reflection

Do a little something…
Do a little something… 2000 1333 Nadir Keval

Read something.
Learn something.
Write something.
Meditate something.
Reflect something.
Grow something.
Believe something.
Love something.

This mindset and series of reminders is one of the ways I keep myself focused and motivated daily. I believe that every day, we are able to work towards accomplishing most of these. Not every day will include all of these goals, but having the higher ambition will result in finding the path to daily betterment.

Taking out time daily to grow and become a better version of yourself through, action, reflection, and ambition, is key to accomplishing our goals and turning our visions into our realities.

Take this mantra and print it out, put it on your wall so you see if every morning and remember that you deserve to grow and take care of you.

What would you add to this list of things you should work on daily?

Poem: Because You Love You
Poem: Because You Love You 1680 1050 Nadir Keval

Eat with wisdom and without regret.
Sleep to recharge.
Work smart and hard.
Smile big and often.
Learn something new every single day.
Choose happiness.
Love with all your heart.
Pray to reflect and grow.
Growl at fear and punch it in the face.
Stop thinking so much and just do things.
All for one simple yet crucial reason:
You deserve to love yourself.

Copyright © Nadir Keval 2017

Photo: https://www.onnit.com/academy/can-you-create-sustainable-happiness/

3 Hurdles on the Journey to Success
3 Hurdles on the Journey to Success 1920 1280 Nadir Keval

Many of us have ambitions and goals, but perhaps just as many of us get overwhelmed by the drive needed to achieve those goals. We fear the overwhelming struggle, the possibility of failure, and the unrelenting force of self-doubt that eats away at our potential. What I have learned over the years is the importance of us embracing that struggle, staring down that fear, and ignoring that voice in your head telling you that you can’t accomplish anything you set your mind and heart to.

Fear is inevitable. It’s a part of what helps us understand who we are, and it challenges us to overcome different things that come our way, helping us grow and become better as individuals in our characteristics, skills, and so much more. (You can read more about my thoughts on facing your fears here.) There’s one beautiful reminder about faith that makes facing your fears much easier: “Allah does not burden a soul with more than it can bear.” (Quran 2:186) What that tells you is that regardless of what you face in life, God guarantees that you will never face anything you can’t bear. It means that He KNOWS you can handle everything you face. And because we also know that Allah only has us experience things that will help us become better versions of ourselves, we know that us overcoming our fears will result in us reaching new heights in accessing our true potential. How beautiful, encouraging, and reassuring is that?? As for the individual fears I mentioned above, let’s break them down one at a time.

1. The Struggle

We’ve all heard the saying, “Nothing in life worth having comes easy, and nothing that comes easy is worth having.” A pretty great reminder, if you ask me. Sure, you may come around the occasional unique case where something falls into place without much work, but to depend on that occurrence as our path to success in our endeavors is like living a half-assed life, expecting someone to come around one day with a briefcase of millions of dollars for you. Umm…sorry for breaking your bubble if that’s what you’re hoping for, but my friend, it’s probably not going to happen. I would recommend that you work hard towards your goals, and if you just so happen to stumble upon that kind of fortunate circumstance, simply consider it a bonus.

Hard work is it’s own reward. It’s true. When you have a goal or dream you’re striving towards accomplishing, every little success feels like a huge motivation and push forward. Successful people wake up every morning with the ambition to take steps forward in their goals, and to get a few extra little successes under their belts, and that acts as part of their fuel for the next day. I personally get excited every time I get the code I’ve been struggling with when designing a client’s website, or coming upon an epiphany for a logo or branding scheme for a client. Or, when I would see a coaching client overcome something they were afraid to face. Or, when I would come up with an idea for a quote, poem, or article to write. These may seem like really small experiences, perhaps even unimportant in the larger scheme of things, but every little success is worth appreciation and embrace, because these little things are exactly what remind us that we’re on the right path to fulfilling our goals. Keep going towards your goals, and work relentlessly until you accomplish your goal, or life leads you and your heart in a different direction that’s better for you.

2. The Truth About Failure

Failure can be one of two things: the fuel to your success or the fuel to your destruction. Which of the two it’ll be is up to you.

