Nizar Qabbani

How Intention Sparks Immediate Transformation in Spaces

Therefore, the art is to kindle intention in ways small enough to use and strong enough to matter. Form a clear if–then cue (Gollwitzer, 1999), pair it with a brief ritual—a breath, a bell, a note on the door—and visualize the near-term outcome using WOOP (Oettingen, 2014). The moment you cross the threshold, enact the micro-commitment. As these sparks accumulate, rooms begin meeting your intention halfway, and what felt like magic reveals itself as practiced, visible resolve. [...]

Truth-Telling That Lets Every Voice Breathe

After the 1967 Arab defeat, Qabbani’s “Notes on the Book of Defeat” (1967) named political failures with lyrical precision, giving language to a suffocated public grief. Later, “Balqis,” written after his wife was killed in the 1981 bombing of the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, became a lament that held space for collective mourning. His truths did not smother; they ventilated—making room for dignity, sorrow, and resolve. Thus the line becomes his method: speak plainly, but so others can still breathe. In every arena—home, workplace, polis—the test of our truth is the air it leaves in its wake. [...]

The Enduring Fire Behind a Star’s Shine

Ultimately, embracing Qabbani’s vision means recognizing that authentic living depends on one’s willingness to be consumed for what matters. The connection between lasting impact and personal sacrifice challenges us to seek substance over mere appearance. In doing so, we affirm—as the stars teach—that enduring brilliance is the natural outcome of burning brightly from within, not the avoidance of using up our energy. [...]