The Moment

"You know when you really felt alive? You can choose to live in your past or you can choose to live in your present. The past which is gone will never ever change. The done is done, you can not change it a bit no matter how you wish. But you have this moment, the moment that is priceless. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, life or death, happiness or sadness. Live in this moment, live for yourself and for your family"

Hello from Ikra

:-)

Memorable 2011

In just 7 days time, we'll be stepping in 2012. For me the beginning of any new thing is full of possibilities, and when it comes to new year it is always full of hopes, dreams and possibilities. In my  life some years have just come and gone like seasons. Though they were important in one way or other but they have not left some special imprint in my life. But as far as 2011 is concerned, it was filled with life changing events. In the beginning I was having hundreds of fears starting from WHAT IF I WON'T... This what if I won't is always very hard in everyone's life.

Well, if I talk about 2011 now I could say with absolute certainty that this year would be engraved on my heart as the year when I truly started to go after, and working hard on achieving what I desired out of life. Beside that I must say that I am proud of myself. I won't say that this year was easy. NO, it was the toughest year in my life. But, I managed to keep myself focused and on track. I continued with what I thought and because of all those who prayed for me, I succeed. So many good things happened in this year for example, my Master studies, my job, and most important I achieved all those milestones which I set in the start of year. Alhamdullilah, I am blessed :)

I will soon write my new year resolutions and will share with you guys. Plans are to continue the same path I'm on because it seems the right path. Hope all of you had an awesome 2011 and you are looking forward to 2012 with a smile on face. See all of you later.

Are you ready to rock 2012 ahead? ;-)

Happy Holidays,

Ikra

 

A Haiku : Eternity

And time has told me

A story of love, truth, affection and trust

Sharing the secret of eternity

Later,

Iqra

Guys, It's been a while

It's been a while since I last updated my blog. I was feeling bad for not updating it but the work, projects and research had all my time. I am little not feeling that well too. I know festive month is around us and everyone is busy in preparing themselves for the Christmas ahead. Well, I am all waiting for the upcoming week to end up with small Christmas Eve and then few days off from work. It's been so hectic in last couple of weeks, guess a small break would be nice. Anyhow, didn't asked about you guys. Hope everyone is fine and not missing my musings that much ;-)

Now days I am very much into learning some new Swedish words. Oh, did I mentioned earlier about FIKA? I think I have not and wonder why I didn't. Anyhow, Fika is kind of tea and mostly scheduled after lunch. The happiest part of my day is when a message pops up in Outlook saying "Fika at 3.00pm". It usually includes coffee or tea with some baked goodies. It is really a perfect excuse to get out of work and chit chat with friends. Anyone up for Fika? ;-)

2011 is going to end and countdown has begin. This year was definitely the most important one in my life. Alhamdullilah, I have accomplished all my milestones. I will soon share my journey of 2011 and new year resolutions as well. Have you guys already wrote new year resolutions, if yes share them with me.

Ikra reporting live,

Have great weekend ~ Doodles

Live your life on purpose

There are going to be days when you won't have the energy or drive to get out of bed. There are going to be days when you are going to want to give up, give up on love, life or school. The thing is you are not allowed to GIVE UP. You were given a life and you are supposed to live it. The truth is the seventy or eighty years that you are given isn't long enough to do the things you are supposed to do. Sure, you are gonna hit a few bumps along the way, but you have got to pick yourself up and move on. Life is unpredictable and things might not always work out the way you want them to, but that's no reason to give up. You are here for a reason and some day when you are not expecting it, you are going to discover your reason for being here. And when that does happen, your life will never be the same again.

{Source}

The world is yours, find your oyster

Have nice weekend,

Ikra

A Haiku : Cold Solitude

Slowly getting cold outside

I now need some warmth and

thoughts wander around you

Doodles

Iqra

Fairy tales, I'm in love with

I may seem a strong girl from outside but at heart I am a girl who still believe in fairy tales. I myself say I am very realistic, I take on everything with open eyes and ponder on all ground realities. But, when it comes to me and some of the free time I own, I love to watch TV serials but, only those which are based on love stories. Girl dreaming of charming Prince :) I know I may sound insane but yes that's what I am. I can say with absolute certainty that huge number of girls on this planet still believe in fairy tales. If I flash back in memories, I could still recall some dialogs from the famous Cinderella story. When asked by Son, Do fairy tales come true his Dad responded NO but, dreams come true. Do we dream like that? 

