The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Noor (light in Arabic).
A little Noor can illuminate a thousand shadows. Noor is when our heart finds peace in what our mind cannot understand. Where faith lives, Noor follows. Nature is the ultimate source of Noor. So is love.
Sometimes, the universe briefly removes the light in the world, so we can discover the Noor. A peaceful heart is home to a beautiful kind of Noor.
The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Noor (light in Arabic).
Recently, the author has received interesting questions, specifically asking “why write a blog or why bother to write at all? What’s the value it brings to you or the purpose of your blog?” Here’s a humble response.
When was the last time we truly experienced Noor in our lives? I write because creative writing helps me connect with Noor. So, what is Noor?
Noor (نور) is the Arabic word for light. Philosophically, Noor represents much more than the light we can see. It can be found in true joy, compassion, peace, passion, hope, innocence & love. Our inner light helps reflect on life experiences to better understand our world & ourselves. Motivates to find meaning, healing, purpose & positivity even while living through uncertainty, stress or suffering. Noor is the truth our soul recognises in stillness, it is where our heart discovers its own light.
In Islamic spirituality, Noor has a profound connection to the divine as a source of deeper guidance & light. Here, light evokes radiance & the illumination of the soul. Noor inspires to observe our thoughts, question our beliefs & believe that we are more than our fears, pain or circumstances. Noor also represent a way of living – bringing kindness without seeking recognition, offering wisdom without reward, giving love without expectations. “When the world grows dark, seek not the sun, but the Noor within your own heart. The steps towards Noor is a curious journey closer to the essence of our being” – Sufism.
Perhaps, our modern world has become surrounded by so much artificial light. We live in a time when everything is lit, yet, many of us feel lost. Our cities glow through the night. Our phones never stop shining. Data is available at our fingertips, we can virtually reach people in seconds. Sometimes, we may have unprecedented information, yet it doesn’t necessarily produce wisdom. We may explain how things work, without really knowing why they matter. We may measure success without understanding fulfilment. We may communicate constantly while feeling profoundly disconnected.
Loneliness, sadness, emptiness & the search for meaning still remain deeply human experiences. This is the paradox of our time. Often, we can struggle to illuminate what is truly within us. Perhaps, the world is losing its relationship with light. Noor helps us question what is meaningful with silence, self-compassion, humility & time.
Noor asks – who are we when we remove everything we use to define ourself? It beautifully represents the possibility that human worth is not created solely by material achievement. It can be discovered through an honest & simple relationship with existence. Noor begins with a simple act – learning to trust & see clearly, without allowing fear, ego, belief or desire determine everything we see. The challenge is to preserve what is valuable in modern life without allowing its dominant incentives to define the meaning of being human.
The question Noor leaves us with is therefore not merely, where has the light gone? It is – what must evolve in us before we can recognise the light that was ours to seek, to reflect & live by? So, creative writing offers me the space, silence, stillness & solitude to momentarily connect with Noor.
The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Luna (the moon in Spanish).
The moon is proof that even in darkness, there is always something to illuminate the night. Like the moon, we can still shine, even when we’re not full. It lives in our hearts, not in the sky. A little moonlight changes everything. Playful. Even the moon has phases & so do we. Sometimes, we simply gaze at the moon & let ourselves breathe. A crescent of serenity in a chaotic world. What is it about the moon that fascinates us so?
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars” – Norman Peale.
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” – Neil Armstrong.
“Three things cannot be long hidden – the sun, the Moon & the truth” – Buddha.
“The moon doesn’t consider one phase better than another. She just glows, equally stunning at each turn. Why should we be any different?” – Cristen Rodgers.
“If you are the moon, it’s not the sun that reminds you of the light. It’s the darkness that makes you shine” – Jennifer Williamson.
“With freedom, books, flowers & the moon, who could not be happy?” – Oscar Wilde.
“I like to think that the moon is there, even if I am not looking at it” – Albert Einstein.
“The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light & dark moments” – Tahereh Mafi.
“The moon is a beautiful instrument of time” – Tom Hanks.
“We are all like the bright moon, we still have our darker side” – Khalil Gibran.
“Everybody has a little bit of the sun & moon in them. Dark & light in them. Everyone is part of a connected cosmic system. Part earth & sea, part wind & fire. We have a universe within ourselves that mimics the universe outside. No one exists without polarities” – Suzy Kassem.
