Day 35

• When I first started cooking, I wasn't the greatest. In fact, I was the queen of burnt food. This was because I figured if I turned up the heat, food would cook faster and I'd get out of the kitchen that much sooner. It took me a long while to catch on. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• Today I'm relieved to say I'm not as bad as I used to be. There are occasions where I'll still burn things but it's not as often. And at least now when I make something it has some semblance of flavor and my family isn't so hesitant to try it. But it took a long while to get here. Lots of trial and error and immense patience. I guess I just need to remember that for everything else I'm attempting. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• So today, #35, I'm grateful for not being an abysmal cook any longer. And I'm grateful for the life lessons God hides in my successes and failures should I choose to see them. .
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  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day35
  #grateful365

Day 34

• 
  
• I've been hearing and thinking a lot about perspective lately. Especially in the way I view others. I wonder if I'm too hasty in making judgements. ⠀
• I wonder if I'm too lenient with my flaws and too critical of those of others. I'd like to think I'm able to see past people's quirks and see all people as being inherently good. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  I wonder about all the truly good people who aren't/weren't prophets, but just regular people. Mother Teresa. Abdus Sattar Edhi. My dad. How are they just able to just work for the benefit of humanity even when they see some people doing the worst. How are they able to make excuses and blame it not on a bad character trait necessarily but just some emotional baggage? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  I'm very quick to jump to conclusions. I'm very quick to put people either into the good box or the bad box, not realizing there isn't a one size fits all. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• ⠀⠀
  So today, #34, I'm grateful for the truly great role models who inspire me to look beyond the obvious.
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  #rolemodels
  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day34⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• #70excuses
  #grateful365 
• #daddysgirl

Day 33

• ⠀⠀So my house is clean today 😁😁😁😁. I realize that this may not be an event to most people, but it is for me today. If I drank, I would pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Instead I did my version of that. I made a big fat cup of coffee. ⠀⠀⠀
• ⠀I've been trying and trying to clean recently, but it just wasn't happening. As much as I wanted to clean (every. single. day.), my desire to procrastinate was always stronger. Today I turned on some Brian Tracy videos on YouTube, and I cleaned as he sternly lectured me about self-discipline. The result? A superficially clean home. Thank you, Brian! ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•  So today, #33, I'm beyond grateful for having a clean house and the satisfaction it brings. And of course, Brian Tracy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day33
  #grateful365
  #cleanhouse
  #briantracy
  #itsabouttime
• 
  

Day 32

• 
  
• ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀When I started fifth grade, it was in a new school in a new city. I made friends with a girl named, Danielle, who thought it was imperative I was immediately made aware of all the ins and outs of the school. As she was explaining things to me at lightning speed she stopped to ask if I had some specific school supply. I told her no. She said, "Just ask your mom to...wait. Do you have a mom?" ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀
• ⠀ I thought to myself, 'doesn't everyone?' as I replied, "yea." (Pause) "Do you have a mom?" ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
•  "No. My mom died last year." ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
• ⠀As a kid, I didn't think too much of this exchange, but it must have resonated deeply for me to still remember it so well.
  ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
• ⠀And as I was remembering all this today, it got me thinking. Aren't the prices we put on different things so absurd? Our family, our health, our homes. How cheap we think our most precious blessings. How we assume because we have something, so must others as well. How we assume that just because we have something today, have always had it, so will continue to do so. How we assume that there will always be time to cherish them, later. It's only after we lose these blessings that they become priceless.
  ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀
  So today, #32, I'm grateful for being so blessed that I'm able to make assumptions. .
  ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀
  .⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀
  #assumptions
  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day32
  #grateful365

Day 31

• My family and I were in a car accident today. I'm still not entirely clear on what happened. Once second we were just driving home and next, BAM! 
• 
  I'm not sure how, but Alhamdulillah we were able to walk away pretty much unscathed. I'm still reeling a bit from the shock. 
• 
  Today, #31, I'm grateful that nothing major happened. May God protect all of us and our families. .
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  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day31
  #grateful365

Day 30

• ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀Today, #30, Im grateful for being able to celebrate a quiet, peaceful Eid with family. ⠀
•  ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀Many prayers for all those who weren't able to do the same. ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀
• ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ Eid Mubarak!
  ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀
  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day30
  #grateful365
  #eidmubarak
  #mehndi
  #hennadesign

