Prolific Living

literary

A Gallery of Inspiration from Rumi: Why Love Is the Way

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You were born with wings; why prefer to crawl through life?
~Rumi

Who but us the current generation to preserve, cherish, and treasure the gems that our ancestors left us? Our rich heritage is not something that we should take lightly. Then again, who am I to say anything when in my own case, it was a long time before I even accepted my Persian roots, much less appreciate them properly!

What you seek is seeking you.
~Rumi

But when I did accept, the unexpected happened. [Read more…] about A Gallery of Inspiration from Rumi: Why Love Is the Way

A Dog’s Journey into “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London

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Why I Read The Call of the Wild

Call of the Wild by Jack London

Well, it’s a brilliant classic by Jack London and the main hero is a dog by the name of Buck! Who doesn’t love classics or dogs? I felt that on a miniscule scale, I could relate to Buck in his departure from the comfortable life to follow the calling of the wild, even if he didn’t fully understand it. [Read more…] about A Dog’s Journey into “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London

On Minimalism & Being Happy: Tammy Strobel’s “You Can Buy Happiness”

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“If you want to be happy, be.” ~Tolstoy

Happiness. Oh that elusive, fleeting sensation that we constantly yearn for, wonder about, discuss ad nauseam, search and find only to lose again. In the end, there is one thing we may all be able to agree on when it comes to the state of happiness: [Read more…] about On Minimalism & Being Happy: Tammy Strobel’s “You Can Buy Happiness”

What Tolstoy Shows About Life in “The Death of Ivan Illyich”

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Yellow boat by Wakatipu Lake

“People have frequently complained about the manner in which death interrupts life.” ~Tolstoy

I read The Death of Ivan Illyich not only because it is the work of brilliant Leo Tolstoy, a genius whose every prose cuts through my heart, but also because Dr. Wayne Dyer once said that reading this book at 19 completely changed his thinking. As if that were not enough, I fondly remember how my mom read this book as part of an English class assignment in college; she went to college at the same time as me (I was so proud of her, by the way), and Tolstoy even had my mom talking about this book to her family! [Read more…] about What Tolstoy Shows About Life in “The Death of Ivan Illyich”

Musings on London, The Tempest and A Regret-Free Life

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TheTempest_RalphFiennes

Two hours ago, I was in a small jam-packed London theater, joining in on a much-deserved standing ovation to the cast of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Some of the finest Shakespearean actors, most notably Ralph Fiennes, indulged us tonight with an unforgettably moving performance.

Pleasure, sadness, delight and joy, smiles and tears, deep reflection and thrilling sensations, these are only some of the emotions that come alive as you bask in the awe of a fine actor bringing to life a character from a 400-year old play. [Read more…] about Musings on London, The Tempest and A Regret-Free Life