My Reasons for Feeling Uncomfortable with my Religion

Photo by Ryan Holloway 

Ramadan. It's the ninth month of the Hijri Calendar (Islamic Calendar) where Muslims around the world observe the practice of fasting from sunrise to sunset. It was believed that it was during this month that the Holy book, Qur'an was revealed to the final Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). A form of charity, compassion, empathy is doubled more so if acted upon this month because it is also believed to be one of the holiest months of the year.

It's the last week of Ramadan this week and I — am just going to say it without judgement — have only fasted once in my 24 years on this earth. That's right. I'm one of those "Chicken Nugget" Muslims who don't fast. And the reasons why? Well, let me break it down for you.

Disclaimer: This is my own honest truth, so it doesn't mean that it's the same for those who don't practice. Their reasons could be completely different. These reasons are my own. If at any point you feel anger or uncomfortable with this post, you're most welcome to close this page. No judgement from my end. 

Where it all started

When I was growing up, I was taught the Islamic religion. As a child, I used to pray at least weekly when my cousins would come over for some bonding, and we would pray together. It was a sort of bonding that is a distant memory that I only remember through flashing scenes and photographs from the past. But I think it was just a month or a few months in, and I stopped praying altogether.

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A Simple Reason Why You Should Accept Your Limits

I care too much about the sanity of my own mind and the edurance of my body to even try to push beyond my limits. I'm the kind of person who would rather take it slow and steady rather than to stress out my body too much to get where I want. Call me lazy, entitled, spoiled but that's just me.

We're grown to believe that hardwork gets you outcome. Which is completely true, but you have to know where your limits stand rather than working until you fall ill and start making careless mistakes because you're tired all the time. What are you doing to your body? Why are you pushing it so darn hard to achieve something that might not matter in 10 years time?

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Why You Deserve To Celebrate

During those days when the confetti pops because you graduated from uni, you hit a target, it's your birthday, or simply just because, becomes a challenge when we need to convince ourselves that we actually deserve the celebration; the smiles, the heart-warming words, and all that cake.

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Accept What Comes

I've grown up thinking I was right most of the time. I never liked to be wrong, so much so that I would get angry and agitated whenever someone would correct me, even with the smallest things. I remember having arguments with my siblings about something that doesn't matter now, and I ended up being at fault and on the wrong side. I didn't like it. Who does, honestly? It hurt my pride and self-esteem. It made me feel like I wasn't good enough.

I was young, I didn't know how to accept that I can't be right all the time. I didn't understand how the word accept would fit in with emotion and willpower. I thought it was just a word they used for when you get accepted at universities or jobs.

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If The Wind Still Blows, So Will I

I've gone through many instances in life where a situation is challenging. My yoga routine seems too off and too quick for me to deepen my practice, the asshole on the road honks and flashes for me to go faster, and when 24 hours just isn't enough for a day. The time has come when we have to cope and keep going, even if we want the weekend to get here already.

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Are You Ready to Give 2017 a Good Whack?

2016 ends in less than a week, we're wrapping up our accounts, ticking off the final things that need to be done, and giving our thanks to all who have made our year. But there is still quite a bit that needs to be done.

December marks a time of reflection and creation of new goals. What better to end the year feeling accomplished for the little things rather than dreary about the unfinished. So, let's do this together. Open up an empty Google Doc file, MS Word file, or go old school with a notebook and pen, and let's get to the finishing line.

So, are you ready to get hit by 2017? or are you ready to give it a good whack?

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Keep Your Passion Train Going

The colder it gets, the more I want to stay in bed with a nice cup of hot coco, and binge watch Empire. Alas, the bills and subscriptions must be paid, and the passion train must keep going! Choo Choo!

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Simple Words to Make a Point

Have you ever had to listen to a whole speech from someone after you've told them about your latest breakup? An existential crisis? Or how you hate your job? When maybe you just want to hear the words "It's going to be okay." instead of a speech. I'm one in many of those people who recite a line or three from a self-help book when friends tell me that their life sucks, I can't help it sometimes. But what if we say what we mean in simple words; instead of giving a motivational speech, to make a point?