Personally, I’ve failed so many times during my journey to success, and actually fail in small ways almost on a daily basis. But, I recognize that those failures have come in my life path for the sake of helping me grow and build on my skills and talents. I know that God has put me on this world to help people, and that can be difficult at times when it comes to trying to support your family and future. I face criticism and ridicule often as I try things and stumble, and can sometimes have people telling me that I will never succeed, or that I should just give up on trying. Still, I push forward, have faith and patience, and work my butt off every single day, while trying to learn and grow from my experiences. If I let the reactions of others towards my journey and failures eat away at my mind, or affect me in any way, I would definitely see myself fall into self-destruction. The reason I say self-destruction is because it’s truly self-imposed. We choose what we let in and what we let out of our minds. We have to remember that no one knows our journey better than God and our own selves. As long as we keep God in mind with every step, give our hearts to Him, and work relentlessly towards what we want in life (within moral bounds, of course), we can remain steadfast in our steps forward towards succeeding in our goals.

Another beautiful thing about failure is that it keeps us balanced and humble. It reminds us that we’re human, and that reminder is hugely important when we have big expectations. It’s through this falling and failing that we learn how to get back up and keep going. It’s through these setbacks that we are brought towards the right timing for our success, and are reminded that we should stay humble and levelheaded with our potential and skills.

There is enough in this life that pushes its way into our life and minds to the point of causing us sadness and fills us with a test of hope and faith. Don’t pass the test of failure in that process. Failure is truly a blessing and an opportunity for us to become better versions of ourselves, and what better thing could we ask for than that as we strive every day towards personal development and growth?

3. Destroying Self-Doubt

Ah, the internal evil that resides in even the best of us: self-doubt. No matter who you are, you’ve surely experienced this to some degree. But, the beauty of life is that we are never faced with anything that we can’t bear, and we are often capable of so much more than we think we are. As Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” What that reminder told me was not only that we have to always try something before we know we can do it, but also that we can only know how much we are capable of through us pushing the envelope with our comfort zones.

Like I mentioned above, letting the words of others get to us is something that can happen only if we allow it to. What’s even more important to keep in mind though is that the same goes for our own negative, pessimistic, or skeptic thoughts. We are hardwired to think out all of the options, and life’s rollercoaster-type nature causes us to fear the worst and doubt our own capabilities. Often, we put up a front that we have what it takes to take on the things that scare us, but I think that it’s much easier to become courageous than to fake fearlessness. When you face every day, remind yourself that you are capable of so much more than you can imagine, and that there is nothing that can come your way in life that you aren’t able to handle. You are stronger, wiser, and more capable than you think. People will try to convince you otherwise, and life will challenge you often to make you think otherwise (if you let it), but I assure you that your success and happiness is simply past those things you doubt being capable of doing or achieving.

Ultimately, when it comes down to it, there are two things I believe combine to create the formula for guaranteed success = unrelenting and ridiculous work ethic + an ever-growing knowledge and application of your beliefs and values. Figure out what you want to dedicate your time and efforts to, and what your beliefs and values are, and then face life head on. With these two things, you will find everything you’re looking for, and then some. Of course, there are so many more details to these two components for each individual person, and I’d be more than happy to coach or mentor any of you in that endeavor. You can send me an email at mail@nadirkeval.com to set up a free consultation, but till then, I hope this article will be a great starting point!

Now, I want to hear from you! Join the conversation! Leave a comment below telling me about some fears you’ve conquered, or share some insight into some other ways you have taken on these or other hurdles on your personal journey to success 🙂

Question: How do I cope with heartache?
Question: How do I cope with heartache? 1536 1024 Nadir Keval

Question:

How do I cope with heartache?

Answer:

Assalaamu alaikum,

Insha Allah, this reaches you in the best state of health and Imaan.

Heartbreak and heartache are some of the toughest things to face in life, but it’s also important for us to go through these things in order to grow and become better versions of ourselves for us and for those who are in our lives or will enter our lives in the future.

When it comes to heartache, I’ve personally found that it’s all about setting your mindset a certain way, giving things time, and most importantly, faith. The first step is to accept that it’s best for you to move on, and to have conviction in the fact that if someone is meant for you, that person will be in your life regardless of what happens. That may require you two to go through periods of separation, difficulty, struggle, etc. but if this person is who Allah has meant for you, nothing will be able stop you two from coming together.

