When Nothing Goes As Planned
One of the easiest ways to deal with an unwarranted, unexpected life hiatus is to repeatedly tell yourself it will eventually come to an end and the next chapter will begin any day now…
Since joining MM a year and a half ago, I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by a group of intelligent, ambitious, socially conscious, successful, and most importantly, compassionate team members. That’s what makes us authentic, and that’s what makes what we produce for our readers relatable. Everything we publish is diligently reviewed by our editors (myself included) and every written word is genuine. With that said, it’s a role that can be extremely challenging, but always rewarding. I have gained a newfound respect for writers, journalists, activists, and editors that I overlooked before, regardless of my lifelong admiration for this line of work. My approach is emotional and my inspiration is based on interests and life experience, not newsworthy topics and current events. We are encouraged to express as much or as little about who we are as we’d like, with no judgment. This includes our strengths AND our weaknesses.
It’s been a long while since I’ve been able to coherently put my thoughts together. Our world is too fast-paced, there is constant and never-ending movement and most of the time, it feels like we’re never caught up with all the things we want to do, the places we want to go, the goals we want to accomplish, and the text messages we have to reply to. Between work, family, personal, and social obligations, there is a permanent feeling of chasing something instead of appreciating the present and letting the natural rotations of life just be.
I cannot wrap my mind around how many times I’ve faced the annoying realization that the path to fulfillment and satisfaction is a continuous and ongoing quest that demands our persistence and full efforts. There is no universal vertical ladder you climb where you eventually reach the final step, kick your feet up and say, “I did it. Everything is perfect now,” (and if there is, someone please show me to it).
I can assure you this will never be the case, and if it is, your sense of gratification will probably be temporary until you start to itch for what’s “next.” Every phase will present a new set of challenges and hopefully a new set of ambitions. This can strengthen us, motivate us, and hopefully lead us in a direction that is likely unexpected, but better than what we imagined or ever would have “planned” for ourselves. I use the word planned lightly because every single time I have ever tried to plan anything, God and the Universe had something completely different in store for me. In fact, every plan has been accompanied by a set of unpredictable obstacles and every achievement with a prerequisite of objections.
For about nine years now, I’ve had a solid history of working for some of the world’s most renowned media corporations. A combination of being at the right place at the right time, knowing well-connected people, confidence, and, of course, competence were all contributing factors in what I’d like to consider a successful professional course. I’ve developed skill sets I didn’t know I had, met really interesting people I may have never crossed paths with, and gained a deep interest and knowledge for the massive realm that basically controls our lives today… the media. I happened to walk into the industry at a critical time, the transition from traditional outlets like Television and Radio to Digital and Social platforms was in full effect. While these classic mediums are still relevant and will presumably never totally “die” out, the lightning bolt speed that Online was (is) taking over every facet of our lives is unstoppable. From how we perform our jobs – to how we communicate – to how companies advertise their brands – to how we watch our favorite TV shows, the digital world had already fully embedded itself in every aspect of how humans function on a day-to-day. At the time, marketers were heavily focused on building their digital presence. It’s cheaper, it’s faster, it’s interactive, and they have the capabilities to target a wider range of people that very specifically match their consumer profiles. I’m not going to go into much more detail than that for those of you that have zero interest in this topic (no offense taken).
The good thing about being forced out of your comfort zone against your will is the space it gives you to ask yourself crucial questions about what you want, what inspires you, and what your priorities are.
My point is, these monster billion-dollar media corporations on the agency-advertiser side and on the publisher-broadcasting side couldn’t adapt quickly enough, redirect their strategy, or find solutions to “keep up” with the times. The result: thousands and thousands of people left without jobs among massive, medium-sized, and startup companies. And this has been the ongoing trend for years now.
Unfortunately, I’ve also had to endure this streak of instability over the years. Something many of us unknowingly take for granted is the comfort of having security and complete independence. It’s not until the rug is pulled out from under you time and time again that you truly begin to understand the significance of having a strong will, perseverance, and a solid support system. Luckily for me, the people I’m surrounded by have pushed me to believe that each roadblock will undoubtedly pave the way to something better. Unsurprisingly, they were (are) always right. Every time an opportunity I thought I had fell through, I always end up landing on my feet-no matter how frustrating the setbacks in between have been. This doesn’t mean I didn’t face several low points, waves of self-doubt, and repeatedly questioned my own capabilities.
The good thing about being forced out of your comfort zone against your will is the space it gives you to ask yourself crucial questions about what you want, what inspires you, and what your priorities are. Once you discover the answers to those loaded questions, you’re left to depend on only yourself to fulfill them. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a timeless pursuit that shouldn’t focus on the “end result.” There will be days you feel invincible and motivated, days you feel the complete opposite, and days you feel absolutely nothing and just don’t care. It’s all part of the process. I still haven’t reached the grand epiphany I’m expecting, but I’ve made some difficult decisions that I’m confident will drive me closer to the “next chapter” – whatever that may be.
Originally appeared on MissMuslim.