A pleasure to meet you, my name is Seyma Kokash.

In my younger years, my father gave me some advice that I’ve held onto ever since. “The art of giving should not be measured in time or money, or any expense for that matter.” he said, “You need to give because you want to give. You enjoy it and you expect nothing in return.” The clarity this granted me since has shifted my perspective tremendously. The act of giving is what lifts us from crisis, what we call on when we are pressed against disaster or despair. It changes danger into opportunity, and discouragement into hope. It is, therefore, our finest quality and our most defining nature as human beings.

Perhaps the most profound moment is when you get that lightbulb idea. That sudden “aha” moment can prove to be more than just a solution to a problem. It can be a self realization, a sudden awareness, a creative venture, or better yet, a revolutionary breakthrough.

For many years, the epitome of my dreams involved a world anticipating some sort of supernatural heroic act, perhaps even a helping hand from an entity of power. But the asymmetrical injustice of today’s global economy has become a pervasive dilemma. Every morning we go to work with our best intentions -to perform our due diligence- but the crises seem to exceed humanity’s grasp, challenging the very notion of our human potential. The need to turn away from skepticism and ambiguity and towards each other has never been clearer before.

And so here I am, nestled in a local coffee shop, reflecting in my journal to the smooth, rich scent of roasted coffee beans wafting heavily around me. You’ll learn my Damascene roots have inched me to create a literary rebellion against conflict and chaos, to revel gracefully into a Syrian poet’s nostalgic verse, and to live as genuinely and as authentically as possible.  

I am what Malcolm Gladwell describes in his book The Tipping Point, a “maven”, an individual who absorbs knowledge and feels compelled to share it with others. I tend to see life as a complex puzzle: everything is connected through a prism of observation and its interpretations. The pursuit of knowledge and understanding of our reality is what truly excites me, and so you’ll forever find me searching for a deeper meaning.

The internet is perhaps the most profound invention to date, simply because our curiosity has evolved us to become transhumans. We have all the knowledge of the world at our fingertips. My hopes is that you read this blog understanding that unexpected events can be handled more effectively in our world and how we can navigate and recover from them. We, as individuals, have developed a heightened sense of morality and a strong, innate desire to help others by sharing our knowledge and our experiences. Essentially, we all have a common goal: that our discoveries create a better vision about our world.

So let’s talk. But first, coffee.