7 ways to be productive while driving

While driving to work and back, I recommend 7 things you can do to make your experience while driving more meaningful: 

1 - listen to an audiobook.

You get to read more books in the span of week. The only difference is someone else is reading it for you.

2- learn a language. 

What language do you want to learn? Download podcasts on your phone that teaches the language you want to learn. Repeat the phrases out loud. Commit the new phrases to mind. In no time you'll already be speaking another language with your friends and family. 

3 - listen to an inspirational or educational talk.

If all this while you've wished for self-improvement and personal development but feel that you've never really had time. Now you finally do!

4- karaoke 

If you love to sing, then this is the best time to sing your heart out. Choose songs that are inspiring, that lift your spirit. As Muslims, we can choose songs that increase our remembrance of Allah and His messenger Muhammad saw. 

5- Memorize a Surah/ Ayah from the Quran.

Or simply listen to the Quran and you will be in a state of Ibadah and get reward while commuting/ driving.

6- listen to Islamic lectures

You can download many Islamic lectures by many renowned speakers on your podcast app on your iphone/ iPod. As humans we err on an hourly basis so we will surely benefit from those reminders.

7 - talk to God.

So many of us choose to be angry about our drive time, and it develops into road rage. Instead, try to use that time a little more peacefully. Your 30-60 minutes in the car is a good time to hash out everything that’s on your mind with Him.

These suggestions will hopefully make your ride seem quicker, and you will be (almost) reading while you commute.

Also try to leave for work early, and cut out early in order to minimize your commute time, and maximize free time:)

 Al-Asr  "By time, Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds and advise each other to truth and advise each other to patience.”

Reasons why you haven’t achieved anything in life

My sisters and I are all different in both personality and outlook in life but we all share one thing in common – we want to be successful young women. We recently talked about how we felt like we hadn't  achieved anything much in life and we were mostly frustrated that we hadn’t reached our personal goals that we set for ourselves in our early 20s. It was only after talking to each other that we realized that we all had achieved success in our lives. This brings me to the reasons why you think you haven’t achieved anything in life, when in fact, you actually have. During that discussion with my sisters, while each of us could only point out our flaws and lack of success, it was apparent in the eyes of the other sister that we were already successful in life.

Through the other sister’s eyes ‘success’ is defined in different ways:

·         Being organized despite having to juggle between work and home

Or..

·         Staying at home with kids and being able to give attention, education and wholesome meals for them while working part time

Or..

·         Working independently in a business and being innovative with  limited resources

Or..

·         Being able to do as Allah asks in appearance and acts, an not being afraid of this Islamaphobic world that we live in 

Or..

·          Practicing what you preach and making it a duty to better other people’s lives

The moment we stopped focusing on academic success, monetary rewards, rank or fame, we understood that being successful is simply doing your best in the consequences that Allah destined you to be in.

I write this for myself because more often than not, I am my own worst critic and I tend to focus on my weaknesses rather than my strengths, and I often beat myself up for not achieving my goals on time.

I beat myself up for not being enough, 

for not doing enough,  

for not saying enough, 

for not achieving enough goals on time.

Sometimes, if you really look, you already have what you need to achieve your goals..

You might hate your job and think that you should be doing something else or be in a better place.

That’s not true.

You are where you’re meant to be. Allah knows best what’s good for you, and you don’t.

If you’re still feeling unsatisfied with your life, it’s CLARITY that you need. What is it that YOU want in life? Not what others want for you, and not what others think you need. What do YOU want?

Have CLARITY.

Write a list of the things YOU want in life. Only then you’ll find that you’ve achieved A LOT in life and when you have CLARITY, you are clear of what goals YOU want to achieve in this life. Put your TRUST in Allah, and he will take you where you want to be inshaALLAH. And if He doesn't take you where you want to be, it's because He knows better. 

Remember that in Islam, true ACHIEMENT (victory) lies in doing everything for Allah's sake according to the teachings of the Quran and living the life of the Sunnah of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w. 

When writing your GOALS in life in what YOU want in this world, make sure it aligns with the meaning of ACHIEVEMENT (victory) in Islam..

For example

WHAT I WANT IN LIFE (GOALS)

1.       I want to be a humble slave of Allah

2.     I want to be an adorable wife

3.       I want to educate my child

4.       I want to be financially okay

5.       I want to help others see their potential

6.       I want to contribute to charity

7.       I want to simplify my life and help others do the same

8.       I want a house interior that projects calmness

9.       I want to learn and practice the Sunnah/life of the Prophet

10.   I want to call others to Allah

I

I I I want to memorize the Quran

I IiI want to pay off debt

When you are absolutely clear about the things YOU want in life, you are already SUCCESSFUL, this is your definition of ACHIEVEMENT.

