A Colorful Happy Life Is Whatever You Make Of The Canvas Of Destiny & The Paints Of Fate God Gave To You At Birth - IMRAN™

Sure, it looks like I ran through a glue factory into a flower shop and then through a paint store as the cans fell off the shelves! Life, like art, is what you choose to see, what you make of it.

 I do not know how much time I have assigned to me here on Earth in God's ledgers of time. What I do know is this, we are all given a blank cavas of destiny when we are born. We are provided an infinite supply of paints that family, education, travel, experiences, and choices bring into our studio. 

What we do with them, what we envision, what we conjure up with our imagination, what structures we sketch in, what conclusions we draw, and what motions we go through, those are all entirely up to us. We choose the paints. We choose the brushes, the pencils, the erasers, even the magic markers and spray cans. Every day of life we are coloring in the story of our one and only one life. 

We are working on a singularly unique canvas in the entire universe and through all of the infinities of time. It is the ultimate irony that the painting is only “complete" when our finite time runs out, when it is the end of the physical world for us. Sometimes paintings are left unfinished compared to what we imagined, when we do not get all the time we thought we would. 

The truth is, even with a hundred years, we could never run out of the new shades, strokes and layers we could have continued to add. That is why it is essential that we paint the best of our intentions into existence every day. 

We must do that and live life to the fullest every day, make the world a better place every day, speak out against injustice every day. Whether the painting is considered a masterpiece by anyone is not important. What is important is to know that regardless of what and how we chose to live, and paint our story, we did the best we could have.

That way, no matter how much time we have, and how much of our envisioned image is completed, it will still have been the best use of the gifts of life we were given by Allah, the One God, creator of everything and beyond. 

At the end, that is the only viewer who can award us the ultimate prize…. knowing that we lived the happiest, most colors-filled, joyful, love-spreading life we possibly could have. Thank you, God. 

© 2024 IMRAN™

#IMRAN #art #life #painting #style #philosophy #God #Allah #gratitude #blessed #LifeCoach #inspiration #nature #creativity #IMHO #farewell #universe

Super Low Tide True Blue & Calm Tampa Bay Florida Aerial 360° With German Shepherds On Dock - IMRAN™

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There’s Always A 3X Constant State Of Arousal In This House - IMRAN™ It’s either something in this home or in the air, or maybe my dogs listen to my hot conversations with my beloveds… every time I turn around, they seem as turned on and aroused all the time as I’ve loved feeling since I was a pre-teen. The best is yet to…. come! 😂😉😃🕺🐕🐕🦴🦴🦴💄💄🍌 © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #Florida #ApolloBeach #HomeSweetHome #GermanShepherdDogs #horndogs #funny #humor #puns #winterThere’s Always A 3X Constant State Of Arousal In This House - IMRAN™ It’s either something in this home or in the air, or maybe my dogs listen to my hot conversations with my beloveds… every time I turn around, they seem as turned on and aroused all the time as I’ve loved feeling since I was a pre-teen. The best is yet to…. come! 😂😉😃🕺🐕🐕🦴🦴🦴💄💄🍌 © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #Florida #ApolloBeach #HomeSweetHome #GermanShepherdDogs #horndogs #funny #humor #puns #winter

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TGI (Totally Grateful IMRAN) / Friday / Night / Blues / Traveler - IMRAN™ I’m often wearing blues, I’m never feeling the blues! I’m always “Totally Grateful Imran” TGI F(ridays) I’m forever hopeful all days. I’m a time traveler (mind, body, soul) always. I’m greatly grateful for all of my yesterdays. I’m perseverance personified for all todays. I’m extremely excited for all tonights, tomorrows. I’m truly eternally joyful always. I’m always happy everyone says I’m a passionate lover every week, I’m a fighter protecting the weak. I’m embracing life’s every thrill, I’m soft of heart, strong of will. I’m worshipping your beauty every day I’m loving all our nights, when you stay. © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #poem #poetry #philosophy #gratitude #poetry #lovers #wordplay #puns #future #hope #desire #grateful #Florida #weekend #Friday #TGIFTGI (Totally Grateful IMRAN) / Friday / Night / Blues / Traveler - IMRAN™ I’m often wearing blues, I’m never feeling the blues! I’m always “Totally Grateful Imran” TGI F(ridays) I’m forever hopeful all days. I’m a time traveler (mind, body, soul) always. I’m greatly grateful for all of my yesterdays. I’m perseverance personified for all todays. I’m extremely excited for all tonights, tomorrows. I’m truly eternally joyful always. I’m always happy everyone says I’m a passionate lover every week, I’m a fighter protecting the weak. I’m embracing life’s every thrill, I’m soft of heart, strong of will. I’m worshipping your beauty every day I’m loving all our nights, when you stay. © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #poem #poetry #philosophy #gratitude #poetry #lovers #wordplay #puns #future #hope #desire #grateful #Florida #weekend #Friday #TGIF

