fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Movie journal: Gully Boy
By: Apurva Dawale
Tags: Movies, Bollywood, Music, Movie Review, Conversations

Our raw, unfiltered conversations after watching a movie. Not really a review, more of a gut reaction after walking out of a movie theatre.

D: Growing up I never got into rap that much, sure I listened to the popular artists, the music was fun, but i never really got some of the references and the emotional appeal. When I first heard Divine & Naezy’s rap music, I was shocked, I never thought rap could be done so well in Indian languages. The style that these Indian rappers bring, somehow feels like rap was always meant to be this way.

Unapologetic, raw and in your face; Is how I would sum up the movie Gully Boy. The character MC Sher said in the movie, “Rap is poetry and rhythm”; And when that is mixed with the Gully Boy style with the Bambaiiya language, it can convey so much more.

Zoya Akhtar has done a fantastic job with character development in this movie. Although a bit long, it is worth it as none of the minutes feel wasted as you watch each character grow and you as the audience learn a little more about where they come from, the grey areas in their actions and their motivations.

A: Dignity, this is what stood out to me in this movie. Dignity for Mumbai and dignity that follows when you decide to be yourself unapologetically.

It also captured the constant aspiration of people in Mumbai to belong to the next level, when the disparity in lifestyle and livelihood is so high, your aspirations become dreams that the society constantly tells you cannot achieve because of where you come from.

The bridge, the train cabins and the bathroom window is the world in which Safeena’s and Murad’s relationship exists and it captures the reality of the millions of relationships that grow in the city where you are constantly hiding your reality from your family, neighbouring aunties and the politicians.
The Dance that Starts the Dance
By: Jackson Phillips
Tags: Foreplay, Poem, Sex, Poetry, Conversations

In the half light of the room the wine emitted it's ruby glow. Fingertips caressed the curves, and the stem of a glass; an idle gesture in order, perhaps, to postpone the pleasure.

Through drawn out pensiveness the inaugural words sprung into the air; a starting gun firing, from which smoke would rise and hang, enveloping the space between them.

They stirred and shifted, emboldened by visceral memories of unadulterated exchanges; friezes that had been captured as joyful dances in the eyes and the shadows; cast high against the walls. They embarked with meat and fervour into another whirlwind exchange; whipping up dust and thunder.

Admiring gazes imbibed each utterance with sipped measures of an elixir which, once shook, mixed in the mind and settled in viscose pools. Reflections glistened on the surface and then penetrated the vessel to spread in new shades and wonders.

In the midst of lilting voices, hands joined in the dance. More than a mere extension: they held their own discourse; engrossed with the lines of former battles and the touch of a tenderness found only in a formidable love. With every subtle stroke the hard deposits around each mind began to crumble. And with every crack a new spark broke free.

The bridge of roots and branches; a labyrinth between two minds; sent bolts writhing through the night - flashing and shaking, as if taken by a fever. They jumped and darted across an evolving plain, unleashed and unfettered by their willful masters.

As conviction clasped their bodies, it hurled them through the night. And rained-down stars, illuminating well trodden paths with the dazzling fire of an inviting new threshold. The grip of a flurry of ideas relaxed as they ruminated on each one, considering each permeation and observing the lips of the other; moisten. They moved with warm smiles as their laughter broke the air like bubbles in the sun.

An exodus of echoes swept aside the fallen leaves and uncovered new growth. In time the very fabric of the floor was lifted. They grew together and towards each other and towards the sun. Slightly breathless and maybe even reeling from the untold ardour of everything that had passed between them they sank into one another. And their tongues touched.
Stories
By: Vrushali Prasade
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Memories, Stories, Conversations

Stories...

Stories:

Of long lost lovers

Of loving grand mothers

Of bunked classes

And broken glasses

A tormented chronicle of an honest cab driver

Of a maid's life being a rape survivor

Stories..

Stories help you bond and more

Let you witness new memories unfold

A glass of rum and events unfroze

All you seek, you unknowingly disclose

Stories....

Stories:

Of daredevil stunts that let you boast

Events that make you worry the most

Of times when you felt like bliss

The time you had your first ever kiss

Stories...

Stories weave and stories swell

Of your hidden turmoils, they secretly tell

Stories let you momentarily free

Beyond your masks they let you be

Stories..

You live the life you once hopefully dreamt

Knowing tomorrow shall be a Steep descent

From all you dreamt and all you hoped

Yet you let your dreams be provoked!

Because.. stories!!

Since a glass of rum is your exile

From your daily regime that you sustain with a smile

So you relish in the stories that you allow yourself spell

And the night dissolves in the chronicles you tell…
Share Jesus Tip: Ask About Their Story
By: Yesheis Philippines
Tags: Truth, Christianity, Share Jesus Tip, Relationships, Conversations

It’s been said that if something has had a great impact on your life, it’s natural to share it with the people around you. Whether it be a successful new diet or a breakthrough in your career, the topic easily and naturally flows into your conversations.

However, when it comes to the most significant thing you’ve encountered in your entire life — experiencing the redemption and grace found in the person of Jesus Christ — why can sharing the gospel feel awkward or forceful?