Achievement is not in the number of followers that you have, the multiple degrees you obtain, the car that you drive, the money that you make. It’s in fulfilling what YOU want in this life with the intention to please ALLAH. Trust that Allah has given you enough to do all the things YOU want and only HE can make  you happy. Anything else that worries you, push it aside. Is it in the list of things you want? No? Well push it aside.

Every difficulty that you face, if it’s in line with the things YOU want, it is a blessing.

 It helps you mature.

Tell yourself.. “This difficulty.. it makes me stronger, builds my character,  beautifies my soul, strengthens my dependence on ALLAH and increased my patience and endurance. By enduring difficulty, I became more mature and now I can take on anything that comes my way.”

Keep calm and keep doing the mundane routine even if it bores you because it will help you achieve YOUR goal. 

Keep sane and keep helping others even if it hurts you if that is ACHIEVEMENT in your eyes.

This is part of GROWING and this is YOUR definition of success. Your definition of ACHIEVEMENT.

Keep your GOALS in mind, and keep doing what you need to do to get there. 

Put your TRUST in Allah and be optimistic. Allah knows what's BEST for you.

 

What's the Secret to Happiness?

Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week, focusing on particular topics.

One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily irritations or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation.

So.. What's the secret to happiness?

The secret is in expressing gratitude, daily.

Thank Allah. 

Ya Allah, Alhamdulillah for all the difficulties that you blessed me with - they make me stronger, build my character,  beautify my soul, strengthen my dependence on You and increase my patience and endurance. By enduring difficulty, I became more mature and now I can take on anything that comes my way.

Ya Allah, Alhamdulilah for all the blessings that You gifted me with. The gift of breathing, the gift of thinking, the gift of being able to see the beauty of the world. I'm not on life support, I wasn't born mentally retarded, and I am blessed with eyesight, while others are blind and only see black.

I promise to do my daily prayers on time, because it's the best way to thank You Allah. When I am thankful, I am happy!

15 Things I Learned in 2015

1. Be true to be you.

2. Accepting your weaknesses doesn't mean you're weak. 

3. Let people be and accept them for who they are. Beautifully, annoyingly, literally. Don't try to change them.

4. Your child is not a reflection of your parenting. She is her unique self.

5. You can and should offer help but people won't always appreciate it. 

6. Be okay with giving your all and be okay with not getting the results you were expecting.

7. Perfectionism is your ultimate enemy. "I will do it all or I will do nothing" attitude to life is never okay. Have something, do something, be something. It doesn't have to be perfect.

8. You can never solve people's problems but you can be there to listen and support them.

9. You are not what happened to you, you are who you choose to be.

10. There is no such thing as luck. Life is a choice you make. It's called fate.

11. Help only comes from Alllah swt. No human being is capable of accomplishing anything on their own except with the help of Allah swt. When you have Allah, you're not afraid of anything or anyone.

12. Every single person is special.
When you walk into a room don't judge them for how they appear to be but think about what part of their life molded them to be the way they are.

13. Food makes everyone happy. Be generous with food and always eat on time!

14. Having passion, hobbies and goals in life is what makes you feel alive.

15. You are everything you think you are! Weird, emotional, deep, fun-loving, innovative, silly, kind, stupid, intelligent, disorganized, organized, romantic, annoying, reflective, talkative, sentimental, loving, thoughtful, blind.

Life is full of lessons and the best lessons come from those who've lived it; and from those who are seeing it for the first time. This year,
I hope to take more time to learn from elders and children 

Calmness is the Answer

What is this pain?
Is it a test of faith again?
Words swirl in the dark,
Leaving an abrasive mark.

Laughter is not medicine,
Smiling is a chore,
Your efforts are pulling you up,
A weight presses you down.

My dear, you are a servant,
Bow down to Allah,
Whisper and scream and cry,
He hears your torment. 

You look above,
With a blanket of love,
He covers you with his Mercy,
He knows, He knows. 

Surely He is with you,
You know what to do..

React with calmness
in any situation you're put through.

When You're Feeling Down

The hardest thing is getting through life pretending everything is okay.

We all do it.

You and I.

You are not alone, my friend.

We've tried.

We know.

No one can erase our problems.

Not even ourselves.

We turn to Allah and we watch our hardships dissipate and disappear.

Alhamdulilah, Allah has brought us home.

When Allah is in our hearts, we are home.