Progress Lag
Sometimes it takes a major routine blitz to get in the zone.
What did breaking my routine do for me? -- I finished my story outline and have started writing my script. :-)
Many people make it routine to look at the tops of sky scrapers, when they sould try to focus on the stairs that lead to the top.
Neo Revelation
What was the reason for my frustration with script writing? Why wasn't able to write out a whole story/plot for the past few days? I didn't know the difference between story and plot.
- story: the sequence of events in a peice writing, in the order they occur
- plot: The sequence of events as the author arranges them
For the past week I have been trying to arrange a sequence of events without having a real story, which inturn has lead to my frustration...bleh!
Alhumdulillah, now to move forward.
I identified my problem today, have you identified yours?
No Callus
As i get further into this whole movie development thing, one thing I begin to realize is how much I DON'T know. One I learned today is...I don't know how to write a story. I guess once I finish up leanring the basics scripting I'm gonna move onto story writing.
As a wise man once said, "
A learned man is one who knows that he doesn't know" :-)
Planned
In January I started off with a direction, purpose, and goal. It is now April, and I see that what I am doing now is not entirely what I had planned. Circumstances caused me to "adjust" to the current.
I noticed that those things that I set out to do purly for the sake of Allah (swt), I am still sticking to it, and I dont see myself letting go. -- At the same time, Allah (swt) replaced my not so properly intended plans with purer ones...
...but not without trials.
I planned, and Allah planned. Surly Allah is the best of planners.
To whome will you leave your trust in?
Back in Action
Your arms burn, your ribs are in pain, sweat is dripping your face onto the mat.
"Comon! YOU HAVE 30 MORE SECONDS! KEEP IT BURNING!" are the words of your sensei. Your arms are about to give in, you feel the piercing pain in your ribs. Sensei's yelling become a background muffle as you image the pain of an arrow in your side.
Sweat splatters on the floor from your chin. "
Is this the pain of the mujahid? Take me to Jannah!" down....up. "
SubhanAllah" down....up. "
Alhumdulillah" down....................up "
Allahu Akbar"
When you thought your arms were going to give, you pumped out 15 more.
What puts you in the zone?
Shaken Heart
What causes one to be intimidated? When standing infront of somone of great influence, dean of the college, president of the company, or a celebrity...what causes one to feel small infront of them?
Remember a situation when you were intimidated by a higher official. Ask yourself "Why were you intimidated?" In the future when you are intimidated, look at the greatness of Allah (swt) and realize the insignificance of the other.
Yes or No?
"
People often fail because they trade what they want most for what they want now."
- Phil Martell (St. Josephs University Basketball Coach)Failure is not the end. It just means you have to get up and try again. Refocus yourself onto what you want most, and dont trade that for anythign else. The question is...
...
What do you want most?
Realization
Allah (swt) put people in your path for a reason. Alhumdulillah with the help of individuals I now have a movie idea that I will go though with inshaAllah.
Following ideas will be implemented inshaAllah:
Story about a youth who was a good kid, He is one of 3 siblings. He has a bossy older sister, and a younger sister who looks up to him and whom he loves very much. He is the middle child sandwhiched between the two, not getting much attention from the parents.
After coming to high school he begines to go astray. Facing the difference of cultures, change of hormones, and peer preasure he wants to fit in. He gets caught up with the wrong guys who lead him into small things which leads to getting involved with marijuana. His little sister does her best to talk to him to bring him out of it, but to no avail.
This leads to attain haraam rizq, and drug dealing. Soon he pulls away from Islam. When this happens his younger sister begins to be afraid of him and his actions. I want to encorporate a thing where...a guy witnesses a crime and he begins to run. the astray kid goes after him only to find out that hes one of the muslim kids just nosing around.
The tragic incident - the astray muslim kid...makes a choice, which is to go against his bad way of life, which ends him up shot b/c the ones hes with wont take that.
When the tragic incident happenes some of the muslim kids that were 'so-so' on the path....get straight...When this happens it makes the Muslims around him realize that path they are treading is no good..death is right there...
... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Alhumdulillah...
...Movie idea is selected :-)
Prisoner
"I can't help it" are the words of those who are addicts. "I get tempted" are words of others. When you are lost in the whispers of shaytaan, and you are blinded to what is right and what is wrong. When emotion takes hold of your senses, know one thing...
...
You have a choice.
Prove It
Many times we get things right and we get on a roll. When we get comfortable with that shaytaan distracts us, and as a result we fall...very hard. When you fall down...get up, but dont expect getting up to be so easy. Allah (swt) wants you to struggle, so endure the pain and suffering for him alone.
Exercise your soul, feel the burn, and savor it.... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Alhumdulillah...
