Day 24: Inner Peace/Outward Contribution

Guest blogger: One of the most rewarding parts of keeping this blog has been hearing from people in different parts of the world who have come across the blog.  One such loyal reader has been Masu. When I was asked to speak about the 30 days blog at the United Nations last year, Masu wrote the most beautiful email explaining her own faith journey and why the blog feels meaningful to her.  I must have read that note a dozen times. It's such a pleasure to have her contribute a dua - one that speaks to me personally, as I'm sure it does to many. Thank you Masu for this heartfelt, eloquent reflection. I hope to meet you soon.  

And God increases the guided in guidance. And the deeds that endure - the good deeds - are, with your Lord, better in reward and yield better returns. (Quran, Sura 19, Verse 76)

"As the wife of a busy executive and mother of two young girls who used to be a practicing lawyer but now chiefly manages our family life and connections while volunteering substantively wherever and whenever possible, one would think that the pressure, so to speak, was off.  No more brief filing deadlines or pressure to make partner.  No inner struggles about whether to attend the school play or a client meeting.  But the pressures I experience now are of a different kind.  Am I wasting my years of education and potential?  Will I ever be able to re-enter the workforce in an impactful way after a lengthy hiatus? Will my girls benefit from my having been home or am I just a helicopter parent who is actually making it more difficult for them to blossom into their independent selves?  Am I contributing to the world outside of my immediate family in any sort of meaningful, lasting, unique way?Many days, I feel ill at ease and weighed down by the fact that the answers to those questions are elusive.  As my father has said to me, “everyone in the world wants to be somebody,” and high profile work, particularly in America, is often the vehicle for such recognition.  At those times I try to distract myself by doing something useful for someone else that I might not have had time for if I were still working full-time.  It could be something like calling a friend who is going through a difficult time in her life in the middle of the day or spending a few days a week helping a non-profit helping women fleeing violence attain more interest in their work and sponsorships.  I am always looking for ways to get out of my head and my house and do something that truly helps others.  I don’t always succeed in this effort – but I continually try because selfishly I know the benefits of doing good, however and whenever possible, are twofold – in helping others, I am actually helping myself."Dua 24, Dua 24:  Inner peace/Outward contribution