Mariyam Mohamed

Photo credit: Voice.mv In 2021, I learned something that changed the way I see myself and the world around me. I realized that although the mind is invisible, its presence is undeniably real. When we feel emotions, we instinctively touch our hearts and say, “That made me happy,” or “That hurt.” However, when we think, we point to our heads. This simple behavior helped me understand a deeper truth: the mind is neither the heart nor the brain—it is something entirely different. The human mind consists of two distinct parts: the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious mind is our reasoning mind . It has the power to choose, accept or reject ideas, and think independently. It is where our higher faculties reside— perception, will, imagination, memory, intuition, and reason —making it the seat of our intellect. In contrast, the subconscious mind is our emotional mind . It accepts all information it receives, without questioning whether it is true or false. It cannot distinguish betwee...

I still remember the day I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I was in the middle of pursuing my degree, focused on building my future. It was a surprise— one I wasn’t ready for. I didn’t know the first thing about motherhood. I only knew what I had seen in my own mother: a woman who gave everything she had to give us a better life. She worked tirelessly, often silently battling exhaustion and heartache, but she always wore a smile. That smile stayed with me. It wasn’t just about being strong— it was about choosing love, even when it was hard. Her quiet resilience gave me a spark: maybe motherhood, despite its demands, was a beautiful role. At the end of the day, you have someone to return to. You have your own blood by your side. When my daughter was born, I was afraid to hold her. I felt unsure, disconnected, even sad. I later came to understand that I was experiencing what many mothers do— baby blues , a period of emotional vulnerability after childbirth. E verything ch...