I hope you and your families had a good Eid and you’re all staying safe and well. This Eid was obviously very different and not the normal Eid as we know it. Safety first of course! Once corona has disappeared and it’s safe to socialize, you can make up for lost time.

So I haven’t updated my blog since my ‘Last 10 days of Ramadan’ post and I guess its given me some time to reflect on a lot of things.

Firstly, this was actually one of the quickest and best Ramadans! Not because it was quick but being at home gave me time to actually practice the true meaning of Ramadan. Yeah I missed hanging out with my squad and checking out all the Ramadan tents but praying and being more spiritual is more rewarding.

Secondly, I’ve tried to keep up with the good habits that I developed in Ramadan especially with regards to praying, reading Quran, dhikr (subhnallah, alhamdullilah etc) and I am going to make a conscious effort to make this part of my life routine.

Thirdly, I now whole heartedly believe in this quote “what is meant to be will be”.

You can take this topic from both an individual or a religious perspective. So I’m just going to go with something neutral and relatable.

You are blessed with people around you who love, care and adore you, both friends and family. People that do not value you or understand your worth as a person do not deserve to be part of your life.

For me personally there are certain characteristics which I cannot compromise on. Especially for those who are in my close circle: honesty, respect and understanding.

I give people benefit of the doubt from the start, with a reasonable amount of trust. From there it either goes up or down. As soon as I feel like there is some shady behavior, I become cautious until it reaches the point of no return and then I’m gonna have to let them go.

It is your right to protect yourself. I don’t listen to hearsay, there’s a lot of bitching and “she said this, he said that”. Until i see it for myself with my own eyes I don’t believe it, but I am cautious.

As hard as it is to let people go from your life, it is the right thing to do and you know that deep down!

Don’t ignore the signals and red flags, you will only get hurt in the end.

There are some circumstances that you should fight for someone to stay in your life but you have to realize when it’s time to let them go and walk away.

Time is so precious, make the most of it and give your time to those who deserve and respect it.

There are so many people who love to give false hopes and promises, their words mean nothing and they show zero actions. Believe them only when there is something to believe until that time, just be cautious or let them go.

This also applies to friendships. Negative people and negative energy is not needed. Friends who don’t support you or are “good timers”, let them go.

One thing I learnt over the years in Dubai and my biggest life lessons are:

1. Friendship is about quality and not quantity
2. Don’t just be friends with people for the sake of it
3. Always tell them when they are wrong. Don’t just let it go because they are your friend and you don’t want to hurt their feelings
4. It’s better to be alone, than be around bad company
5. Accepting that not everyone you meet will stay in your life
   

People who want to be part of my life will make an effort and will value me, they will always be around through good times and bad.

Trust me when I say, I know how hard it is to let them go but if they bring you sadness, hurt and pain, why would you want them to be part of your life? It’s so difficult but in time you will realize, understand and learn to accept it.

You lost nothing by letting them go.

Time is the best healer and it will become clearer in time, better things are waiting for you just be patient.

No matter how much you love someone, sometimes it just isn’t enough.

Your happiness is priceless.

Leesh x

I can’t believe how fast this Ramadan has passed by, the last 10 days already.. Wow..

Honestly this Ramadan has been one of the best, I have really tried to focus more on how my time has been spent.. Praying regularly, on time and reading Quran and of course keeping up with my goals that I set in my previous blog post Ramadan 2020.

FYI – I haven’t had a single Red Bull and I’m getting pretty good in the kitchen.. No complaints so far!

The whole corona lockdown/quarantine whatever you want to call it, has been a blessing in disguise.

Usually I focus more on the social gatherings and going to meet different friends and family everyday, hosting, Ramadan tents, so this year it was the total opposite, no tents, hardly any gatherings.

In light of the current situation, the gatherings (4 people max including myself) I had were with the Girl Squad members who are living alone, or their family isn’t in UAE and they are working from home and not seeing anyone outside.

As much as I miss the Girl Squad, it is our duty to stay home. Protect yourself and the loved ones around you.

Can’t wait for our post-corona/quarantine/lockdown reunion!

Soooo the last 10 days are very important to us as Muslims (obviously the other 20 days are also important, this is just extra special).

This is the night when all the angels of heaven will descend.

Laylatul Qadr is so important that Allah has dedicated a whole surah to this special night.

A night which, if observed properly, will wipe out your previous sins.
A night full of blessings.
A night equivalent to more than 83 years of worshiping.

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. [Quran – 97:3]

During these last 10 nights, seek Laylatul Qadr and utilize every minute of the night in worship.

Whether you’re praying, doing dhikr, making dua, reading Quran, or even watching beneficial Islamic videos, try to stay up as much as you can and make the most of the time.

If you feel like you haven’t made the most of Ramadan, don’t worry there are 10 more nights. You still have an opportunity to ask for forgiveness and greater spiritual rewards.

Be positive and committed.

Don’t wait until the 27th night to make an effort. Try your best to put effort in each and every night.

Prepare a short dua list so you know exactly what you want to ask for, not only for yourself but your family and the people who are facing hardship around the world. This is your opportunity to sincerely ask Allah for what your heart desires.

