Why is fiction predominantly negative?

Fiction is a class of literature that comprises works of imaginative narration. It is something invented, imagined, and made up.

We all cherish fiction for how it ignites our imagination and sends shivers down our spine, especially when a character is swept away by emotions we, too, might experience. It's the joy of storytelling that we all relish.

Recently, there has been a surge of difficult-to-conceive fictional stories that stretch the limits of what we can fathom. These stories often carry a heavy dose of negativity, with elements of horror that seem illogical and unsettling, and can be pretty disturbing. This excessive negativity can linger in a person's mind, making it difficult to relax and sleep peacefully at night.

Sometimes, I wonder if humanity tests its endurance by stretching a rubber band until it loses its elasticity, leading to devastation!!

Some argue that it is just plain imagination.

Still, this artistry that overpowers one's imagination does not lift spirits; it just gives nightmares.

I also agree that after turmoil comes spring, which is beautiful. An individual tends to embrace it with self-composure and dignity since he has seen the ugly side. But why scare the wits out of a man to show him the beautiful side of this creation? We are intelligent beings who appreciate it anyway!

How about doing it subtly?

Life can often feel overwhelming, with challenges piling up like fragile eggs in a basket, each one at risk of cracking under pressure. These cracks may form from our decisions or unforeseen circumstances that life throws our way, like sudden loss in family, health issues, success in the workplace, or unexpected relationship troubles. As we navigate these difficulties, we do so with determination and hope, gently touching our fate as though we could reshape it. We cling to the belief that taking thoughtful steps can mend our broken journeys and illuminate our future with brighter possibilities.

As writers, let's strive for a more balanced approach in our fiction, eliminating the overwhelming negativity that can hinder development in all aspects. A well-rounded narrative is key to engaging and uplifting our readers so they can navigate through their ugliness with the hope that there is light at the end of their dark tunnel.

Mantra for today: Negativity of all forms shuts the door of progress.

Life on a Leash

 

"Where are you going?"

"Umm, I was planning on going to the mall," said Neena in a meek voice.

"Why? In an hour, it'll be time for my tea." said the master authoritatively, "And won't the endless walking in the mall make you tired?" 

There was silence.

"Go and rest till your next chore rather than galavanting." said the 65-year-old lady in a commanding tone. 

Neena gave out a long sigh as she dragged her feet into the 4*4 room, " I wish I had not taken an advance from my master. I'm on a leash until six months." 

In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story being leashed. Is it literal or metaphorical? Who or what is leashed. How does it set the tone? Go where the prompt leads!

Got Time?

Long, long time ago when life was simpler, and there was not much distraction except for the radio. An individual used to perform just mere counted chores and be satisfied with his day and would call it a night.
Children would be happy to wake up since they had slept well and would be glad to go to school to unite with their friends along with studies and would be satisfied to come home, spend time with their parents and have dinner together without any interference of any kind of correspondence with the outer world except for the radio, which would hum their favorite songs in the background.

It was the world where priorities were the passion. Fun was unadulterated. Laughter was authentic. Family time was genuine. Relationships were respected since people had the time to appreciate things around!


Turn of the century...man realized his potential.

He is amazed how he can juggle five things on each of his finger of his hand. He calls it liberation and is impressed with the progress humankind makes towards the end of the day. Seeing that kind of evolution united humanity and they have joined forces to continue this marathon.

Amidst this run, infants are neglected, while moms and dads venture out in the society that has got smitten by the 'multi-tasking' bug to get more comforts for their home, which is actually a home just for the namesake since the family is out for most of the hours.

Children in school first agitated against the changes but have adapted quickly since they have got lots of comfort in the name of food, technology to correspond and enjoy. Time is getting precious since all have the same complaint, "No Time!" and excuses are made left right and center.

Passion is hidden somewhere since all want to lead and no one wants to follow thus, lots of hard work put in along with stress and urgency for everything.