“Just like the moons & like the suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high, still I’ll rise” – Maya Angelou.
“Be both soft & wild. Just like the moon. Or the storm. Or the sea” – Victoria Erickson.
“The moon was so beautiful that the ocean held up a mirror” – Ani DiFranco.
“The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen” – Shannon Alder.
“Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak & wane, sometimes strong & full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections” – Tahereh Mafi.
“The moon fascinates us in her simplicity” – Avijeet Das.
“When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator” – Mahatma Gandhi.
The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Luna (the moon in Spanish).
Classical music has been inspired by the Moon because it naturally evokes emotions & ideas that composers like to explore – mystery, nostalgia, romance, solitude, stillness, beauty, dreams & desire. Soft dynamics, flowing melodies & serene harmonies create the beautiful feeling of moonlight. So, when we hear a piece inspired by the moon, we’re hearing a composer seeing the moon as a delicate doorway into human emotion.
The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Luna (the moon in Spanish).
The moon has been a classic symbol for beauty, serenity, intuition, dreams, solitude & reflection. A full moon is beautiful precisely because it isn’t perfect or permanently the same. It shines because it reflects the light from the Sun. Philosophically, this can suggest that we are also shaped by what we receive. Our language comes from others. Our ideas come from encounters. Our understanding is influenced by what has illuminated us.
Yet, reflection doesn’t make the moon fake. Receiving light from others does not make our own light meaningless. We can be inspired or influenced by others & still become uniquely ourself. The moon can be dark, distant & seemingly alone in the night sky, marking its solitude, contemplation & quiet existence. A reminder that some things can be observed & appreciated, without ever being completely understood.
Light & darkness co-exist in the moon’s cycle, reflecting the human experience of joy & sadness, certainty & doubt, presence & absence. It’s disappearing is not the same as ceasing to exist. It’s about trusting the process. We change our appearances, pass through darkness, reflect on what surrounds us, return again in different forms. Even darkness turns to light.
The moon illuminates that absence can still be presence. We often think that something must be visible to be present. But, during a new moon or an eclipse, the moon seems to vanish. Yet, it hasn’t gone anywhere. What we cannot see is not necessarily what does not exist. Our intuition or dreams are invisible, yet powerful. Silence & stillness can communicate something significant. Darkness can contain something we cannot perceive. The moon therefore challenges the idea that visibility equals existence.
We can imagine the moon’s phases as different versions of ourself.
🌑 New moon – our core self, the subconscious.
🌒 Crescent – dreaming & becoming.
🌓 Half moon – reflection & balance.
🌔 Growing moon – passion & discovery.
🌕 Full moon – fullness & confidence.
🌖 Waning moon – release & evolution.
🌗 Half moon – acknowledgement & acceptance.
🌘 Crescent – retreating & returning inwards.
There is something deeply solitary about looking at the moon. Millions of people can look at the same moon while experiencing completely different emotions. One person sees romance. Another sees grief. Another sees childhood. Another sees freedom. The moon doesn’t tell us what to feel. We bring our own meaning to it.
Similarly, our universe may not hand us a pre-determined meaning. We participate actively in creating the meaning ourselves. Wholeness does not mean being full all the time. Sometimes, wholeness means whole-heartedly accepting every phase & each version of ourself.
The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Sõna (words in Estonian).
The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Sõna (words in Estonian).
Words are funny, don’t we think?
Some swim in a soup, some try to wink
‘Bark’ is a tree, but also a sound
While ’round’ is round when spinning around.
‘Right’ can be correct or the opposite of left
And, ‘present’ means now or a blessed gift
‘Bat’ flies at night or hits a ball
Words have quirks that confuse us all.
‘Bear,’ a cuddly, hairy animal
Or simply ‘bear’ the pain
‘Fine’ can mean we’re doing well
Or paying for a train.
‘Maybe’ is a weird word
It never makes things clear.
Will we finish our housework?
‘Maybe’, sometime this year.
So, words may rhyme, words may play
They change their meaning every day
But, one thing’s true, wherever we go
Words make us smile, that’s all we know.
Words have secrets, words have tricks
They never really stay the same
We find one meaning, then discover
They’re playing another game.
So, if a word seems crafty
Don’t panic, don’t despair
Just laugh, keep on learning
And, hope the words play fair.
