Seated on the upper deck of an Emirates A380, flying at 41,000 feet above the main sea level from Bangkok to Dubai seems to be the right place and time for me to start penning down this much-awaited piece. I have thought for a very long time that I should share one of the key pieces of advice one of my mentors has always given me. Every time at work that I have faced a challenge, encountered an issue or hit with sarcasm and/or criticism, which I have in plenty, she has always told me ‘patience, Rahim! Remember, you are paying the price’. Now I know many of you might be wondering already what this price is. And what really do you get once you pay it? Although the answer to all these questions is perceptive, there is a third question, which is much more subjective and perceptive: is this price worth paying?
I have spent a long time looking for these answers too and today (referring to the present time of my life), I am reaping the fruit; in another way you can say, I have paid the price, at least for the previous chapter of my life to have been granted the next one.
What is this price? For me, it is the process of a stone being thrown into the fire multiple times so that it loses its roughness and starts to shine. It is the continuous beating you take, be professionally or personally. It is like drinking an Americano, time and time again before you are allowed to take a latte (no offence if you love Americanos; I am just a sugar person!). It is the thirst you feel walking through a desert in search of an oasis.
It is the test of patience, resilience and perseverance of an individual, of a dreamer, of a traveller… there is a famous saying ‘no gain without pain’ – it is this pain that is the price.
I have come to see it as a banking system of sorts. To withdraw from our account in the heavens up there, we must deposit something, just like we do in the real world. It is also just like respect or trust, you earn it. No one gives it to you right away!
I have come to see it as a banking system of sorts. To withdraw from our account in the heavens up there, we must deposit something, just like we do in the real world. It is also just like respect or trust, you earn it. No one gives it to you right away!
Only and after we have deposited sufficiently enough, we can start to write cheques and He grants us what we want. If you are not getting what you want, ask yourself this – what have you really done to deserve what you’re asking for? I know it is a tough question to ask yourself because we all feel entitled to have what we want, but the truth is, we are not entitled and most certainly, not deserving. Ask yourself, do you think you have paid the price? From a faith side of the discussion, He might not be granting you what you are asking because the thing is not right for you – He knows better than you do!
Continuing this from another part of the world…
What do you get when you have paid the price? I think the answer to this question is another question: what did you ask for or what did you want? For instance, since the age of 5, I have loved to travel. For me, happiness has always been linked to aeroplanes, discovering and photographing new places – that is what I have always wanted. As of now, I am Masha’Allah doing that. I keep getting opportunities to travel and I am very grateful for it. I have become used to airports, aeroplanes and hotels. Right now, saying ‘I live out of a plane’ would be exaggerating (though some of my friends definitely believe that) but I hope someday I will be able to say that. I recently quit my job and moved to another country, actually I landed here yesterday! I have imagined living the life which just began for me and I am hoping it stays this way for a very long time! I see myself taking those long beach walks while watching the sun go down or the swims in the ocean, even at night under a sky filled with stars. Of course, this life has its own set of challenges like feeling lonely living away from family and friends but at the end of the day, each one of us needs to accept what is the necessity of the time. All of us are capable of turning life around or making it what we want (Allah’s mercy being a consistent factor) provided that we accept what is needed and must be done; in my case, quitting a well-recognized, high profile job in a large institution to a better paid job in a MUCH, much smaller firm in a much quieter part of the world – I love it here to be honest!
PS: I am listening to the sound of the waves with a cup of masala chai, listening to Aima Baig as I finish this piece.
Finally, is the price worth it? ABSOLUTELY! Oh, but let me ask you this, do you have a choice? Aga Khan III, Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah once said ‘struggle is the meaning of life. Victory and defeat are in the hands of God'. We must ensure to give our best against all the challenges life throws at us. This brings me to the other concept my mentor spoke of, which I wanted to reflect in this piece. It is the noise concept. Almost all of us are surrounded by noise, which unfortunately we pay too much attention to. From our boss telling us that we don’t know what we are doing (which ironically implies he/she doesn’t know what she is doing if they have hired someone incompetent) to someone commenting on our dressing (like who cares what brand you are wearing if you do your work effectively), it is all noise! She told me to focus on my work and let it speak for itself, just like the all-time saying goes, actions speak louder than words. This past year, I took this advice very seriously and focused a lot harder on my work than anything else. I hope to do the same, even better as I move forward.
I wanted to end by encouraging you to do the same thing I did; focus less on the noise and more on the work. Take it as a test and the reward is enormously pretty, trust me, enormously pretty!
The world will always talk and give their opinion about how you should lead your life; it does not mean that you have to listen, or if you do listen, filter and doesn’t take it to heart. As I finish this piece, I am at a hostel restaurant, feeling the breeze – the same feeling I had when I was at an Olé in the island of Rashdoo in the Maldives. What a beautiful feeling!!
Peace!
Champ
