“Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden.”
― Phaedrus

When thinking of our lives and the many interactions we’ve encountered, this statement from Plato’s Phaedrus comes to mind.  Imagine how simple it would be to navigate through life if we meditated on, “things are not always what they seem?” This would force us to live life intentionally and be deliberate in remaining mindful and present.  This isn’t just concerning external matters but the internal workings within us.   Without self-examination and evaluation, we become vulnerable to deceit at first appearances, adding to the many that were mentioned in Phaedrus’ statement. For many of us, the onus is on us because we could easily be misguided or deceived by the things we value.

Yes, values are something that we all have.  However, our values shape the way we see ourselves, others, and the decisions that we make.  So, imagine the impact of hidden values, these are the things we treasure or deem sacred unknowingly.  To this point, we must champion being intentionally aware. This alone will cause us to examine our values and the way they cultivate our realities.  In layman’s terms, redirecting our propensity to give into stereotyping, prejudgment, restrictive ideologies, limiting beliefs, and assumptive thinking.  It is our responsibility to excavate our values and their roots.  Moreover, we must examine whether we are invested, connected, or just borrowing values.  Do we believe because we believe, conditioned to believe, or expected to believe?  Being intentionally aware will assist in finding our individual answers.

Once these answers are revealed, we find the truth of ourselves and the light that has been buried within.  In turn, this light will guide us to see the light within others. Much like the light found within our local community through Noor Taleb. 

As her name reflects, Noor has been a divine light within our community, leading not by words, but through action and pure character. Noor has shone awareness of the importance of her faith, her love for humanity, and the liberation of being authentically herself. She bridged gaps by having a solid understanding of her values and helping others to see that opposing values don’t have to equate to being enemies.  Better yet, having varied values adds richly to the diversity spectrum of the collective we.

Just think, how many people are missing out on the “Noors” of their communities because of hidden values.  In fact, how many are missing out on the true beauty of life because they are blinded by guided values that restrict rather than liberate?   Just think, how many people are living unfulfilled because they refuse to live life intentionally aware.  What if our lack of intelligence of ourselves has caused us to examine everything from a skewed perspective?  Just imagine, if one of the most valuable things that were hidden, was ourselves from ourselves?  

More About Noor:

Noor Taleb was born and raised in Dallas, TX. Her parents are both immigrants who come from a Lebanese and Syrian lineage and have 3 brothers. She graduated college with a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Education and was a middle school Language Arts teacher for 6 years.

Currently, she is married and a mother of 3 young children. She spends her time caring for and maintaining their home. Additionally, she volunteers at her mosque, focusing on events for outreach and women. She also enjoys skateboarding, playing her guitar, and just spending time with family and friends.

Love Is A Parable- an initiative and movement that later became an organization within itself. Love is A Parable is a DBA and subsidiary of Altar and Dwelling Place, Inc. We are a charitable and an educational 501c3 organization, who provide character, social, and leadership development to those who have an aspiration toward unity, love, and kindness through a reflective thinking approach and sacred-box theory.

J. Dwayne Garnett, BSRT, MHA, QP
Chief Executive Officer
Love Is A Parable
Available for Empowerment Speaking Engagements, Consultations, Uncovering Sessions, and Instruction.
Find out more about J by clicking HERE!