Twenty-Six

All my life I had been postponing living, postponing any dream, wish or goal I had “until”. I pushed everything back in order to focus on my studies, and all that got me was that at twenty-five years old I realized that I hadn’t done a single thing I wanted to do. All I did was focus on a future that refused to come, and wait on living until my life had passed. I was supposed to have everything I ever wanted by 2015, and instead I had absolutely nothing. Twenty-five was the year I decided to put a stop to that, the year I decided that I would live today and never postpone anything for any reason ever again.

And so, twenty-five was the year I surrendered to the present and said yes to every opportunity. It was the year I stopped fighting the current, and started swimming right along it. It was the year I found the self I’d lost, the year I created countless memories full of love, laughter and smiles. It was the year I gave a Tedx talk, the year I scratched things off my bucket list. Twenty-five was the year I re-invented my entire view of my future, the year I found happiness and content. Twenty-five was the year I changed my own life, and it was nothing short of miraculous.

Twenty-five gave me so much, and until the very last hours it continued and it gave me ideas for the gifts I traditionally give myself before a new year of my life begins. First and foremost, I give myself the gift of opportunities. If life won’t present you with that which you seek, go out and create it yourself. I give myself the gift of taking control, and creating my own opportunities and my own good fortune and luck.

My second gift is a promise. I promise myself that twenty-six will be even better than twenty-five. I promise myself a year that fills me with pride, a year of achievement and making a name for myself. I promise that my past will never be my present again, and that the future will not ruin my now in any way.

And finally, for my birthday, I give myself the gift of good advice. You made the mistake of focusing on the now that will lead to the future you want, and exiling everything else once before. Do not make that same mistake again. But do not commit a crime against your dreams in the name of avoiding the mistake. You have a vision, you have a dream –make them into a plan. Work today as though you have nothing to wait on in order to reach those dreams. Start creating that future, not just by studying, but by actually beginning the long and grueling building process now. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the required ingredients yet, it doesn’t matter that you don’t have your degree or the means to make it all real. Build it, build it now, today.. that is the only way it can ever be built. When your dream is unreal, the path you take will surely leave reality behind.

Trust in yourself, in your deepest goals and in Allah. You’re driving blindly, but he can see –let him lead the way. Follow the path, and along the road begin to build your dreams. And while you’re at it, I strongly suggest you enjoy the ride. Life is not the station we’re driving towards, life is the ride.

Happy birthday..