As Christians, we are called to share the gospel and to be witnesses for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). But how do we view this commandment? Do we see it as a requirement in order to be a “good Christian”? I’ve fallen into this false mindset of good works several times before, and it led me to share the gospel in a way that was devoid of compassion for other people. And just like that, I could see the message of truth enter into their one ear and immediately exit the other.

Rather than being seen as liberating and relatable news, the gospel was seen as oppressive and disconnected from their life. Instead of empathetically speaking “to” the lost, we can wind up apathetically speaking “at” the lost.

Don’t get me wrong — the power of the gospel is greater than any of our mistakes and is not dependent on how much we know or how well we speak. However, the way we view the commandment to share the Good News affects the way we witness. Furthermore, it brings into question the reason why we share in the first place.

Just as we are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are also called to do all things in love (1 Cor. 16:14). So rather than focusing on checking the “shared the gospel” checklist, love the person you want to witness to and let that love be seen.

A great way to do this is to learn about what’s going on in their life, meet them where they are, and truly listen to what they have to say before speaking.

Every person has a story to tell — stories of victories, stories of failures, stories of moments that have changed their lives. Ask them about that story. And as they come to realize how you value who they are and what they have to say, they will become more open to hearing your own story. As the avenue opens for you to share your testimony, random segues into the gospel are no longer required. As you recall your own story, the gospel — and the new life you have in Jesus Christ — will naturally arise.

Most people don’t care about what you have to say, until they know you care for them.

As we seek to touch people’s lives through the gospel, let’s try not to get fixated on a script or cleverly diverting into a gospel presentation. Ensure that our actions are motivated by a love that seeks to meet the God-shaped need that every person unknowingly has in their heart. As the gospel touches and relates to every life, let us ask about their story, meet them where they are, and start from there!
The Spring Conversations Series
By: Sandro Debono
Tags: Conference, Museums, Art, Covid 19, Conversations

Delighted to announce the spring conversation series of three webinars featuring top international speakers Francois Matarasso, Linda Norris and Danielle Kuijten. These conversations are free to register and shall be happening between April and June as part of the buildup to the international conference MUŻE.X — Shaping Museum Futures. An international call for papers has just been published. Check it out, here!

This second series of webinars shall take the form of conversations with the conference convenors Carmel Borg and Sandro Debono, informed by each speaker’s contributions to and thoughts about museum futures

​Each conversation will explore different facets of museum practice at the intersection of critique and possibility. While the need for critical reflection continues, in terms of the necessary rethinking for museums, be it in scope, purpose, ambition or ethos, the emphasis of the Spring Series will be on concrete exploration and experimentation.

Here they are …

Conversations with Francois Matarasso

On Thursday 22 April at 6.30pm. CET

François Matarasso is a freelance community artist, writer and researcher. He has worked in about 40 countries and held honorary professorships in the UK and Australia. His latest book “A Restless Art — How participation won and why it matters” is decribed by Arts Professional as being ‘everything you ever wanted to know about participatory art, but were too afraid to ask’ and combines a nuanced, careful study of participatory art with a detectable passion, born of Matarasso’s lifelong experience.

Francois Matarasso shall be in conversation about the participatory in museums and how this need has been brought to a head by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Session Recording to Watch!
The Advantages of a Big Hat!
By: Dawn Landry
Tags: Introvert, Socialization, Conversations

As I’ve mentioned before, I consider myself an introvert who has taught herself extrovert characteristics. While I don’t shy away from a party, there are times when small talk conversations can become rather tedious.

That’s when wearing a big hat can become a major advantage.

By adorning a large headpiece that covers your eyes, it provides a sense of mystery but also acts as a shield for those times when you disagree with what the other person is stating. Additionally, when you find yourself disengaging from a boring conversation that your spouse or partner is engaged in with someone else, a hat helps to be less obvious as you doze off. (You do need to watch what you do with your mouth, though, as more attention will be drawn there!)

Now I know why the folks in Europe LOVE those oh-so-large chapeaus. And head gear comes in many variations/shapes/sizes; and it isn’t gender-specific. There are so many options; whether it’s a Fedora, Panama, Stetson, Sombrero, Beret, or Straw, it’s your choice.

For the more follically-challenged man, there is an added appeal beyond the fashion statement. Etiquette rules have even changed to make it far easier to sport. (For more details, visit: https://www.hats.com/etiquette.)

Therefore, can we reinstate these accessories back into more social scenes? I live in Houston, Texas — the land of the 10-gallon, cowboy hat; I would love to see them displayed more frequently than just during rodeo season.

Alas, here’s the moral of the story: If you’re hosting your own party, consider making it a hat-themed affair. That way your guests not only have an automatic conversation starter, but also a built-in disguise to help them navigate their introverted tendencies. Happy Socializing!

