Embrace who you are, despite the social norms.

Conforming to the standards of someone else will only cause you headache in the future.

True happiness cannot be achieved by working towards the satisfaction of somebody other than yourself.

We all have our quirks… We can either love or resent them… But they’re yours.

Live life. Laugh loud. Love long.

I’ll be posting something reader worthy VERY soon! I promise!

My life has never been an easy one to live. I have seen and done many things in what years I’ve been alive.. Through all the challenges I’ve faced, I can only wish that I’d have come on top every time. I’ve never allowed failure to discourage me completely. I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t discourage me at all, but then it’s only natural to be disappointed.

Instead of allowing those feelings to push me towards quitting, I harness it. I use it to remind myself how I don’t want to feel. I then try again. Persistence, and general stubbornness are just a few of my more flattering characteristics.

With my siblings back from Lebanon, I’ve now a bigger burden to heave. This should be interesting.

After more thinking than I’d care to have done, I’ve decided that moving South would probably benefit me the most. My decision is based on three factors: economy, family, future. Admittedly, the global economy is anything but promising; especially in the United States – but the potential to earn increases for a man of my skill, knowledge and contact base.

I’ve been living on my own for about a year, and despite what independence I have, I can’t help but feel a bit homesick and keep from missing my family. If I so decide to remain on my own, I don’t necessarily have to be 3,000 miles away to do so. Houston is a pretty big city.. And that’s an understatement.

As I’ve gotten fairly familiar with the job market in Ottawa, there is unfortunately almost no potential for sliding up corporate ladders. Most all jobs I’ve been graced with were, for the most part, dead-end jobs. The pay is alright, I suppose – but the expenses of living are ludicrous. If you’re working a $10/hr job, it’s very likely that you depend on a roommate to provide the other half of your rent – otherwise your entire month’s earnings are focused solely on bills, leaving you with nothing at the end of the month to store for a rainy day.

I’ve put too much thought into what I’d like to be doing a year from now to subject myself to the financial cruelties of bachelor life for a false sense of independence. I’ve learned many valuable lessons over the last 12 months… Starting with expecting the unexpected, and ending somewhere near budgets should include a plan for days of dire need..

With my confidence high in what decisions I’ve made, I’m well aware of what my next steps are. On the path to success, I can now see the paved portion of the road ahead…

I, myself, am somewhat of a nomad. Nomads have no permanent home, and generally move around according to the season. Though, thinking back on the time of year I had decided to move up to Canada, I’m not a very wise nomad. It’s no secret that winter is far from being my favorite of the four seasons; despite all my efforts to enjoy what most others do around that time, I just can’t seem to get used to the cold.

It’s been a year since I’ve relocated to the North. Instincts tell me it’s almost time to move on.. My logic tells me that if I keep moving around, I’m going to only make things harder for myself as time continues to roll on. Despite my hatred for the bitterness of the coming season, I just feel as though there isn’t much left that I haven’t done up here. I’ve tried, and tried to make things work. Regardless of all my efforts – I just can’t seem to get to where I’d like to be.

My move here was sporadic, to say the least. Actually, that’s probably the most precise way to describe my moving up to Canada. Spontaneous. Though I attempted to cover my bases before flying – it was all done in a very short time period… The whole process took me roughly 24 hours. From consideration, to actually leaving the States. My bases were “covered” in a time frame of about 10 minutes. Can’t exactly call that responsible.

As I’ve pondered moving back to the South, I’ve compiled list, after list. I’ve written out my goals. I’ve considered the economy. I’ve thought of how I’m going to attain my dreams.. How to become accomplished. I’ve begun to research the universities in Texas once again, to see what options they hold for a gentleman such as myself. I’ve completely changed the method in which I’d normally make a decision. Especially since what next moves I do make, I want to be not only life altering, but ground breaking.

With all things anticipated, good and bad – I’m still in the thinking phase of making my final decision. Yes, I said it. Final decision. Because that’s it. There’s no turning back. There’s no moving anymore. There is nothing left for me to do, but to move forward. To claw, and climb out of the low in which I feel I’m in. I don’t think it’s a bad thing that I feel as though I’m at the lowest point in my life, because now there is nothing else I can do but change my situation for the better.

There are many promises I have made; both to myself and to others, that I do not wish to break. I cannot break. I refuse to break. I wouldn’t even retract them given the opportunity. I don’t think that would be saying much about myself if I did.. And what it would say, probably wouldn’t be too flattering.

Determined to succeed, and turn my life around – I only have myself, and God to count on. I’ve learned the hard way that people tend to disappoint and are usually looking out for their own interests. So focus on myself as hard as I might, pray for guidance and complete my tasks as required – success can’t be that far along.

Let us take for example an experience from myself. A few weeks ago I ran into a problem. This problem happened to involve a friend of my friend. Rather than the gentleman with whom I had that problem being a total jerk about the situation, he was rather kind and understanding. Though any person in his position probably would have opted for the goof-card.

A few weeks later, and with the problem yet resolved, the good chap called me with a job offer. This person went out of his way to help me locate employment. He has no business doing so. It isn’t his problem whether or not I can make my payments on time. Yet, he assisted me anyways.

The most uplifting part of him helping me was probably due to the fact that the Friday before his phone call, I had attended prayer and heard a lecture on “akhoowa” or “brotherhood.” That Friday, the sheikh was stressing the fact on socialism in Islam. How it is almost lost in a society like that in which we live. The fellow with whom I had a problem had exhibited behavior that would be the exact opposite of what the sheikh had said he himself sees most frequently.

In Islam, we need to not only say we love our fellow brothers and sisters. We need to also put into action this love. When a Muslim encounters another, the love is at first shown through the greeting. A Muslim greets another by saying “Assalamualaikom” translating to “may peace be upon you.”

We as Muslims greet one another all the time. We’re being social!

Neigh. The greeting is roughly less than 10% of our duties to one another. What happens to the love I have for my Muslim brothers and sisters when one becomes in dire need? Where is my extended hand? Do I reach into my pockets to help another person put dinner on his family’s table? Do I offer to buy his groceries?

This is where we, as Muslims, fail to find one another. We see a hungry brother or sister sitting on the corner, and we rush past. We hear their pleas right after the Friday prayer in announcements, and we scurry to retrieve our shoes to walk out that door. My brothers, sisters, and fellow human beings – we need not carry the burden of everyone, but we should take a moment to hear them out.

We should not only open our hearts, but also our eyes and ears to all that is happening around us. When, and if we can, we should attempt to help one another to the best of our abilities. As Muslims, we should be model citizens, model neighbors, and model humans. For if we do not lift our heads, and extend our hands to each other, who indeed will extend their hands to us? Let us be those who others encounter, and are surprised by.

I attempt my greatest to fulfill my role… Do you?

“If you love, let it go. It may return to you.”

This is where your faith is to be tested. Do you believe in the power of your feelings? Do you believe in destiny? Are you ready to sacrifice the security of knowing, for a test of your beliefs?

Only time can truly tell if your feelings have deceived you. Only through patience will you realize what is really yours. Do not lose your faith in a test of tribulations. Seek guidance in Allah. Pray that He share with you His infinite wisdom. Work hard. Keep busy. Prove yourself.

Failure is not an option.