Involve your family and loved ones, encourage them to make the most of the last 10 nights.

Take short naps during the day, so you can be energized in the evening and stay awake as much as you can.

Worship Allah looking your best, how we present ourselves has a psychological effect. Perfume, clean and nice clothes/abaya/kandora.

Prepare an area where you intend to pray at home, keep some water and snacks with you (so there’s no excuse to runaway to the kitchen).

If you feel yourself becoming tired, vary your acts of worship.

These nights are not the time to be updating social media and telling your friends about how spiritual you are. You dont need to show off or prove anything to anyone, your actions are between you and Allah.

Try to keep your phone away, distractions can easily break your concentration. Take regular breaks and use this time to check your phone.

Donate to charity and help the less fortunate. Give what you can and what is within your means. If it falls on Laylatul Qadr it is as if you gave charity everyday for at least 83 years.

Although the last 10 nights may feel tiring, try to keep focus. Remember how great the blessings and spiritual rewards are on these nights.

Think of the forgiveness you will receive on Laylatul Qadr.

In reality, nobody knows which night it could be and for this reason the Prophet (pbuh) would exert himself in extra worship during each of the last 10 nights in order to ensure he would not miss it.

The easiest way to find Laylatul Qadr is to worship every night during the last 10 nights of Ramadan, if you are unable to do so, at least on the odd nights.

Trust Allah and dont let any doubt or selfish thought take over your mind during worship.

Don’t compare yourself to other people. You see others, praying or doing more than you, it is easy to wish you could do the same or more.

We are all at different levels with our faith, focus on what YOU can achieve and Allah will reward you for trying your best.

I pray that all your fasts, prayers and duas will be accepted and I hope you are all staying safe and well during this time – Insh’Allah.

Leesh x

Today’s blog was decided by my amazing instagram followers. I can honestly say it made me smile with the amount of responses I received. I was torn between Be Yourself and Pride and Ego, but you have voted and I am gonna go with it!

Pride and ego are two very different things which can be both good and bad traits/habits. It is all about the timing and how you behave in situations. Too much or too little of either can be a bad thing, it is about finding the right balance.

Everyone has a form of pride and ego but how you apply it in situations and circumstances can determine the response and later lead to consequences.

Lets be honest people who have pride and ego issues in the work place environment are the ones hated the most.

Those who have power positions (managers, supervisors etc) generally abuse that power and it goes to their head.

As a former business owner I can honestly say I was never like that. Yes I had an authority over my employees but it is a way of how you treat them that can determine their productivity and effectiveness to work.

I would request my staff to carry out tasks but in a polite and decent manner, please and thank you never goes a miss.

Sometimes I was too nice and they took advantage but I believe this is human nature and you always take what you can get. Especially during Ramadan timings I would make sure they were all fed and rested (even for those who are not fasting). There was no difference between my employees they were all treated exactly the same.

Yes there were some who I got along with more than others, due to age, lifestyle, common interests and understanding, but they never got special treatment.

I also had workers/staff/employees who were a lot older than me. I have been raised to always respect your elders regardless of their position or status.

I wanted to be that boss that was approachable and would take on board the new ideas.My staff felt comfortable talking about their cirumstances.

Some people would say that’s unprofessional but in order for me to have an effective and motivated work force I felt that you have to be relatable and understanding to the people you spend probably 60-80% of your day with.

The environment has to be happy, I mean who wants to go to work and count the minutes and seconds till they go home.. I definitely don’t and I dont expect my employees to either.

Happy work environment increases motivation and productivity sooooo much that we actually enjoyed our days at work and I was happy to see them each and everyday with smiles on their faces.

There are times when I did have to put them in their place and remind them that we are here to work but honestly 90% of the time I never had to ask them to do anything, they would actually want to do it and make the business succeed.

Having a title and position doesnt give you the authority and right to mistreat people who are in a lower position than you.. You aren’t better than them in any way.

Of course we respect higher positions in the work environment as they are more senior, experienced as they have worked hard to earn that title.

When it comes to pride and ego we all have a sense of it.

Pride because you and I deserve better than to be treated badly or walked all over.

Each and every person has a value and self worth, if someone doesnt respect that or understand it why would you keep tolerating their bad actions..

When it comes to ego, there is confidence and then there is arrogance.

Be confident in who you are and what you believe but never let it get to the point of you giving the impression that you are better than someone.

No one likes to be belittled and put down no matter how small or big it is.

Our ego gets hurt.

Theres a right way to criticize or discuss something without hurting someones feelings. We are all fragile (especially women) we have that sensitive and emotional side.

If you did something wrong to someone apologize, it’s okay it doesnt make you any less of a person in someone’s eyes. It actually makes you a bigger and better person who can admit their mistakes, put their pride and ego to the side and apologize.

No single person is perfect in this world and that is a guarantee, we all have our flaws. We can all make mistakes intentionally or unintentionally. But when you hurt someone or do something to someone and you don’t apologize you let your pride and ego get the better of you.

Thats totally wrong.