Let's make it simple for all of us.

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The Benefit of Love Notes

Do you have post-its around your desk to remind you to do what makes you happy? or that everything is going to be okay?

After I put down The Secret  years back and started to change the way I thought, the first thing I did was create a Vision Board. And when Pinterest came along, quotes with gorgeous backgrounds and intricate fonts came to play, gave me more access to some eye candy; not men of course. Lol.

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Your Eat, Pray, Love Moment

Ever since I watched that movie back in around 2010, I craved for my Eat, Pray, Love moment. I wanted to drop everything and leave. I wanted something more and something new, but of course, it didn't happen since I was only 16 years old and had just started Uni.

I still believed that it would happen someday, though. And that day is will most probably come in very soon when the days turn from color to dull gray's and time would feel like a treadmill than a race. But, when? Even if the day is at it's grayest and time just keeps going, there are times that when we just don't budge because of fear.

We're scared of big changes like spending a whole year traveling, staying in a foreign country for months, learning a new language, or even changing jobs or quitting because you know your soul is slowly dying. Why don't we just drop everything and go? Why don't we ignore our thoughts of what if's and but what about the's and just go for it?

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Treat your Body with the Respect it Deserves

Treat your body like a temple. Treat it with love and the respect it deserves. It carries you. It takes you places. It helps you feel. It helps you exhibit emotions and take action. And it's you, so why not treat it well?

I'm not saying to eat your greens and exercise every single day; as much as it's preferred for everyone to do that, you don't necessarily have to. I'm saying that you should listen to your body and give it the love and attention it needs.

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How Yoga Helped Me Recharge

A few weeks ago, my schedule got booked with things I don't even remember; this happens way too much, I barely remember what happened yesterday. But I do remember being so busy that I had to stop practicing yoga. My body craved for it, but I couldn't make time for it, at all. As much as I wanted to get down and do a downward dog and some sun salutations, my body was way too tired to roll my yoga mat out. It was the first time in a very long when the most exciting part of my day would be bed time. Crawling under my sheets as the AC blew cold air to cool down the blazing humidity that summer has to offer. Bedtime became the best part of my day.

Finally, one late night when my mind was working too much to sleep, my yoga mat miraculously rolled out in front of me and the next thing I knew it, my arms were sore from sun salutations. Here is how yoga helped me recharge in the past week.

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Discovering Who You Are

The sea breeze rustles through your hair as you stand at the edge of the beach. Opening your arms wide to take the deepest inhale you've taken all day and exhale with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and love. 

That is the image that comes to mind when I think of the moment when we discover who we are. Of course, it doesn't happen that way, it usually happens over time, doesn't it? We do something for the longest time and finally ask ourselves, "Is this what I really want to do?" "Is this what I love?" "Is this me?" It is when you answer yes and/or no to these questions that bring you one step closer to discovering who you are.

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Maybe Those Goals Aren't for You

It's scorching hot again. We have to either go out with sunglasses on or a hat these days. Although, this little outfit was sitting in my drafts for a few weeks waiting to be posted up. My comfy, cosy, semi-casual, winter wear. When just a few weeks back, it was hailing for the first time in years and the weather was bipolar, now it's hot hot hooot and not very beach friendly with the strong sun burning our skin. But, that doesn't stop us from smiling while squinting our eyes from the bright bright ball of flame.

Let's take a moment to reflect on how the year was going so far. Are your resolutions intact? Have you accomplished 0.5% of your goals? Good for you if you have! Be proud of yourself! And if you haven't, well perhaps those goals aren't meant for you.

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Reconnecting to You

Through the days of over-booked schedules and passing out once we reach sanctuary we call our beds, we tend to lose ourselves in the process of achieving our goals. That was one of my major fears of getting a real job that gets me out of the house from 7-5, 5 days a week. A real job in a real office with different kinds of people in one building. A real job that would literally suck the life out of me and make me forget who I was. The fear that I would be too tired to think of my dreams and just think of the duties that come with my real job. The fear that I would be too exhausted to reconnect my mind, body, and soul. 