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Chips and Dip — The Classic Combo, the Classic Persona
By: Giovanna Castro-Perkins
Tags: Food, Hobby, Conversations

Chips and dip are truly a magnificent snack for ‘round the table talk and drinks. Having a meeting? Don’t forget the chips and dip. Having a party? Don’t forget the chips and dip. Have the hot guy from next door coming over to “hang out”? (Nervously) pull out the chips and dip for some pre-sexy time snacking. Chips and dip are there for our greatest moments such as celebrating a child, getting married, finishing school, or catching up with friends. Chips and dip are also there for our worst moments. That hot guy you (totally did) didn’t hook up with from a couple of nights ago just told you he’s seeing someone else, but hopes you can still be “great friends”… pull out the chips and dip, it’s time for cry snacking. Have a bring-your-own treat funeral? Chips and dip. Okay, the point? Chips and dip are appropriate for any given occasion at any given time. This is Chips and Dip. We are Chips and Dip.

My goal with this blog is to spark conversation of any topic with any person of any background. Look, I’m going to be honest. I’m not the smartest, I’m not talented (I can flip my eyelids inside-out, though), I’m not this influencer or person to inspire other people. I’m just me. I’m just a person with everyday problems, everyday fears, everyday questions. Everyday. I don’t have many friends, but I have much to talk about and I figured “hey, let me get online and see how many people like me there really are because I’m super lonely and socially awkward”. That’s where the idea of Chips and Dip began. I was sitting on the couch accompanied by my husband after not smoking drugs (we’re from Colorado, you can guess what we were doing) and while we were sitting with our brains in our hands and our stomachs rumbling, we intensely though about the magic and unity chips bring to people. Food in general, really. And if you are one of those people that say “I don’t really like chips”, that’s a flat out LIE. There are all kinds of chips for all kinds of people much like my conversations. Something for everyone.

When you visit my blog, I hope your belly is full of snacks and your mind is wild with curiosity and raw truth because mine are. I hope you feel welcome at the round table and even if you dOn’t LiKe cHiPs, there are plenty more snacks to fill your mind.

We are snacks. We are meals. We are Chips and dip.
100 Days, 100 Photos (redux) — Day 59
By: The Curious Locals
Tags: Conversations, Christmas Lights, Basel

As I was clicking pictures, an older gentleman approached me. I caught a few words of his German. Something to do with Basel, beautiful and photography.

Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch — I said ( I speak only a little bit of German).

We kept talking. He lives in Zurich and visits Basel every so often. He’s a professor of arts and also travels to Barcelona. I told him that I had been there in 2010.

Did I live in Basel?

Was photography my job?

I can understand a lot more than I can speak. In a mix of German and Spanish with the grammar all over the place, I told him that I’m from India, lived in San Francisco for 7 years and moved here recently. One of his good friends was from India. He’s a dentist and from what I understood, he attended their wedding in India where 600 guests came!

Basel is a beautiful city. I wish you and your wife good luck — he said as we bid goodbye to each other.

It doesn’t take much to form a connection with a stranger. Not even when your vocabulary is that of a 4 year old. I’m thankful that he chose to stop and start the conversation.
How does your behaviour change your thoughts?
By: Hatice Ugurel
Tags: Behavioral Science, Nudge Theory, Conversation, Discussion, Social Media

A digital nudge to counter confirmation bias

How do you incentivise regular readers on the Internet to do more fact-checking for themselves? Researchers, Calum Thornhill, Quentin Meeus, Jeroen Peperkamp and Bettina Berendt look for the answer to that question by proposing the use of nudges. They discuss two types of nudging strategies, by presentation and by information.

They use the tool BalancedView, a proof-of-concept that shows news stories relevant to a tweet. The method presents the user with a selection of articles from a range of reputable news sources providing alternative opinions from the whole political spectrum, with these alternative articles identified as matching the original one by a combination of natural language processing and search. The results suggest that nudging by information may change the behavior of users towards that of informed news readers.

In order to help our users explore the other side of the coin, we introduced filtering by the agreements— disagreement spectrum. Our users focus on topics instead of who has written them which opens a much wider horizon for them to see what everyone says on the topic irrespective of which club they belong to.

A field trial of privacy nudges for Facebook

Who hasn’t regretted some of their past online comments? Keep calm, you’re not alone! Researchers, Wang, Y., Leon, P. G., Acquisti, A., Cranor, L. F., Forget, A., & Sadeh, N. (2014) designed and implemented two modifications to the Facebook web interface that nudge users to consider the content and audience of their online disclosures more carefully. They analysed participants’ interactions with the nudges, the content of their posts, and opinions collected through surveys. They found that reminders about the audience of posts can prevent unintended disclosures without major burden.

We’re on a similar wavelength with these researchers when it comes to nudging our users about offensive language for one. Multytude uses Perspective API (powered by AI) to inform users about how likely offensive their comment is before they post. According to Perspective’s own research, 44.7% of users replaced or removed offensive words once they got the ‘nudge’.
Overcrowded US National Parks Need a Reservation System
By: Tourism Geographic Editor
Tags: Travel, Environment, National Park Service, Sustainability, Conversations

If you’re headed out into the wild this summer, you may need to jump online and book a reservation before you go. For the second consecutive year, reservations are required to visit Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Glacier national parks. Other popular sites, including Maine’s Acadia National Park, encourage visitors to buy entrance passes in advance.