...I have two parents who love and care about me
...My car still works
Expiation
ex·pi·a·tion (
k
sp
-
sh
n)
n.- atonement: compensation for a wrong;
- the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing (especially appeasing a deity)
I am now recovering from my week long flu, a flu I didn't enjoy much. Today a brother said, "Imagine how many sins you lost in that time :)" That is when it hit me!
Abu Sa`id and Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “No fatigue, nor disease, nor anxiety, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that”(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Movie Idea 3x10 - Day 10
- A guy comes from a Muslim family, slowly he strays from the deen, tragic incident happens that makes him realize the path hes treading and death is right there. Allah can guide and disallow guidance as he wills. (Adhan in child's ear)
- Following the life of a child in Afghanistan (or any other nation). Show how democracy kills children and families in other nations when its forced upon them.
- Following 3 families from 3 different cultures and ethnicities and religions. See how the communication gap is similar between the children in all three.
... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Alhumdulillah...
...I have friends that remind me of Allah (swt)
...I'm not part of the Arab Student Association (or the paki one for that matter)
Hilltop
What happenes when you get to the hilltop? You see what is around you and where you have to go. Some weeks back I was requested to take the position of MSA Ameer. I made istikharaah and made a decision. I said i would accept. Word comes back, that I cannot be ameer b/c I'm currently not an active student on campus. Alhumdulillah :D
How much trust did you put in Allah?... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Movie Idea 3x10 - Day 09
- Remake of the classic movie "The Seventh Seal" with Islamic message.
- Find and interview the supposed 9-11 "hijackers"
- Movie about a guy making a movie.
... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Alhumdulillah...
...I got my antibiotics for my bronkital infection.
...I was able to explain Arab-Israeli history to a fellow Jew.
Unblurred
Sometimes it takes the pain of watching your brother or sister being burned to wake you up. Many times it takes the pain of truth to make you move. So much have I been polluted by the lies of propaganda.
Today I saw Farenheit 9/11 for the first time. It brought tears to my eyes. Seeing the emotions of my brothers and sisters and hearing thier words is like nothing ever before. How does one get over the weakness in the ummah is about?
Discover and eliminate the weakness within.How long will you stay in the comfort of lies?
... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Movie Idea 3x10 - Day 08
- A man witnesses a crime, and is on the run from the criminal.
- The analogy of the mountian pass in a movie, a father teaching his son to be tough...training him in martial arts, taching him to stand up forhimself at school...one day they go hiking together...father falls and dies..kid from then on...as a fear....of gettin over the mountian pass
- Documentary of a revert and his experience as a Muslim for 1 year.
... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Alhumdulillah...
...I leared the cause of my weakeness within.
...My eyes are beginning to open and the fire is rekindling.
Surfacing
When the body becomes sick, it becomes weak. How does one get thier strength back? By giving it food. Similarly when the heart is sick, it becomes weak. How does one strenthen thier heart?
What have you done to strengthen your heart?... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Movie Idea 3x10 - Day 07
- A bunch of kids decide to go on an adventure. They jump onto a freight train and see where it goes. Life lessons learned on this adventure.
- A man finds himself on an islam after a shipwreck. Realizes that he is a hunted game.
- Bunch of guys go camping in the woods. one by one they start disappearing.
Underwater
Being sick for the past couple of days has run a question in my mind. How do the mujahideen deal with being sick in the battlefield? How do they man up to it?
... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Movie Idea 3x10 - Day 06
- Youth going astry and begins to deal drugs. Gets caught up in with the wrong people, untill he finds a few Muslim youth to pull him back to Islam.
- Sstory of 3 friends, 1 is a revert, bond of brotherhood - arab, white, desi or black, arab, desi -- although cultures are worlds apart, Islam keeps them together.
- An international students, come to study here, pays lots of money for the sake of this secular education, but struggles with language, ppl making fun of him, not fitting in, then he gets isolated from society, alientated -- then turns scuicidal maybe?
Bearing
The difference between the Sahaba and the Romans and Persians in battle was that the Sahaba were able to endure longer.
The words of Saad ibn Abi Waqqas to the soldiers in the battle of AlQadisyyah was "
isbiru"
How long can you endure?... .. ...... .. ...... .. ...
Movie Idea 3x10 - Day 05
- Story of a daee, him vs christians, da'ee gets beat up by muslims b/c they think hes trying to cause trouble.
- MSA....bro and sis like each other and wanna get married...one is desi and the other is arab. both parents are traditionalist cultural oriented people...they dont want thier son/daughter marryin outside of culture
- Parent trying to raise a child muslim in the west. Child has a dissability.
As i get further into this whole movie development thing, one thing I begin to realize is how much I DON'T know. One I learned today is...I don't know how to write a story. I guess once I finish up leanring the basics scripting I'm gonna move onto story writing.
In January I started off with a direction, purpose, and goal. It is now April, and I see that what I am doing now is not entirely what I had planned. Circumstances caused me to "adjust" to the current.