Alas! The human body cannot take the beat for long, and health is degrading thus, allowing medical professionals to pump in chemicals to keep us going. Wonder for how long these chemicals can maintain the man churning for more!

"If I could only change the above so that time would not just be a number but of value as a person could continue to pursue the real essence of mankind by getting the basic answers of life such as, "Who am I?" "What is my goal in this life?"

Sigh!

Mantra for today: We are the society, care to tame it? 

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Finish the Sentence Friday is a link-up where writers and bloggers come together to share their themselves with a particular sentence.

Wordless Wednesday #101

These pictures are courtesy my friend and photographer at Seema's Photography.











The last super moon total lunar eclipse occurred 33 years ago. Thus, making most of us realize that this is an unusual phenomenon that could become once in a lifetime affair for some of us.

Thus making us understand the importance of LIFE and appreciating it by embracing even the ugliness that unfolds on a daily basis. Cause life is all about being in the moment, and enjoying the many features it unwinds.

Mantra for today: One Life but many paths that help us wander, cherish, and admire. Live it up!



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Wordless Wednesday #98

Dunno if it was an experiment or if my county's representatives ran out of tar to surface the road.

But for one whole week the way to my home looked like this!
Half smooth and the other half was rough and patchy.

What amazed me even further was people were taking turns to drive on the finished road. Unless somebody were in a hurry, they would drive on the scaly patch.

Made me ponder that we all want a smooth, flowing life without any bumps, collisions and jerks. Thus, the above choice thy man makes even while driving his four wheels with the hope that life would also be as smooth as that drive.

Aha! The power of intentions.

Mantra for today: Intentions and awareness is a life lead in bliss. 



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Priorities of Life

'Bills to pay. Miles to go before I breathe my last' was the constant chant of Chuck.

The family would wait up each weekend to catch a sight of him. Enjoy his company for those 48 hours and then he would disappear into the thick air of Monday to Friday 24 hour work schedule where even his vibes would breathe of physical, mental pressure.

Years rolled by!

His mantra was fulfilled.

He had riches stashed in the bank. Every country in the world marked as visited. But no family around him to enjoy the memories that he created in a jiffy.

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 In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that has a shift in perspective. 
Join in the fun at CarrotRanch

Wordless Wednesday #82

With Spring around the corner. Flowers are blooming, and this picture signifies the beauty of nature and the many boundaries this flower possesses via the petals to protect the core.

Gives us a take home lesson while relating the boundaries to the many phases of our lives. Each step is related to Time.

Mantra for today: Life has many phases. We have to be patient in each one of them since; it is not constant.

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Wordless Wednesday #75

Even though the above picture is an artwork, I can relate it to our Life since what it throws at us, and how we swing past each hurdle.

It is a miracle!

But that's what makes humans a smart machine.


Mantra for today: Every hurdle crossed, will help an individual climb a step higher in aesthetics, which could eventually help him reach his goal.

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Wordless Wednesday #68

We are welcomed with fog each morning. This heavy mist reduces visibility leaving us all perplexed as we drive with caution.

The same analogy could be applied to our lives.

We don't know our future, thus ought to drive our wheels of life carefully, meticulously and with awareness since we don't know what could hit us the next moment.

Mantra for today: Life could go wasted if not lived with prudence and vigilance. 


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Do you prefer to be Alone or Lonely?

Lonely

Alone

Lately, I came across these two words and have read the interpretation of many for the above.

There are times when a person is surrounded by people, yet he feels lonely and there have been moments when an individual is alone and yet enjoying life to the fullest!

Both these adjectives have a deeper meaning on their respective platform resulting in a fulfilling motive that have aspired many to venture out and discover their path of comfort.

Although, I have come across people who say that their minds are beautifully programmed, and they can press the mute button and be actually alone and lonely at the same time.
I admire such people!

Practically speaking an individual can never be lonely.

He can be alone, but never be lonely!
Cause if he is lonely, it could be termed as a disease called depression. That's when the mind stops talking to the body, and that would not be good!

