Nodi Khan
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Nodi Khan

this is my story

  • Home
  • the heroes
  • the haters
  • Travel
    • Travel

      why we need to get lost more often

      June 7, 2017

      Travel

      Writing A New Life Chapter

      June 7, 2017

      Travel

      Dear Toronto

      June 7, 2017

      Travel

      My Life Underground

      June 7, 2017

      Travel

      A Day in Chicago

      June 7, 2017

  • Creative Works
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Featured

FeaturedLife

How to Heal

How do we deal with this? With everything that’s going wrong, it’s as if every member of humanity has been put under a curse that refuses to leave us alone. It’s painful to wake up every morning and be bombarded with crisis after crisis. What do we have to do to cope? How can we make it go away?

Unfortunately, there’s no right answer to that question. 

And me especially, I cannot give you that answer. Only you know yourself best, only you can figure out what works best for you. 

So what can I offer you?

Realities.

Things that we forget, understandably, and things we have to remember, especially now.

The first reality is that humans were assembled to adapt and to change accordingly to a changing environment. The human race has a remarkable talent to alter itself nearly at will- from a fluctuating body mass to varying levels of flexibility and strength. The human body and mind innately evolve depending on the sort of initiative taken. That means essentially, we change ourselves in order to make our lives easier. This sort of adaptation is perhaps a lengthy process but it indefinitely occurs.  Whatever foreign and unexpected circumstance you are enduring as of now will be just an old obstacle in the future.

The second reality is that humans are persevering in nature. This phenomenon is called the Hedonistic Treadmill. Essentially, it states that when major events occur, either positive or negative, humans will relatively quickly regain their normal sustained levels of happiness. In other words, humans are brilliant at recovery. The pain that most of us are tolerating right now is temporary. As cliche as it sounds, things will improve, either with our environment changing or ourselves. Nothing painful is eternal. 

The third reality is that humans are naturally gifted to deal with so many problems that overwhelm us. Each of us possess our own desires, skills, communications and needs. Some of us require a routine to feel in control. Others need to schedule blocks of time to relinquish that control. As unique, individual beings, we have our own methods and special ways of getting through absolutely anything. All of us are in essence, an unstoppable force. It is embedded in our psyche to heal. 

August 26, 2020 0 comment
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Why The Trees Change Color in Fall
FeaturedLifeNature

Why The Trees Change Color in Fall

So I just published my book on Amazon titled “Why the Trees Change Color in Fall“, I have been working on this story since the US President Election of 2016, I was so depressed in seeing all the ugliness of our world, all the divisions and the hate among each other, I just couldn’t understand how as a society we were moving backwards, after all the wars and ugly history of our planet.

I wanted create a story that could be read and shared by anyone, a story that had hope, diversity, acceptance, inclusion and an inspiration to stay true to yourself and never change but be yourself always wherever life takes you. I took inspirational from His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama from an Aspiration Prayer –

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June 7, 2017 3 comments
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looking inside our hearts
FeaturedLifeMoments

looking inside our hearts

The photo above was taken by my father at the Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City. Art pieces here rotate monthly, featuring new works and different artists for people to discover.

The sculpture I’m standing beneath is by Nari Ward. It features a large upside down heart, made up scraps of rusty copper, hanging from a tall, red metal frame. Inside this copper heart is a bell you can ring. The noise it produces is nothing short of something magical and fantasy-like, soft jingles echoing from the depths of the inside of the heart and flowing outside. Like a heartbeat. When I shook the bell, I didn’t grab on to the string and shake it. I didn’t wildly swing the thread upwards. I didn’t shove the bell harshly. Instead, I gave it a very gentle tap. But that small gesture caused ripples of sound, and it let me know that something was inside the heart. I think that the whole structure of this artwork is an accurate model of how all of our hearts function. Whether it be a small smile, a pat on the shoulder, or a gentle tap, you will never completely know what the effect of your action is until it happens. The most tiniest of gestures can cause an entire earthquake in us.

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June 7, 2017 3 comments
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what it means to live
FeaturedLife

what it means to live

There are thousands of ways to define death, and every single version is valid and plausible. My personal definition of death is simple- it’s when you’re no longer alive. Which begs the question, what does it mean to be alive?

When you’re truly alive, you’re a wild child with thousands of different emotions whizzing around your head like you just broke a beehive. You show off your scraped knees like they’re fancy cars, you sing too loudly, you stare right into the sun. You do things because you feel like doing them, because you want to, simply because they can be done.

I should say that I’m not encouraging you to adopt unhealthy habits or engage in illicit behavior, please, for both my sake and yours- don’t. But I am saying that we all should start slashing down our fears. Our fears of being stung, going bankrupt and getting heartbroken typically end up doing far more harm than actually getting stung, going bankrupt and enduring heartbreak. It’s these fears that tell us not to go camping and experience the beauty of nature, because, well, we might get stung! These fears are the reasons why we work long hours (to evade bankruptcy) and become naturally untrusting to those who show us affection (fear makes you think: I won’t be heartbroken if I don’t have a heart!) As a result, our fears turn us into the worst versions of ourselves-  unloving slaves to work that never go out. And, are we really alive when it gets to that point? Our fears do more then harm. They’ll kill us if we let them.

