As soon as I open my eyes and my day starts, I begin to think of the ways my life isn’t going right and how I’m not doing what I need to do to fix them. I even consider the amount of years I’ve spent learning to choose better for myself so that I don’t regret the choices I made. This morning, I’ve chosen differently. Alhamdulilah. This morning, I want to list some of the good things that are happening for me, in point form:

1. I’m alive. I woke up this morning, unlike some people who probably died in their sleep last night.
2. I prayed fajr, semi-on time! WOOHOO! This is something huge for me. I’ve been keeping a streak of my praying habits, and I’m trying to achieve specific goals when it comes to my salah, which I like to call “alone time with Allah.”
3. I’m doing the thing I love, albeit this early in the morning. I’m writing for a blog I created. I desire to be more consistent with my article posting schedule, but I need to take one step at a time. It is up to current Umulkhair and future Umulkhair to collaborate and mend their bond.
4. I’m living in the now. I’m living in the here, the present. Alhamdulilah. Right now, I’m not thinking about who did what to me in the past. I’m not thinking about how I’m destined for hell and how I should just give up on everything. Right now, I’m here, writing this and I’m thinking of good things.
5. I have a brain and ten fingers and ten toes. I am able-bodied. Alhamdulilah. I don’t cope with what people with physical deformities struggle with. Alhamdulilah.
6. Nothing is stopping me but the limited beliefs I was made to inherit from a young age. Today, I cut ties with all limits and doubts. They aren’t good for me. They most likely come from the shaytan, and I want nothing to do with that cursed thing.

So, yeah. Life is good. As Zuko’s rendition of Uncle Iroh once said, “don’t forget to look at the silver lining.” I’m okay. This morning, everything is good. Alhamdulilah. I want to do this all the time. I want to start my mornings off correctly, insha’Allah. I believe this will be good for me. It’s better than what I’ve been doing so far, which is moping and focusing on the negative. Yes, I’m going to quote Uncle Iroh again because he is my hero and we should all be like him: “If you look for the darkness/bad things, you will see nothing but darkness, but if you look for the light, you’ll find your way or something lol.”

I wish this weren’t true, but some people don’t want to see me doing any good in life. It’s quite unfortunate how they’re so insistent upon my downfall. I don’t know what they stand to gain from such negativity, but this morning, I’m sending good vibes their way. May Allah swt allow them to see that life can be filled with good moments. May the Most Merciful grant the shifa and ease upon ease. Ameen!

I believe I’d get the most out of my life if I knew exactly what I was going after and followed a structure. I should get to that, you know. Make a structured pathway to getting what I desire from this life, insha’Allah. Then I can say that I made the plan and followed it to the best of my ability, and leave the rest to the Most Merciful.

فِي أَمَانِ اللَّهِ