Samia Quddus, creator of Taqdeer Life and qualified therapist (MBACP), shares a short reflective piece thinking about Tawakkul and the potential of cultivating a trust-in mindset to our life experiences as we embark on a new decade, this 2020.
"I created Taqdeer Life in 2017 and launched the Islamic gratitude in August 2018. It is only within the last two years that I have truly harnessed the idea of gratitude and I believe that much of this is attributed to me becoming a therapist. My training opened my eyes to the potential of Shukr (appreciation) as well as enabling me to truly understand what it means to develop a trust-in mind-set. My therapy work requires me to persevere and display a trust in my clients process with patience and gentleness as we work together. If I can apply this with others then surely this is something that I can apply to my own process when faced with difficult life events and thus ultimately with God's plan."
Going into a New Year can sometimes place an undue, unconscious stress to set resolutions particularly if you feel that the previous year, or decade, was a failure. Don’t. Appreciate all the small things that occurred even if the perceived negative situations outweighed these. Thinking about the year ahead requires self-kindness. This is important in setting new intentions and nurturing a more positive perspective.
I created Taqdeer Life in 2017 and launched the Islamic gratitude in August 2018. It is only within the last two years that I have truly harnessed the idea of gratitude and I believe that much of this is attributed to me becoming a therapist. My training opened my eyes to the potential of Shukr (appreciation) as well as enabling me to truly understand what it means to develop a trust-in mind-set. My therapy work requires me to persevere and display a trust in my clients' process with patience and gentleness as we work together. If I can apply this with others then surely this is something that I can apply to my own process when faced with difficult life events and thus ultimately with God's plan.
I firmly believe that to have Tawakkul (trust-in God's plan) requires a trust-in the process of life’s occurring events – this includes everything that happens, whether the good or more importantly the perceived negative. Once you truly accept this, you will find an inner patience to trust-in your own process as you see through difficulties. In turn, you are unconsciously harnessesing a kindness and this self-kindness will positively potentiate your process.
Accepting that there is good in every situation and still trying to remain grateful can at times be incomprehensible – there is no shame in validating this. But it is key to find balance in remembering God’s immeasurable favours upon us as well as the notion of ‘hope’ because our faith reinforces that we are people not of despair. Cultivating an Alhamdulillah mind-set nurtures positivity and hopefulness. I liken faith-connected gratitude practices and hope as two complementary forces that can help individuals draw on their own resourcefulness and lead to an empowered state of mind.
So as we enter a new year and decade let us set intentions – not resolutions – to:
a) Harness the same kindness we would show to others to ourselves as well
b) Appreciate all the little things and big things, even if they are not things that you want initially
c) Trust-in Allah, trust-in your life’s happenings and trust-in your process in seeing through your circumstances
d) Accept/ embrace that things may not be easy and so to achieve a, b and c you will be required to do the work i.e. tie the camel
With gratitude,
Samia