Left vs. Right

~ Sarrah Hakim ~ 4 Comments

So, I was thinking about life today. And I started thinking to myself… why does it matter? Why does anything matter, really? We’re all going to die anyway; we might as well kill ourselves now-

Without further ado, I’d like to wish you a happy April Fool’s Day. 😛

I would never think anything like that, and I certainly hope you wouldn’t either… life is a beautiful and precious gift, and we should treasure it.

Anyways, now that that’s taken care of, on to what I’d really like to talk about… this whole left brain vs. right brain business. I’m sure you’ve heard that if you’re a left-brainer, you’re a mathematician, logician… engineer… that sort of thing. And that if you’re a right-brainer, you’re creative, you’re a dreamer, a romanticist, etc. And boy, don’t pictures like these make you want to be a right-brainer?

http://adsoftheworld.com/files/images/paint-72dpi.jpg

A week ago, if you had asked me whether I was a right-brainer or a left-brainer, I would have said right for sure. I hate math, love writing, love dreaming, love creativity…

I always thought science was for boring realists. And then I got around to reading some Albert Einstein quotes… and I realized something.

Well, first of all, let me make sure I say that Albert Einstein was much more of a dreamer  than I thought. I must say, I am quite impressed with his emphasis on imagination. Just read this:

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ~Albert Einstein

“Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.” ~Albert Einstein

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” ~Albert Einstein

And well, I realized that you can’t just be one or the other. Because if you don’t dream, if you’re just a left-brainer, then you can’t invent new things because you can’t see past what already exists. And if you’re purely a right-brainer, purely about dreams and whatnot, you won’t get anywhere because you’re not actually doing anything. You have to use the science to make those dreams happen.

So, I guess the message is this: You were given both parts of your brain for a reason. You have to use both. Use the right side of your brain to dream and come up with new ideas; then use the left side to make those dreams a reality.

Spring

~ Sarrah Hakim ~ 4 Comments

I realize that it’s been almost two months since my last post, and I apologize for that. Fortunately, I no longer have marching band or synchronized swimming eating up my time, so I can spend some time updating my blog and such.

Oh, and working on that, uh, manuscript. 😛

At any rate, let’s pretend I don’t have a chemistry lab sitting in my backpack, waiting to be done. Let’s pretend that all I have to think about is the fact that it’s a sunny day outside (which does tend to raise one’s spirits), the flowers have been poking their little heads up out of the ground for some time now, and the air smells crisp and fresh, like we’re done with this half-winter and ready to move into a full spring.

I think spring must be my favorite season of the four. (Of course, during the summer, summer is my favorite, during autumn, autumn is my favorite, etc.)

But there’s something about spring that makes a person just feel good. Maybe it’s because winter is beginning to move out. Maybe it’s because everything’s turning green again. Maybe it’s those silly birds that have begun to call to each other and just won’t shut up. I don’t know. Something of the sort.

Sometimes, I realize that there’s just a lot that I don’t know and never will. The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. And the more I realize how little I know, the more I’m able to appreciate life because I can relax. There’s no struggle to learn everything there is to know before my time runs out.

There’s stuff I just won’t know. That’s it.

I’m not the first person to realize this, and I won’t be the last. But, if anything, I’m glad I’ve realized it now, while I’m still young. Now, instead of trying to learn everything, I can focus on my true passion.

But sometimes even that gets a little confusing or stressful. And whenever that happens, it’s nice to remember that the sun still shines and the grass is still green, and those those silly little birds still call to each other. And they still won’t shut up.

Simplicity

~ Sarrah Hakim ~ 7 Comments

“Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” ~Henry David Thoreau

I went to the theater yesterday to watch Beauty and the Beast in 3D with one of my best friends. The movie was as good as ever, of course, but I’m not too sure about the 3D… personally, I think it kind of ruined it. Halted my imagination somehow. But that’s all right- it was nice to have a chance to watch the movie on the big screen.

My favorite scene in Beauty and the Beast is when the beast gives Belle his library. The scene is so breathtaking and beautiful… my imagination runs away with it. If I had a library like that, I don’t think I’d ever come out of it! I fell in love with the library from the movie and now I long for one of my own.