It’s not easy to admit we were wrong or we did something. Come on no one wants to look like a bad person. 9/10 people run away from their actions, they can do the action but they cannot handle the consequences that follow.

Think about your words and actions before you say or do it, it takes a moment of thought. Don’t say or do something then regret it later when it could have been avoided from the start. Don’t do something if you cannot handle the repercussions later on.

If someone is walking all over you by all means walk away, you deserve so much more than that. Why would you accept that?

No one has the right to disrespect you or treat you badly for the sake of their pride and ego. It doesnt make you stronger and better but actually it shows your insecurities and flaws in your personality.

We have to respect people no matter if they are the cleaner or a manager.

In my eyes you are all the same you are no greater than each other.

If you see people in your close circle or around you mistreating people because they have a lower position or status, you should educate them on their behavior. Explain to them in a calm and approachable way, maybe after the tension has calmed down and you are not so heated or angry that it isn’t right to treat people like that.

Don’t let your pride and ego get the better of you there’s a time to put it to the side and there’s a time to put your foot down, stand up for yourself in the right way.

By letting your pride and ego get the better of you, you will lose people from your life.

Apologize to someone if you have done wrong to them, even if the moment has passed or it was before, it is never too late.

My parents always instilled this value while I was growing up and from day one.

Treat people as you wish to be treated. Admit your mistakes and try your best to learn from it.

Leesh x

I guess you can say that I’m truly blessed to have found my Girl Squad after all the traumatizing experiences with my toxic ex-friends.

I am actually glad that I went through all those experiences, it has opened my eyes to the kind of people that are in this world. The strength that I have gained from all the back-stabbing and lying has been totally priceless. I learnt the meaning of true friendship and valuing relationships which are mutual.

Everyone is brought into your life for a reason, either a lesson or a blessing.. Majority are lessons btw don’t get fooled into thinking they are blessings.

If I could tell you some of the stories that have happened to me, or I have seen from my Girl Squad, we would be here forever.

That doesn’t mean we are bad people because people try to take advantage.. It is actually because we are too nice to everyone, even if they don’t deserve it, our parents raised us to treat everyone good and with respect.

So I’m gonna summarize a few of the toxic friends red flags and maybe add a little part of a story.

1. “Friends” who involve themselves to do more harm than good – There’s 2 kinds of people, ones who wish the best and those who are just jealous haters. The one who wishes the best for you tries to get involved but with good intentions to protect you, might not always work out in the best way but they tried to help in a good way. Then there’s the jealous haters, they love stirring the pot, their own lives are so boring and they can’t stand to see anyone happy so they come with their big spoon and just start stirring. It’s not their place to get involved and they definitely don’t have good intentions but they just gonna get involved anyway.
2. Demoralizing and pessimistic – Negative people who always put you down and always, always, always look on the bad side of everything. That vibe is just totally not needed, honestly negativity brings the mood down, we don’t need that. Our friends are supposed to make us laugh, pick us up when we are down and support us when we need them. People that don’t encourage or motivate you, truly don’t want the best for you. Surround yourself by people who encourage you and motivate you, these people are the ones who aren’t jealous of you and want to see you succeed in life.
3. Degrading and judging – Oh you look fat… Oh I don’t like your make up.. Oh I don’t think you look nice..
   Calling someone fat, is just plain rude. I’m sorry but there are no excuses for calling anyone that. It’s offensive, if anyone calls you that please make sure they are a Victoria’s Secret Model on the catwalk. They better be perfect in every single way before they start making comments like that and even still they don’t have the right!
   If someone says I don’t like your make up.. Question number 1.. Are they a professional make up artist..? Question number 2.. Does their make up even look good..?
   If you like your make up and you’re happy with the way you look why does it concern other people. But if she gives you tips on how to do your make up better for example a technique or a brush then that’s much more helpful and constructive.
   I am totally 100% for making sure my Girl Squad look like Queens 24/7, I am honest with them if something doesn’t look nice but in a more diplomatic and less harming way. I still want them to feel good about themselves, it’s just somethings don’t suit everyone and somethings look better on certain people than others. The constructive criticism is in a good way to make them look better, not in a sly bitchy way because they look glam and on point better than you and you’re just hating.
   There’s a tone which as girls we all know.. Is it in a friendly I want you to look better kinda way.. Or is it you’re looking better than me so lets just ruin something about you.
4. Flaunting and bragging – This is something that is so pathetic and childish, yet I see it a lot!
   Firstly between friends and I mean true friends, there’s no such thing as “money and showing off”. That’s because you like each other as people and for who you are not because of how much you have. Fake, toxic friends will always leech of you especially when you have more than them and they are jealous. Some people don’t have a personality so they use what they have as part of their personality. I’m sorry but you can have all the money in the world and still not be funny. Money cannot bring you a personality, a good heart and class. Users in this world are so common, they look for any opportunity and they take advantage to the max. Please don’t get trapped by these people, especially if they conveniently keep “forgetting their wallet at home” or dragging you to expensive places and making you pay. You work hard for yourself not for people to just come along and use you!
5. Good time, not a long time – as human beings we have good days, bad days, sad days and many other kind of days, ups and downs. I especially find it hard to open up, but my bestie in particular knows when there’s something wrong, my voice, my typing or just my mood overall (I’m sure she secretly works for the FBI or something). She won’t push me to tell her what’s wrong, but she will let me know that she is there for me and if I need someone to talk to she’s ready and waiting. Thats the meaning of true friendship.
   I’m lucky to have someone like that, there’s people who don’t have anyone to talk to or open up to when they need to.. Why..? Because the people around them are selfish. There is no other explanation. They are there for good times, having fun and enjoying, but when things get serious and deep it’s too much for them to handle and they make themselves busy. But on the other hand when they are sad or down and need someone to talk to.. Who do they call.. The person who they never had time to listen to before.
   True and I mean true and genuine friends will never let you feel alone and they will always, always, always, be there for you when you need them. Even if they are busy, they will make time for you, because they value you as part of their life and they genuinely care about you.
6. Can never keep a secret – I always say secrets are something between you and yourself and it’s not really a secret if you tell anyone.
   Nevertheless we always share things with our trusted, closest friends regarding situations, dilemmas, family problems, relationship problems etc. We look and seek for advice from the people around us.
   When you tell someone something especially if it is private, it is expected that this is between you and that person. It is not meant to be shared or discussed with anyone else.
   People who don’t have your best interests at heart – genuinely, they won’t honor this and it becomes a topic to gossip about. Be careful who you trust with personal and private information because not everyone is gonna keep it a secret.
7. Bad advice and sabotage – They give you advice which they know will harm you and not make the situation any better. Sabotage everything they can and pretend they are supporting you and with you by your side. The advice they give, they will never follow it themselves. You know your situation better than anyone else, take on board advice from the people you trust and you know care about you but in the end the decision and choice in your hand and you should make the one best in your opinion, regardless of what anyone says.
   