A man's mind is such an active machine that keeps churning ideas, thoughts, feelings of some sorts, theories, and viewpoints that he does not really need company if he allows his mind to keep churning.

In both the above adjectives, the mind plays an important role. We just ought to be on the look out and communicate with our consciousness to make a wise decision.

With the current times, man longs to be alone more so to cleanse himself from all sorts of energies that he tends to hook upon. Unfortunately, the negative energy leeches upon and eventually sucks the blood out of if we don't attempt to ponder over a path of just us, being ALONE aka cleansing!

Researchers are finding good results in individuals who yearn to be alone and how it affects their overall health.

Thus, next time when you are alone, do something, and you will be surprised by the amount of memories you will make for yourself even if you have no other body to share the moment with.

Mantra for today: Communication between the mind and body is important to enjoy being alone, yet not lonely.

Wordless Wednesday #60

I always get a feeling of appreciativeness when I see hands joined.

It not only symbolizes hope, and forgiveness, but also the gratitude towards each breath we take and continue to conduct our duties in this lifetime.

Mantra for today: Embrace being grateful since it is the root of happiness!

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Wordless Wednesday #57

When my plant was all dried up, I thought of putting the contents in the recycling bin. Just then a few days later, small shots of growth were visible.

Wonder how life sprung up when everything was dry and parched?

Mantra for today: Life is a mystery thus, never give up hope!

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Can Morality have a Source?

Arthur Schopenhauer once said, “Compassion is the basis of morality.”

Individuals define morals as the rules of right conduct. How we treat others and ourselves speaks volume about us, as a person.

This attitude can either make us walk a mile, or we could dig a grave for ourselves as we breathe.

Morality and Philosophy

All living beings have a soul. This is a living thing that is within the body. This Soul is our guide, our consciousness to help us distinguish between right and wrong. This consciousness usually directs and chaperones us in the daily hustle bustle of life while we face the many challenges, pitfalls and talks to us when emotionally down. Consciousness is our awareness that we think about, and experience it on a daily basis.

Consciousness is a vast field, which encircles around a wide range of possibilities that get thrown at us it is also a field of creativity that allows us to come up with solutions when surrounded by problems; it is a set of intuitions that make us take decisions accordingly. We surround our intentions by our consciousness. Consciousness is about love, peace, imagination, compassion, kindness, and peace of mind.

The philosophy of morality is ethics. Our Morals strongly govern our life, and the life we lead solely depends on our actions, reactions, and thoughts.

As Laurence Sterne said, “Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners.”

Mark Twain mentioned, “Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other.”

Consciousness is our blue print. How we act, react, and think can bring changes in our body and our life. Thus, making morality and philosophy as one entity.

However, the question is that how many of us abide by the morals of life?

Morality today

Morality is gradually becoming extinct. We are living in a world of “Me-Myself-Mine”. With the rise of social media, we are becoming like a robot. Constantly hooked to the Internet where feelings and authenticity go missing.

Man wants to live life king size but prefers to get wealth without work, gain knowledge without striving hard for it, become a leader without any sacrifices or make any conscience effort, and wants results the easy way. Integrity is going missing, and people want publicity for everything.

The result: Dust covers our consciousness and we are unable to distinguish between right and wrong. Ego’s get stroked when brushed by, and that increases bloodshed and sorrow around the globe. The weaker gender is getting assaulted and abused as they face the wrath of man and his aggression over issues in life. Children are losing their innocence seeing the war and hatred around their community. The world is also showing signs of extreme anger by natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunami, hurricanes, and cyclones. That leaves millions homeless while facing the fury of Mother Nature. Man is running in this rat race and losing track of his ideals thus, making the living of a man a sham.

My question:

Does Morality have a Source? 

OR

Is Man intelligent enough to distinguish between right and wrong?

Conclusion

The Source is not attractive!

Today man is surrounded by inflation, and corruption. These chew the body out of a poor man as a result: he is bitter and digs his soul deep into the ground so that it never tries to communicate with his mind. Thus, making man walk on the path of dishonesty, amorality, and sinfulness.