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Magical Morning Moon Serene Saturday Seaside Beautiful Birds Beach Delightful Dogs Day - IMRAN™

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What Is Intelligence? - IMRAN™ A friend shared this image (creator unknown to me). I commented: “Love the graphic. Not sure if adapting to change = intelligence. Snails, frogs, plants, trees, almost all living things adapt to change. 😉” IMHO, sure, Intelligence includes the ability to read and understand this image. But even people who can’t read - and many animal species - have intelligence. Survivability includes the capability of adapting to change. What do you think? © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMHO #meme #IMRAN #intelligence #survival #education #wisdom #experience #philosophy #commentaryWhat Is Intelligence? - IMRAN™ A friend shared this image (creator unknown to me). I commented: “Love the graphic. Not sure if adapting to change = intelligence. Snails, frogs, plants, trees, almost all living things adapt to change. 😉” IMHO, sure, Intelligence includes the ability to read and understand this image. But even people who can’t read - and many animal species - have intelligence. Survivability includes the capability of adapting to change. What do you think? © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMHO #meme #IMRAN #intelligence #survival #education #wisdom #experience #philosophy #commentary

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What Is Intelligence? - IMRAN™ A friend shared this (creator unknown to me). I commented: “Love the graphic. Not sure if adapting to change = intelligence. Snails, frogs, plants, trees, almost all living things adapt to change. 😉” IMHO, sure, Intelligence includes the ability to read and understand this image. But even people who can’t read - and many animal species - have intelligence. Survivability includes the capability of adapting to change. What do you think? © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMHO #meme #IMRAN #intelligence #survival #education #wisdom #experience #philosophy #commentaryWhat Is Intelligence? - IMRAN™ A friend shared this (creator unknown to me). I commented: “Love the graphic. Not sure if adapting to change = intelligence. Snails, frogs, plants, trees, almost all living things adapt to change. 😉” IMHO, sure, Intelligence includes the ability to read and understand this image. But even people who can’t read - and many animal species - have intelligence. Survivability includes the capability of adapting to change. What do you think? © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMHO #meme #IMRAN #intelligence #survival #education #wisdom #experience #philosophy #commentary

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Stunning Florida Winter Morning Tampa Bay Falling Tide TGIF With GSDs Dockside Blessed Home - IMRAN™

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If You CAN Take The Heat, Get Out Of The Kitchen & Get The Kitchen In Here! - IMRAN™

