There is no tomorrow...

For a long time, there were tears in my eyes. It was not because of anything relating to me. It was because of someone else’s tragedy. A few months ago, the son of my father’s friend got killed. He was riding a bike when his bike hit a car. A small fight happened, and the car guys took out a gun and shot him on the spot. He died in the hospital after a few days. He was a young chap, a couple of years younger than me, and was the only son of his parents. He has got one sister who lives in the UK. I was just browsing Facebook when his profile came across in front of me. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=605161843 I went through his profile. There were messages from people on his wall, regarding how much they missed him and remembering old memories with him. It brought tears to my eyes and pain to my heart. It was the fourth time in my life that I realised that the world in which we live is cruel and insane! Finally, this incident put the last nail in the coffin of my trust in humanity. 

Some years ago, there was another incident that shook me completely. There was a picture of a woman with her children in the newspaper. They were holding a placard in front of the press club. There was a line written below the picture. She was a middle-class lady legislative consular from some backward area of Lahore, and some people were threatening to kill her in some domestic dispute. She was asking the world for protection. Some days later, there was a small news item about her killing in the pages of the newspaper. There was no other news about her killing afterwards. I still remember that picture. She was begging people for help, but no one cared to come forward and give her protection. This was the first time in my life that I felt that humanity was scarce these days. 

The second time was even worse. There was news of a 7-year-old girl who went missing. She was the daughter of a peon of Punjab University. Both of her parents were deaf and mute. The police refused to take action, telling her father that their daughter would return home herself after some time. The people, on behalf of her parents, protested against the police. A few days later, the girl was found dead in an under-construction building. She was brutally raped and later killed by piercing iron bars into her neck.

Another incident which I remember is of a factory owner. He was burnt alive by angry so-called Muslims because one of his workers falsely accused him of showing disrespect to the Holy Quran. The police did nothing. 

All of these were small stories in newspapers, but they had a strong impact on my mind. I failed to understand how anger and hatred can make one so mad as to commit such animal brutality. The biggest pain in life is unjustly losing the ones you love and then failing to understand why this injustice happened. The biggest ache for parents is to see the dead body of their child who was killed for no reason. How little human life is worth these days? People kill one another without realising what effect one’s death will have on another person’s family and friends. No one bothers others now. Every person is just into himself. People live as if there would be no tomorrow. They have forgotten that they will leave a worse world for their children. Their children will eat the bitter fruit of what they have sown. Nature always does its math. It never leaves anything minus or plus for a person. At the end of the day, it leaves everyone with a zero. 

I have a very strong feeling about the present times. I believe we are living in the dark ages where there is no respect for one's life and dignity. The only respectable people are the ones with money and power. There are corrupt rulers but no leaders. People have no courage to rise against barbarism. Therefore, nature is angry and is punishing us with earth quakes and floods. The ones who survive will face more bitter punishment if they didn’t resent and resist the doings of current times; for them, the only road ahead is the road of utmost deterioration. 

May Allah forgives us all, shows us the right way and gives us the courage to make this society and world a better place to live in.

Purpose

What is the purpose of your life? What is your purpose for surviving and proceeding in life? Have you been able to find this answer? If yes, then you probably shouldn’t read below; if not, then let’s find the purpose of our lives together :)

Life is the most precious thing in the world. Once it is gone, it never returns. Unfortunately, in some societies, it is the cheapest thing to be traded for. Everything in this universe has a purpose to serve. The purpose of a tree is to provide fruit, shade, and wood, along with filtering the air. That’s their purpose, and they ought to serve animals and humans. The same goes with other botanical living beings. In the case of animals, they don’t give anything in return to trees; instead, they are used by men for food, clothing, commuting, protection, and companionship. So, they serve humans only. And humans use all other living beings and earthly resources in order to live a comfortable and less hard life. They interact with each other to form a group so that they can communicate their feelings and fulfil their desires. They follow a set pattern and live their lives according to it. In fact, for the past thousand years, every living object has been following its own set patterns of life.

