mindfulness

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Mental health and holistic wellbeing are not just impressions for me, it is personal.
My intention for this product launch is to support young minds (and adults) in cultivating positive brain health. To find peace and hope and joy and love within.

A combination of all of my life’s experiences and dreams with the intention to leave the world a better and kinder place. To bring family together 💙

I hope you will love these calendars as much as we do.

Thank you @atiyyahmohamed & @tasss_ahmed for allowing me to use your family home & for being my insta family faces
@healthyliving_naazi
For borrowing me your girls @nutri_pebbles for all the healthy baby food
@blupixl_rsd for your patience and for collaborating with me on the design work
@daastaan.media for the incredible video work and patience.
@saleh.razia rash_seed @fahmsmoosa @kaamila_ebrahim @tasss_ahmed for your support and encouragement.

💙Bismillah

A buzzword. But what does it mean and how is it cultivated, practiced and demonstrated……

Defined as ‘of undisputed orgin or authorship’ or ‘representing one’s true nature and beliefs; true to oneself or to the person identified’

At the surface, our experiences and core value system shape our character which typically informs our personality traits…but the psychology of personality is far more complex.

One general theory groups personality traits into 5 categories >>>
1. Openess -represents how willing a person is to try new things.
2. Concientiousness -refers to an individual’s desire to be careful and diligent.
3. Extroversion -measures how energetic, outgoing and confident a person is.
4. Agreeableness -refers to how an individual interacts with others.
5. Neuroticism -represents how much someone is inclined to experience negative emotions.

Understanding our personality traits allows us to cultivate healthy relationships and be aware of our triggers. It also teaches us to be kinder to ourselves because we’re aware that the cycle of life is a balance of adversity and fortune (…one day for you and one day against you). Response to this balance builds our personality, character and mindset.

An online assessment battery called the Meyers Briggs personality assessment can facilitate a better understanding of your personality through a series of questions which provides a pretty accurate formula of youness.

🔹As parents, perhaps the important thing to do is engage in conversation about personality traits in a way that helps young minds to identify, understand and recognise these traits in themselves and others.
This can be done through story books / movies. Highlight the trait or ask the child to identify the trait.
This way, you’re creating an association to something positive as well as an awareness and a vocabulary.

Our family helper (when I was in primary school) would always remind us that failing was just a F I R S T A T T E M P T I N L E A R N I N G. She would say, ‘it’s better to fail then fail to try’.
She loved us and we loved her.

I’d like to think that if the world were a fair place, Mary would have been a teacher and an excellent one at that. She was onto something – a term that American psychologist Carol Dweck has now termed a ‘Growth Mindset’.

Grit is the follow through & commitment to a goal, a vision, a purpose – harvested through sustained effort; i believe that my gritty personality can be attributed to Mary for ingraining in me that the ability to learn is not fixed, it can improve with effort, perseverance and passion. That failure is not permanent.

How to build grit in young minds
🔹Talk about their dreams and goals (how to bridge the gap between start and achievement).
🔹Encourage them to know and understand their ancestral history (lineage, legacy and stories of earlier generations are full of grit).
🔹Ask them about the challenges or fears they may have about a particular task. Help them to break it down by guiding them through a strategy (plan of action).
🔹Share your own success stories, what you are passionate about and how you go about achieving your goals (becareful not to impose your unconscious bias though).
🔹Nurture their skill, talent and creativity.

If i had to title 2022 for myself, it would be SURREAL: A whirlwind of emotions.
Intense heartache and also overwhelming joy.

2022 was the longest shortest year of my life. It felt like a 5000 piece puzzle – exciting to start, until you turn all the pieces to face up & find 800 pieces of the same colour 🤭, however, watching it come together is astonishing.

This was a year of radical transformation, a willingness to accept that change requires exceptional courage and bravery, a year of divine enlightenment activated and released from every cell in my body – things I wished for and things I didn’t even think of to be possible (right down to the silly Christmas jersey).

2022, you crushed me but you also rebuilt me. I am a warrior in spirit and in character 💙

Lessons learnt
🔹Two people can live the same exact moment & have a completely different experience.
🔹Laughter & sadness is universal and gratitude & grief can coexist; losing someone you love can also be a mercy from above.
🔹If you really want to know something, equip yourself with ALL the information.
🔹Vulnerability is beautiful, use it to help others.
🔹If you know the difference between right & wrong, you must stand up for what is right even if it is unpopular.
🔹Growth also means that it is ok to outgrow environments you once found comfort in.
🔹Seek peace and clarity through the divine enlightenment of whichever faith you follow. There you will find solace.
🔹Trust your Gut!!!!

