15^th Jumada II 1444A.H

Dear ,

As salaam alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu.

I hope you had a great weekend.

My letter to you today will be short because frankly speaking, this girl is exhausted from the million and one things I 'have' to and 'get' to do in this adulting and mothering business. Ya Allah, I am not complaining oh, your girl is just expressing herself and mustering all the feeling of gratitude that she can muster. 😅😅. Alhamdulillah ala kulli haal. Despite how I feel, I am writing to you tonight because I have a commitment to myself which I am choosing to keep.

, change/evolving is that necessary and unavoidable process that we require to grow and become better humans, yet I acknowledge that it is one of the most difficult acts to IMPLEMENT AND SUSTAIN. So, I want to share a short expose on it today with the hope that it serves as a reminder for you and helps you approach the process of change with grace during the course of year and beyond.

, here are some things about change I want you to always bear in mind:

• It is not a one time and done situation. It is usually a slow and gradual process so we need to understand that it may take weeks, months or even years to hit certain milestones we set for ourselves. Some days you will feel on point and some days you may backtrack but do not dismay. You know all your role models, favs, and ma shaa Allah GOALS sisters? I can bet you they have been working on themselves for a yearsssss.
• Change is a revolving cycle. We evolve till the day we go back to the earth.
• Change can be hard, so give yourself grace as you go through the process. Be kind to yourself! An opposite approach might just be the recipe for disaster. Don’t get me wrong now, I am not saying you cannot call yourself out when necessary, but balance is KEY.  Excessive harshness or criticism of self only leads to a boomerang effect!
• I would like to slightly contradict myself with this fourth point. Even though I have mentioned above that change is usually slow, it can also be quick by Allah’s will. I am sure you know one or two people that went from 0- 100 real quick and yes, they are still sustaining the momentum.

• The process of change/ evolving is a TEST, and you must strive to PASS it. In the process, you may get confused; frustrated, and even overwhelmed. You may be misunderstood; you may lose family and friends but what you do in the face of a trial? You engage your SABR muscle.
• Whether we like it or not, as humans we are always changing. The question you want to sincerely ask yourself is. Am I evolving forward or backwards?? This is where the concept of “choice” and having the "right GOAL" comes in.
• In this business of changing, you need God to help you on the journey. Don’t even slack on this one. It is Allah that will grant you comfort on the extremely challenging days.
• Evolving the right way is beautiful 😍
• You do not need anything grand or lofty to instigate change in yourself. You just need to start with who and where you are.
• Another vital ingredient you need when trying to effect a positive change in your life is to back it up with SYSTEMS. Systems encourage gradual execution and consistency. If you haven’t already, I invite you to listen to the “LIVING BY DESIGN” episode on the Radiant Woman Podcast. In this episode, I share on how you can intentionally design your life to live maximally.
• Lastly, the best change is one rooted from the inside out. The type of change that comes from a resolve to embody an identity sincerely.

With these few points of mine , I hope I have been able to convince you to please go easy on yourself when you are trying to change a habit or some areas(s) of your life for the better.

Change can be very daunting, but you must be dogged in your quest to become better. You must crush the feelings of overwhelm that may come with it by breaking down the process into little bit sized steps and taking ACTION one day at a time.

This expose on CHANGE was extracted from a speech I gave at the Muslimah Tranquil Space event about a month ago and I had promised to share with you becauseeee what are friends for? 😃😃.

Talking about events; in case you didn’t know or for some reason haven’t heard of the THRIVE webinar. Here is an invitation to join me online on the 14^th of January 2023, let’s talk about the ways we can step into a life of purpose, progress, and peace. Check it out and register HERE.

{P.S to thrive requires some form of change, so this is actually a good read prior to the session 😉 }

If you have registered, 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼. Expect log in details and reminders from me during the week in shaa Allah! Please share with your family and friends who will benefit from the webinar bi ithnillah.

As I round up this letter , do share with me which points about change you will be keeping at the forefront as you effect changes in your life throughout the year. Hit reply and let me know.

May Allah assist you and I. Ameen.

Your sister,

Sekinat.