Limiting visitors has two purposes: reducing COVID-19 risks and allowing some parks to recover from recent wildfires. Rocky Mountain will allow 75% to 85% of capacity. Yosemite will again restrict the number of vehicles allowed in; last year, it hosted half of its average 4 million annual visitors.

Nationwide, some U.S. parks were emptier than normal during the pandemic, while Yellowstone and others were near capacity. But the pandemic likely was a temporary pause in a rising tide of visitors.

America’s national parks face a popularity crisis. From 2010 to 2019, the number of national park visitors spiked from 281 million to 327 million, largely driven by social media, advertising and increasing foreign tourism.

This exponential growth is generating pollution and putting wildlife at risk to a degree that threatens the future of the park system. And with Americans eager to get back out into the world, the summer of 2021 promises to be one of the busiest domestic travel seasons in recent history. Reservations and other policies to manage visitor numbers could become features at many of the most popular parks.
Seeking Another Convo for Another Heartbeat
By: Lina Shabrina
Tags: Insecure, Reassurance, Friendship, Conversations

Source: Pinterest

Nowadays, I am enjoying my time as a jobless, jobseeking, or nothing more than a daughter who keeps the house. I am quite in good fortune because everything is set ready and served by a housemaid. Plus, I am no worried about every achievement I wish I had as 25 years old of a young adult. But, I sometimes catch my mind about those silly wishes on how being emotionally, financially, and relationship stable. Another silly wish is the marriage, of course.

Yesterday, I felt so stuck and unhappy about my life. So, I decided to catch up with one of friend and bumped into a long conversation. Along with conversation, I realize that we were and are naturally connected. We value the conversation as social creatures. We shared our new value, life update that something felt like usual as it be, but more of it, reassurance, validation, affection, compromise, and support. We felt healed in some way. The conversation is things I don't want to end up soon because it felt so easy to us mirroring each other souls.

For the last 3 months, I have been getting used to zoom out on the issue I have been through. I learned how to recognize my emotion better than last year. Which, I make boundaries on things I am not available to carry. I recognize some issues that I had been a self-centered person with an idealistic life plan, it turns out as a messy reality, and those expectations had left me with a curse.

As I told you in my story in 2020 — which was the year that I was doubting, questioning about everything. In this meeting with my friend, on how I don't know like what happened on earth, my friend has sent the answer and (yes) reassurance about the decision and commitment I swore to keep. “Everything worthwhile in life requires an element of sacrifice,” she said. My insecurities are worth emotion, so I knew myself better. I suddenly change the narration of insecurities as something that actually drives me to the right/better path. The fear has washed out.

There were days with a fuzzy mind that I was afraid about things I have worked for turns out to become sunk cost fallacy, which is time, emotion, the money I lost due to the wrong decision I’ve made.

My friend had given me some advice, I must do it neither for the time nor emotional cost I will lose, but for my own commitment to myself and serenity. I am a believer in the proverb “As you sow, so shall you reap”, I keep sowing the good value as an investment and (wishing in myself) expect no return, as I decide to relieve everything, that I, trying without expecting the result, loving with no return, and do it because it is the right thing to do.

I am free to feel content by expecting less or effort to feel content by expecting less. I try
How to co-host a Civic Dinner!
By: Civic Dinners
Tags: Dinner, Hosting, Civic Engagement, Listening, Conversations

Co-hosting is the perfect way to ease yourself in to hosting or just take some of the weight off in a busy season.

Voice of Women at Bellina Alimentari co-hosts Martine Resnick (left) & Eileen Lee (right) photo by Mushaboom Studios

Have you considered hosting a Civic Dinner but still feel a little uneasy about doing it by yourself? We get that. But have you thought about co-hosting?

Co-hosting is the perfect way to ease yourself in to hosting or just take some of the weight off in a busy season.

Recently, I co-hosted with two friends. One was in charge of registering the dinner on civicdinners.com, as well as bringing the sides and dessert; I was in charge of the main dish, and our other friend opened up her home and agreed to read the questions. It wasn’t a huge lift for any of us and we could’ve made it even easier if we made it a potluck or hosted at a restaurant.

Steps to Co-Host:

Find 1 or 2 Friends to Host With. If no friends come to mind, think about co-workers, neighbors, or even ask us if we have someone to pair you with.

Pick the Date, Location, and the Topic. Once you know when & where you want to host (home or restaurant), and have chosen a theme from the options available in your area, everything else is easy.

Divvy up the Tasks! Here’s a handy checklist of all the tasks, and feel free to divide them up however you like!

