Take What You Need…
~on showing up, navigating negative emotions, confidence & humility, trusting Allah & more.
“My life path is my own. Allah has created me unique, with my own set of gifts and talents, challenges and trials, and there is a reason I am still here. I still have work to do. I still have something to contribute. I still have a legacy to build. I am needed here.”
~Excerpt from ‘Show Up’ by Na’ima B. Roberts
nobody at all:
literally nobody at all:
me to me: fine, i’ll write.
“Your decision to start showing up is the beginning of a journey, a beautiful journey towards both self-acceptance and fulfilling your highest potential. Isn’t that worth a bit of discomfort? Now is the time for it, if not now, then when? And, if not you, then who?”
~on confidence & humility
recognize your strengths, after all, they’re from Allah. He grants His favors to whom He wills, it has nothing to do with you. so don’t be oblivious to these strengths, that’s not humility…far from it. you recognize your strengths & attribute them back to Allah.
key phrase: attribute them back to Allah.
again, it has nothing to do with you or your abilities. Allah does whatever He wills & grants His favors to whomsoever He wills.
“…I wanted to share with her a different way of looking at other people’s words of praise. Rather than seeing them as assaults to be warded off with a self-effacing “I’m not really that good”, why not see them as reminders of Allah’s Mercy, His generosity, His gifts to you? Why not use that opportunity to return to Him in praise and gratitude? Why waste that opportunity by denying the truth: that you have been gifted with abilities and skills that are needed and appreciated by others? If you are fortunate enough to have people around you who thank you for what you bring, who are appreciative of and acknowledge your skills, talents or wonderful qualities, don’t squander that. Hear what they are saying. Allow it to sink in. And allow it to make you grateful to Allah (swt), the Giver of all these gifts.”
That is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of Mighty Grace.
[Al Jumu’ah, Verse 4]
~on navigating negative emotions
pain is inevitable but suffering is very much avoidable. & what transforms pain into suffering is your perception of situations.
after all, thoughts affect feelings, which in turn affect behavior/actions.
you can still feel your emotions & navigate accordingly. you don’t have to drown. & it’s okay if you do sometimes, but you can choose to not make that your default.
There can be some value in compartmentalizing. It is ok to tell yourself, “I can’t feel this at the moment, but at some point today, I’m going to allow myself the time and space to really feel the impact of this.”
Just to be clear, compartmentalizing doesn’t mean that you don’t revisit those emotions. It means that you pause for a moment, do what you need to do, and then come back to them later.
REFLECTIONS I
someone said she realized she made a lot of mistakes, she’s human & just not perfect…& that’s okay. i felt it…self forgiveness & istighfaar.
“And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allâh’s Forgiveness, he will find Allâh Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
[Surah An-Nisa, Verse 110]
REFLECTIONS II
مكتوب, “maktoob”: it is written.
what will be, will be. what will not be, will not be.
trust Allah. trust the process.
is there anyone who wants better for you than Allah who has created you & loves you unconditionally? The Lord of the worlds whom we can neither benefit nor harm. Allahu Akbar. Internalize that statement because truly, Allah is the greatest.
i have hope, not in my own abilities but i have hope in Allah. the one who created the heavens & the earth. nothing is impossible for Allah, He is capable of doing EVERYTHING. for Him it is just ‘be’ and it is. & He does answer us. it might not be in the way we expect & that’s okay. it’s always good for the believer, always. there will be no stories that touch, alhamdulillah ala kulli haal.
-From the Journal of AR
REFLECTIONS III
i used to say “alhamdulillah ala kulli haal” in mostly “bad” circumstances but i’m beginning to actually internalize the statement. now i find myself saying it in the good times too because truly, Allah is worthy of praise IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE. like duhh. i got it wrong for real.
“And if you were to count the blessings of Allah you could not enumerate them”
[Surah An-Nahl, Verse 18]
THIS.
REFLECTIONS IV
when you have Allah, you have everythingggg. this dunya actually gets overwhelming. the highs & lows of life. but my heart goes, “hasbiy Allah” & i feel sooo comforted. because truly, Allah is sufficient for me.
relying on myself never took me anywhere, only exhausted me to the core. sufficient for me is Allah & unto Him i rely.
"وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ نَسُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَأَنسَىٰهُمْ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ"
And be not like those who forgot Allāh, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient
[Surah Al-Hashr, Verse 19]
most of the times that i feel lost or disconnected from myself, i feel it probably stems from a shift in my relationship with Allah.
REFLECTIONS V
someone said “our dreams and ambitions will not delay death” & i would be lying if i said i didn’t feel that.
“You plan, you worry, but Allah has already decreed all that shall happen and all that has happened. Things could change within the blink of an eye.”
We plan, Allah plans & Allah is the best of planners ✨
I wish I knew this earlier. I’m glad I know this now. (~A Mindset Shift)