Category: Life

Lost in grief over Today’s world…

Yasmin2 Comments

I never thought I’d be spending my time witnessing a genocide on a “daily basis”. I never thought of how fast the world’s cruelty would ware me out and keep me up at night. I never thought how lonely and isolating this journey is… UNTIL, my husband pointed out that I WASN’T ALONE.

So this piece is for you, myself, and anyone who is struggling to live with themselves in the midst of the current geopolitical climate, where the disfigurement, murder, and displacement of CHILDREN is deemed justifiable by most Western powers and even necessary by all Zionists for the purification of the so-called “promised land”.

As I write this, my heart is filled with sadness and the essence of my being is full of anger and rage. Yet, I still try to remain composed and remind myself of the importance of being factual and not provocative towards those who are indifferent. For slipping on a regular basis would only undermine the cause I wholeheartedly believe in.

I thought I’d start with that to set the tone for what is to come in the subsequent paragraphs…

Our creator’s Promise

From what I have read and from my personal experience, I have realized that God tests us in three ways:

  • Success: how do we react after we get what we want.
  • Deception: how do we react when we don’t get what we want.
  • Uncertainty: how do we react when our patience is tested with the delay of what we want and/or pray for.

As a believer, I have failed the test not once, not twice, but on a regular basis ever since this genocide has unsurfaced publicly in ways never before since 1948.

Being tested with deception and uncertainty is not easy and should not be taken lightly. But that is no excuse for public outbursts (kind reminder to myself). Recently, I realized that I have become so overwhelmed by my activism that my faith has taken a huge hit.

With that being said, the Palestinian cause and our faith (in whatever form it manifests itself) is intertwined. For whatever change we would like to see in the world starts from within.

Therefore, as a Muslim, I should remind myself that every good deed will never go unrecognized and that all of this is not in vain for Allah (Arabic Translation of “God”) has a plan. The oppressor will never stand before our creator victorious.

A hole in my heart called Palestine

The Palestinian cause is not foreign to me, as an Asian-Arab born and raised in the Middle East. It has always been a part of my identity as it is a part of those who grew up in the same region as myself and beyond.

Furthermore, this is not my first time being vocal about it. Growing up, I remember owning a Keffiyeh (Palestinian scarf) and watching the news, witnessing the bravery of the Palestinians resisting their oppressors; be it by throwing stones or peacefully marching. Either way, Israelis have always found a solution to either murder or mutilate them and then justify their actions, taking the whole world for fools. But I am no fool you see and neither are you.

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Twenty nine years of age

Yasmin6 Comments

Before getting into the heart of the subject, let me apologize for my unplanned break. My husband and I recently moved to a new city and only now can I confidently say that we have settled in and are comfortable in our new environment; so, I’m officially back! back to blogging every other Sunday.

BACK TO THE BLOG POST… IT IS MY BIRTH MONTH!
I am officially 29 and kinda emotional that my twenties are coming to an end. And with that being said, I thought it’s only fitting that I’d share some highlights (lessons learned) from my 20s.

Age without context is meaningless

My husband always tells me that age is just a number; that being young in spirit is enough; that every time we achieve a certain milestone, we are considered beginners in that particular stage, and therefore, still young. While his words were comforting to a certain extent; they weren’t enough, until he told me this: age without context is meaningless. As we age, we evolve, and achieve new milestones. Do I prefer my life in my early 20s to my life today? No, I love my actual context. Hence, I came to terms with my age and learned to be content with whatever God brings my way.

Paralyzing fear of starting

A new activity regardless of its complexity can be scary. It is like jumping into the unknown, splashing paint on a blank canvas while hoping for an abstract look. It is paralyzing but when properly thought out, not insurmountable. It is like what Franklin D. Roosevelt once said:

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

From the moment we are born, the fear of falling is instilled within us. And as we grow older, the more fears we accumulate. Fear is a part of being human and learning how to control it is the only way to overcome it. I learned not to take fear as an enemy but rather as an emotion that is shamelessly a part of me.

Boxing in my fear in order to find the logic behind it is how I constantly overcome it.