Remember who you are, don’t compromise your morals or your values to fit in or be accepted. Wrong is wrong it doesn’t matter how you put it or how much someone tries to convince you otherwise.

Have confidence in who you are and what you think is best for you. You deserve to have people around you who genuinely care, love and respect you. Anyone who isn’t caring, loving or respecting, doesn’t deserve your time or efforts.

When it comes to friends, it is about quality not quantity and even if you feel alone, it is better to be alone than be surrounded by toxic people.

The biggest lesson I learnt from toxic friends is that my mum told me from day 1 that this girl cant be trusted or she’s using you.

Mums are looking out for your best interest and of course she doesn’t want you to be hurt or sad in anyway, she’s just trying to protect you.

So of course I never listened and learnt the hard way!

Don’t ignore the signs, listen to your gut feeling and your Mum also, they are pretty much 100% right in every situation as much as we hate to admit it.

Thanks Mum & I love you.. I promise I will listen to your advice now

Leesh x

P.S. To all the toxic “friends” from my past I wish you changed your ways and I hope you will never treat your present and future friends in the same way.

“Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions.” – T.S. Eliot

I truly believe that when you meet someone you should be very clear about what your intentions are. It is a right for the other person to know in order to save themselves from being upset or hurt.

If you aren’t ready for the commitment of a relationship or marriage, be very clear to that person. In a normal situation you get to know each other, become serious, leading to marriage but unfortunately some people get to step 1 or step 2, get to know each other, become serious and then part ways.

If you both are on the same page and you have discussed that it will never lead to the future, you both know what you are getting yourselves into.

But.. If you gave someone the false hope or idea that there will be a future that in my opinion is totally wrong. You know very well that it wont happen so why give someone that impression that it will.

It’s very, very, very, selfish behavior and you do not know the consequences it has on the other person.

Regardless if you know that there will be no future, you’re setting yourself up for failure and heartbreak. When you get to know someone you spend time with them, you talk, you share stories and memories in essence that person becomes a part of your life whether you like it or not. You develop emotions towards that person even in the smallest amount, but there are still feelings.

When you meet someone and you’re getting to know them choose a good time, (when you feel the time is right) get the courage to tell the person exactly what you are looking for in your life and see if they are on the same page. If they aren’t, that’s ok at least you know now rather than 1 year down the line.

I think it’s so important as a person to know what you want from your life and what you want to do at the present time, for example do you want to focus on your career and you wouldn’t have time for a relationship, marriage is not in mind right now or are you just waiting for Miss or Mr Right to walk along into your life..

We are all getting older and time is just flying by, we can’t always have fun forever. There comes a point in your life when you realize, ok you’ve had loads of fun with my friends and that was great, the memories will last a life time, but you want a life partner to make loads of new memories and experiences, a new chapter to tell your future kids and grandkids (Insh’Allah). There comes a time when you need to grow up and start thinking with your brain, you aren’t going to be 21 all of your life, that doesn’t mean I’m not saying to have fun or enjoy with your friends, but everything in moderation.