Day 29

•  
• 
  
• So I've been a huge Jodi Picoult fangirl since I first read My Sister's Keeper. There's just something about her writing style that I can't get enough of. ⠀⠀
• But really what I've connected to the most is this quote of hers. And I have taken it to relate to more than writing. I always thought that if I couldn't do something perfectly, it wasn't worth doing. If I couldn't be in the majors day one, why even attempt little league? Basically, I would quit before I even started. And I see this in a lot of people I'm close to. ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
• But, today, #29, I am grateful for this freedom to explore my limits, fall on my face, get back up and repeat. To possibly get better and learn more everyday. After all, I wouldn't want to have my life story be a book of blank pages.
  ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀
  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day29
  #grateful365
  #jodipicoult
  #blankpage

Day 28

• ⠀⠀I have a cold today that has really thrown my Eid preps out the window. ⠀ 
• ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀
  ⠀ ⠀So today, #28, I'm just grateful for the health that I usually take for granted. ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀
  ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day28
  #grateful365

Day 27

• In a world obsessed with Marvel and DC Comics, its hard to come to terms with the fact that true heroes don't have superpowers. ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ 
• Today, I was at the masjid and making casual conversation with this woman whom I've always admired. She has such a classy and elegant way about her. But more than that I've always admired the way she listens to every person as though they have something important to say. She just exudes kindness and respect and I've always aspired to be like her. This was even before I knew her whole story. ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
• So while we were talking, I asked her about her children and she told me about the different illnesses that her family had recently gone through. And she spoke about each adversity with the most unnerving calm and fortitude. In spite of all she had endured, I could hear gratitude in each word she spoke. And while she was telling me her story I had to compose myself and try not to sob... And she lived it??!! To top it all off, she mentioned she still hasn't told her parents about the most difficult struggles to keep them from worrying. How does one go through hell and back without feeling any need to cry and complain? How is one able to still wake up everyday and live a life filled with gratitude and grace? How does one find it in themselves to constantly hold back their fears and put on a strong front for others?⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
  ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
•                   ⠀It boggles my mind.
• 
  This woman is an inspiration to me. Because if she makes no excuses, then I have absolutely none. 
• ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀
  ⠀So today, #27, I am grateful for her and other secret heroes around me, who teach me unknowingly what it is to truly be grateful.
  ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ .
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  #heroes
  #realheroesdontwearcapes
  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day27
  #grateful365

Day 26

⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀The other day I ran out of milk. So I went to the store and bought some. I might do that again tomorrow. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
Simple enough...⠀⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
...Right? ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ of course it is. Assuming I have the money. Assuming I have means of transport. Assuming I'm healthy enough. Assuming fresh, clean milk is sold where I live. Assuming I don't live in a war zone and won't get shot the second I step out. ⠀⠀⠀
 ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
So today, #26, I'm just grateful.
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#gotmilk
#notjustmilk
#assumptions 
#grateful
#gratitude
#365days

Day 25

•  So lately I've been somewhat of a crabby patty. I've been taking tiny things and obsessing over them until they become the air I breathe. It's been one constant, endless pity party.
  ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
  It ends now. ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
• ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
  I'm switching off the 'doom and gloom' mentality and I'm trying to tell myself to just switch my perspective and put on a different filter. I WILL be grateful for all the good and patient with all that's not so great. And it's funny, when I switch my perspective, I see that what was so enormous in my head was just a little field mouse scurrying by. ⠀
• ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀
  So today, #25, I'm just grateful for the following principle:
• 
  
•         "We suffer not from the events in our lives, but from our judgement about them."
• ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀- Epictetus 
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  #rowrowrowyourboat
  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day25
  #grateful365
  #wiseolddudes

Day 24

• Wouldn't it be great if we all came into this world with the intention to leave it better than we found it? Wouldn't it be great if we all were able to accept our lot in life (assuming we have food, shelter, health and basic necessities) and just focus on somehow improving the lives of others? How wonderful would it be, if when we passed we knew that we had left behind something just the tiniest bit improved? I know I would. Although I'm not sure how that would work.
  
  A teacher of mine once mentioned that he was the only student in a class he was taking. His professor continued to teach him anyway. Now my teacher literally teaches thousands through the power of the internet. His professor, didn't know it at the time, but he created a ripple effect and the effects may continue forever.
  
  Another teacher mentioned not focusing on the results. To "just keep swimming" and do good until you understand where to focus your efforts.
  
  Because it's so important to just try and do good in this world where terrible things happen. To just show complete strangers love and care and understanding. To just smile and acknowledge each other as human beings. 
  Because it's the small drops that came together to create giant oceans. So I think the small opportunities and the small deeds are nothing to scoff at. And today, #24, it's them that I'm grateful for. .
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  #rippleeffect
  #grateful
  #gratitude
  #365days
  #day24
  #grateful365
  #dory 
• #notsosmallafterall