The purpose of a human life is always perceived differently in different phases of life. For instance, at the time of birth, the purpose is to take forward the legacy of the continuation of the human race. Humans want to have children in order to follow the set pattern of life as followed by their forefathers. Either they want children to support them later in life or they want them to find a purpose in their lives. With the passage of time, the child vaguely thinks about what he wants to achieve in life or what profession he wants to adopt, and then, for all those coming years, one gives his heart and soul to achieve it, and they live most of their lives doing so. Some might not care to do so. After spending some good years of life, when one feels they have or have not achieved their purpose, what comes next? One either continues to do what one has been doing for the past so many years and they prepare their children to go through that cycle, or one tends to do something completely different from what one has been doing. In that phase, if one looks back and analyses the life that has been lived and assesses the purpose for which they have led their lives, which could be career success; children; fortunes; visiting places; money; fame; recognition, Eventually, one realizes how minuscule these purposes were for which they have been leading their lives for. All materials will be left behind when one dies. Your life will be stopped, but for others, it will continue. Maybe the real purpose of life is to do something for the betterment of those who will live even after you are gone.

Farewell

I made one decision and it is changing my life. I resigned from my job and joined a multinational company in Islamabad. Although it was a tough decision to take since I have been working for one of the best employers in the IT industry in Lahore, the decision has been taken. After thinking for weeks and spending sleepless nights, I decided to quit my job. The reason for leaving the job is quite stupid and foolish, as has been said by some. The reason was that I needed a change of work and wanted to test my capabilities and to see to what extent I could push myself. I am a person who loves changes and also a person who doesn’t easily get adjusted to these changes. I hope I made it an understandable statement for you. It’s been over a month since I joined my new company, which is again one of the best employers in the country. I can write about it later, but for now I just want to talk about my previous company. I spent more than 5 years over there, and now when I look back, it seems like such a long time, but in memories it appears to be such a short time. I wonder where the time got lost. 
Below is the excerpt of my farewell email. 

Dear All,

With this email, I am concluding one of the most cherished chapters of my life. Today 30-July-2010 marks my last working day at Redmath. It's been 5 years and 3 months since I joined this organization. From next week I won't be a part of it anymore. As most of you know, I would be joining in Islamabad. For me it wasn't an easy decision to take after I have been working at Redmath for many years; but the principle of evolution demands change, so that we can evolve and let others to evolve as well.

I am extremely grateful to Rxxx bhai for making me a part of Redmath. I will treasure all the memories of my stay at Redmath and for that I am thankful to every Redmathematician (now and once). I feel myself quite blessed since I've had the opportunity to work on some very interesting projects with great people. On personal level, I've made some quality friendships too.

I am not very fond of goodbyes and farewells, as for me they amplifies the nostalgia. Therefore, in the end I won't be saying goodbye to you. Because goodbyes are meant for those whom you think you will not be able to meet again. But I want us to meet again. I hope I'll keep in touch with a lot of you either in person or via networks like Facebook or LinkedIn. I am not hard to find. I can be reached at
MSN / Facebook / Linkedin: xxxxx@hotmail.com
GTalk: xxxx.xxx@gmail.com
Phone: 0xxxxx (for time-being, as it will get change)

Take very good care of yourself. May Allah bless you all.

Thanks & Kind Regards,
Arfan Ameer
- "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

What Your Name Means ?

You entered: arfan ameer

There are 10 letters in your name.

Those 10 letters total to 46.

There are 5 vowels and 5 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 1

The characteristics of 1 are: Initiating action; pioneering; leading; being independent; attaining; being an individual.

The expression or destiny for 1:

A number 1 Expression denotes a skilled executive with keen administrative capabilities. You must develop the capacity to be a fine leader, sales executive, or promoter. You have the tools to become an original person with a creative approach to problem solving and a penchant for initiating action. Someone may have to follow behind you to handle the details, but you know how to get things going and make things happen. You have a good mind and the ability to use it for your advancement. Because of these factors, you have the potential for achievement and financial rewards. Frequently, this expression belongs to someone running a business or striving to achieve a level of accomplishment through their talents and efforts. You have little need for much supervision, preferring to act on your own with little restraint. You are both ambitious and determined. Self-confident and self-reliant must be yours as you develop a strong, unyielding will and the courage of your convictions.