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First Full Year In America, New Year's Week January 1990, Coral Gables Florida - IMRAN™ I feel a deep gratitude for the amazing life I've lived since my birth in Pakistan to the world's most incredible parents. I'm particularly blessed to have spent the majority of my life, the last 35 years, in America. While I don't know what the future holds or how much time I have left, every step has been an adventure and a gift from God. My New Yorker soul was born the moment I first landed at JFK in January 1987. I endured a Christmastime tourist adventure in America and Canada – smack dab in the frigid winter of Manhattan and even colder Toronto! Returning in 1989, I chose New York over California to be the start of my new life. Columbia University Graduate School of Business welcomed me with a full academic scholarship, granting me an MBA and propelling me into the next chapter. Ironically, though I call New York my forever hometown, my first Christmas (1989) and New Year (1990) in America were spent in Coral Gables and Miami, Florida. So, Florida has been my "second home state" throughout my American journey. And that continues to this day with my calling Tampa Bay region home too. That fateful first visit to Florida, facilitated by the Council for International Visitors in Miami, and being hosted by a wonderful Dutch-American family, led me to several cherished and many lifelong connections. This candid photo was taken by one of my dear Miami girlfriends from that time. Facing one of Florida's coldest winters in decades, which tragically decimated the orange crop that year, I, the New Yorker who had brought no warm clothes for that trip, was blissfully comfortable at her Coral Gables home, as the new year of 1990 unfolded. Grateful, for all the experiences, all the love! Keep your prayers and love coming, my friends and loved ones. © 1990-2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN; #Florida; #Miami; #CoralGables; #1990; #Anniversary; #autobiography; #relaxing; #youth; #history; #gratitude; #blessed;First Full Year In America, New Year's Week January 1990, Coral Gables Florida - IMRAN™ I feel a deep gratitude for the amazing life I've lived since my birth in Pakistan to the world's most incredible parents. I'm particularly blessed to have spent the majority of my life, the last 35 years, in America. While I don't know what the future holds or how much time I have left, every step has been an adventure and a gift from God. My New Yorker soul was born the moment I first landed at JFK in January 1987. I endured a Christmastime tourist adventure in America and Canada – smack dab in the frigid winter of Manhattan and even colder Toronto! Returning in 1989, I chose New York over California to be the start of my new life. Columbia University Graduate School of Business welcomed me with a full academic scholarship, granting me an MBA and propelling me into the next chapter. Ironically, though I call New York my forever hometown, my first Christmas (1989) and New Year (1990) in America were spent in Coral Gables and Miami, Florida. So, Florida has been my "second home state" throughout my American journey. And that continues to this day with my calling Tampa Bay region home too. That fateful first visit to Florida, facilitated by the Council for International Visitors in Miami, and being hosted by a wonderful Dutch-American family, led me to several cherished and many lifelong connections. This candid photo was taken by one of my dear Miami girlfriends from that time. Facing one of Florida's coldest winters in decades, which tragically decimated the orange crop that year, I, the New Yorker who had brought no warm clothes for that trip, was blissfully comfortable at her Coral Gables home, as the new year of 1990 unfolded. Grateful, for all the experiences, all the love! Keep your prayers and love coming, my friends and loved ones. © 1990-2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN; #Florida; #Miami; #CoralGables; #1990; #Anniversary; #autobiography; #relaxing; #youth; #history; #gratitude; #blessed;

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Cornering The Market, On Bad Wordplay - IMRAN™ © 2024 IMRAN™ #1980s, #furniture, #humor, #IMRAN, #Meme, #puns, #wisdom, #wit, #wordplayCornering The Market, On Bad Wordplay - IMRAN™ © 2024 IMRAN™ #1980s, #furniture, #humor, #IMRAN, #Meme, #puns, #wisdom, #wit, #wordplay

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Grateful Celebrating 35 Years Anniversary Of My Life In America - IMRAN™ January, 1989 to January, 2024. Just like that, 35 Years! A selfie taken on the exact day of my 35th year anniversary of (a second visit but) first day of living in America. An incredible journey of landing, living, liking, loving, laughing, listening, learning, launching, leading, lifting, and liberating (hearts, bodies, and minds too). God blessed with an incredible life from the day I was born in Pakistan to the world's greatest parents. May their souls carry on in eternal bliss. Amen. Blessed beyond any words of gratitude, I am incredibly grateful for the adventure of my life in America. It started thirty-five years ago at the start of January 1989 at my Columbia University apartment in Manhattan, New York. It continues here at Apollo Beach on Tampa Bay. Ironically I am writing this in my blessed Florida home, which was built in 1989, literally the year that I started my life in America. May the best that lies ahead continue for as long as God blesses me. © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #USA #America #autobiography #LifeStory #gratitude #history #portrait #selfie #inspirationGrateful Celebrating 35 Years Anniversary Of My Life In America - IMRAN™ January, 1989 to January, 2024. Just like that, 35 Years! A selfie taken on the exact day of my 35th year anniversary of (a second visit but) first day of living in America. An incredible journey of landing, living, liking, loving, laughing, listening, learning, launching, leading, lifting, and liberating (hearts, bodies, and minds too). God blessed with an incredible life from the day I was born in Pakistan to the world's greatest parents. May their souls carry on in eternal bliss. Amen. Blessed beyond any words of gratitude, I am incredibly grateful for the adventure of my life in America. It started thirty-five years ago at the start of January 1989 at my Columbia University apartment in Manhattan, New York. It continues here at Apollo Beach on Tampa Bay. Ironically I am writing this in my blessed Florida home, which was built in 1989, literally the year that I started my life in America. May the best that lies ahead continue for as long as God blesses me. © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #USA #America #autobiography #LifeStory #gratitude #history #portrait #selfie #inspiration

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Magnificent Late October Tampa Bay Sunset Five Years Ago At Apollo Beach Home 360°x360° - IMRAN™

Magnificent Late October Tampa Bay Sunset Five Years Ago At Apollo Beach Home 360°x360° - IMRAN™

This perfect moment of tranquility was captured with 2GB worth of Nikon D850 handheld photos. It was autumn and the last week of October 2018 was coming up.

