![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mlybgetq2uip.i.optimole.com\/tf1vXHs-eVHDz74H\/w:1024\/h:683\/q:auto\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflint.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/andrea-sonda-ihDDSaHXvEc-unsplash.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBut while the black sky and the pin-drop stillness of the after-hours is my comfort zone, its ability to climb down from up there, wherever it sleeps when the world is awake, sit right next to you and stare down into your soul can be a bit much sometimes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too much silence. Too much staring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At night my thoughts, the tangled mess of the good, the bad, and the ugly, are the loudest. Naturally, there isn\u2019t much to drown them out. The noise of life is missing, the tantrum of a parent, the robotic drone of an educator, the giddy chatter of a lover.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being forced to come face to face with your thoughts, the ones you push away during the day to focus on things that require more attention like an assignment, the laundry, or a friend in need, can open the floodgates of anxiety. Processing emotions in a healthy way, one that enables us to look at a thought or an idea as a separate entity, a creation of our psychological being rather than the embodiment of it, keeps the peace up there, but it\u2019s not always that simple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n More often than not I find myself lying awake, tired but unable to slip into the sweet nothingness of sleep because my brain is telling me that I need to finish tasks A, B, and C tomorrow-but also, I said something to Person X today morning and now they probably think I\u2019m dim and what if I do nothing worthwhile with my life, what if Person Z is lying to me and I really wish I was anywhere but here and I really should fall asleep right now, I really shouldn\u2019t wear that dress and just phew<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a high-speed train and it\u2019s making too much noise. But I can\u2019t pull the chain on this one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, I agree in a full capacity that a thought vomit in your head is the most natural reaction of your brain after it\u2019s slogged all day. Add to the mix the unrealistic standards of social media, the nasty competition that\u2019s turned our lives into marathons, and societal constructs of the desirable and the anti, and you have chaos at your hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I know for a fact that almost every single one of us out there feels bitterly alone in this struggle. Like most of the demons we deal with internally, which we believe are entirely unique and completely unheard of, you and you and you, you all think you\u2019re the only one.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is fair because, in personal experience, the belief of this loneliness has helped me validate my negative thoughts, give them the space and the air they deserve so that they don\u2019t become stale and start stinking up the rest of my mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The stress that comes with taking a negative whisper and transforming it into well, just a whisper, is as real as it gets. Some nights I feel it, the physical exhaustion of trying to keep the volume down up there. But you know they aren\u2019t real, not really, and you can extinguish that flame before it turns into a raging fire. Of course, it\u2019s easier said than done, but it can <\/em>be done. We can turn noise into music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why nighttime is still my time and will be till the end of my time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can\u2019t convince me otherwise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nighttime is my time.\u00a0I firmly believe that the latter part of our 24-hour spin on Planet Earth is far superior to the former. I can picture the Moon sitting on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":7258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[206],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7253","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sparks-of-the-emirates"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/mlybgetq2uip.i.optimole.com\/tf1vXHs-Rb_VGnd-\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:auto\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflint.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Untitled-1.jpg?fit=1600%2C1000&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7244,"url":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/?p=7244","url_meta":{"origin":7253,"position":0},"title":"When bees go haywire. How stress rattles the ADHD brain","date":"March 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row type=\"in_container\" full_screen_row_position=\"middle\" column_margin=\"default\" column_direction=\"default\" column_direction_tablet=\"default\" column_direction_phone=\"default\" scene_position=\"center\" text_color=\"dark\" text_align=\"left\" row_border_radius=\"none\" row_border_radius_applies=\"bg\" overflow=\"visible\" overlay_strength=\"0.3\" gradient_direction=\"left_to_right\" shape_divider_position=\"bottom\" bg_image_animation=\"none\"][vc_column column_padding=\"no-extra-padding\" column_padding_tablet=\"inherit\" column_padding_phone=\"inherit\" column_padding_position=\"all\" column_element_spacing=\"default\" background_color_opacity=\"1\" background_hover_color_opacity=\"1\" column_shadow=\"none\" column_border_radius=\"none\" column_link_target=\"_self\" column_position=\"default\" gradient_direction=\"left_to_right\" overlay_strength=\"0.3\" width=\"1\/1\" tablet_width_inherit=\"default\" tablet_text_alignment=\"default\" phone_text_alignment=\"default\" animation_type=\"default\" bg_image_animation=\"none\" border_type=\"simple\" column_border_width=\"none\" column_border_style=\"solid\"][vc_column_text] With a mind that\u2019s already rushing on to the next shiny\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "You 2.0"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlybgetq2uip.i.optimole.com\/tf1vXHs-YFC__MIJ\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:auto\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflint.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/stress.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6325,"url":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/?p=6325","url_meta":{"origin":7253,"position":1},"title":"\u2018Look Here\u2019, Massive Marble Baby appears in Fujairah","date":"January 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The year is winding down and everyone is prepping for celebrations and a new omicron wave. However Kilometres away, a giant sculpture of an infant appears in Fujairah. https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CX8CYnClhNp\/ Carved from white marble, the infant looks to be fast asleep. However, this sculpture evokes twinges of pity and sadness as\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5790,"url":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/?p=5790","url_meta":{"origin":7253,"position":2},"title":"25 years on, stolen Bond car found in Middle East","date":"January 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"An Aston Martin DB5, that was used in the classic 1964 Bond film Goldfinger, has finally been tracked down. And it\u2019s lurking somewhere in the Middle East! A heist straight out of a movie Last seen in 1997, the car was stolen from a secure airport hanger in Florida. And\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlybgetq2uip.i.optimole.com\/tf1vXHs-qwx1cbOl\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:auto\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflint.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/qingbao-meng-330658.jpg?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6319,"url":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/?p=6319","url_meta":{"origin":7253,"position":3},"title":"Alhosn App: Get your doubts cleared","date":"January 19, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"To keep up with the ever-changing nature of the pandemic, the tools used by the government have also evolved. Alhosn, the innovative app used by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, has been a mainstay during the pandemic and is widely regarded as a key player in safeguarding the UAE\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","img":{"alt_text":"hands with latex gloves holding a globe with a face mask","src":"https:\/\/mlybgetq2uip.i.optimole.com\/tf1vXHs-YXpv1M-F\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:auto\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflint.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/pexels-photo-4167544.jpeg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7320,"url":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/?p=7320","url_meta":{"origin":7253,"position":4},"title":"Your brain hates you as a boss. Here\u2019s why.","date":"March 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"For many of us, we spend every day griping about our bosses. How they are creating a toxic culture, how they take part in back-biting, favoritism, and good old sexism. And it\u2019s fair to vent it out to someone. However, this conversation you\u2019re having with your friends and colleagues has\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Work+Money"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlybgetq2uip.i.optimole.com\/tf1vXHs-QU8A7sla\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:auto\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflint.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/brain-main.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7340,"url":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/?p=7340","url_meta":{"origin":7253,"position":5},"title":"Why having no pride jeopardizes your career & your dreams","date":"March 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Now, before I start, let me be clear. I\u2019m not asking anyone to become a raging egomaniac and consider themselves a god at work. That doesn\u2019t help anyone and will most probably make you many enemies (For good reason) But. Having zero pride will endanger your career, your work, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Work+Money"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/mlybgetq2uip.i.optimole.com\/tf1vXHs-iQsMvOXc\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:auto\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflint.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/pride-main.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7253"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7259,"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7253\/revisions\/7259"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theflint.me\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mlybgetq2uip.i.optimole.com\/tf1vXHs-Dz-5Qtov\/w:683\/h:1024\/q:auto\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflint.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/christian-lue-cEhwpyyb3fs-unsplash.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mlybgetq2uip.i.optimole.com\/tf1vXHs-ANnPK2p7\/w:1024\/h:683\/q:auto\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theflint.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/noah-silliman-gzhyKEo_cbU-unsplash.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n