 It was late at night when she was not feeling well. She was not caught in some life taking disease but yet she was afraid. She wanted to tell him how much she loves him. She was so restless as if it will be the last time when she will tell him how much she loves him, beyond words. She was by his side, turned towards him and holds his arm. Her grip was strong, she wanted to feel secure and safe. He woke up immediately asking if she is still awake. She started crying asking him so many things, telling him how much she loves him. 

"You know how much I love you, right? I love you beyond words. I trust you more than my own existence. I have such firm belief on you that you will bring me back from mouth of death. Promise me you will be always by my side. Promise me you will never leave me alone!"  

He took her hands in his own and gave her a smile.  

"I know how much you love me, why you are talking like this? I can see a long joyous journey of us, a journey that will have challenges, a journey where we won't always feel good, but a journey full of joy, happiness and love. I can't promise that there won't be any hurdles along the way. I can't promise that there won't be any disappointments, or shattered dreams, or set backs and heart ache along the way. What I can promise is a shoulder for you to cry on or sleep on, a chest to weep into or bury your face into, arms to rest in and hand to help you back to your feet, a hug to comfort you, ears to listen you, a  temper to reign you. I can offer you my everything even the last sip of my coffee and last bite of my chocolate. What I can offer is ME and I am always with YOU".

I haven't wrote something fictional from ages. So the above is a short one on fiction. Hope you enjoyed.

Doodles :)

A write-up for Sunday Scribblings - Fairytale

Don't take things for granted

"Don't take things for granted because life and death is separated only by a thin line"

It is a slow rainy day today. Its been raining since night and still it is same. Since last night I am thinking that we don't thank ALLAH for his enough blessings. We don't appreciate the small things in our life, we take them for granted. Don't go far and just think about water. Think for a while, if there would be no water life will become a battle for survival. How many of us are thankful to the creator of this universe for his utmost blessings? Make a habit to must thank ALLAH when you get up in morning and at night when you are on bed. May our creator forgive us and always bless us, AMEEN

Happy weekend :)

Iqra 

Dark Mornings

If there was no dark, people would have forgotten the importance of dark. The sadness and dark exists in order for you to find the light and happiness in them.

It was a very dark morning today when I was coming to office. Day started with a cold wind, aroma of coffee, road lights, little kids packed in warmers, me and my cycle. 

Hello from Iqra :)

Autumn Sadness

Leaves fall, nature change. Old leaves have to fell down and space will be occupied by new one's. A long wait but a short life. Soon these new will become old and ready to die for other new one's. Autumn always bring sadness with cold aches. I want to overcome this sadness by aligning my feelings with the changing beauty.

Hejsan,

I Q R A 

A Haiku : Divine Suffering

It's been a year long

your smell is what I breathe in

divine suffering I cherish

What is a Haiku?

Check some of the beautiful haiku's written by my friend

Be blessed,

Iqra

Set fire to the rain

Adele sets fire to all the singer. She is just an amazing singer. I am totally in love with her voice and touching lyrics. She has definitely got that bang in her. 

 I set fire to the rain

And I threw us into the flames

Well, it felt something died

Cause I knew that, that was the last time

The last time

I am sure she chose rain because rain always brings back the old memories, connect the dots back. I know I say such things over and again in my posts. But yet I want to say it again, don’t let anyone have a power over you unless he is not sincere to you. Don’t do things for him which you don’t want to do. I know at times it’s hard as number of things happening around just brings back all old memories.  But you have to settle it at your own. Believe you me no one is going to fix it for you. There is a side of you that you never knew, so find what you lost in yourself and be happy.

"There is a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war and a time of peace. Adapt yourself to all such times"

Doodles,

Iqra

Completing 100 different reflections

This is the moment I was waiting for from last few weeks. I was so happy about it that I wanted to reserve this for some special day. I was planning to post it a day before today. Off course, yesterday was a big day for me. This one is out for my century, Wohooo. When I started my blog in late December last year, I never thought I would reach to this stage. I was never sure that I would even be able to write something, and now that I am writing my 100th blogpost I am so excited. 

I was having many dreams in my eyes when I started my blog. Much of those were related to my personal life, my ambitions and I can say with absolute certainty that the whole 1 journey was really very hard, but in many ways worth it. This blog is having a story of the journey of my life. A 100 different reflections of my life. Travel, hard work, problems, down times, up times, happiest times, tough times and much more. Just because of the love and prayers you shared, I have took on every challenge and accomplished it. Just through this blog I have met so many wonderful people in life, those people whom I never saw and met but still they seem little more closer among others whom I have met in my life. I am grateful to all those who stopped by my space. My intention is to make this space worth reading and worth smiling :-)

I got some inspirational words from internet, could not find the actual source. But I want to dedicate this to all my lovely friends.