The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Sõna (words in Estonian).
Words are little drops of light
That turn the dark to morning bright.
They paint the skies, they calm the sea
And, whisper what we long to be.
A simple word can heal a heart
Stimulates to create great art.
A wild journey down a brighter road
Helps heavy burdens lighten their load.
Words can bloom like flowers in spring
Carry the songs that dreamers sing.
They hold our laughter, tears & fears
And, keep our memories through the years.
Words are stars upon the page
Sparks of light from age to age.
They dance like music, soft & free
And, open doors to what can be.
A word can carry the morning rain
A whispered joy, a hidden pain.
Can bring sunshine to a face
Or fill a weary heart with grace.
Through words, we travel far away
To nostalgic nights & sunny days.
We meet the heroes of a tale
Sail across oceans, climb a trail.
A poet shapes them, line by line
And, makes the ordinary shine.
A writer gives them wings to fly
Like silver birds across the sky.
Words can be gentle, words can be strong
They turn emotions into songs.
They tell of dreams we dare to chase
Of distant worlds & unknown space.
Words can empower, words can inspire
Awaken our hope, desire & fire.
Words are bridges, words are keys
They cross the oceans, touch the seas.
They join together our heart & mind
Leave no humble spirit behind.
And, when our voices fade away
Our words may still remain & stay
Like little stars that beautifully gleam
Alive forever, flowing like a stream.
For every word we share
Leaves a little piece of us behind.
A trace, an echo
A warmth, a proof that, for a moment
Our human spirit
Reached out to seek the unfamiliar.
The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Sõna (words in Estonian).
From the books of Jane Austen to Carmen, great literature has often been the inspiration behind great music. Music expresses that which cannot be put into words & that which cannot remain silent.
The blog will pick a word of the week, to share & explore the selected word. Here’s an expression for the word – Sõna (words in Estonian).
Reading about the philosophy of words. A fascinating study of how words create, carry, communicate & shape meaning or value. At its heart is a simple question – do words merely describe reality or do they help create the reality we specifically experience? Philosophers like Ludwig Wittgenstein, Ferdinand de Saussure & Martin Heidegger explored interesting aspects of language & meaning. Do the limits of our language mean the limits of our world? How playful can we be with words without losing its value? “Words are just a lens to focus one’s mind” – Ayn Rand.
Meaning. What makes a word mean what it means? Language & reality. Does language reflect the world or does it shape how we understand the world? Truth. How can words accurately express something that is real or true? Interpretation. Why can the same words mean different things to different people? Power. How can naming something change how people perceive, understand or believe it?
Silence. What can be communicated with words & what cannot be expressed in words at all? Are words necessary? “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said” – Peter Drucker. Words give shape to thoughts, but silence gives space to meaning. Perhaps, the deepest, most unique or intense experiences are the ones we cannot express in words.
Identity. How do the words we use to describe ourselves influence, inspire or empower who we become? “Words are the voice of the heart” – Confucius. A poetic way to express the idea is – words are not merely vessels for thought, they are the architecture through which thought becomes visible. In essence, the philosophy of words asks how words turn thoughts, emotions, experiences, dreams & reality into meaning.
A lot of human experiences can be experienced but can’t be described. Some things that resist words include pure sensation. The exact experience of a particular colour, smell, touch or taste. We can’t fully describe the beauty of a sunset, deep emotions like grief, love, joy, innocence, beauty, hope, belief, passion or compassion. Consciousness itself. The ineffable is ineffable. Experiences that seem too profound, adventurous, mysterious or overwhelming to fit into ordinary concepts.
Silence. Sometimes, what is unknowingly left unsaid communicates something better, that language would actually weaken. Non-verbal understanding. A glance, an embrace, a gesture, a melody or a shared moment can communicate something beautifully without forming a proposition. The infinite or absolute. Concepts like eternity, imagination, creativity, motivation or nothingness totally defy words.
This creates an intriguing philosophical paradox – words can point towards an experience without being the full experience itself. The paradox is that words can both reveal & conceal. There are limits to what language can meaningfully say. Sometimes, the appropriate response to what lies beyond those limits, is silence.
And perhaps, the greatest limitation of words is that they can somehow communicate what something means to us, but they cannot guarantee that others will experience that meaning in the same way. Lost in translation. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you, due to lack of words” – Maya Angelou.
