"الوجود هو. الوجود هو في ذاته. الوجود هو ما هو."

Alright, let’s dive into it. The essence of this quote is all about existence and reality — the idea that things simply are. They exist on their own, without needing any external validation or justification. Imagine you’re sitting in your favorite coffee shop, your latte in front of you. That latte is just there. It doesn’t need to prove its latté-ness; it just is what it is. Sounds simple, right? But there’s a deeper philosophical point here.

Historically, this quote comes from the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. He was a big deal in the mid-20th century, and he spent a lot of time thinking about existence and what it means for something to "be." After the chaos of World War II, people were questioning everything, trying to find meaning in a world that seemed pretty meaningless. Sartre’s idea was revolutionary because it stripped away all the fluff and got to the core of things: existence in its most basic form.

So how does this play out in real life? Let’s say you’re at work. You’ve got a ton of tasks piling up, and you’re feeling overwhelmed. You might start to question the point of it all. But if you take a step back and view each task as simply “being” — not something that defines you or your worth, but just as tasks that exist — it can lighten the load. The report you need to finish is just a report. It doesn’t say anything about you as a person. It just is.

Now, how do you apply this wisdom? Start by practicing mindfulness. When you notice your mind spiraling — overthinking a conversation, stressing about a project — remind yourself that these things simply are. They exist in their own right. This can help bring you back to the present, grounding you. It’s a neat trick for reducing anxiety and finding a bit of peace in the everyday chaos.

Picture this: You’re at a party. You don’t know many people there, and you start feeling self-conscious. You think, “Do I look okay? Am I saying the right things?” But what if you shifted your perspective? Recognize that you, as you are, just exist. You don’t need to be anything other than yourself. You don’t need to perform. You’re just you. And that’s enough. That shift can be liberating. You’re no longer trapped by external pressures or expectations.

I remember a time back in college when I was prepping for a big presentation. I was a bundle of nerves, convinced that one misstep would spell disaster. But then I had a lightbulb moment — what if I just focused on the content itself, rather than my fears of how it would be received? The presentation was just that: a presentation. It existed independently of my anxieties. This mindset shift didn’t just help me nail that presentation; it’s something I’ve carried with me ever since.

So, next time you’re caught in a web of overthinking, remember: being is. Your job isn’t to control everything — it’s to recognize that things simply exist. Embrace that simplicity. It’s a powerful way to cut through the noise and find clarity in the most chaotic moments. And who knows, it might just change how you navigate your world.