How much do we see and how much do we look?

By Mehreen Mushtak Nazarali

OMG! Are you thinking the same thing? How can I use see and look in the same sentence? Did MS word put red squiggly lines under it? Yes, No, Maybe.

Well, read ahead to find out…

I have written it exactly right! And for those who answered ‘No’ for the squiggly line, yay, you are right J. Basically we all know that English is a pretty confusing language, and though we may use the words ‘see’ and ‘look’ as one and the same, they have different meanings. So after giving a big clue now, I ask this question to you dear reader, how much do you see and how much do you look? Let me break it down again if it still feels the same.

I saw a beautiful swan gliding through the pond; I stood there, and watched in awe. Oh how beautiful, the water glistened under the afternoon sun and cast a reflection of the swan right under it. I rushed for my phone, by my camera couldn’t justify its beauty, in fact no camera would ever be able to. Oh how wonderful my eyes said! It’s breathtaking, my heart said! This brief moment one afternoon made me so thankful for my surrounding, and indeed asking, “which of God’s blessings will you deny?

On the contrary if I had looked, I would have then seen a white swan on the pond, just like any other, and walked on in my own world.  We need such brief yet powerful moments everyday in our lives to be able to realize, appreciate and be thankful for our surrounding, bounties, and all the happiness around us.

Now I ask you, dear reader, what difference can you tell in both the words? We use these words a million times. “Did you look at her?” “Have you seen my phone?” but we never realize the actual definitions of such simple words used daily. That is why I think schools and colleges have these sheets of paper that they give out around exams which clearly informs us how to answer a question based on key words, because sometimes two words may feel like one, but they are totally different.

So after a long rant, what I ask of you is to develop a habit, to be present in the moment and to see around yourself. Who is there? What is there? What makes you happy? Trust me, even on a day you feel low, or you feel down, there is always something within you that has the power to make you happy. You just need to ‘see’, to feel to find it.

Recent research shows that depression is one of the major problems with youth in today’s world. Why do you think that is? Do we ever show gratitude? Are we ever happy and content with what we already have? Or do we just want to run behind the latest object/trend on the market. And do we even know why we do that? Or are we just like one of the sheep following the rest in the herd. Why do we always feel entitled to things? Or why do we want instant results.

Yes! Technology is super fast, but we are still human beings, and despite knowing a lot, there is even more that we don’t. Sometimes, it is because we only look, we don’t see beyond the surface. An example I would like to end with is of Steve Jobs. He struggled so much, but he managed to change the world of computers and smart phones, and one thing he made sure of, was that even the insides of the device is neat, and clean and presentable as much as the exterior must be. We cannot look at it, be those who want and those who know can see it. Not only with the physical eye, but also the way it makes one feel. Otherwise, why would we hear this statement all through the world? “Once a mac user, always a mac user.”

To end with, dear reader, I urge you to sit toady and ponder, what goal do I have? What goals did I have? Have I achieved my previous ones? If yes, what did I learn? If no, what went wrong? What can I change to achieve them? Nothing is impossible! If you have had the ability to visualize it, to dream of it, to think about it, it is just hard work and determination away. You just need to see where you are headed, and see beyond what the picture shows you, don’t just look at what is right in front of you.

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About the author

Mehreen Nazarali Versi is a published author, an avid reader, and poet. She wrote her book; Spectrum of Happiness when she was 18 and published it a few years later. She writes articles covering a number of subject areas, edits content both of academic and non-academic nature. Her aim is to build a community of critical readers who are able to read, question, and reason with content beyond what it says as plain text.

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