I don’t know why people think that it is GAME OVER once you are married. I know of many happy couples and whom are even happier after marriage than they were before. That’s purely based on understanding, respecting, caring and loving one another. For sure there’s ups and downs, that’s in any marriage but you work through it, you don’t give up. They still have social outings with their friends – they aren’t stuck to each other 24/7, It’s actually healthy to have time apart.
If you have the right partner for life you will literally “live your best life” that’s for sure. Take your time to search for that right person. (I will be posting a blog soon about life partners)

A few tips that are helpful to me, that I will share with you.

1. Be straightforward and clear, some people may take it as full on or rude, they are just intimidated and trust me, they clearly don’t want the same thing as you, so don’t waste your time.
2. Be yourself – you have an opinion, you have a mind don’t just agree for the sake of it. Just because your opinions aren’t the same it doesn’t mean either of you are wrong.
3. Let your personality shine.
4. Set boundaries (make it clear who that person is in your life).
5. Don’t change who you are for someone – accept me as I am or don’t accept me at all (changes in a positive way is good for you but changing your personality, is not, your true personality will come out or come back eventually, it is who you are).
6. Don’t let your past experiences impact on new people in your life (Use those experiences to learn from your mistakes, be more cautious but don’t hold your past against someone who isn’t to blame).
7. Don’t trust people from day 1 (give them benefit of the doubt until you see other wise, trust will grow over time).
8. If you have a gut feeling something isn’t right or you’re noticing “red flags” – trust it.
9. Don’t talk about past relationships, past is past – time to move on to the future.
10. Respect yourself – you were raised well with morals and respect time to show it off.
11. Be consistent in your behavior (not hot and cold – if you are unsure and need more time, that’s fine just be clear).
12. Time is priceless, you should make every opportunity of your life and you shouldn’t waste it on a situation where in there is no future. Don’t waste your time and don’t allow people to.

I’m sure at some point in your life you have been hurt by someone who was close to you. From each experience of hurt our barriers become higher and higher, so the next person who enters into your life has a hugeeee wall to climb over or break it down. I’m not saying to lower your guard but remember that person wasn’t the one who hurt you but it is your right to protect yourself.

Not everyone deserves a chance to be part of your life, you determine who is worthy and who is not.

Be cautious, learn from previous experiences, they will take you forward in your life for the new steps and you know how to act in certain scenarios.

Don’t let anyone persuade or discourage you that what you want is wrong or it’s not achievable. Your life is what you make of it, you are old enough to make your own life choices, decisions and deal with any consequences.

Believe me when I say you know what is best for you.

Only you truly know what you want.

I can’t stress how much it hurts when you come to find out later that someone has given you false promises, false hope and false intentions. Don’t play with peoples feelings and emotions, it is not right.

Trust me if someone did it to you, for sure you wouldn’t like it so please treat people with the respect they deserve, and treat them as you would want to be treated.

If you want someone in your life, you have to fight for what you want.

If you aren’t ready or willing to fight, don’t start a losing battle.

Don’t even begin something that you cannot complete or don’t have the strength to stand up for what you want.

On the other hand there are people who have the best and purest intentions which maybe you would never expect.

Don’t assess someone based on what you have heard, people love to talk. Assess someone based on their behavior towards you and their intentions.

There are a lot of users and liars in this world, but there are also people who are sincere and genuine you just have to find them and cherish them as part of your life.

As they say it is like finding a diamond in a haystack.

I’m so grateful for all the people that are part of my life you are all sparkling diamonds and to those who have lied, wasted my time or given me false hope.

I wish you change your ways and you treat the people in your life better.

Treat people how you wish to be treated.

Leesh x

Wow already we are on the 3rd day of fasting, I hope everyone’s fasts went well and may all your prayers, duas and effort be accepted Insh’Allah.

So my first day was a bit slow and lazy to be honest but yesterday I started reading the Quran and getting used to the fasting (I miss my Netflix snacks) but it’s ok, just making up for it in the evening instead..

I haven’t had any Red Bull FYI, I am craving it but that’s only because I said that I wasn’t going to have it.. Ugh.. On a more positive note I cooked for 2 members of Girl Squad M & S.. They don’t have food poisoning – Alhamduliah and they enjoyed my food (I think) well there was hardly any leftover so it must have been ok.. Found a new quick and easy recipe for Nutella Cookies.. (DM me if you want the recipe).

Soooo as promised todays blog is going to be about forgive and forget (I will try not to go too deep). With Ramadan here this is the best time to encourage forgiveness and ask for forgiveness.

I have lost count of the amount of people that have done something to hurt me (I’m not a bad person I promise) but I do trust, expect and respect people. Something which people take advantage of.

When you expect from people, there will always be disappointments.
When you trust people, they will always abuse it.
When you respect people, they will always disrespect you.

I say always.. but does that mean everyone is bad.. No.. But there is a difference between intentionally doing something or unintentionally doing something. Based on your mentality and perception you will take it in a certain way.

Are you sensitive.. Do you take comments to heart.. Do you jump to the bad before you think of the good.. Are you insecure..

There are 1 million and 1 ways you can take a persons actions, sometimes good, sometimes bad.