“No amount of guilt can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future. Go easy on yourself, for the outcome of all affairs is determined by Allaah’s decree. If something is meant to go elsewhere, it will never come your way, but if it is yours by destiny, from it you cannot flee.” – Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him)

With that said, it’s also important to remember that we plan and Allah plans, and He is the best of planners (Quran 8:30). Meaning, there are things we may see as being best for us, or someone we may consider the pinnacle of perfection, but if things don’t work out with that person, it means that Allah has someone even better out there for us. It’s always a win-win situation when you maintain this mindset because either Allah will give you the person you want now because they’re truly the perfect fit for you, OR He will replace that person with someone who’s even better than who you thought was the pinnacle of perfection! Allahu Akbar! How merciful and generous and wise Allah is! 😀

The other aspect of this is time. We’ve all heard the say that time heals all things, and for the most part it’s true. In this situation, there are phases that you’re going to go through as you work towards growing past this part of your life: letting go of the person, healing from the pain the experience of being with and ending a relationship caused, and finally, rebuilding your self into a much stronger and wiser person. These phases will take time, so you must be patient and positive, because at the end of the day, Allah had that person in your life for the time he was there, but now, perhaps him being in your life any longer would have hurt you and your future.

This brings me to my last point: having faith. We have to accept that who and what comes and goes in our lives is all for our benefit. Sometimes, we have to be broken slightly in order to grow. Sometimes, we have to broken greatly in order to grow. Sometimes, we are simply given what we need to grow. Life will always have its ups and downs, and when it comes to heartbreak and heartache, all related to love, one of the most desired and pursued component of our lives, it will take a great deal of effort and discipline to get there.

My remedy for growing past heartache and heartbreak has always been to turn to Allah. To build on my relationship with Him, considering He is the Facilitator of our affairs, and it is with Him that our hearts and lives lie. He is our Master and the One who loves us more than anyone else possibly could, so it is only wise to work on pleasing Him and building our relationship with Him in order to find ease in finding love and happiness in this life and the Next.

I hope this answered your question, insha Allah. If you’d like to discuss your specific experience or situation more in an one-on-one session, you’re more than welcome to email me at mail@nadirkeval.com, and we’ll set something up, insha Allah. Till then, take care! 😀

Wassalaamu alaikum,

– Nadir Keval (www.nadirkeval.com)

Poem: Engraved
Poem: Engraved 1920 1080 Nadir Keval

I can’t get her out of my mind
ever since I realized that she’s truly one of a kind.

This is not because she is imperfectly perfect,
or, because she is perfectly human.

It is not as though my heart is deserving of her,
or that she is someone I am worthy of…
though I do hope I earn that space one day,
God-willing.

It’s not her wide smile,
or her childlike laughter,
or that she laughs at the most peculiar things,
making me shine in a light that I have never felt before.

It isn’t her mind, body, or soul.

Though, her mind inspires me,
as she speaks with such passion,
even when she finds it hard to breathe,
because God has given her blessings
of tests to show His Love for her.
Her thoughts scaling the deepest of valleys,
and climbing the highest of mountains,
all in search of truth and sincerity,
and every opportunity to change someone’s world.

Her body makes my adolescent fantasies seem unworthy,
because she is shaped in such a way that it is clear
that it takes a special man to be worthy of seeing her.
Her shape comes not from form-fitting clothes
proclaiming their presence
by expressing every crevice,
but rather it comes from the love and respect she holds
towards herself and all that she possesses,
knowing that God has given her something,
that many can only try to manufacture,
and that she must one day return her body to Him,
in the best possible condition.

Her soul is simply awe-inspiring,
as God has built a connection with her.
She now sees Him as her friend, her support, and her everything.
She yearns to earn His Love and Mercy,
and strives to be her best.
And this soul is one that I aspire to adventure into further,
hoping that one day, I’ll be blessed to journey with her.

She’s not on my mind because I see her in everything:
my passion for cooking has shaped itself to please her palette,
my fashion on the daily is inspired in hopes of seeing her happy.
I see her in every face I see,
from the lost soul I mentor,
to the child’s eyes full of possibility.

All of these things are simply a bonus,
because she is constantly on my mind for only one reason:
God has engraved her name into my heart.

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Poem: The Test
Poem: The Test 2560 1600 Nadir Keval

Even the most patient of men,
are tested with patience.
In fact, that is where the core of their tests lie,
especially in the matters that matter the most.