Each year on December 16 (since 1995), South Africans commemorate a courageous declaration of healing.
The day of reconciliation is celebrated to encourage unity, peace and embracing individual differences – a restoration of the brutal injustices of an apartheid system.

This year’s theme is national unity, healing and renewal.

There’s much that can be said about the legacy of our beautiful country and the current dissapointment of political power, however, the concept of reconciliation is graceful; it is also eminent to building resilience.

Reconciliation is an examination of the conscience, a deliberate act of healing the self first and foremost.

Happy December 16 South Africa. Happy Day of Reconciliation.

I’ve always been uncomfortable with acknowledging my own achievements but everytime I look at this journal – I feel a sense of pride & gratitude & accomplishment. I have a tangible product; designed with love & determination. A purpose to uplift & educate.

(may Allah accept) 💙

Our 2023 Resilient Minds journal
uses metaphorical concepts to describe the brain & nervous system regulation techniques.

In addition to the daily calendar activities, it also includes interactive activities to reinforce positive brain health and stimulate neural pathways.

Suitable for ages 13 years to adult.

Themes covered
🔹Self-discovery
🔹Values
🔹Five senses
🔹Supercharge your brain
🔹Left or Right
🔹Become a Butterfly
🔹Climb the stairs
🔹Gratitude
🔹The gift of giving
🔹20 mile march
🔹Spend time in nature
🔹On your marks get set go
🔹Brain food
🔹Reflection

I did a thing!!!!

Fa inna ma’al usri yusra
With hardship, there is ease.
Quran (94:5,6) – the book of a believing Muslim.

There were so many challenges along the way but I believed in something. Something I thought was necessary & essential. Something I wished i had been given as a child – a vocabulary to help me discover & understand my own uniqueness so I set an intention & I kept going. This also meant being vulnerable enough to embrace the uncertainty of all of it.

Through the challenges i have learnt the value of kindness & the meaning of compassion. I better understand the importance of authenticity & remaining true to who I am at my core – even when it seems impossible. I pushed my own limitations far beyond anything I ever imagined for myself & most importantly, I had such fun @thelindenmarket – passionately marketing my concept & meeting other entrepreneurs.

@babafishees
@nubaloo
@maman_et_moi_sa
@zadieandremarco
@ervaarblaar
@thelindenmarket

There was an army of support that I didn’t have a year ago. I am so grateful for every one of my friends who showed up – with food, with time, with love, care, kindness & solidarity for a cause I believe so much in. This was the first time I did something like this, the @thelindenmarket team made it such a pleasant experience, giving me the confidence to continue pushing forward.

Also, @qaanitah purchased my 2023 Resilient Minds Journal but I wanted to ask her to autograph my copy. It took everything in me to remain calm and professional 😀
Thank you Qaanitah 💙

A labour of LOVE and a confirmation of my own RESILIENCE.

I came across a post by @thedeenqween this morning. It said “this year I met the most broken version of me, but also the strongest” It could not be more fitting on this day.

I am beyond grateful today to be able to launch my second product in a range of products that have been designed to build resilience and cultivate positive brain health for young minds 💙

The Resilient Minds 2023 journal is intended for ages 12 to adult and uses metaphorical concepts to describe the brain, nervous system regulation and brings an awareness to the importance of intentional living.
It includes activities that challenge the brain to be aware of the internal dialogue and to continue to reinvent and re-discover your unique self.
Another interactive product that aims to foster a growth mindset, build self-esteem and most importantly instill self-confidence.

My vision for Resilient Minds is to empower our rascals to find solace within. To learn independence and self-compassion. To trust in their own ability and the uniqueness of their own individuality. To be courageous and protect their energy and the child that will forever live within. To be kind and considerate to and of others without compromising their own sense of self-worth.

Naairah Hassim, @design_ink_ thank you so much for bringing my vision to life in this beautiful graphic that perfectly depicts how the experience of an emotion results from the brain, heart and body acting in unison.

The heart is in a constant two-way dialogue with the brain; make sure it is a healthy conversation.