They always say that the most important relationship you will have is the one with yourself. You know why? Because that specific relationship sets the tone of every other relationship you will have. So Let Me Ask You This: Are you consciously aware of the relationship you have with yourself? Is it a good or…
Author: Awoken By Hadi
On a mission to empower individuals to devote themselves to growth through discovering oneself and keeping an open mind.
“Detachment.”
I just finished my semester and let me tell you- this has been the hardest semester ever! I know I’m not alone- college students were going through it. Honestly, with all that's going on with the pandemic, who isn't going through it?! Not only has it been mentally draining but it’s been exhausting. Just incase…
“Mercy.”
Quick Question: Are you one of the oldest of your parents' kids? How does that feel? Do you feel like your parents were harder on you in comparison to your younger siblings? If the answer is yes, you're definitely not alone! Like other older daughters (and siblings), I noticed the difference between how 'strict' my…
“Forgiveness.”
Sometimes we unintentionally hurt ourselves. How so? We hurt ourselves is by choosing to hold onto grudges and refusing to forgive others. When we hold onto grudges, we are emotionally unstable- you know what happens when we're emotionally unstable right? We make irrational decisions. Although I was born into Islam, I still had to find…
“Claim Your Power …”
You know how they say that the truth will always comes to light? Well it does! How we truly feel about ourselves will come to light as well ... Growing up shy, I had many insecurities that I eventually overcame. Now that I reflect, I realized that I eventually learned to stand up for myself…
“Unhappy.”
It’s funny because people always talk about the “winners circle” and the “losers circle.” My question is, what makes a winner a winner and what makes a loser a loser? Time is flying; it feels like 2020 just started and now there’s only one month left. Life flies by just like that ... 2020 has…
“Dear Women.”
Where would the world be without women? Allahumma barik! Women are amazing. Cartoon Artist: Unknown (I did NOT create the cartoon) Q&A: How do you think women are treated in general? Is there misogyny displayed in your culture? Misogyny is the expression of hatred and prejudice towards women (Google). It’s definitely displayed in my culture…
“Realities.”
These past couple of weeks, I've just been reflecting about everything going on in the world. Religious rights are continuously being stripped away in France. In fact, hate crimes against Muslims have escalated. A Muslim Holocaust is still taking place in China. Africa is still bleeding. COVID-19 cases are rising. What else am I missing?…
“Africa.”
Oh Africa, sweet Africa. The continent from which the world evolved. The continent where most of the resources come from. The continent that is still being affected by colonization. 54 countries. Different cultures. Different religions. Different leaders. Some nations have better leaders than others. Unfortunately the leaders in many African countries are corrupt. These past…
“Productivity.”
Sometimes an important question I need to ask myself is, “Hadiatou, are you present?” I get so caught up in my to-do lists and before I know it, it’s the middle of the night, I'm tired, and then the cycle repeats the next morning. I have this semi-bad habit of measuring my success throughout the…
“Emotions.”
Warning: Being super transparent in this blog. Today’s open mindedness blog is about false positivity and emotions. As a blogger and as a person, there’s this weird connotation that you have it all together. Some people see me and think I got it all together but that is not the case- I don’t have it…
“New People = New Opportunities.”
Have you ever heard that “closed mouths don’t get fed?” Well, they really don’t lol. Generally speaking, we advocate for ourselves by speaking up. I have always been shy and I’m not going to lie, it’s definitely affected how I advocated for myself in the past. With time however, I learned to become more comfortable…
“Who Are You Doing It For?”
Today’s blog is all about you 😉 Yes, you read that correctly King/Queen 🙂 So let's cut to the chase ... How do you define success? Success can have so many different definitions, maybe because it's a subjective matter. Nevertheless, I do believe that most people associate success with happiness. Speaking of happiness, have you…
“Gratitude.”
Gratitude is described as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness (Google).” You know what my greatest treasure is? Islam. Alhamdulillah for Islam. Without Islam, I am nothing. What's your greatest treasure and why? I was born into Islam but I don’t think my journey of finding the…
“Suicide Prevention Month.”
September is suicide prevention month. Suicide is definitely a taboo topic in the African community but it’s a crisis that must be addressed. Humans can naturally be aggressive at times. Humans can also be naturally selfish. Selfish how? We think of ourselves before we think of others. Now it’s human nature and necessary to do…
“What Matters.”