Through my 22 years, I've known a few people who would devote their lives to their job. There was a time when I would see them on a regular basis for coffee or dinner, but as they got their new jobs, I began to see less of them. When I do, they would always look so pale and drained, and all they would do is say how tired they were and how much work their bosses made them do. They would bring everyone down with their exhausted aura's and unmovable dreams of quitting and moving far far away.

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Brightening Your Dark Mood

One of the fastest way to brighten up your bad mood is to brighten up someone else's. Make someone else feel good and the good vibrancy will flow right through you in return. It's an amazing phenomenon that feels almost addictive.

Something out of the blue happened a few weeks back. As my day went on as usual with many toastmaster meetings, outfit shoot's, and design work, I receive a message from a friend whom I've know for just a year. It was a voice note that melted my heart with kind words, enormous gratitude, and pure love. That message made my week a brighter one. It filled me with joy for as long as I can remember; and in fact, just thinking about it now just made the euphoria come fluttering back.

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3 Things To Consider When Doubting Your Gut

You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you’re deciding if something is right for you or not? It isn’t a feeling that one can explain in detail, but it’s a feeling that everyone has experienced at least once throughout his or her life.

In any challenge that comes our way, whether it’s feeling adventurous while deciding whether to go left or right, or it’s trying to weigh the scales with a decision that could change our lives. When making the final choice, the one thing we listen to the most is our gut, our instincts, or that little voice in our heads.

How many times have you ignored your gut feeling and ended up in a situation you didn’t want to be in? No matter how much we tend to deny its impulses, in the end, our gut seems to always know what’s best. I don’t know exactly how that feeling in your belly is able to make the right choices, but I do know that if you ignore it, your decisions are often shadowed with regret. There are a few important things to consider when doubting your gut.

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Fuck It and Get Out There!

I’ve always been the kind of person to run away from my problems; the kind to always hide whenever I get the sense that something in my life is about to drastically change. I would lock myself in my room, turn off my phone, hide under the covers and wait for it all to go away. Once I snap myself out of it, I would fall into a state of depression and complain that my life sucked. Along with that, I began to hate myself for acting like such a coward. I knew that I needed to get out and do something. Heck, I really wanted to, but I never got the courage to just fuck it and get out there. It all seemed too scary for me.

When a guy would show interest in me, I would run away, stop replying to his texts and block him out of my life for months, sometimes even forever. When a job opportunity would come up, I would over think so far into the future that I would end up running away and telling them no.

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Is The Universe Really Against You?

One of my favorite motivational sites The Indie Chicks has decided to shut down. When I received the email my heart broke a bit, but I realized that I'm more grateful for that they have given me than sad to see them go. They helped bring my 2015 to life with my first ever proper article published online and with so many other motivating, inspiring, and badass women out there who contributed to the website. They got me excited and gave me a space to write my heart out and help others. I will forever be grateful for the ladies who made The Indie Chicks happen; Julie, Chiara, and Chrystal, and for literally making me a better person.

Since they will be shutting down their website and magazine. All the articles on that website will be deleted. So I've decided to repost my articles on here for everyone to view once again whenever they need a boost of motivation.

You’re 20 minutes late for work, so you rush and drop your phone in the process. There is a little dent, but not a crack. As you’re almost to the office, someone bumps into you, and spills their coffee all over that new blouse you decided to wear today. On top of it all, you think you stepped on gum, your phone keeps buzzing with emails, and the guy who spilled coffee on you now blames you for the situation. Is the Universe really against you?

We all have our good days and our bad days. But there are times when our good days would turn into bad ones, and rare moments when our bad days would turn to good ones.

Do you remember those few times when your day completely turned around and from waking up with a bad stiff neck and panda eyes, you fall asleep with a smile, and maybe still have a little bit of a stiff neck, but you felt good about the day nonetheless?

Sometimes, it seems pretty easy to turn a good day into a bad one. Just one negative thought or action can drastically change your entire day. Perhaps you stubbed your toe at the end of a table and you start to swear and groan in pain. While hopping around on one foot, you knock over your coffee mug and a stack of paperwork that you spent hours working on, so you end up in pain both physically and emotionally because your favorite coffee mug is now shattered and you can’t buy a new one now because you’ll have to clean up the mess and redo the paperwork that is now soaked in coffee.