When someone does something to you think to yourself, was it intentional or was it unintentional were they saying it as constructive advice for me to better myself, or were they saying it to make me doubt myself.

From someone who used to lie in bed at night and over think every small detail and analyze each individual word that someone said to me and what I said to them.. It became toxic. I couldn’t sleep I would be awake just thinking and thinking, it wasn’t even necessary thoughts or productive.. I would think so much that my brain would be exhausted and I would just pass out.. I cant stress how damaging this is to your health..

Ok once in a while we have a stressful day or we have an argument with someone for example and it bothers us, we lie there thinking and of a solution or how to apologize or make the situation better. But to be overthinking constantly everyday it is TOXIC.. To think back and reflect (short periods of time) in a positive way is something different, this is the best way to improve yourself.

Forgiving someone is the easy part but forgetting is what takes its toll on your mental well being.

In life holding a grudge against someone takes a lot of unnecessary feelings emotions and mental strength which doesn’t even deserve it. There will be people that do things to you in a hurtful, spiteful way but there will also be people who treat you as a Queen or King, respect you, care for you, love you and trust you.

Whatever hurt and suffering you have felt before will make you a stronger person, these are the life skills in life learned to reach success. Each time someone betrays you and knocks you down you will get up stronger and wiser.

By you forgiving someone it shows you are the better person.. You will be so proud of yourself, you did not retaliate in a bad way or seek revenge. God sees everything and he is not asleep. As Muslims we believe on the Day of Judgement we will be asked about our actions.

Don’t worry the person who has done you wrong (no matter how small or big) they will pay for it somewhere along the line.. As they say karma is a b***h and I would never wish bad on anyone, leave it in Gods hands but life has mysterious ways of working which we will never understand.

To forget.. Is not easy and sometimes you don’t want to forget.. When you forget it kind of feels as though that person will be never part of your life, while if you think about it from time to time it is as though they are still part of your life.

Now answer this question. Do you want a toxic person/ feeling / emotion to be part of your life..?

Of course not..

We want positive energy and people around us that genuinely care and want the best for us. We want to be happy and smiling as much as we can. Life is too short to be sad and depressed over someone or something which clearly isn’t worth it (or you wouldn’t be sad and depressed).

Do you think the person who hurt you is sitting around sad.. The answer to that is if someone is genuinely apologetic and sincere you would have forgiven and forgotten about it.

But they have moved on with their lives and they are happy, they forgot about you time ago. So why are you putting your life on pause for someone who clearly doesn’t care…

Women in particular we seek answers and closure.. I’ve come to realize that you will never get the answer you were hoping for (9/10 times it hurts more from the answer they gave). They will probably lie to you directly (because no one wants to look like the bad person). Lastly you will never even get an answer or closure to satisfy.

Take it upon yourself to wish that person the best (be the better person) and move on because if that person was good and worthy to be part of your life… They would have proven it to you based on their actions.
You’re gonna be sad for a while, this is human nature, but straighten your crown you are a Queen/King.. Then you’re gonna stop caring and its the best feeling ever.

Know your worth and value as a person (put your pride and ego to the side). Everyone deserves the best in their life, don’t settle for anything less you don’t need that kind of negativity bringing you down.

For me personally I cannot surround myself with negative people, the energy and vibe is just so mentally draining. We all have our “sad days” when we need our chocolate snacks, love and support from our loved ones..

But constant negativity makes you think negatively.

Bad vibes be gone.

Everyone has an opinion on someone else but I don’t allow that to effect me, those who are important in my life, I value their opinion as I know they would want the best for me. Who is not important and their opinion is not genuine or sincere just goes in one ear and out the other I don’t bother myself with the negativity.

But I will say one thing for my readers to consider..

Words hurt

Even if it’s out of anger, care, love, frustration they still hurt and do damage even if you don’t mean it. So think about what you want to say carefully with a calm and respectful and reasonable attitude, guaranteed it will be received in a totally different way.

If you have done wrong to someone either intentionally or unintentionally ask for forgiveness, this is the best time.

Apologize, put your pride and ego to the side, it doesn’t lower your value in the eyes of anyone else in fact you become better and more respected in their eyes by owning up and admitting your mistakes.

On that note I will leave you will a few positive thoughts.. For the sake of yourself and your future it’s time to walk away.. You gain so much more when you remove people and thoughts that don’t belong in your life. You are beautiful, you are loved and we all make mistakes, no one is perfect.

Your mental health and well being are priceless.. The long term damage needed to repair the thoughts takes time.. So the quicker you forget and move on.. The quicker you are going to be healed.

No matter what kind of challenges or difficulties or painful situations you go through in your life, we all have something deep within us that we can reach down for to find the inner strength to get through this.

Be the best person you can be.

Forgive and forget

Leesh x

Today I will start off by wishing my readers and your families Ramadan Kareem.

Most likely the first day of fasting will begin tomorrow Insh’Allah (God willing).

Ramadan is not only about fasting. It is about patience, sympathy, humanity, love, kindness and remembrance of Allah (swt).

This Ramadan will certainly be different and one to remember!