Post the dinner on civicdinners.com — It’s so easy to setup the dinner, just click “Host Your Own” and enter in the details. Who ever sets up the dinner will be seen as the host on your unique dinner page and will have access to manage the dinner details and track rsvp’s. This person will receive the confirmation including the host guide with the questions, and be the main point of contact for guests. All other co-hosts should register as guests for their dinner. Plan the meal — If hosting at a home, decide who’s home and if you’ll serve food, cater, or go potluck. You can ask guests to bring a dish. If you’re hosting at a restaurant, decide who will make the reservation and make sure the restaurant has a quiet space for 6–8 guests and can provide separate checks. Invite guests! The best part about co-hosting is that having diverse perspectives at the table is way easier. Share your dinner page link with all of your networks on social media, email, online groups, text your friends and neighbors, etc. All of your guests who register with the link will automatically be emailed the details and given reminders of the dinner.

Enjoy yourselves! And remember to take photos and post them to social media.

So go ahead, grab somebody, and co-host your first Civic Dinner!

Click Here to Co-Host

Website: www.civicdinners.com

Facebook: Civic Dinners

Instagram: @civicdinners

Twitter: @civicdinners
Outdoor Spaces to Host a Civic Dinner
By: Civic Dinners
Tags: Food, Outdoors, Spring, Party, Conversations

With spring in full bloom, it’s the perfect time to have an outdoor Civic Dinner!

National Debt 101 Civic Dinner at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens photo by Isabella Marie Garcia

Spring has officially sprung! As temperatures rise, there is nothing better than soaking up the sunshine in good company with tasty food, great drinks, and meaningful conversation. It’s the perfect time to throw a fun, festive, outdoor Civic Dinner!

After spending the winter months shuffling from one indoor destination to the next, you might not know where to start. We’ve got you covered with these suggestions for simple outdoor places to host your springtime Civic Dinner.

Restaurants with Outdoor Patios

From rooftop cocktail bars to expansive restaurant patios, there is no shortage of places to soak up some vitamin D and enjoy a great meal! Most studies say the slowest restaurant days are Mondays and Tuesdays, so aim to host your dinner on one of those days if possible. Be sure to call ahead and make a reservation to ensure that the restaurant can accommodate your party.

Photo by Katerina Kerdi

Local Park

Bust out the gingham blanket and host a potluck style picnic among the blooming flowers at your favorite local park! Parks are prime real estate in the spring before the bugs, humidity, and crowds of summer are out in full force. If you’re providing the food, keep the menu simple, the more pre-made food, the better. Bring on the nostalgia and pack your guests a brown bag lunch or something portable, so that they can quickly pick up their meal and settle in for some great conversation.

Photo by Johanna Dahlberg

Your Own Backyard

Whether it’s a casual BBQ, chit-chatting around a fire pit, or a full-blown backyard bash, hosting in your yard doesn’t have to be a big fuss. Like the other outdoor recommendations on this list, the simpler the menu, the better! If your patio furniture doesn’t cut it, bring in some chairs from the dining room. Decorate the tables with things you already own, like those old party supplies that have been taking up space in your closet. Hosting in your backyard can be a cheap and fun way to embrace the weather while enjoying seasonal dining and community!

A great outdoor Civic Dinner doesn’t have to be hard. With a little bit of time and planning, you can throw a memorable outdoor dinner that everyone will enjoy! So what are you waiting for?! Check out our conversations and sign up to host your own open-air Civic Dinner today!

To sign-up to attend or host a Civic Dinner visit civicdinners.com

Website: www.civicdinners.com

Facebook: Civic Dinners

Instagram: @civicdinners

Twitter: @civicdinners
A “Tip-ping” Point
By: Anousha Qureshi
Tags: Amal Fellowship, Amal Totkay, Amal Academy

Being a Pakistani, I’ve grown up with “totkay” (tips) all my life. Amla (gooseberry) oil for thicker and stronger hair, rubbing garlic on cuticles for stronger nails, adding a bay leaf to your container of flour to prevent flour beetles from infesting it, the list goes on. The true essence of being a Desi, is hearing all these “totkay” around you, being skeptical about it, and then becoming a believer once you try it out for yourself.

For my PW this week at Amal Academy, we were provided with a comprehensive list of “Amal Totkay”, which are tips on how to be a successful human being, in our personal, and professional lives. The were:

Self-Talk/Developing a Growth Mindset

2. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

3. Create New Habits

4. Ask People for Help

5. Fake It Till You Make It

These tips are the ones that one truly needs to hold onto in life to succeed. By providing catchy pointers, they make sure that people apply it to their daily lives, and can observe their own progress. They state fairly easy to understand concepts: To not put your own self down/To believe in your own potential, To push past what you think is your comfort zone, and take up exciting things to develop diversity, To inculcate new and positive habits by taking baby steps and setting small goals for yourself, To ask, and offer people help when you need it, and finally, To believe in yourself and your work so much that it is almost fake… until you make it true.

My favorite tip was the first one, that is Self-Talk. It summarizes all the goodness anyone can teach you, that is to develop a growth mindset. It asks you to be passionate, empathetic, confident, and brave. To work towards a cause that you believe in, or something that calls to you, and to be empathetic to your own self when you fail and rise again, and to others, to be confident that you can work hard and achieve your goals, and to be brave enough to take risks and move away from the mainstream.