"Sometimes it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one in the world who’s struggling, who’s frustrated, or unsatisfied, or barely getting by but that feeling is a lie. And if you just hold on, someone will find you and help make it better. Because we all need a little help sometimes, someone to help us hear the music in our world.To remind us that it won’t always be this way.That someone is out there right now"

Let's celebrate,

I Q R A :) 

Believe in something

Believe in the power you have

Believe in fairy tales

Believe in the new beginning

Believe in what you deserve

Believe in your dreams

Believe in your heart

Believe in the beauty of tomorrow

Believing yourself will change your life,

I Q R A (:

Right shoe can change girl's life

The right shoe can change girl's life. Do I need to mention about Cinderella here ;-) 

My love for stilettos has grown immensely since I saw some wonderful shoes in shop. Oh, how I  love to wear them and walk here and there like Princess *Blushed*

Hello to all beautiful girls,

I q r a 

Add colors to your life

Sometimes it is all about adding colors to your life. Sprinkle a bit of it here and there in your life. You will feel

awesome :-)

Have a nice week everyone,

I Q R A 

Confessions

Dear You,

.........Isn't that so many days that you are out of scene. There is no one in this world who understands me as much as you do. There isn't any good listener than you to whom I  can tell all happenings of day. There is no one who really knows why I have to shop something every other day. There is no one whose eyes lights up when I suggest something extremely bad with laughter. There is no one who make those small wishes to me. There is no one who knows why I didn't laughed the whole day. There is no one who knows how tough it is at times with all life stuff. There is no one who knows when and why I am angry. There is no one who knows almost everything about me. Come back soon !

Hejsan,

Confessions of me to myself

An ode to mothers

A mother's love is unmatched. Like me all of us have seen many things around the world, but nothing compares to mother's love and strength. Mother's love is unspoken, natural, comforting and eternal. No one could imagine how far you can go in your field, job, life with mother's love and prayers. Because of this all these qualities heaven is under the feet of mother.

A mother's love is an experience I wish to have one day !

Until next time,

Ikra

Finding happiness in small things

If we look around we would realize that we have so much to be thankful for. Happiness is settled deep inside our hearts and we need to find it in small things. Today on way to office I was thinking what those things could be. For me it is in different small things as; waking up with the sun when rays try to make their way inside room, waking up without alarm, watching when someone is feeding birds in garden, smiles from people whom I even don't know, being happy knowing that soon it will be weekend, bursting out my laugh for no reason, writing with colored pencils, hearing from my bestie when I am missing her a lot, knowing that God is always with me if there is no one else, wearing flip flops on sunny day, treating myself with my favorite food, reading some excellent blog post that leave a smile on my face, finding money in my old clutch, spending every day thinking soon I will be visiting home... And list goes on and on !

Beauty is in everything and happiness is the secret to beauty!

Doodles,

Ikra

Some days are like this

It actually started when I woke up, nothing much lights up. The dark morning, shattering sound of leaves as the wind pass across them, sound of truck taking away the trash and a little aroma of coffee around. 

I have been doing work and it is getting done but my inner is not smiling *Sigh Sigh*. May be I should take up some Yoga, may be start reading some new blog, may be cook something. I admit everyone is struggling with his or her life in one way or other. One has to find peace and happiness at his own. Had I know how to overcome all this, I must have done till now since morning. But I am telling myself that tomorrow will be a better day, and the hope of better tomorrow keeps us alive. Isn't it ?

"I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day"

Audrey Hepburn

More Later,

Ikra !

Autumn ~ An interval

Autumn..

A pause between summer and winter

Leaves are falling, trees are browning

Sun was fun and ice will be nice

Nothing is gonna stay !

Nice weekend,

I K R A (:

Some day I will come back

Lately so many good things are happening in my life. But I am not that active to write them so that I have memories to hold on to. There are so many things hidden inside my heart. I haven't wrote all of them. But I think I will be able to show them, and perhaps that day will come extremely fast. I don't care if I am good or bad enough in writing, but yet I do it. Right day, right time I will come back with all the feelings !

I will come back home soon because home is where my heart is :)

Until next time,

Ikra

For a minute I lost myself

I wish I knew why it feels bad sometimes. May be it is the autumn, dark mornings, the dried leafs, icy wind and almost empty streets. Or may be I am missing my own city.

At times my life is full of contradictions. I'd love to have free time but then I will be thinking how to use it. I'd be thinking of winters all the time but then I will be thinking of bone chilled cold. I'd love to take responsibilities but then I'd like to be dependent as well. Sometimes I have this urge to leave all this behind and go somewhere but then I think acquaintances are nice.

