I spent most of my life running after happiness. I was told that in order to be happy, I should do the things I enjoy. Follow my passion. Chase side hustles for extra money. Sound familiar? These days, everyone wants to be an influencer, gather millions of followers, build a personal brand, and search for fame. But if that’s the formula, why is the world still so unhappy? I’m not going to talk about external factors like wars, education systems, shifting culture, or technolog

And he told her, “Imagine trying to explain white for someone who has never seen black. You can’t have any experience without its opposite. Light only exists because of darkness. Joy is meaningful because we know sorrow. Love is precious because we understand loneliness. The ancient Chinese called it Yin and Yang. Not opposing forces, but two sides of one reality. We have been taught that life is about eliminating the negative, but that is like trying to have mountains with o

I heard the phone ringing at 2 am. Followed by a message from my son stating: "Hey, I just wanted to ask a question, it can wait no worries." I called him and he said: "What are our options if Beirut airport is bombed? What is Plan B? They are closing borders." I am stuck in Dubai myself, trying to fly back to Amman. The UAE, as a nation, reaches out its hand to everyone, sending a clear and unwavering message: 'Your safety is our priority. ." My kids in Lebanon don't feel su

The world is in real need of empathy and creativity. Both are being hardened by society and covered by selfishness and delusion to a point where when you rarely come across an empathetic person or a creative being, you feel as joyful as if you have found a rare piece of treasure. Are we able to demonstrate empathy, be vulnerable, actively listen to people, practice random acts of kindness, and feel gratitude? What is happening to our human race? It is both scary and disappoin

The other day, I watched my father teach my son how to prune vines in the garden. As he explained why cutting certain branches allows the plant to thrive, I had a sudden realization: this simple moment of hands-on learning contained more wisdom than most of what happens in modern classrooms. It reminded me of the yellow thread in my novel  Threads for Life , which symbolizes the importance of equipping the younger generation with life’s essentials through the wisdom of those

According to thinker Ahmed Paul Keeler, the greatest crime of modernity is the systematic destruction of childhood. We are living in an...

In the 2014 film  The Monuments Men , a group of unlikely heroes: art historians, museum curators, and architects risked their lives...

Years ago, I’d kneel beside my children’s beds, reading that old fable we all know the turtle and the rabbit.  "Slow and steady wins the...

Pakistani poet and writer Mirza Adeeb, who died in 1999, wrote in his book "The Lamp":   “I went to Delhi in the sixties to work, and one...

In today’s world, there is no shortage of technology, mobile phones, artificial intelligence, and advanced weaponry are abundant. Search...

Though she sat peacefully in the corner, her small fingers were dancing across the laptop keys while the school corridors buzzed with the...

Maria’s mind was heavy with burdens. Tired of the weight of suffering, she reached out to me with a heartfelt question: “Carl, why do we...

Have you ever encountered the message, "Verifying you are Human. This may take a few seconds!" while using an AI application? This prompt...

This is a touching story I once heard from an American journalist and poet: In a mother’s womb, there were two babies. One turned to the...

Believing in yourself holds immense power! Some belief systems can be toxic, draining your energy and holding you back. On the other...

Sometimes, I am asked by my son if I really believe in miracles. Why is it that sometimes we pray for healing and it happens, while other...

We are often let down by the most trusted people and loved by the most unexpected ones. Some make us cry for things that we haven’t done,...

Year after year, it becomes increasingly clear why cellphones are often referred to as such—they act as cells that imprison our children....

When they make a mistake, resist the urge to step in and rescue them. Nowadays, we tend to do too much for our children, often boosting...

Look daddy it is a cat! He smiled and continued checking his mobile. I watched them while sipping coffee in a beautiful café in Al-Wabdi,...