Although you fear loneliness, you want to be left alone. You fear routine and being in a rut. You often jump the gun because you are afraid of being left behind.

The negative attributes of the 1 expression are egotism and a self-centred approach to life. This is an aggressive number, and if it is over-emphasized, it is very hard to live with. You do not have to be overly aggressive to fulfil your destiny. The 1 has a natural instinct to dominate and to be the boss, adhering to the concept of being number One. Again, you do not have to dominate and destroy in order to lead and manage.

Your Soul Urge number is: 4

A Soul Urge number of 4 means:

With a soul urge or motivation number of 4, you are likely to strive for a stable life. You tend to follow a rather orderly pattern and systematic approach in your endeavours. You have an inner desire to serve others in a methodical and diligent manner. You want to be involved in solid, conventional, and well-regulated activities, and you are somewhat disturbed by innovation and erratic or sudden changes. You are excellent at organizing, systematizing, and managing. You have a way of establishing order and maintaining it. You are responsible, reliable, and, in the final analysis, practical. Highly analytical, you can see your way through all sorts of situations and generally have a clear understanding of the issues. You are a very honest, sincere, and conscientious individual.

The negative side of the 4 is rigid, stubborn and somewhat narrow-minded. There is a tendency to hide feelings or to not be aware of real feelings. Avoid being too rigid and stubborn in your thinking and try to always see the big picture rather than becoming too involved with the details. Don't be afraid to take a chance occasionally.

Your Inner Dream number is: 6

An Inner Dream number of 6 means:

You dream of guiding and fostering the perfect family in the perfect home. You crave the devotion of your offspring and a loving spouse. You picture yourself at the centre of a successful domestic unit.

Commemoration of the Taken

Why did it happen? It hurts that what was ours was not given to us. It’s hard to say if it's taken. The heart is sobbing. The world doesn’t matter. Life has been cruel. This grief is never ending.

If we keep on lamenting the misdoings and tragedies which life has offered us and indulge ourselves in the graves of self-pity, the pain will still not lessen. It will grow exponentially with every passing day. To heal this pain, first let it go. Believe what happened was just a pit stop in life. Life doesn’t stop at this pit stop. It invites us to continue our journey accompanied with hope and faith, and to move on with the belief that it is not finished yet. Only what wasn't ours has been taken. Every day could begin the course of a brand-new future. After all, it comes along with the new dawn after every darkest night. The content, the peace, should always remain within us. And graciously, this journey should be completed.

I wrote this when my wife suffered her first miscarriage. I now realise how ungrateful I was. I should have believed in the will of Allah. I am thankful to Allah for what he has blessed me with later in life.

Run away

Sometimes I feel like running away; running away from this vicious daily routine; running away from the lights and noise of the city; running away from these people; running into the mountains to find peace; to find my soul; and to find my life. 

Do you feel the same too?

Bye Bye 2009 - I have been Taken

Pardon me for being a little late in putting my reminiscences of the past year on my blog. I was preoccupied with the changes that 2009 had brought into my life. The inevitable change which has changed my life altogether; Guys, I am not a carefree single soul anymore. I have been taken. I now have a mate. I got married in December 2009. I don’t feel comfortable putting my marriage details here. I can only say that "IT ALL WENT FINE". The last two months of 2009 have been really busy; the wedding preparations; shifting to a new home; guests; wedding events; in-laws; dinners; it all consumed me. Finally, I am back to routine and preparing for a new horizon of dreams and challenges in life. 

Apart from this, there were some other events which took place in the past year. 

• I visited Dubai, Amsterdam, and Berlin. 
• I faced a life and death situation at Liberty Round-about when the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked. I was there too, on the incident site of the incident.
• Two of my uncles (my father’s brothers) died this year. This was a huge loss for our family. 
• I am still working for the same company, but on a different project this time :P 
• Like always, I have wasted this year on useless future planning :)
• I met my sister and her family after 2 years.