I have been taught to implement this tip ever since I was a child. I was told that there was no limit to what I could learn, and study, and be. That not even the sky was a limit (NASA takes the credit for this). I was taught to work hard and turn my dreams into reality, and I’m thankful to, and for everyone who has instilled this mindset in me.

Amal Academy has given clarity on what all of our strengths, areas of improvement, goals, passions are. In order to live our lives as we want them, we need to continue to progress mentally.

As Merida in the Disney Pixar movie “Brave” put it succinctly, “There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it.”
“REFLECTION ON AMAL TOTKAY”
By: Shamla Areeba Ali
Tags: Amal Fellowship, Amal Academy, Tips, Amal Totkay, Amal Reflection

“REFLECTION ON AMAL TOTKAY”

ACCORDING TO ME:

What if the question was

Did you like the 5 tips?

Now have a look at my answer☺

-I love it

Now to add more to the blog I have to be serious.

REFLECTION:

The 5 tips are life changing points if someones take them serious.

“Secrets of success are folded in 5 tips"

•Development of mindset

•Getting out of comfort zone

•Adding new good habits

•Asking people for help

•Fake it till you make it

According to me these 5 tips are taken from Amal,Khudi,kam kam kam and ek or ek gyara.

•Coming to 1st tip

If we start working on our mindsets we will be getting greater comfort with taking personal risks and striving for more stretching goals,we will be highly motivated,Growth mindset enhanced brain development across wider ranges of tasks,our stress will be lower, anxiety and depression will be gone,we will do better work and our performance levels will become higher and higher.

•Coming to 2nd tip

I believe in the concept of Amal (action) and accentuated the idea of one’s perpetual strive and struggle to achieve whatever he wishes in life:

Amal se zindagi banti hai jannat bhi jahannam bhi.

•Coming to 3rd point

Good habits are the key to success. If you have goals that don’t seem to be getting any closer, it’s because you haven’t developed your habits.

With every year that passes, you find yourself stuck in the same place. Struggling professionally. Nowhere near your ideal body. Without the social life you’re after.

If you add new habits daily you will getting closer to your goals.

•4th point is Asking people for help

It connects you with others. Human beings are social beings,builds the courage to accept rejection,increases your productivity,helps develop a mature mindset,makes you happy.

•5th tip is Fake it till you make it.

Do it enough until you actually become it and internalize.

I learn that growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome.And a fixed mindset is the belief that you are born a certain way and cannot change.In the fixed mindset, everything is about the outcome.

All of the given tips are my favourite but most favourite is Getting out of comfort zone.

I believe that Insan ko us waqt ta kuch nahi mela jis waqt tak wo us kay leyay kushesh na kray.

Khuda ne aaj tak us qaum ki haalat nahi badli

Na ho jis ko khayal aap apni halat k badalne ka.

Its never too late!! Its time to wakeup and take and to start.

Now

Im that type of person talking to own self all the time.

And thinking all the time if I do this then this will happen or not.Going from negative thoughts to positive thoughts and vise versa.

But after these 5 tips I thought my self conversation will be now only full of positive points and thoughts.

Now what Im doing to develop growth mindset

so I will replace the word “failing” with the word “learning.” and will view challenges as opportunities.

“Picture your brain forming new connections as you meet the challenge and learn. Keep on going”.
Amal Totkay
Tags: Amal Totkay, Amal Academy

Amal my bro has something really interesting for me today. R.I.P Zubaida Apa you’d have loved these Totkay.

What do we have here? Ahhh… let’s see.

Developing A Growth Mindset

Y’all ever sit in a car with your dad driving so you can’t blast the music? And then as you sit there, your self-deprecating thoughts just start coming to your mind and you wish that you had a “pause” button for a moment? NO? well, I do. And Amal tells me that it’s okay if you cannot play music in the car for distraction. Play them in your mind. So I go along but then I do not know the lyrics :( Amal to the rescue again, it says “what if the lyrics are wrong? there’s no one listening” and I go all Billie Eilish in my head “six feet under I can’t help but wonder…”

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

This one is tricky. See I will be chilling in my comfort zone and Amal comes and tells me to get outta it and I am like Dude! Like the other day in my class, the teacher asked a question and Amal in my mind was saying “unmute, unmute, raise your hand” and wasn’t stopping. So I did it, don’t ask me how I was feeling with 30 people listening to my gibberish though.

Amal is “that one friend”

Create New Habits

Umm… how do I make new habits with my mids around the corner and all your PWs pray tell me Amal? what? cat got your tongue now?

By the way, I am creating new habits with Amal like waking up at 8 am on weekend (don’t ask me how:/) but it is something I have not done in a long, long time so yaaay.

(This is the best I can find with a numb mind)

Ask People Help

You should ask the three people I talk to about this. I ask them for help but like with more drama and whining, I hope they don’t abandon me anytime soon. And yes credits to Amal here too. I did make some friends here who’d gladly help me because we believe in “ape strong together” :P

(Apes clap for this blog)

Fake It Till You Make It

Haha…Amal thinks it is giving a life hack. Bro, I have been doing it all along but great to see that you suggest it too. Like how I am faking right now you see…as if I am not worried about my exams and grades while I laugh at my own jokes heh heh.