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2021: the year of intention

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“The power of intention is the power to manifest, to create, to live a life of unlimited abundance, and to attract into your life the right people at the right moments.” – Wayne Dyer

This is not your typical new year’s post filled with resolutions and checklists. Last year was a challenging year for most of us; but with challenges come opportunities and as a person, I feel like I’ve become more sympathetic, empathetic, and communitarian and less individualistic. The 2020 pandemic taught me the importance of being intentional in everything I do and aspire to do/be.

I touched on being intentional in an earlier post without really addressing the concept behind it. Intentional living in simple words means, living according to your values and beliefs; focusing on the “why” and challenging status quo when needed. I used to live on autopilot, going with the flow, doing what everybody else was doing, not really giving anything a second thought. Everything has changed however, once I identified with minimalism and decided to question my values.

Having core values is important because they become the center of all the decisions that you will make on a daily basis. For example, if self-care is important to you, then you will work-out regularly; if you care about the environment, then you will consume less and recycle more; etc.

Reflecting back

Before I changed my way of living, I went down memory lane to pinpoint critical moments; moments that shaped me and had an impact on me (both, positively and negatively). Once that was done, I focused on the why behind each moment and identified some important questions, such as:

  • What am I doing on a regular basis to make me happy?
  • What am I doing now to work on my current goal?
  • Is there room for improvement on subject XXX? If yes, how?
  • How to progress on goal XXX slowly but steadily?

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New leaf 2.0

Yasmin4 Comments

All they wanted for me was to be mindful and conscious of the present moment. 

I remember the last heart-to-heart conversation I had with my uncle like it was yesterday. It was the three of us: my dad, my uncle, and I; chilling on the dinning table, finishing off dinner. I was listening in while my uncle and dad were reminiscing the good old days, just like two childhood bestfriends. Somehow, the conversation was switched to me. The topic was ambition; my ambition, to be precise. 

Rewinding back time, at that precise moment, I was a single 26 year old engineer with a stable situation in Europe. You can say, somehow, I was considered to be successful back home. However, both, my uncle and dad were shocked by my lack of ambition; they were really curious as to why I didn’t care about climbing the corporate ladder. My uncle was concerned that I was trusting my “self limiting beliefs” to be true. My dad expressed his concern as well. 

I reassured both my dad and uncle by telling them that the problem wasn’t my ambition; but rather, the ambiguity of my next steps. Slightly reassured by my vague reply, the conversation was switched back to the good old days and again, I became the active listener I usually am when my favorite people tell stories. 

Fast-forward two years later, after replaying the conversation several times in my mind, I realized that the key takeaways were mindfulness and that the definition of ambition is different for everyone. 

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A new leaf

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It has been approximately a year since I have last written something, be it for leisure or work. Writing is home to me; it is my special way of expressing myself to the world.

Firstly, I need to apologize for being out of sight. I know, every year, I start strong; commit myself to a ridiculous writing schedule and never get anywhere. However, I hope that 2018 will be different. As we bid farewell to this year, I’d like to take the opportunity to reflect and share my thoughts with you. This post will revolve around three words: heartache, contentment, and purpose.

To me, the past couple of months have been revolutionary in terms of both, personal and professional growth (more towards the former though). What makes this year particularly special is that I have lost as much as I have gained. Which made me come to realize that success and failure are very subjective. Consequently, leading me to question my beliefs and priorities in life.

The life of every human being revolves around five aspects: personal, familial, social, professional, and spiritual. Each aspect requires a certain amount of work and can be interpreted in various ways depending on one’s views.

Here’s what I think:

  • Personal: one’s relationship with one’s self.
  • Familial: one’s relationship with one’s immediate family: parents, siblings, spouse, and kids.
  • Social: one’s relationship with one’s extended family, friends, colleagues, and community.
  • Professional: one’s relationship with one’s career and professional progress.
  • Spiritual: one’s relationship with God. The creator of all things.

Now, as you are reading this, you are like DUH YASMIN, HOW ORIGINAL?!?

But bear with me. You see, despite me stating the obvious, we all end up making the classical mistake of only focusing on two aspects instead of all five. And that is not all, some people are even worse off than others when they choose the wrong two aspects to focus on at a given time.

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