More Later,
Iqra

What's with the weather forecast?

Just when a few took out their thicker coats, and some who shopped new ones the city recorded a high temperature. Oh yeah, I am enjoying 21 degrees Celsius and weekend is promising more or less the same. I am happy that there is some more time to enjoy the sun sitting on sea coast :) Thanks God it's Friday. Any special plans for weekend?

Trevlig Helg,

Iqra :)

Over with a mini break

Back 1 month or so I posted something like I am back to blogging. Was that true? Well it is just like sometimes you can manage your personal and professional life well. But other moment some of them has to take a back seat. So in my case case blogging had to take a back seat :) I was away from blogging for number of reasons, none of them were a good excuse though. I was out of routine because I hit a busy period professionally and personally. I always thought I will get back to it tomorrow, then tomorrow turns to next week and eventually next week to next month *Sigh*

Hopefully this time I will become a good blogger again. As my sister said she used to read many blogs but she find mine as truly different. I don't know if it was a way to keep my heart and spirits up *Rolling Eyes*. I am happy and life is no less than beautiful.

Look for the dreams that keep coming back,

I Q R A

Little Reminders

Most of the days it's the little things that make me miss my home badly. Cracking jokes with my brother and sisters, rain in the summers, long talk over small issues, deciding which flavor of ice creme will come today.

I just want to sit with my University friends and complain about the classes scheduled in summers * I hope all my girlies who are reading this knows this :P * I want to eat fries together with them, I want to laugh with my friends :)

I miss all these things every single day.

But it's okey, there is a charm in this state as well. A few months down the road and I will see all of you.

Yes I will (:

When life offers you a second chance, Grab that ...

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don’t.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said life would be easy.
They just promised it would be worth it.

I read this quote and I agree, this is what life should be about. Did you ever got a second chance in life? You are fortunate if you got that, so don't take it for granted.

More Later,

I Q R A

Glam Shlam Of a Girl

I love being a woman because we have the power of life (:

 Toodles,

I Q R A

Pleasure in Writing

For me blogging is one of my few activities in which I take pleasure in. I love the fact that I can make my voice felt and known across the globe. I don't know if I will be able to write some good words about pleasure in writing because many of the writers have said it better. Enjoy the words :)

“Write down the thoughts of the moment.  Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.” Francis Bacon

“If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad.” Lord Byron

 

“A perfectly healthy sentence, it is true, is extremely rare.  For the most part we miss the hue and fragrance of the thought; as if we could be satisfied with the dews of the morning or evening without their colors, or the heavens without their azure.”  Henry David Thoreau

“To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it’s about, but the inner music the words make.” Truman Capote

A writeup for Sunday Scribblings - Pleasure

Iqra (:

I'm back to blogging

Hello to all beautiful people out there. I know I have been missing moments here over the last month or so. Oh how I've missed blogging. Now I'm in the process of packing and moving to another city. I am going to explore a new city now, Yay Yay :) I was reading somewhere that if you are ought to explore cities in Scandinavian countries then land there, have a cycle and explore city. With the high cost of rental cars and high cost of train tickets, travel via cycle is gift from God :P

I love to travel, yes I do. I love the adventure of exploring new city, seeing sights which I've never seen before, and walking on streets. Give me tickets to all the famous places and I'm a happy girl :P 

Doodles,

Iqra

 

The Future - No one knows what will happen

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, breath in and breath out. Absorb the beauty of everything. Smell flowers, listen to the chirping birds, look at the amazing sky, feel the pouring rain. No one knows when you will find such moments again. Might be next moments are not the best moments in life. Life is too short, no one knows when is their last day in this world. So don't loose this chance ! 

More Later,

I Q R A 

The Next Step

"I learned something important that night. You shouldn’t try to stop everything from happening. Sometimes you’re supposed to feel awkward. Sometimes you’re supposed to be vulnerable in front of people. Sometimes it’s necessary because it’s all part of you getting to the next part of yourself, the next day."

Courtesy: The Book of Tomorrow 

There is always the next step in our unfolding experience. Embrace it, open to it, and let yourself enjoy the motion forward. All it takes is a little willingness to grow and change.

A write-up for Sunday Scribblings - The Next Step

Doodles,

I Q R A

Heart Loves Music

 

I wrote a thousand love songs

and sang them from my heart

But when I said they're all for you

You laughed, laughed and laughed

Image Courtesy : Favim

Happy weekend,

Iqra :)