Birthday Reflections

So, I officially turned 28 at 10.54 pm, 14^th of October 2018.

I had rarely blogged nowadays, but I forced myself to write this because birthdays only come once a year and well, I need to write something about it.

Also, I realized that my skills of combining words and constructing sentences had deteriorated due to lack of practice (read: writing).

Okay, first of all, I made it! I turned 28! 10 years ago, I collected my SPM Results- the turning point of my life and for the next 10 years, my life had taken its supposed and destined course. 10 years ago, I never really thought of how my life would be when I turned 28. It had been a turbulent, emotional roller-coaster rides throughout these years, but here I am, I survived, Alhamdulillah!

First of all, I am very grateful with what I have. I have my parents and siblings. I have a well-paid job, and I love my job! Remember those days when I wrote about how I would be better and happier taking other courses like Law, History, and the list goes on? Well, thank God I persevered and carried on taking Pharmacy.

Ever since I started working as a fully-registered pharmacist in GM, I am very glad that I took Pharmacy for my degree and I love my job! Every aspect of it. And I tried to improve and bring positive changes to my everyday tasks.

Also, I am very glad I am not a doctor. LOL. I befriended many doctors here (everyone knows one another in this small district hospital), I’ve witnessed how emotionally and physically tired they are, and what I could say is, huge respect and a big round of applause for the humble doctors who are so selfless and passionate with what they are doing. There are reasons why the society looked up to them.

I learned that the keys to happiness are: 

1)    Not to compare your life with others. Sometimes you looked at your friends and people on the social media, secretly wishing you have their lives. You looked at your own life and well, you wished your life is better. Which brings to the second key:

2)      To be grateful with what you have. Count your own blessings. Try to list down every single blessing that Allah swt had granted you, and you will never be able to do so. Being grateful, anyhow, does not mean that you should be complacent. Wishing your life to be better? Why not work towards getting a better life? Just focus on your own life without comparing other people’s seemingly perfect life.

3)      One of the 6 pillars of Iman is ‘Beriman dengan Qada’ dan Qadar’. You may dislike what is good for you and like what is bad for you, but Allah knows best. Perhaps, not getting something is Allah’s way of saving you from harms? Accept whatever that is happening with good grace for Allah has better plans for you.  But really, if you can avoid encountering bad things, then do whatever you could to prevent bad things from happening!

4)      To put akhirah as your focus. This is a transient world. Whatever hardships and obstacles that you are facing are those series of tests before you could achieve happiness in the hereafter and stay in the Jannah forever, insya Allah. So, focus on loving Allah and Rasulullah s.a.w.

5)      To be consistent and disciplined. This is very important. Allah will not help those who do not help themselves. Besides, being consistent and disciplined makes you have control over your life, instead of letting your life drifting away following your desire. It is also a form of jihad. For example, try to pray on time or actually waiting at the prayer mat for the prayer to start, to exercise regularly and eat healthily, and many others.

6)      Do not overthink. This also resonates with Key number 3.  I’m an anxious person. I worry too much. I must train myself to look at the positive sides of things, not to create unnecessary dramas and conflicts, especially when it comes to relationships with those around me.

Also, I realized that next year, the year I turn 29 (Insya Allah) is the last year of my 20s’. I want to end it with a good note and thus I must start from now. 2 more months until the end of 2018 and I still have time.

But actually, it is never too late to change, either when you’re 30 or 40.

But I don’t want to wait until I’m 30 or 40. I don’t want to waste the precious moments of my youth. I want to read more books, travel more and I must also blog regularly! xD

On another note, the best birthday wish for 7 consecutive years goes to my uncle!

'There was once a silver bat named Charlie. He flew funny. He was the only bat that didn't flap his wings while flying. Instead he glided with the drifts of winds. Other bats were jealous because the winds were never in their favour and they had to flap like crazy to fly. Little did they realise that Charlie was merely using the winds generated from the flappings of all the the other bats! That's why he was always gliding and 'flying' above them. So this year, for your birthday, I wish for you to be blessed with Charlie's wisdom. Wisdom to glide through your hardships with wit, courage and determination, to rise above all your challenges and always be level-headed. Happiest birthday dearest Sarah. And if you spot a gliding bat above you tonight, run away cos that's not Charlie. That's a bat trying to poop on you.'

You can see the past birthday wishes he made for me here 

Thank you all for the prayers and wishes for my Birthday. I pray for the same good things to you! And thank you to my parents and my friends for the birthday treats! 

Till we meet again in the next post, insya Allah! Stay tuned for my 'Snippets of Western Australia' blog post!