Take for example the matter of love.
A man with sincere patience will be tested with it,
through waiting,
for an answer, some laughter,
a smile, or even a glance.
He will wait with his faith,
knowing that if she is to be his love,
God will have already paved a way
just for them.

Then, when the time is right,
he begins to realize,
that in love, his test is not at all of patience.
It is of sincerity, faith, and independence.
Understanding, wanting, and generosity.
Ah, so to put it simply…
it is truly the test of love
towards God, self, and her.

More often than not,
that test will lead to reflection,
because it didn’t pass every test of love,
but instead, was meant to be a lesson.
But sometimes, you’d be blessed,
with the chance and opportunity,
to take a leap of faith,
and fall truly in love.
And when that day comes,
don’t squander your gift,
because it’s only through taking risks,
that we find the paths to our truest happiness.

Copyright © Nadir Keval

Don’t be fearless. Be this instead.
Don’t be fearless. Be this instead. 3456 2304 Nadir Keval

To be fearless is to live and act without any sense of fear. You see, that doesn’t seem to make much sense in my mind, because it is the overcoming of fear that results in achieving greatness and growing as a person. So, in order for us to be the best we can be, we need to learn to be courageous and brave when faced with the inevitable truth of fear.

See, fear can help us learn about ourselves, and give us a lit path towards change and betterment. As a guiding light towards what we need to conquer, it can give us the stability of knowing where we’re headed. In any endeavor of life, whether it be your health, relationships, career, or anything else, it’s most important to know where you’re going, and to have a plan. Many have the mentality of just living life day-by-day, but that is only good in theory, and in reality can lead to chaos and extreme confusion and disarray. Our lives are meant to have purpose. We are meant to be driven towards a goal. Even when someone takes time away to explore themselves and/or the world, they are ultimately doing things that will help them reach a point of better understanding themselves and the world.

People often see fear as being a negative experience or attribute, but the truth is far from that. It’s not something that reflects weakness or a lacking in the capability to do something. Instead, it reflects being human.

“The brave man is not who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela

Every day, we are faced with something or the other that makes us have to push beyond our limits. Opportunity lies outside of our comfort zones. If you find that you’re not being faced with this kind of opportunity often, I suggest you take a look at your life and ask yourself if you’re really out there trying to make every day better than your last. Ask yourself if you’re really doing the things that make you happy, and striving every day to be better at it in order to master your craft. If you aren’t, please make a change and start challenging yourself on the daily, so that you can begin living life to the fullest. Every person deserves to live their best life, but it is only when we accept that truth, that we are able to begin working on making our lives and the lives of others better.

Fear is like the flashing light at the top of the roller coaster, telling you to brace yourself and get ready for thrill that’s about to come your way. You can either see it as a precursor to excitement and opportunity for growth, or see it as a precursor to something that will break you and make it harder for you to move forward in life.

It’s all about your mindset, as most things are. When it comes to fear, the question is how badly you want to accomplish something over how much you want fear to control your life. You have the ability to overcome anything that comes your way…you just need to be willing to have the faith and put in the work.

Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do. – Quran (16:97)

I’ll be honest with all of you. I wake up every single morning with a fear to face. I started my first company with very little to my name, and have spent a good chunk of my life being near broke. But, every morning, I get up, pray, have a little personal talk with Allah, take out some time to take care of myself (exercise/meditate, get well dressed – based on my own standards, eat well), plan out my day’s tasks and events, and then go at it full throttle! I can’t say it’s easy. It’s incredibly difficult, some days more than others (to the point that it’s crippling), but I know that I have to work hard if I want to be someone who makes the world a better place, even if it’s done through one person at a time, and even if that means having to struggle to get by every once in a while. I want to be an example to people of how to live your life to the fullest, and how to find balance and happiness in your world. I want to inspire and be inspired towards helping people of the world. This doesn’t come easy, and can lead to times of doubt and a lack of zeal, but that’s when your need and desire to reach your goals and purpose is tested. THAT is when you have to push harder and further than normal in order to get to where you want to be! THAT is when you must be brave! THAT is when you must be courageous!

Quote: Everyone has suffered a lot…

Quote: Everyone has suffered a lot… 150 150 Nadir Keval

Quote: Simply Smile.

Quote: Simply Smile. 150 150 Nadir Keval
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