I love old-fashioned libraries and books. Ancient, dusty volumes… and the smell of an old book is the best part. Sometimes it makes me really sad to think how much technology has advanced. Online books aren’t nearly as much fun as turning the pages of an actual novel. I’d hate to think that a day will come when we no longer print books and everything is on a computer screen. Even writing things down as opposed to typing them… there’s a thrill that only a pen and paper can bring. And writing with a quill on parchment seems much more… romantic, somehow, than typing on a boring old computer.

It’s funny; I almost feel like I want to move backwards in time instead of advancing further. Of course… any romantic or sentimental attitude must give way to what they call “efficiency,” and so it must go on… with humans never being satisfied and constantly trying to improve this life.

Ah well. I think I’ve been reading too much Emerson and Thoreau… maybe I’m becoming a bit of a transcendentalist myself! But sometimes life does seem to be advancing much too quickly for my liking. I’m perfectly fine with just keeping it simple. 🙂

Oh, and watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZIlB4ksOB4

Writing Style

~ Sarrah Hakim ~ 4 Comments

I found this rather amusing- so I wanted to share it. 🙂 So, each person has his/her own unique style of writing, right? Right, but you might find it interesting that the style can change.

When I was in elementary school, there was a certain author I loved. Her name was Enid Blyton. She was a British author, and I loved her books so much that at that time, they were pretty much the only books I was reading. And back then, I actually had free time to write what I liked, so as I was constantly reading, I was constantly writing.

Before I knew it, I was using British spellings and British phrases! Even in school, any writing I did, whether it be creative writing or formal essays, would be written in a British style.

I had always been told that good readers equaled good writers. But I had no idea that your writing style was influenced so much by the type of books you read!

But you know what? Even though your style can change depending on what you read, I think it’s still your unique style. It’s probably similar to the style of your favorite authors, because those are the people you admire. But at the same time, it’s YOURS.

Time for an awesome quote of the day:

“An original writer is not one who imitates nobody, but one whom nobody can imitate.” ~Chateaubriand, Le Génie du Christianisme, 1802

Keep writing!

Happy New Year!

~ Sarrah Hakim ~ 6 Comments

Wow. I can’t believe last year went by so quickly. And yet… I feel as though so much has happened between then and now. To me, especially. When I look at the person I was at the beginning of last year, and at the person I am now, it’s rather startling. Even if I don’t appear very different in the way I act, or in the things I say, or in the way I look… I am definitely quite different in the way I think.

It’s funny how a person can change so much in just one year. I feel… more grown up, somehow. I seem to understand life, in general, much better, and I’m able to recognize things and form opinions for myself. The things that mattered so much to me last year don’t seem to matter anymore. Don’t get me wrong- 2011 was a great year. I learned a lot, and that’s why I’m ready to make a fresh start in 2012 (since the world has not ended).

My New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Finish my manuscript- entirely! This includes revising, editing, and having it proofread by others. Before the year’s over, I want to hold a polished manuscript in my hands  and start submitting query letters to agencies. No more procrastinating!

2. Stop worrying about little things. As calm and unruffled as I try to appear, on the inside I’m often worrying about stupid things that don’t matter anyway. No more of that!

3. No regrets. Too often have I let opportunities slip away from me. Not anymore. The worst feeling in the world is wishing you would have done something when you had the chance. It’s one thing to get up and actively seek opportunity and not find it… at least you tried. But it’s another thing to have it offered to you on silver platter and ignore it.

4. Stop getting lost in the past. This one is hard for me… I keep thinking of good times I had in the past and let the memories overwhelm me…. when what I should be doing is turning my head around and facing what’s to come! It’s like Dr. Seuss said: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

5. Look for the good in people. I am not a mean person… I don’t think I ever have been. But I do get annoyed with people, and there are people I don’t like and could complain about. But instead of seeing faults like this… I’ll try to focus on the good things. Even in the people I dislike most.

Well, I think five resolutions is good enough for now… but I’m sure I could easily add to the list! I think new year’s resolutions are a great way to reflect on last year and get a fresh start on this one. The best part is reading your resolutions at the end of the year and seeing if you fulfilled them. Even if you didn’t, they’re still fun to read, and it just means that you have more for next year. 😀