On Consistency and Hardships

As Salamu Alaykum hi :)

Part 1: Consistency

I don’t know if it’s only me, but when I get that drive to do better, I start thinking of a million things to do. Scratch that, I know it’s not only me. It could be anything at all, from sleeping early, to eating properly, to the ‘big’ things. Honestly big or small depends on who you are and how much it matters to you. I’m getting to my point, relaxxxx. What I’m trying to say is that when you get that drive, that push, the first thing you actually need to do (and I’m speaking to myself first) is pause. Like yeah, I’ve been slacking in this particular area (one thing at a time because starting too much at once will exhaust you, trust me when I say this) but now I have the drive to do better because I know I’m capable. Speaking of drive, motivation or whatever you call it, it won’t always be there. The rush you feel would probably only happen at the beginning. With time, it might turn to the opposite. I don’t know what the opposite is but I know you get. My point is (finally lol), when you get that drive please take a pause and ask yourself “even on days where I won’t have any motivation at all, days where I won’t have the energy to do anything at all, days where simply existing feels like an actual job I have to put effort into, what is the little I will do?” You’ll realize that it’s something so small but that’s very okay. What matters is that you’re consistent even when you don’t want to. The thing is if you start very big, you’ll burnout and then it will become a cycle. I start too much; it gets too much. So yes, find what works for you, be open to trying new things, be ‘moldable’, think of what won’t feel too much on days you’re feeling low and most importantly, pray that Allah makes it easy for you.

Part 2: Hardships

Last week I came across this beautiful article titled ‘Your Current Hardship Was Tailored Exactly for You by Allah’. I’m a village girl so I don’t know how to add the link but you can always text me if you want it. She spoke about how she got a stack of letters dropped at her front door and the one that had her name beautifully written on it got her attention. The fact that it was carefully written in cursive made it very special to her. Apparently it was something she ordered a while ago. She realized that it had more value to her because it was directly addressed to her, which is the case with all our tests and trials. They’re for us and us only. Whatever it is you’re going through know that it’s only because Allah has given you the ability to pass it. What’s left for you is to find that strength and hold on to it. Some days your hold on it will be loose, other days it won’t be so much of a struggle, but know that either way, Allah’s got you and I gotchu too- this is what Ameera and I always tell each other, nobody has hacked this romance thing the way we have.

What this tells you is that your current hardship was an arrow propelled from a Divine Hand, and you are the bullseye it was designated for. It was only meant to hit you how it did, when it did and there was no way it was going to miss its target. Hold it. It is an opportunity to polish, refine, perfect and ascend to ranks you never assumed possible. There is learning to take place. There are lessons to internalize. There is strength to attain. There is wisdom within touching distance. There is a heart ready to be softened. There is a relationship between a slave and his/her Lord to be strengthened beyond comprehension. Take the lesson as a divine gift sent with a tailored intention.

In Honest Tea Talk, Aliyah said happiness is a conscious decision to seek out the bundles of Allah’s mercy. I don’t want you to think that by doing that, it equates to acting like the trials aren’t happening or it means you’re invalidating it. No, not at all. It’s more about knowing that:

1. He tests you out of love

2. “With every hardship is a distillation. And through distillation, we are further along the path to spiritual purity. But every cleanse is painful; that pain is all the more reason why it has to be done too.” Have it in mind that Allah tests us with good too and we can only pass by constantly being grateful. Knowing that we have those things/people out of Allah’s mercy and generosity.

3. He’ll never leave you empty-handed because even as the test is happening, there’s ease somewhere inside. All you have to do is search. This is what I’ve come to learn.

4. Finally, what amazes me the most is the fact that if we do it right, then In sha Allah it will bring us closer to Him. Isn’t that all that matters? Because all this dunya can really do is hurt us. It would also release us from any false attachments we have, understanding that in the multitudes of journeys we experience, the only constant is Allah- that last part was also from htt.

Okay I’m done now :) Trust me when I say you can do this. This too shall pass and a few days, weeks, months, years from now you’ll realize that Allah was always with you. Through it all. May Allah make it easy for every single one of us. We’re all struggling in one way or the other and just because it can’t be seen physically doesn’t mean there aren’t battles going on inside. More kindness please.