Elif Safak
Elif Safak
Elif Şafakis a Turkish author, columnist, speaker and academic...
NationalityTurkish
ProfessionAuthor
CountryTurkey
rabbits culture rabbit-holes
We cannot abandon this rabbit hole for fear of a traumatic encounter with our own culture.
running sea wave
Stop running after the waves. Let the sea come to you.
giving ignorant bears
Either grant me the bliss of the ignorant or give me the strength to bear the knowledge.
ocean drops-in-the-ocean bigger
Because time is a drop in the ocean, and you cannot measure off one drop against another to see which one is bigger, which one is smaller.
land people literature
Isn't connecting people to distant lands and culture one of the strengths of good literature?
gratitude doors being-thankful
Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighborhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful!
mean compassion reflection
How we see God is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves. If God brings to mind mostly fear and blame, it means there is too much fear and blame welled inside us. If we see God as full of love and compassion, so are we.
art practice becoming
Article Five: If you have no reason or ability to accomplish anything, then just practice the art of becoming.
thinking blame think-of-you
How can you blame others for disrespecting you when you think of yourself as unworthy of respect?
art moving unfinished-work
God is busy with the completion of your work, both outwardly and inwardly. He is fully occupied with you. Every human being is a work in progress that is slowly but inexplicably moving toward perfection. We are each an unfinished work of art both waiting and striving to be completed. God deals with each of us separately because humanity is a fine art of skilled penmanship where every single dot is equally important for the entire picture.
children father ocean
Father, I am from a different egg than your other children. Think of me as a duckling raised by hens. I am not a domestic bird destined to spend his life in a chicken coop. the water that scares you rejuvenates me. For unlike you I can swim, and swim I shall. The ocean is my homeland. If you are with me, come to the ocean. If not, stop interfering with me and go back to the chicken coop.
heart unique two
We were all created in His image, and yet we were each created different and unique. No two people are alike. No two hearts beat to the same rhythm. If God had wanted everyone to be the same. He would have made it so. Therefore, disrespecting differences and imposing your thoughts on others is tantamount to disrespecting God’s holy scheme.
real heart water
Real filth is the one inside. The rest simply washes off. There is only one type of dirt that cannot be cleansed with pure waters, and that is the stain of hatred and bigotry contaminating the soul. You can purify your body through abstinence and fasting, but only love will purify your heart.
prayer heart differences
To each his own way and his own prayer. God does not take us at our word. He looks deep into our hearts. It is not the ceremonies or rituals that make a difference, but whether our hearts are sufficiently pure or not.