I took exactly 4 dozen photos as accurately as I could, trying to keep my hands steady and arms level. I did that while turning full 360 three times hoping to not move too much from the spot I started at. I wanted to catch all the details top to bottom, and all around, even though some of the edges get messed up when handheld photos are stitched. 

It is ironic that 2GB of photos must be reduced into a 5MB or so image for Facebook to accept. In the full image, especially on a large screen TV, you would see this 30,000 x 150,000 pixels image as if you were standing here next to me.

You can see my Yamaha WaveRunner jet ski, which was lost after a storm a few years later. The DJI Phantom 4 drone stood on dock ready on deck  for a sunset flight. 

A boat was passing my dock heading home. This was just four months before I would get Kennedy, my German Shepherd Dog you all know, as well as K2 a year after that.

© 2018-2024 IMRAN™

Super Low Temps Super Low Tide Super Bright Morning Super Beautiful Tampa Bay - IMRAN™

Super Low Temps Super Low Tide Super Bright Morning Super Beautiful Tampa Bay - IMRAN™

© 2024 IMRAN™  

Saturday Seaside Sailing Lover On Weekend Afternoon Before Below Freezing Midnight Tampa Bay Tonight - IMRAN™

Saturday Seaside Sailing Lover On Weekend Afternoon Before Below Freezing Midnight Tampa Bay Tonight - IMRAN™ 

A zoomed in iPhone photo through a window twenty feet from me makes the colors a bit muddy.  That goes with the muddy tones of the day and the low tide as this neighbor spent quite some time setting up his vessel on a cold winter Saturday. 

I can’t even try to name the different types of wind, surf, sail, and sea sports combinations I get to see here. The temperature is heading to -1C tonight here, which is still better than -8C at my Long Island home. 

© 2024 IMRAN™ 

#IMRAN #winter #sailing #boating #freezing #sailor #mariner #TampaBay #ApolloBeach #Florida #iPhone #photography 

The Mask Of… A Man Of Many Talents, And It Wasn't Me - IMRAN™

The Mask Of… A Man Of Many Talents, And It Wasn't Me - IMRAN™

I have always admired people who can draw, paint, or sculpt, because I have no artistic talent myself. One of them is Stefan Wall, a young man who used to clean my swimming pool a few years ago. He impressed me with his kindness, intelligence, and creativity. We became friends and kept in touch even after he moved to the west coast for a new opportunity. 

Stefan had many talents and passions. He was a caring son who looked after his sick mother. He was a successful entrepreneur who built his own drones from scratch long before they became popular. He was also an artist who experimented with different media, such as clay pottery and masks. 

He gave me this mask as a gift when he left. It was one of his first creations and I cherish it. I recently put it in front of a red LED light and took this photo. The mask has a strong and mysterious but not scary glow. I wanted to share this photo with you and tell you the story behind it.

