Zaid Ismail
@zaidie@zaidismail.com
Author, life coach, and mental health activist. We need to change the narrative from disorders, illnesses, and survival to accountability, understanding, and thriving.
1,858 posts
0 followers
- Homepage
-
The Space Between
The hole in your heart can only be filled by the companion that knows that it is there. Sometimes we seek companionship in search of one that recognises that gap, but fail to realise that we in fact projected our need on their abilities instead. We flit between the calm and the clutter, the spaces…
-
To Breathe Again
There are few things more exhausting than the plague of insincerity from those that find a constant need to explain their drama and their dreams under the pretense of seeking sincere advice to overcome their hurdles. Soliciting advice while professing not to have the answers ourselves, then discarding that advice in favour of taking the…
-
The Other Side Of Arrogance
This is the story of assumptions. Assumptions that we make about prickly characters and their tender counterparts. Assumptions we make about the motivation of people to act the way that they do, without realising that those assumptions are projections of how we believe we would act if faced with their circumstances, and then we judge…
-
Those Damned Assumptions
I have a reputation of making people feel awkward, or as some would describe it, infuriated (stop nodding so feverishly, you may lose your balance!). I take a particular pride in knowing that I am viewed this way, because it merely cements my views about the nature of the average Joe that I meet on…
-
Jet Lag
Table for one in the slow lounge. The appeal of airports. It’s almost grounding. The hint of adventure. The burden of responsibility. The blessing of good fortune. The numerous memories of defining moments spent in airport terminals, restaurants, and departure and arrival halls. They’re all just whispers beckoning nostalgia while egging me on to want…
-
Slip Sliding Away
There are far too many mornings when I wake up and find myself searching for a specific inspiration before looking forward to the events or non-events of the day. My inclination to write is dwindling at a pace that is concerning, because it was part of a bigger picture ideal that I held on to…
-
Resilience is not cheap
I’ve watched some emerge stronger from harrowing ordeals, while others crumble from comparatively minor setbacks. This made me wonder what it is that makes some resilient while others remain fragile? Sometimes it’s the final straw that makes us appear weak when we crumble from a seemingly petty incident, while others have no insight into how…
-
The Iceberg Effect (Take II)
My somewhat poor attempt at describing the iceberg effect in my previous post compelled me to take a second stab at it. I think I over complicated it previously, so here’s a (hopefully) shorter but clearer explanation of what I think is an important concept to grasp. If we view the progression of our efforts…