About

“People are born for different tasks, but in order to survive every one requires the same nourishment; inner peace.”- Sri Sathya Sai Baba

This blog is about being in a state of inner peace and making the best of every day.

Inner peace is not something to be sought. Seeking creates need and struggle. Inner peace is a natural state of being. In other words, inner peace is not to be attained but rather uncovered.

The formula

The premise from which we discuss inner peace is through awareness/presence (being in the now) and surrender (accepting what is). So we came up with this simple formula:

Awareness + Surrender = Inner Peace

The title of this blog One With Now (OWN) is a reflection of both: one with the present moment and one in harmony with what is at this moment.

Unlike inner peace, presence and surrender require work and can be learned. The task at hand is to learn to become aware of mind chatter, and to look past previous conditioning and self defeating thoughts and habits.

Is this stuff useful?

My aim is to write about awareness and surrender not as abstract concepts, but as a reflection of daily experiences in order to learn and grow.

Presence and surrender are important in everyday life. They may not be referred to in such terms but they are relevant in all aspects of life.

My story

My name is Manal (a female with a confusing Arabic name which means attainment or gain) and I will be writing this blog. Some of my friends call me Mel—another confusing androgynous name that goes with my look :) .

I have been passionate about personal growth and spirituality for over a decade. My writing is based on my personal experience and what I’m currently learning or reflecting upon.

Like you, I’ve had my fair share of success and triumphs. I also tumbled and faced serious challenges. I believe we equally learn from our positive and not so positive experiences.

I’m no more qualified than you are when it comes to life. I write from my perspective and I hope I get to know more about you and your views as we interact and discuss our experiences.

I want to share with you a few of my experiences and what I learned from them.

  • I have a knack for simplicity and laziness. I learned early on to study effectively  with the least possible effort. I graduated top of my class with a major in accounting. Had two professional designations (CPA Washington & CA BC Canada) passing all exams from the first attempt.
  • Came to the conclusion that achievement is only meaningful when you value what you do or accomplish. After more than 13 years of working in large public accounting firms, I decided to change direction and pursue something I valued more – my freedom.
  • Survived a war and coped with its aftermath. I found peace and strength beyond my wildest imagination. I realized firsthand how dehumanizing war is.
  • Moved thousands of miles from Kuwait where I grew up to Vancouver BC Canada in 1995 where I didn’t know a soul. The first bag I unpacked was my mental and emotional baggage. This realization was the first step in my awakening.
  • Started a soy wax candle manufacturing and wax distribution business and sold it five years later. It was not a commercial success. But the entrepreneurial experience was amazing.
  • Pursuing my passion for investing in the stock market, which I have done successfully since 2000, I decided to do it full time a couple of months before the market started its downturn. Survived the lows of 2008/early 2009 and came on top at the end of 2009. This roller coaster ride taught me the importance of managing risk, having discipline and recognizing opportunity in the midst of chaos and fear.
  • I believe spirituality is best explained through daily living and experiences. This is why I started this blog in late 2009.

My editor extraordinaire

This is my partner in crime Lorene (Lo) who moved from Arizona in 2001 to join me in starting our business adventure and what followed.

Both Lorene and I share the same passion for spirituality and growth. We became very adept in coping with change and learning from our challenges.

She is a computer guru and helps me out with the techie stuff.

Lorene is the marvelous editor who checks and double checks what I have to say.  She makes sure I don’t ramble (which I tend to) or mess up my tenses ( which I do a lot). :)

Yeah and this is our beloved dog Daisy. She has left us more than a year ago. But her lessons and memories remain with us.

Before Daisy I wasn’t a dog person. That has changed since. :) Through her I learned to appreciate our connectedness with life in all of its forms.

Together we make up the team behind this blog.