Here is a virtual hug for all of you who have gone through a situation like this. It’s okay, everything will be fine.

Now how does a bad day turn into a good one? Well, that’s all up to you. As your day goes, everything that happens is all up to you. Whether you go to your favorite restaurant or try that new one across the street, the decision is all yours. But here are a few things that may help you along your way to a great day.

Have Faith

They say that hope is faith’s sorry cousin, which is true. Hope implies wishes and dreams, while faith implies action, goals and certainty. Wake up every morning, know and have faith that today and everyday of your life will be filled with great opportunities, excitement, and overwhelming feelings of joy. Sit in bed for a bit and repeat the words out loud or in your head, “Today is going to be a good day. Today is going to be a great day” and let those words sink in for a bit before you get up.

Smile & Be Grateful

Smiling is the best kind of make up. When you smile, the certain muscles on your face gets stretched and relaxes, and can instantly brighten your features. People tend to forget what you’re wearing or how your hair looks when you give them a bright smile. Start smiling and thanking others for even the smallest gesture as opening a door or holding the elevator. Thanking others with a smile may turn the other persons day around, and by knowing that it may even brighten your day.

Indulge in Something Great

Focus on things that calm us down like, knitting, reading, meditating, eating, or watching your favorite TV show. Sometimes we need that little something to help us boost our days. Now I’m not saying skip work to spend your entire day eating a tub of your Ben & Jerry’s and watching Netflix. I’m saying you should make time to indulge in the good things in your life. Read a chapter of your favorite book during your lunch break, or go to your favorite coffee shop and indulge, and savor every word and every sip. There is something about letting your senses take over that relaxes a person.

Don’t Forget to Breathe

When all of the above seems to slip away and your good day meter has gotten a little cray cray. It’s always good to breathe. Take a deep, deep, deep breath through your nose letting all that air fill your lungs and abdomen, hold that breath in for a few seconds, then breathe out slowly through your mouth.Repeat this a few times and focus on your inhales and exhales. Breathing deeply can relax your body mind, and allow you to think clearly. The slower you breathe and observe your breathe the more breathes you’ll take in your life.

The decision to having a good day is in your hands. It’s all you. The only way the universe will go against you, is when hell breaks loose. So don’t fret, have faith that the rest of your day will be a great one, smile, be thankful, indulge in the things you enjoy, and breaaaathe.

Have a wonderful day everyone, and good luck!!




Image Credit: Shutterstock and The Indie Chicks

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It's Okay to Say No

Let's face it, the whole world revolves around time. We schedule everything according to how much time we have in our day. Some of us plan a whole lot of things during the day that would eventually leave us with only 4 hours of sleep at night. We would do this for every single day until we give up and face the truth. We can't. Handle Everything. 

Why do we put so much on our plate when we know that we can't handle it? Why do we go on agreeing to things that we aren't really into? Why do we think that we can do everything but we really can't because it's just too much? 

I believe that it's just how we sometimes are. We subconsciously take on so many projects and so many extracurricular activities because what if these things won't be here tomorrow? And here comes that phrase that everyone hates, You Only Life Once (YOLO). It's inevitable, this phrase not only has become viral, but it also speaks the truth. Some of us subconsciously think "yolo" and accept the challenges and projects in front of them when in reality they don't really need to. 

Some of the things that we take on don't really need to be taken on. We don't have to sign up for every workshop out there or say yes to every client that emails you. It's okay to say no sometimes. We're only human. We can't reprogram ourselves to work like mindless robots because we aren't. We get tired, exhausted, anxious, and we crave for a weekend out once in a while. 

| Denim Shirt & Shoes - H&M | Sweater & Bag - Forever21 |

| Necklace & Jeans - Thrifted |

Photo Creds: Najla Qamber

So, it's okay to let things go sometimes. It's okay to say "I'm sorry, I'm swamped all week.". And it's okay to admit to yourself that you're tired and that it's time to take it easy.

Take it easy this week. Try not to stress on anything that doesn't matter as much.
Relax and just enjoy life, you deserve it.

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