Keeping it up in the sessions too because Amal validates :D
#Getting Closer to your Mega Project Problem
By: Zeeshan Rana
Tags: Amal Fellowship, Amalkindness, Amal Academy, Amal Totkay, Save Water

#Goal: To think about issues for My Mega Project, I’ve visit communities, and take pictures of the problem that i would want to share with my group.

We are currently living in a very congested and backward society. We are facing numerous issues related to air pollution,water pollution,land pollution etc, but i have chosen the major problem that suffers most of people from that is Water Pollution Or Lack of a Water Purification Plant .

Generally we are discussing some major problems regarding purification plants that are following.

1) Filter Plant Maintenance :

We usually lack fixing filter maintenance/fixing motors timely, due to this we face cleanliness and due to which metal of filter become rusty.

an example regarding rusty metal

2) Area around the filter is usually muddy :

Area around the filter is become muddy because there are alot of spare things and trashes.

3) Due to Increase in Population :

Due to increase in population we have lack of no of filters that is only one in our congested society/village and consumed lot’s of people are careless even none of them taking responsibility for keeping it safe and clean.
Amal Totkay!
By: Abdullah Bin Afzal
Tags: Amal Totkay, Life Lessons

We often came across the popular word “Totka” particularly used by old fellows of the family. It is basically common for some “Jugaar” being in practice traditionally in the family inherited from our forefathers.

WAY TO BE MORE SMARTER!

“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.” (Theodore Levitt)

In pursuit of further strengthening my growth mindset, Amal provided me the most valuable Growth mindset toolkit also known popularly “Amal Totkay”, which have already proved to be life-changing tips in the last couple of weeks since this fellowship began.

I can proudly say that particularly in the last two weeks,I have practically used all these totkas somewhere. I have found a dramatic change in my way of thinking, found myself more curious about exploring myself for the first time, and most importantly got myself more adaptable with new ideas boosting my hunger for continuous growth. Although I’m already much expressive and don’t feel massive hesitation in asking help when required, this unique experience with AMAL gave me more audacity to ask my parents/siblings/friends about my behavioral change these days and areas of improvement particularly.

CONVERSE WITH YOURSELF:)

All of these tips are basically life hacks aiding you throughout your life but the one which I found the most effective is ‘SELF-TALK’. This is the tip that I am already using since I was in matric(although not that often) as a source of giving me willpower, eradicating my stress, and keeping me motivated.

The time I stepped in fellowship after orientation of around 2 hours, I talked to myself that I can manage it along with my 3rd year of university and this to be honest gave me the power I’m still using while working with all online courses and project work stuff and whenever I got a bit stressed of workload I self -talk and this provides me self-confidence and helps in curbing pessimistic emotions.

Self-Talk is leading me towards developing a more strengthened growth mindset, making me smarter and intelligent, and is helping me in taking initiatives using KHUDI.

I am now working on creating new habits because it is also a major pillar for transformation towards a growth mindset while experimenting with these new habits by faking them until those become a part of my routine.

“Nothing is IMPOSSIBLE. The word itself says “I’M POSSIBLE”. (Audrey Hepburn)
Reflection on Amal Totkay
By: Ashar Ahmed
Tags: Amal Totkay, Amal Academy

Amal Academy has given me a platform to find the inner ‘ME’. Today I have learned about Amal Totkay. Each and every totka will lead you to success. These Totkay are mentioned as:

Self-talk

Get out of your comfort zone

Create a new Habit

Ask people help

Fake it until you make it

AMAL TOTKA Take-aways

Always say ‘I can do it’

Daily write your Do’s and Dont’s.

Have constructive feedback on your work and seek help to improve it.

Donot hesitate to try new things. Make a habit to explore new things.

My favourite AMAL TOTKA

Create New Habit: Adopting new habit is very necessary for a better transition from a fixed to growth mindset. Make a habit of noting down every day achievement and learning. Fake it until you make it: Be confident that you will do it, if want to achieve something, acts as you have already achieved that. It will boost your confidence and you’ll definitely make it.

Amal Totkay Implementation

I have started noting down my daily learnings. Amal Academy has taught me that you cannot achieve anything in your comfort zone. Be confident to yourself and say, yes I can do it.

What can they do to develop a Growth Mindset beginning from Today?

To develop a growth mindset you have to come out of your comfort zone and make habit of noting down and approach people to help you in growing.
Amal Totkay
Tags: Amal Totkay

Developing a Growth Mindset by following 5 tips in your professional and personal life. These are very helpful for making progress.

Developing a Growth Mindset

An entrepreneur has a growth mindset. A growth mindset means he accept his failure, he learn through his experiences to improve him, a growing mindset never relies on limited beliefs. They had the capacity to learn from their own experiences and also from others experiences. in order to get a growing mindset these are 5 tips that really helps to develop a growth mindset. and these tips are

Self Talk

Talk to your self

2. Get out of your comfort zone

Get out of your comfort zone

3. Create new habits

Create new habits

4. Ask people help

Ask people help

5. Fake it till you make it

Fake it till you make it

Reflection on these Totkay:

How did they find the 5 tips?