Unfortunately, the circumstances in life are leading man on the above path. The choices he makes are not good for his moral being, thus leading to many side effects that are seen around. 

My 2 cents

When we put man versus his circumstances on a weighing scale....I am sure the man will weigh himself out. Then why not nullify the way of life, sorrows, resources, outlook, statuses, and resources. I agree the path is not easy, but to step up and challenge thy man's capacity is what this skeleton is all about that it can withstand any natural fury it comes its way!

The source for morality is within us. We can either just follow our peers who are annoyed with the system of life or we could choose to make our own!


Mantra for today: Mindful living versus senselessness are two antonyms that can either spruce up or make our lives unkempt.

Wordless Wednesday #35

Last week,  'was at my son's guitar recital, and managed to get a capture of his reflection.

Ever wonder why mirror images make us ruminate seriously versus an actual picture.

Is it cause man is not so bold to look himself in the eye or just too many distractions make the mind wander...

Mantra for today: Sometimes life in black and white is easy to transcribe.


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Decisions, and how they govern our life!

The one thing I regret being an adult is making decisions. These conclusions are made every minute of my day and they start in the morning with the alarm clock beeping loud and clear, now do I wake up or just hit the snooze button? 

Decision made...I wake up!

Gotta make breakfast for the family. What to make? After peeping in the refrigerator, a choice is made!

A dilemma solved when lunch bags are packed, and I am proud of my decision.

As the minutes keep ticking, compromises are made until I lay my head on my pillow to start this process the next day.

This pathway is visited each day, and to be able to brainstorm and come to a decision is what makes us a mature adult versus being tagged as immature or child-like.

This is one of the central activities of management and is a huge part of any process of implementation and best fits with our goals, desires, and values.

The decisions that I have made so far has made me come at this stage of my life that I am surrounded by people who right now are either reading this or enveloping me with their love, and trust or have nothing to do with me. 

We all come across paths in our lives where we have to make decisions, and when a selection is made out of fear, it results in confusion and failure.

Decisions are sometimes tough and sometimes easy, but help us reach the goal in our life that we choose either to hate or to love. Sometimes, our decisions are also a part of our fate since they help shape our destiny.

Mantra for today: We make decisions, and then decisions make our life!

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Living life the futuristic way!

Life throws a lot at us thus, making man categorize it as hurdles, obstacles, loss, clear path, opening, which leads to various emotions such as happiness, joy, sorrow, grief.

When the path is clear, and there is a wide opening to success. Man does not need any guidance whatsoever. However, it is the hurdles when man tends to stumble upon and ponder over ways to clear the obstruction and continue his journey.

To be confused during times of plight is natural. It proves that we are not super humans and need to think over the situation.

Think is a wonderful word, which most of us don't perform. We usually like to take short cuts so that we can put our life back on track.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” 
― Albert Einstein

There are many books available in the market that are titled as "How to"and they tend to become the bestsellers without any promotion.

Cause most of them have steps in solving a problem. Thus, calling it a traditional way to get your problems solved. Sure, it works for some while there are a few who get entangled in the circle of life and just don't know how to get out of it.

Reading books from an author who has a Ph.d in philosophy is mind blowing cause the knowledge they tend to transmit is remarkable. But, many do it in steps, and many individuals tend to use that as a manual for their success/remove obstacles/happiness in life.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” 
― Helen Keller, The Open Door

My 2 cents

Gain knowledge from all these books but do not intertwine your life to the steps mentioned in a traditional way in most of the books.


We can either be traditional or non traditional when we do things. I prefer to solve problems using knowledge and common sense. 

You are a special individual and solving problems in your life should be in your own non traditional way.

Mantra for today: Knowledge is important to make common sense judgments.

Disclaimer: This is a general take on "How to" non fiction books. I have nothing against them. It is just the mind set of people that I want to change.

FTSF is here and their sentence for today is: We can either be traditional or non traditional when we do things.