an interesting an effect on me. We've all heard the saying a picture is worth a thousand words... here's one.