So today I’m going to be writing about somethings that I personally will be trying to do in Ramadan as well as some changes I have decided to make.

Unfortunately this year in Dubai, the mosques will be remaining closed (as per the news updates), there will be no famous Ramadan Tents and large home gatherings.

1. Try to keep up with my prayers and read 5-10 pages of Quran after each prayer.
2. No gossiping, backbiting and swearing.
3. Donate to charity and contribute to the iftar meals.
4. Try to change bad habits to good habits.
5. Forgive and forget.
6. Give up Red Bull (this is gonna be a tough one).
7. Keep up with my workouts (also going to be tough).
8. Become a Masterchef.. Well at least try..
9. Might add some more goals throughout the month.

This year I’m going to set a few goals to achieve to improve myself during this holy month, both religiously and personally.

Since this year we won’t be getting dolled up and socializing as much this is a good time to reflect and doll up our personal wellbeing. Take this time to set a few goals (realistic) that you aim to achieve during this holy month and create an action plan of how the goals are going to be achieved.

There’s going to be days when you feel lazy, sleepy, tired, not in the mood and that’s ok, just as long as that isn’t everyday.

There’s going to be days when I skip my workouts and eat ice cream instead.

There’s going to be days when you swear by accident.

There’s going to be days when you don’t read as much Quran as you planned.

But there’s also going to be days when you achieve all your tasks and more that you set out and you will feel content and happy within yourself (make sure you reward yourself – chocolate is always a good option).

I hope that these days will be more frequent and become a change in lifestyle with good habits to take forward even after Ramadan ends.

Rather than going out and socializing with friends and family this year we will mainly be at home spending time with our nearest and dearest, that isn’t such a bad thing.

Of course I’m going to miss the dressing up, excitement of seeing your friends and family and going to the Ramadan tents, but in a positive way I can actually value the true meaning of Ramadan by spending it becoming more spiritual. It also doesn’t mean that you have to stay in your pajamas all day, dress up and have a family or virtual iftar together!

It is a time that we all though think and reflect of the Muslims around the world who are living in poverty. I kindly request all my readers to take into consideration that there are some people who do not even have food or water for suhoor and iftar, try to avoid food wastage. Not only during this month but the whole year round. There are workers, gardeners, security, cleaners etc who you can donate this food to rather than throwing it away.

A humble request to my readers to donate to a trusted charity to support those who are in need. It doesn’t have to be a huge gesture, something is better than nothing. Donations can be in the form of clothes, water, medical supplies, food, educational material etc it doesn’t have to just be money. Thank you in advance.

You will notice that your appetite will change, you wont eat as much especially at iftar and you wont feel that hunger like you will in the first 3-4 days, try to avoid overeating and then pass out sleeping.

During suhoor time try to eat something healthy like oats or cereal with dates and drink plenty of water (stay hydrated it is sooooo important).

At iftar time try to eat something light to break your fast (soup, dates, salad) and have something heavier a bit later on. I know we all love Ramadan desserts, that’s what we have been waiting for all year, but try to eat it in moderation.

Try to make the most of your day and be productive, rather than sleeping till it’s time to eat. I know its hard, we all get tired, dehydrated, headaches, lazy but try to discipline yourself to nap for a certain time (1-2 hours not 5-6 hours). Try to stick to your normal routine and daily life as best as you can.

Throughout Ramadan I will be blogging about certain topics in more detail starting with forgive and forget. The forgiving part is one thing, but the forgetting is even harder, I will give you some well being tips on why it is important to forget and move on.

I urge all my readers to make a few goals (maybe 2-3) it doesn’t have to be 100’s (that’s definitely not going to happen), you want it to be realistic and achievable, something which you can carry forward after Ramadan. Once you feel like you have achieved some of them you can start adding some more goals.

In order to reach the end goal you need to take each step one by one.

“Don’t run before you can walk or you will fall on your face” a famous quote from my darling parents which in fact is so true and it makes more sense each time you take a step.

We all try to reach the end goal in the fastest and easiest way possible, this is human nature but unfortunately life doesn’t work like that.

Anything that comes fast will go fast, and if it comes easy you don’t value it. The harder you work and at a good pace, you will appreciate each and every step that you take along you way to success.

Don’t forget virtual iftars and suhoors with your loved ones is an amazing way to practice social distancing but still have the feeling as though you are together.. Family and Girl Squad get ready..

May the holy month of Ramadan bring peace and prosperity to you and your family.
Leesh x

Firstly I would like to thank everyone who read my introduction and I hope that you will continue to read my posts and enjoy them.

In this blog I’m going to introduce you to my girl squad and explain the importance of having good people around you.

In light of this whole situation of self isolation, I’ve been alone for almost 5 weeks now and the people I see are the delivery people! It seems kind of crazy but I haven’t felt alone for even 1 second thanks to the amazing girl squad and my family. So right now my family are in London and I’m in Dubai with my fur child.

During this time it is easy to feel alone and isolated with no support especially if you are a social person. I mean everyone loves staying home and having some chill time, but being forced to is a totally different scenario.

I personally have felt so motivated and encouraged during this time to reflect and I have had a lot of time to think about certain aspects of my life.

Whilst I’m currently not working and I’m having some me time I have enjoyed my cosy lie ins and breakfast in bed, I think that time has finally come to an end and I’m ready to get back to reality. Mainly thanks to my bestie for my wake up calls everyday and if I don’t wake up she just keeps on calling till I do! Now I’ve set and structured a routine for my day to day quarantine lifestyle which I will write about later.

Now back to the girl squad, who I miss very dearly, the laughter, the jokes, the banter and of course the memories.
One thing about me is that I have a very close circle of friends who are like the sisters I never had, in order to become part of the squad there is a series of challenges you must complete. Haha just joking, be nice, honest, loyal, respectful, funny and you will definitely get a membership.

During this time we haven’t been able to see each other but we have been calling everyday probably 10 times a day just to check up on each other and of course our virtual girl squad sessions (thanks zoom). I do love that we all call each other checking we are all still alive, we haven’t been outside the house, we are washing our hands and eating properly it’s the highlight of my day. We have all become domestic goddesses it seems, baking and cooking testing out new things so after the lockdown we can share our newly acquired skills in the kitchen. Sometimes it feels as though we haven’t even been apart, we just go back to our laughing and talking. In situations like this laughter is the best remedy, because if we don’t laugh we might just cry!

You are probably thinking… don’t you have a family… are your friends more important than your family… why are you writing about them first.

To answer your thoughts, yes I do have a family which I will be talking about later, no my friends aren’t more important as family comes first but we also get friends in life who are like family just not by blood.

When you are living away from your family, your friends become your family.

My mum is my best friend in the entire world (sorry M) and I’m truly blessed to call her my mum Alhamdulilah (thanks God).

You can probably relate to the thoughts that go through my mind… I want to tell my mum but.. I don’t want her to get hurt.. I don’t want her to worry.. I don’t want her to feel sad.. I don’t want her to stress out..
In these circumstances we end up turning to the people closest to us, our girl squad.

There’s 3 kinds of scenarios that can go down..

When I need truthful, harsh but realistic advice and outlook – I’ll go to M and I know it may hurt but its what I have to hear.

When I need a positive outlook with idealistic scenarios that will make me feel better and calm down when I’m angry or tense – I’ll go to S and she’ll help drown the negativity (thanks bro).

The final alternative is making your own decision without taking advice from anyone, the support of your girl squad is to give you a different opinion from another angle which you do not consider in the heat of the moment.

When I make my own decisions without consulting (which is needed sometimes) I feel that I don’t have that same level of motivation I do when my girl squad are cheering for me from the side lines. It’s that extra boost of care, love, attention and friendship that makes you feel special and you have people that genuinely care about you.

For me I believe that quality is worth more than quantity. I know many different people but it just depends if we click (you have to laugh at my jokes), mutual respect, understanding, sense of humor, mentality etc there are many different factors to take into account.

Friendship is something which is built on trust, if you don’t have trust, you don’t have anything. There are different levels of friendships based on how much you trust someone, close friends (girl squad), friends (sometimes you talk, sometimes you hang out but always keep in contact) and then there’s acquaintances (I define them as people you know and respect but they don’t know the finer in and out details of your life).
I have friends on all levels and some have moved categories and that’s based more on growing apart or life changes. Some of them are married and have kids, their interests would not be the same as a single girl living in Dubai, so you end up surrounding yourself with people who like to do the same things as you or a common interest etc.

Just remember that there are good and bad times in everyone’s life and we aren’t just there for the good times but to stand by them and pick them up in bad times. I’m not saying that you have to be the next Mother Theresa (been there done that, didn’t work out so well). You should help those that are important to you in your life and only you know the true meaning of “important”.

To finish off I’m just going to say thank you to my girls squad in my life you really supported me when I needed you and I’m blessed to have you part of my life. I cant wait to continue our making memories journey once its safe to socialize.

Keep smiling and stay safe

Leesh x

To begin with I’m going to introduce myself to my readers.

My nickname is Leesh, I’m British and I live in the UAE, Dubai  and I have a cute little fur child. I also have the most supportive family and girl squad that anyone can ever dream of.

In my blog I’m going to be writing about many things from life experiences, health, quarantine life, traveling and my go to hang outs in Dubai.

It’s something that I have always thought about doing but just haven’t had the time, motivation or desire to put my life in the public eye. So today after much thought and encouragement from my close circle I have decided to take the plunge and start the blog on a serious level.

During this time of self isolation (almost 5 weeks) I have used this time to reflect on my life, past, present and future. From being a business woman to now chilling at home netflixing has had a big impact on me. I’m not someone who likes to sit and do nothing twiddling my thumbs, so lets turn this self isolation into something productive!

My ultimate hope is that whatever I am going to blog about will have a positive impact on my readers.

I hope that whatever experiences that I will blog about will hopefully make you see a bit more clearly for the “signs” and you can try to avoid the hurt and pain.

Any review that I blog about will be 100% honest, it’s going to be a true reflection as I want to be a trusted and credible blogger.

Leesh x