© 2023 -2024 IMRAN™

UrUXSux When You Literally Repeatedly Send Meaningless Notifications - IMRAN™ I opine regularly about User Experience and Customer Experiences for almost 20 years. I love speaking at CX/UX conferences. LONG ago, I even started #UrUXSux on the platform that is now unusable and called X. I still have thousands of screenshots to share from hundreds of companies, orgs, sites, and real world photos of places/signs, and more. Some are at the page I created for it at: "CustomerExperience UserExperience UserInterface Design Aren't Rocket Science!" linked in the comment below. The idea is not to insult but to highlight the ways UX/CX/UI still seem to be secondary thoughts or completely missing in the product or service or site design. To be fair I do not exclude anyone. That includes companies like my own employer, or companies it owns, like this platform and others. Since its acquisition by Microsoft, LinkedIn UX has gotten less-crappy (I still cannot call it good) over the years, but some of it is still weirdly bad. For example, meaningless repetition of notifications of the same useless info -- literally within the same hour - is one frequent example on LinkedIn. As you can see, I was notified that 36 people (why that weird number?) saw my post. Not that there was any engagement or comment that I needed to respond to. Just that 36 random news feeds randomly saw something I posted for fun. Then, within the same notification stream, literally the next one a few minutes later is that... drum roll.... 39 people (and why THAT weird number?) had seen my post. Again, useless information and definitely not worth sending me two notifications about. I would love to hear examples of bad UX/CX from here and other businesses/orgs. And who do you think does something really well that we (and others) can learn from. © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #IMHO #commentary #UX #UI #CX #CustomerSuccess #customerexperiences #customerobsession #designthinking #LinkedIn #cxinnovation #cxoinsights #cxtrends #cxleadershipUrUXSux When You Literally Repeatedly Send Meaningless Notifications - IMRAN™ I opine regularly about User Experience and Customer Experiences for almost 20 years. I love speaking at CX/UX conferences. LONG ago, I even started #UrUXSux on the platform that is now unusable and called X. I still have thousands of screenshots to share from hundreds of companies, orgs, sites, and real world photos of places/signs, and more. Some are at the page I created for it at: "CustomerExperience UserExperience UserInterface Design Aren't Rocket Science!" linked in the comment below. The idea is not to insult but to highlight the ways UX/CX/UI still seem to be secondary thoughts or completely missing in the product or service or site design. To be fair I do not exclude anyone. That includes companies like my own employer, or companies it owns, like this platform and others. Since its acquisition by Microsoft, LinkedIn UX has gotten less-crappy (I still cannot call it good) over the years, but some of it is still weirdly bad. For example, meaningless repetition of notifications of the same useless info -- literally within the same hour - is one frequent example on LinkedIn. As you can see, I was notified that 36 people (why that weird number?) saw my post. Not that there was any engagement or comment that I needed to respond to. Just that 36 random news feeds randomly saw something I posted for fun. Then, within the same notification stream, literally the next one a few minutes later is that... drum roll.... 39 people (and why THAT weird number?) had seen my post. Again, useless information and definitely not worth sending me two notifications about. I would love to hear examples of bad UX/CX from here and other businesses/orgs. And who do you think does something really well that we (and others) can learn from. © 2024 IMRAN™ #IMRAN #IMHO #commentary #UX #UI #CX #CustomerSuccess #customerexperiences #customerobsession #designthinking #LinkedIn #cxinnovation #cxoinsights #cxtrends #cxleadership

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Sunset-Like Colors Linger On Cold Morning At Low Tide On Tampa Bay - IMRAN™

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K2 Enjoying Coconut At Stunning Caribbean-Like Tampa Bay Seaside Scene - IMRAN™ © 2024 IMRAN™ #GSD #dogs #GermanShepherdDogs #winter #TampaBay #Florida #beach #nature #IMRAN #humor #tranquility #Serenity #Caribbean #FloridaK2 Enjoying Coconut At Stunning Caribbean-Like Tampa Bay Seaside Scene - IMRAN™ © 2024 IMRAN™ #GSD #dogs #GermanShepherdDogs #winter #TampaBay #Florida #beach #nature #IMRAN #humor #tranquility #Serenity #Caribbean #Florida

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Surreal Sunset Sky Scene Selfie - IMAN™ Late November, 2023, as I did a drone flight heading back home from a walk, I wanted to try an HDR aerial panorama.So, 10 pictures were taken and stitched into this one. It's not meant to be flawless as a photo, so you will see artifacts. You can see Kennedy and K2 sitting mid-level on the front steps. The sunset was reflecting off the water (which the HDR gives a bit of unreal purple tinge to in some spots). But, just a fun selfie, seaside, seen from the sky, shared with you. Can you see the dogs and my name in the pic? © 2023-2024 IMRAN™ #aerial, #ApolloBeach, #DJI, #dogs, #drone, #Dusk, #Florida, #GermanShepherdDogs, #HDR, #HomeSweetHome, #IMRAN, #M3P, #MercedesBenz, #Nature, #palmtrees, #Panorama, #realestate, #S65, #Sunset, #reflections, #seaside, #beach, #WhiteHouseSurreal Sunset Sky Scene Selfie - IMAN™ Late November, 2023, as I did a drone flight heading back home from a walk, I wanted to try an HDR aerial panorama.So, 10 pictures were taken and stitched into this one. It's not meant to be flawless as a photo, so you will see artifacts. You can see Kennedy and K2 sitting mid-level on the front steps. The sunset was reflecting off the water (which the HDR gives a bit of unreal purple tinge to in some spots). But, just a fun selfie, seaside, seen from the sky, shared with you. Can you see the dogs and my name in the pic? © 2023-2024 IMRAN™ #aerial, #ApolloBeach, #DJI, #dogs, #drone, #Dusk, #Florida, #GermanShepherdDogs, #HDR, #HomeSweetHome, #IMRAN, #M3P, #MercedesBenz, #Nature, #palmtrees, #Panorama, #realestate, #S65, #Sunset, #reflections, #seaside, #beach, #WhiteHouse

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