Imposter Syndrome

It’s no secret that women – more than men – often undersell their skills and abilities when applying for jobs. They underplay their achievements as mothers raising children and running a home at the same time. They usually need someone else, observing from the outside, to tell them that they’re doing much better than theyContinue reading “Imposter Syndrome”

Learning from Others’ Mistakes

When going through life, we inevitably come across encounters with others which cause us to reflect on our own lives. I’m no exception to that. Recently, I was engaged in a conversation with someone who was expressing their viewpoint about a sticky family situation. Whilst listening, I was coming in and out of focus andContinue reading “Learning from Others’ Mistakes”

Friendships to Cherish

It’s a cheesy statement but I’ll say it anyway. “Good friends are hide to find.” As we sail the murky waters of life, we learn to steer our boat well and come through the tests and challenges that life throws at us. A lot of this couldn’t have been done without having been bolstered byContinue reading “Friendships to Cherish”

Self-Confidence in Phases

When I look back on my life, I can see that as I evolved from childhood to mature adulthood, there have been bouts of self-confidence that have also come in different bursts or phases. There have been different circumstances that have leant themselves to this change over time and so much so that I sometimesContinue reading “Self-Confidence in Phases”

Letting Go of Ego

Without a doubt, one of the hardest things to do… This is a lesson that takes years to accomplish and one I have been grappling with recently in a very personal way. I wonder if I can even claim to have succeeded? Like all humans, I sometimes suffer from puffed up pride – that feelingContinue reading “Letting Go of Ego”

Measuring Happiness

The idea to write about this in today’s blog post was inspired by the fact that I was recently asked a question in a group discussion of divorced Muslim women. “Where would I place myself in terms of happiness post-divorce, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest score?” Without hesitation,Continue reading “Measuring Happiness”

Small Emergencies: Big Impact

A couple of days ago I was abruptly woken up by a loud bang and the gush of water coming from the en suite bathroom. Within a few minutes, the bathroom floor had been flooded and I found myself stamping on towels to mop up the excess water. Alhamdulillah, I had also managed to awakenContinue reading “Small Emergencies: Big Impact”

Marriage: To Arrange or Not?

As my sons move through their lives and complete different milestones, so too do they reach new ones ahead which are yet to be accomplished. Right now, I am waiting for them to secure jobs in their respective fields and then insha’Allah, further down the line, think about marriage. This seems to be the naturalContinue reading “Marriage: To Arrange or Not?”

My Sister’s Cat

It has been a tumultuous week. Shifu, the Master, my sister’s pet cat, who was a beautiful presence in our lives, has left this world forever. He had brought so much happiness in the lives of all those who’d met or known him. For that reason, he will never leave our hearts. He epitomised theContinue reading “My Sister’s Cat”

Changing Places

Over the last few years, there has been a lot of activity in our household in terms of who has been moving in and out. My sons are now all young adults and university has been the preoccupation for them in recent years. I’ve got four sons who are all at different phases of theContinue reading “Changing Places”