Guard your pen as you write the best story of your life

Salaam alaykum waramatulah,

It's been a while here. I didn't mean to ghost y'all but I had to. When I wrote the last edition of the Skilled Muslimah,  I was just recovering from the stress I accumulated over the course of the first semester of my final year as an undergraduate. I needed that edition as much as every other person who could relate to burnout. So I took a month-long break from writing to you.

Stories are important because they give us a better view of the personalities behind the statistics. They give us reasons and meanings. While growing up as an awkward introvert and a curious kid, I had a habit of reading people. Unlike nerds, I didn't spend my childhood reading books. I spent most of it reading people. At first, it served as a survival skill, then it served as a means to escape reality and entertain myself.   Then I fell in love with memoirs. I love reading memoirs because it gave me access to a wider range of people and a real glimpse into other people's lives.

Photo by Infralist.com on Unsplash

While I recovered from the burnout, I spent a lot of time looking into my story to notice patterns and some habits I wanted to change to become a better version of myself. It wasn't the easiest thing to do because it exposed some of my doubts and insecurities. However, during this period, I learnt so much about the importance of my story, of my actions and inactions. I've always known that my voice matters, but sometimes I ignore it just to fit in the crowd. The break taught me that it is okay to be an outcast and that our differences are what make us unique.

As you go into the new week, I hope you'll continue to tell your story without holding back. I hope you won't hide your identity to fit in with the crowd. I hope you'll guard your pen as you write the best story of your life. I wish you the courage to own your story and remain dedicated to your aspirations. I wish you the strength to defend what you stand for.

With love,

Umaynah