They may find these tips by making progress, by observing problems on the way of their success.

2. What are their takeaways?

Interaction with others are their takeaways. We can never learn individually , we learn through a community and that community helps us to make tips for those who are enable to make progress.

3. What were your fav tips?

My favorite tip: is 1) Get out of your comfort zone. 2) Self talk.

4. What have you started implementing already?

I have started on the tip of get out of your comfort zone.

5. What can you do to develop a Growth Mindset beginning from today?

we can develop a growth mindset by following these tips. We may develop it by getting out of our comfort zone.

So these are all tips that helps us to develop a growth mindset.
Unboxing Amal’s Toolkit
By: Maida Saoud
Tags: Amaltotkay, Amalfellowship, Selfhelp, Help, Positivity

Hi, I’m very excited to write this blog because today I’m unboxing Amal’s toolkit and you know what’s the most amazing fact about it? It is FREE..

YES! Unlike any other unboxing in the world, This unboxing will provide you the toolkit free of cost and for LIFETIME.

There are 5 gifts in this toolkit which are listed below:

1 Growth mindset developer

2 Comfort zone kicker

3 New Habits creator

4 Help asker

5 Faker

These are the five tips that you can start practicing right away! Try to develop a growth mindset by getting out of your comfort zone and creating new habits. Furthermore, Ask for help where you need it and last but not the least, Fake it till you make it!

Although all these five tips are amazing but my personal favorite is Asking for help , we all usually try to keep up the cloak of positivity, we all try to deal with stuff even when its out of control so sometimes we really need to let go of our ego and ask for help!

The first step for growth mindset lies in embracing. Embracing you flaws and using them as stepping stones for further success in life.

I have actually started implementing this tip during my Amal Fellowship and I realize how much I have suffered by not asking! the paths get easier when you are accompanied by those who help.
AMAL TOTKAY leading towards a Growth Mindset
By: Hadiqa Talib
Tags: Growth, Mindfulness, Amal Academy, Goals, Amal Totkay

AMAL TOTKAY leading towards a Growth Mindset

Totka is a way to figure out a solution for any problem. We all have heard this word throughout our life, it might be related to beauty or health but did you ever thought of having a “TOTKA” which could grow your mindset, no right?

I will tell you about the “FIVE AMAL TOTKAY” that will be helpful for your growth mindset.

1. SELF TALK

Self-talk means having conversation with yourself. We should always take out sometime to talk to ourselves. The time you choose merely depends upon yourself but the best time is at night when everything is peaceful and you ask yourself questions about the goals that haven’t been achieved, problem which is not solved and the negative thought you get for yourself.

Always have positive conversation with yourself saying “I can and I will do it” instead of “I cannot do this”.

2. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

As no one would be interested to get out of the comfort zone but for a mind-set growth this is very important. For this you need to have a target or goal to achieve, it might be related to the personal or professional life but there should always be a reason to get out of comfort zone. It will lead you to accepting challenges.

3. CREATE NEW HABITS

If you really want a growth mind-set, then you should develop new habits and don’t stuck to the old ones. It is not easy to go of your old habits and get new one but nothing is impossible so start taking baby steps for your new habit.

4. ASK PEOPLE HELP

Everything you do would have people involvement, ask for help whenever you need related to anything without hesitation. The fact you should not worry about society but still getting feedback from them is also very important as it will motivate you to do more.

5. FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT

The last totka will completely make you feel that you have finally converted from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Faking your goal would make you work hard for it.

According to a research it is showed that acting as if you are competent in a specific field will improve your confidence.

I would like to share my favourite totka which is “SELF TALK” I have been practising it since ever and it helps me in self reflection and what needs to improve in my personality or in the strategies of achieving goal.
Reflection on Amal Totkay
By: Jareer Ahmed
Tags: Amal Fellowship, Amal Totkay, Amal Academy, 2021

The five tips of the Amal Totkay were derived from the concepts of growth mindset that we have been studying and following up from almost the start of the fellowship. Growth mindset also plays an important role in entrepreneurship, so the concepts of entrepreneurship also lead to the development of Amal Totkay.

The Five Tips:

Self Talk Get Out of Your Comfort Zone Create New Habits Ask People Help Fake It Till You Make It

Takeaways:

Stop telling yourself that you can’t do it. Get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Incorporate good and strong habits into yourself and practice them on a regular basis. Remember that slow and steady wins the race. Get feedback and seek help from the people that are trustworthy. Act like you are really good at it and doing really well, ultimately you will.

Implementation:

The first step of implementation started already is developing a growth mindset which involves breaking the stereotype idea of knowing it all and being good at something and starting with the concept that I need more knowledge. Always keep the doors open to the room of improvement.

Developing a Growth Mindset:

Beginning from today, from right now, a growth mindset can be developed by keeping in mind that I will learn something new every minute or every hour. I observe the things and people around me and see what new I can find and indulge myself in a new learning experience.

Favorite Tip:

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone.