Start Being An Original
Hello lovely souls! It's nice to have you all here again for Chai Time Wednesdays! If you all watched our Youtube video last week, you know that last week’s blog post was written by my dearest husband Umair. I was honestly feeling really low on energy and unmotivated for some reason. However, that video got me back in the groove and made us both realise something! It made us realise that in order to keep our content bite-sized we lost our essence.
The feedback we got from you all is great as it allowed us to come up with the idea of weekly themes. However, in order to keep it short, we ended up just giving information and we felt like we were no longer being ourselves. Last week, after so long we actually enjoyed putting out our content. And it has got to be because we were being authentically us. Like Umair says, we got our MOJO back haha.
That being said, it made sense to then share with you all why being an original is so so important. A lot of times we are scared to be an original because that means being ourselves and that makes us feel vulnerable. But until and unless we don’t put ourselves out there, how will we really test our fullest potential? It’s a risk worth taking I feel.
I am sure you all must now be wondering, what is being an original exactly? Contrary to what we have been made to believe, being original doesn’t necessarily mean you have to come up with something novel. In fact, it is the ability to question what is already here - the status quo. Are there any gaps that you would like to fill in any domain? It is about having a vision of making what is already there, even better. So maybe, it is not so much about novelty but rather continuous improvisation that leads to a new ideal.
It goes without saying that when you are trying to do something original, you are gonna face obstacles and resistance from those around you. In the midst of all of that noise, we tend to forget the initial intention we started something for. So, there are certain characteristics that are necessary to ensure you remain firm and resolute. Let me share our learnings over time on this..
Just Start:
It sounds simple. But sometimes this is what takes the longest time - to simply start. A lot of times we feel our conditions need to be perfect for us to start something. But truth be told, there is no such thing as perfection and you don’t have to plan it all to start. Start first, and then you will find the direction in the process.
There are times when we keep restarting cause nothing we do is working. In times like that remember that no success comes in just one try. The KFC chicken we devour every now and then, was rejected 1009 times, before anyone even accepted Colonel Sander’s unique recipe.
When you are doing something different from the ordinary it is important to have patience. Because in this game, the higher your output, the greater the chances of one of your work being noticed and garnering success. The well-known artist, Vincent Van Gogh produced 2000 works of art and only one became famous after his death. Don’t let the fear of failure paralyse you from even starting. You have to fall, before you rise!
Gain Clarity on Your Intention:
The main thing that is actually important to get you started is your intention. Your route may change repeatedly, till you get to your final destination. For example, when we started Two Souls One Chai, our intention was clear. It was to create a Personal Development Social Platform, using Islamic Philosophy as a way of life for all.
Having clarity on our intention, ensured that whatever decisions we made were in alignment with it. Constantly, checking in with our intention also made sure that whenever we were off track, we came back to our purpose.
Follow Your Heart:
Islamically, we are advised to consult our companions or our mentors, before making a decision. But remember, that everyone will advise you based on their personal experiences and beliefs. So take it with a pinch of salt. Consciously take the good and leave the bad.
Above all, follow the heart. I am not saying make irrational decisions just to fulfill your desires. I am saying, if your heart is at peace with something right, go for it. Even if those around you may not understand it at first.
I have this belief that, where there is peace, there is Allah. If you can’t seem to distinguish between your fears and intuition, seek guidance from Him, in the form of prayer.
Once you have His validation, why run after the validation of others?
Continuous Learning:
Strive to better yourself and to never stop learning. We always say this, but broaden your horizons by learning about new things - something that is not of your domain.
The more skills and dynamic knowledge you have, the higher the chances of you coming up with innovative ideas.
Umair and I, try our best to indulge in topics that are out of our comfort zone and are different from our usual ones here on Two Souls One Chai. The intention behind this is to not only share unique perspectives with you all, but also for us to learn and challenge ourselves.
I would like to end this piece with a quote from Steve Jobs, which beautifully summarises all that we discussed today:
"Your time is limited; so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
To learn more on the theme of being an original, do check out Unwind with the Khans on our Youtube channel this Friday where we will share our story of how we met and built the dream that we now call Two Souls One Chai. Tune in to the Two Souls One Chai Podcast this coming Sunday where we will be bringing in yet another exciting guest to learn about their take on living an original story!
Till then, take care!
With love,
Rabail and Umair Khan
