“When we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody else’s oppression, we’ll find our opportunities to make real change.”― Ijeoma Oluo
What is privilege? Based on it’s simplest definition, privilege refers to an unearned advantage. It’s that extra advantage gained by no means of your own but rather by virtue of who you are as opposed to what you’ve done. It’s an advantage gained while you’re still in the womb with the odds of being born into an economically and racially privileged group.
It’s a rather disturbing reality to find out we have in no way contributed towards earning this privilege, more so when we begin to realise that those that don’t share the same privilege view us as privileged.
“I worked really hard to get where I am” is our initial response to being made aware of the concept of privilege, however, each persons definition of ‘working hard’ is as disparate as those that are defining it. Having the privilege to access the benefits of society does not come from good fortune or chance. Neither is it solely a matter of personal effort. …
Mediocrity in terms of a goal, blows but mediocrity as an outcome isn’t the worst thing.
As someone in my 20s, I feel an immense pressure to find my true calling and stick to it — with that pressure comes the fear of mediocrity. As the middle-child, I am yet another mainstream example of someone that suffers the middle child syndrome. Years of low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy and the need to be noticed has led to an extreme need to excel in everything I set out to achieve. The need to excel, then led me to a growing fear of being perceived as mediocre.
Delving further into this, I have spent months contemplating what it means to be mediocre, how to out-grow mediocrity or simply how to avoid it. These few months have been a time of genuine understanding and growth that were well…humbling…more or less . …
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” — Jim Rohn
This Jim Rohn quote has contributed to my perception to self for quite some time. The underlying intent of Rohn’s quote, I believe is that, the people you choose to surround yourself with are the people that have the most impact on the person you become.
The people you choose to spend the most time with shape who you are as an individual. These people determine the conversations that dominate your attention, level of consciousness as well as adjust your values and beliefs in a particular area. Ultimately, you start to think and behave alike. …
Escaping Lahore’s city hustle within city limits.
Pakistan for decades now has been dismissed as a travel destination, due to it’s ‘unsafe’ persona. Not too long ago, it was one of the least traveled to destinations in the world. However, according to World Crime Index, Lahore was recently declared ‘safer’ than London and New York overshadowing any reservations a traveler may have, when considering a visit.
With that being said, Pakistan is evolving from that unseemly portrayal and is exposing all that they’ve got to offer in terms of tourism. Authentic culture and amiable hospitality across the nation, as well as scenery like one could only imagine.
Pakistan has implemented visas on arrival for several nations around the world in order to broaden as well as boost the tourism industry. …
Most women across Pakistan have become almost immune to the primitive views and opinions our society has in regards to women. However, in recent times these views and opinions have transcended even the highest boundaries of what ordinarily goes around across the nation.
It would be rather intolerant to say that the entire Pakistani society thinks the same and i’m not saying that they do, but the fact of the matter is that misogyny has been so deeply rooted in our society for years that even horrific tragedies, produce an aftermath of complete counterintuitive reactions.
Take the abduction of Dua Mangi and shooting of Haris Soomro as an…
There is a massive conflict that arises when it comes to raising girls to be empowered. This conflict arises from misconstrued notions of man hating or misandry that are often attributed to feminism. Several debates with even my mother about my views in regards to women empowerment are often misconstrued and taken as an agenda against men — and I can’t even blame her, because that is how feminism is being shifted and portrayed in society. However, I promise that my views differ from that of man hating.
In societies where domestic violence or any form of oppression of women is still prevalent, it is crucial that we start raising our girls to be empowered and in the know of all their basic human rights. …
Stop comparing activism!
Activism and social media have become synonymous in the 21st century. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have become the weapon of choice for activists of all ages, to fight that good fight and nudge the world towards “staying woke”. Online activism has led to a specific subset of public shaming that derives from the word “woke”. According to Webster’s dictionary, to be woke means to be aware of and actively mindful to important facts and issues, especially issues of racial and social justice.
The initial purpose of being “woke” was to protect marginalised communities and create “social consciousness”. It was intended to collectively raise class consciousness in order to make for a more tolerable and accepting society. …
“You are enough.” — This phrase has slowly become a universal affirmation, disguised towards making us believe that we are naturally ‘enough’, just as we are. It is used as a form of confirmation, to make us trust that we are whole, that we are complete.
It brings to light our awareness of our wholeness and in doing so we begin to recognise the wholeness of those around us. As we tap further and further into this, we might begin to notice today’s culture and our addiction with trying to ‘fix’ or ‘better’ ourselves. …
As we become more progressive as a generation, you are able to see a shift in social norms. The norms that have been carefully constructed for generations now are being broken or adjusted in order to make for a more equal society.
The once massive gender gap is slowly closing. Women are at speed with men in almost every aspect: education, job opportunities, equal pay, rights to vote… adultery? So, that’s a lie about equal pay, but on the cheating front, women might just be approaching equality.
When it comes to infidelity, it cannot be assumed that both genders define it the same way. In the age of Tinder and easy accessibility to hookups, the need to clarify how you define monogamy and infidelity is vital. …
Here are the miracle-signs you want: that
you cry through the night and get up at dawn, asking,
that in the absence of what you ask for your day gets dark,
your neck thin as a spindle, that what you give away
is all you won, that you sacrifice belongings,
sleep, health, your head, that you often
sit down in a fire like aloes wood, and often go out
to meet a blade like a battered helmet.When acts of helplessness become habitual,
those are the signs.But you run back and forth listening for unusual events,
peering into faces of travellers.
“Why are you looking at me like a madman?”
I have lost a friend. …
