Finding my inner strength

Happy Friday lovelies!

This has been a difficult week for me, as I've indicated before, Ramadaan is the start of my planning for the year ahead. It seems the very first week after the fast (of my new year) has hit me like a ton of bricks. Things have instantly stepped up a notch, professionally, emotionally, personally and also in terms of my studies and personal growth. However, I am the type of person who will roll with whatever comes my way, face it head on and tackle it to the best of my ability. I have to admit though, that it can be difficult to always be ready to engage when it would be so much easier to pretend that it didn't happen, isn't there or to crawl under the covers.

Over the past two weeks, I have expressed gratitude and thankfulness for my family especially. And this week, it has hit home how much I rely on their support and strength, even if they don't realise it. While the love and support from loved ones is vital, what is more important is the ability to heal yourself. Even though I rely on their support, I need my family more as an encouragement when I'm in a dark place and not to actually get me out of that space. To be of service to myself, I need to be able to access my own inner strength, which I have become so adept at calling upon, to carry me through hard times. For many people it is easier to ignore issues, as it takes so much energy to have to deal with obstacles, but they are usually the best way to strengthen oneself.

Obstacles are placed in our paths to strengthen us, sometimes for a lesson meant to be learnt and sometimes because things were not meant to be a certain way. For me, when faced with obstacles, I draw on inner strength, and find what I need inside me to be able to weather the storm. My peaceful place to access this strength is usually through prayer, a time when I am my most tranquil, with no outside noise interfering. Prayer will mean different things to different people, but essentially it is to be still with oneself, to communicate with Allah/ God/The Divine and access that connection that we all have to a power greater than ourselves. It is ultimately the responsible of each individual to live life to their best potential, to use the gifts granted to them and to be conscious of doing good. I am always learning, so have not found the magic 'formula' for doing this, but I shall continue to try and deal with whatever hurdles I encounter. Always with the support of my army at my side.

This week's quote:

"Above all,
be the heroine of your life,
not the victim."
- Nora Ephron

This weeks OOTD is my Eid outfit, which included a sequin mermaid skirt from Fabulous in Hijab paired with a plain ZARA boxy top and royal blue Ted Baker heels, both scored on sale. We had such a special Eid day, relaxed, even though I had a bigger cooking responsibility. This outfit was perfect for all day as it was comfortable, warm and stylish.