2016.It all depends on you.

Assalam Aleykum Warahmatullahy Wabarakatuh!
Hey Guys!

As promised, here are the rest of my tips to an awesome 2016!If you haven’t read my previous post, I recommend reading it before going ahead with this one. All you have to do is click here.

Well, lets roll!

Practice Gratitude.

There’s something about giving thanks that ultimately humbles a person. As someone who is an adamant complainer (I know, I’m trying to work on it),one easily gets really caught up in all the hustle and bustle of life and suddenly one day you wake up and all you see is negativity. And it’s terrible. Giving thanks always helps me put things into perspective. Furthermore, it isn’t rocket science. What I like to do is start from within. For example I could ask myself, what qualities of mine do I love the most? And then move from there. My gratitude ‘mantra’ would sound something like ‘I’m grateful for my life and that I’m healthy and I’m better than I was yesterday. I’m grateful for my eyes and my hair, for the love I have for my family, friends and nature, and I’m grateful for Islam…etc. Alternatively, I would just say Alhamdulillah, which basically translates (in lay mans language) to OH ALLAH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING I’M JUST SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW I CAN’T EVEN BREATHE YOU DESERVE SO MUCH PRAISE  I’M JUST SO GRATEFUL YOU HAVE NO IDEA BUT YOU PROBABLY DO BUT EITHER WAY THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! *paraphrased*

However, sometimes you can get into a routine of just saying things for the sake of saying them. Like absent mindlessly saying Alhamdulillah or I’m grateful for water, the sun the trees…blah blah blah. That doesn’t really work, you need to go deep and be really sincere about what bounties you’ve been blessed with and I promise you will see a difference in your life; especially when you’re having a bad day, week, or even month.

Just Do it.

Did you guys know that I started a clothing business in 2015? Pink Apparel is by far one of my greatest achievements Alhamdulillah, and although I have so many obstacles to overcome, I’m not planning on giving up on this. Everyone has dreams and things they want to accomplish. However, most of the time we think too much about the hows and what ifs that we get discouraged because we feel that it’s too high of a mountain to climb and thus we end up giving up before even beginning.

Pink Apparel started as a closet sale. I was trying to get rid of some stuff that were wasting away in my closet but were still in really good condition, and so I figured, why not sell them? Whatever the outcome, I would sleep knowing I had put myself out there. Furthermore, running my own business is something that I’ve always wanted. Before long I was getting calls from people all over asking me whether I had more stuff and that I should inform them when I had new stock. And the rest is history!

The point of this is to show you that if you really want something, go and get it. I was in my third year of uni, going crazy with all my responsibilities, but that didn’t stop me.  Work with what you have and stop making excuses that you’re not ready yet, that the timing isn’t right, that the people around you aren’t right. At the end of the day, we are incharge of our own lives. Allah (sw) has given us all we need to pursue our dreams and goals.  If you don’t go after you want, it’ll be all on you, so just go ahead and do it.

Don’t ever give up on what is important to you.

For those who are avid readers of my blog, I salute you for all your support and for putting up with me. Sincerely speaking, I really appreciate you guys because you have no idea how many times I thought of deleting this blog. I felt like I had no direction and no idea what I was doing. But all your positive feedback and my love for writing reinforced me into not giving up.

Through this blog and other blogs that I love to read, I’ve learnt so much about myself and transformed into a much better person. Granted, I’m not there yet, but I’m getting there in shaa Allah. 

We live in such a fast paced society which has turned us into people who don’t really know the essence of taking time to hone your craft. We expect immediate results and if we don’t see them, give up without a second thought. We are constantly comparing ourselves to our counterparts, and using them as yardstick for success, but Rome was not built in a day guys, that’s just it. It may take a day, a month, or even years to get to where you want to go but that doesn’t mean that you won’t get there. Direction is so much more important that speed. And that’s something we need to constantly remind ourselves of. My question now is this, if it’s something that you love to do, what the hell are you waiting for? Get started!

2015, despite all the hardships, all the rants and complaints I filed against you, you were good to me. Or rather I was good to myself. The amount of change and growth that has overcome me is definitely incredible. I grew up, and I’m grateful to Allah (sw) for that. But I realize that it wasn’t the year itself that made the difference, it was the moments in the year. Moments that I decided to create and bring to life. Because once upon a time, 2015 was a new year, and now it’s dust and ashes, only memories remain. And so it shall remain with 2016.Its just a year. Old or new, it makes no difference. What causes a spark is the moments we decide to make out of it. To me, everyday is a chance for a new resolution, for a new goal, for an improvement and a celebration. A new year is a momentous affair where reflection is warranted, and people decide to be better or even to just be. It really all depends on you.