I’m gonna finish off with something lighter. You know that saying that “life is a box of chocolates”? I know you’re rolling your eyes, but just bear with me for a minute. There’s a lot of truth to that. Life is gonna be the longest thing we’ll ever do, and even so, so much stuff can be left undiscovered. I think that yes, life is a box of chocolates, and they’re all there for your sampling. You might come across some trashy flavors, but it’s not likely you’ll have to eat them again. You don’t know what to expect, but there is a 50/50 chance that the chocolate you’re eating is good or bad. You shouldn’t agonize over which chocolate is the tastiest or which one has the most calories. You should just try to eat as many chocolates as you can before you get full. 

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June 7, 2017 3 comments
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My Life Underground
FeaturedLifeTravel

My Life Underground

I live in New York. For roughly two years, I’ve always taken the 7 train to my school, a roughly thirty-minute commute. I’ve never put much thought into my mind how intricate and complex something so minor in my life, such as a train ride can be.  The New York Subway System has twenty-three different train routes and more than six hundred fifty-five mainline track miles. Without switching trains, the A train travels thirty-one miles to one of the stops along the route.  What makes the New York Subway System especially unique though, is how many people have to work in order to keep functional. There’s first the people who conduct the trains, of course, then those who power all the machines, including the trains, those who supervise the safety of subways and tunnels, and then the engineers who keep the trains in proper shape. That’s only at surface level though. The MTA Staff ranges from an elevator manager to a cabinet maker. I’m sure there are hundreds of things that I didn’t even touch on, but it’s amazing what you can find when you look into the most smallest of things a little more deeper.

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June 7, 2017 3 comments
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My Wonderful Mom
FeaturedLifeMoments

My Wonderful Mom

There is a relationship with your mother that resembles no other. A lot of people think it’s because your mother gave birth to you, but that’s only one part of it.  Even though the message is finally catching on, I still feel like mothers are still underappreciated.  We don’t recognize all the amazing things that they do for us. From day one, our mothers protect us with their life. After a while, we forget that feeling. We don’t realize how much strength it takes for someone to protect something with all their heart, for years and years to come. A mother will wake up from her five-hour sleep and one of the first things that will pop up in her morning thoughts is you. And those morning thoughts linger for years. A mother will relate anything and everything to you. She’ll find something and it will instantly remind you of her. A mother will give you a part of her head reserved for only thoughts of you, and all her heart for your loving, and will spread her arms open wide when you come running to her. All the mothers in the world are incredibly extraordinary and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Thank you, mom.

Love, Nodi.

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June 7, 2017 3 comments
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A Day in Chicago
FeaturedMomentsStoriesTravel

A Day in Chicago

The photo above makes me especially smile. This was taken at night at Chicago’s famous Magnificent Mile. The Magnificent Mile is a popular commercial district that features many luxe and upscale shops, trendy restaurants and posh hotels. I bought a sweatshirt, some pants, a dress and a bath bomb. The bath bomb proved to be a very relaxing experience while the clothing items are some of my most favorite garments in my wardrobe.  Treating yourself to something once in a while isn’t something you should feel guilty about. Taking time to take care of yourself is something you’ll thank yourself in the future for.

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June 7, 2017 3 comments
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Debating to Win
FeaturedLifeMomentsStories

Debating to Win

When I was in the sixth grade, I joined a debate team. I was hesitant at first because debates were quite intimidating to beginners. The objective was to convince a judge, or the person facilitating the debate to vote for your side. “Your side” was either pro or con, and either agreed with a statement or disagreed with it. For instance, if the topic was “Should schools sell junk food?” The pro side would agree with this statement and the con side would disagree with the statement. A typical debate round in my division, public forum, lasted around half an hour. We would have to convince the judge through a series of speeches, summaries and “crossfires” which were basically a cross-examination of the opponent.  A typical debate speech lasts four minutes and usually has three contentions, or three reasons as to why your side is right and why the team you are arguing against is wrong.

After many tournaments, I improved and improved until I was debating in the advanced division, and then until I was debating in a national tournament, taking place in Alabama.

Debate has taught me a lot of things. Not only did I learn about the many controversial topics that I had to debate for, but I also learned how to research, write and persuade a person, all while maintaining my composure and articulating well.

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June 7, 2017 3 comments
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Family Road Trips
FeaturedLifeMomentsTravel

Family Road Trips

One of my favorite things to do when I’m on break from school is to go on a road trip to somewhere typically not too far. I live in New York, so short drives to places like Montreal or Chesapeake Bay are some of my favorite destinations to go to.  There is an unexplainable comfort that comes along with riding a car along a stretched highway. Although I love traveling to other countries and other far away areas, airplane and train rides are too uncomfortable for me. I assume it’s because I’m stuck in an enclosed space with strangers for a reasonably long time. However, in the car, I’m with my family, and we can do generally anything we want without being bothered. We call the shots on where to eat, or when to stop for snacks. We can blast any music we want to play and play road games as loud as possible. Additionally, I also get extra leg space in the car, making the experience far more comfortable than any train or airplane seat.

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June 7, 2017 3 comments
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Traveling Abroad and Living Like Locals
FeaturedLifeMomentsTravel

Traveling Abroad and Living Like Locals

If you really want to experience an area, you have to live like a local. New York is a pretty tourist-y place, and I can guarantee you that the tourist areas are often wastes of time and money. If you truly want to experience the true side of New York, find those hidden gem restaurants. Shop at the local fashion districts. Climb up onto a roof and bask in the lights of New York’s skyline. Live like a real New-Yorker.

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April 21, 2017 3 comments
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About Me

About Me

Writer & Reader

I love reading, learning about new places, new ideas and unique thoughts, but more than that I love writing and expressing myself and creating imaginative worlds that I can take the reader on amazing journeys.

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