What matters most to you? Is it your family? Is it your religion? Is it your spirituality? Is it your well-being? What is it!? You know the famous quote, " you'll always find time for things that matter to you?" Well it's true. I started my semester two weeks ago and let me tell you…
“Let’s Talk Legends.”
This past Friday, Chadwick Boseman passed away from colon cancer. The world was shocked and hurt. His story and death truly touched my heart- I'm sure I'm not alone. From the last two years, many comments have been made in regards to his weight loss. Some were jokes and some were genuine concerns. Regardless of…
“Dear, Human …”
Audiobook: Life is a roller coaster. It has it's up and downs. As humans, it’s common for us to sit and wonder all about our life regrets. But do we realize what that does to us mentally and physically? It shifts our focus on the past that we can NEVER change and distracts us from…
“Boy.”
Audiobook: The following short story was written three years ago and it was inspired by Jamaica Kincaid’s brilliant short story called, “Girl.” Below is a photograph of the short story, “Girl,” by Jamaica Kincaid. This is how you’re going to keep cutting your hair so that you don’t resemble to a female, don’t ever grow…
“Don’t Overdo It.”
Audiobook: You know how people can applaud you for something but you still feel like you should’ve done more? Well that’s exactly how I've been these past couple of weeks. I’ve been beating myself up mentally about how I’m not “where I’m supposed to be.” But if you think about it ... this is where…
“Colorism: Part Two.”
Audiobook: Every time I go to African stores, I constantly see skin-bleaching products. It honestly angers me to the core for so many reasons. Before I move on though ... Let’s Define Colorism. "Colorism is the prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial…
“Colorism Part: One.”
Audiobook: Light-skinned, brown-skinned, dark-skinned. Which one are you labeled as? I was called both brown and dark skinned while growing up. I’m more so dark skinned now and I’m happy about it. I grew up in a society that taught me that I’m not light enough to be considered beautiful. Embracing the melanin in my…
“Small-Minded vs. Open-Minded;Which One Are You?!”
Audiobook: Let's be real, we all have our toxic traits. We can be toxic towards the people we know, love, and even to ourselves. The reality is, no one walking on this earth today is perfect. We are all flawed in someway, shape, or form. However, there is something that makes us different. Our mindsets.…
Continue reading ➞ “Small-Minded vs. Open-Minded;Which One Are You?!”
“The Why Behind Awoken By Hadi.”
One Year Documentary: Everyone always asks me how do I come up with my blog topics. The answer is simple ... I just do it lol, just kidding. My experiences and discoveries about myself, constantly influence my choice of blog topics. Here's how it all started: There was a point in my life where I…
“Healing.”
Audiobook: Last week, I spoke about trauma and how trauma affects our daily behaviors and interactions with others. Now let’s talk about healing. Healing is a process. Not everyone goes through the healing process, however, many do. The healing process could take days, months, years. It honestly varies per person. What if I told you…
“Trauma.”
Audiobook: Natural Disasters, Sexual Abuse, Physical Abuse, Domestic Violence, Medical Injury, Community Violence, Neglect, Deprivation, Traumatic Grief, Victim of Crime, Kidnapping, Accidents, School Violence, and Loss. What is stated above can all be different forms of trauma. Trauma is defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience (Google). Here's a question for you: How often…
“Why Settle?”
Audiobook: As a blogger, it's easy to get caught up with 'what's popular or trending.' The same goes for social media influencers and other entrepreneurs. The truth is ... your audience will come, so don't settle for what you think is 'trending.' Stick with your values and work according to your values. If you compromise…
“Privilege.”
Audiobook: Where It All Started. When I think of the word 'privilege,' I automatically think of 'White Privilege.' Although white privilege very much exists (there's no denying that) there's something else. Lately, I have been thinking about my own privilege as a First-Generation American. Heads up, it's definitely not comparable to white privilege. Anyway, as…
“Looting In Our Communities.”
THE MINORITY OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR DOES NOT REPRESENT WHAT BLACK LIVES MATTER STANDS FOR! We have a duty to protect and be mindful of our black businesses. **I am not saying that black people are doing this to their own communities, it has been proven that white supremacists have dressed in black…
“We Are Tired- Enough is Enough!”
Audiobook: We are angry. We are sad. We are overwhelmed with frustration. My life is in danger. My relatives' lives are in danger. Every black person's life is in danger. How could I dare be silent about this? The murder of George Floyd surfaced on social media rapidly. It is absolutely heartbreaking, shocking, and overwhelming…
AWOKEN BY HADI 