Assalamu Alaikum dear guest,
I’m writing this entry riding a wave of momentum. The kind where the enerGEE feels relentless. Like I can bend the world and grab anything I set my mind to. I feel like THAT Umar Guy.
I can feel the focus in my Quran revision, in my gym workouts, content creation, thought process, salah, EVERYTHING (believe it or not, this largely came from just being able to sleep earlier. I had light insomnia over the past few weeks)
This is a feeling I’ve missed dearly, I’ve had many periods this year where it was the exact opposite, I didn’t feel like myself, more like a shadow of who I know I can be.
And so, I want to talk about ambition.
Looking back, I know that I’ve always been ambitious – I wanted to have high income, high impact, fancy cars…. but I realised I’ve never really articulated what it meant to me.
So I asked ChatGPT, “How would you define ambition?”
“Ambition is the inner engine that makes you hungry enough to suffer voluntarily for a bigger outcome.
It’s a crystal-clear vision of ‘more’ + the discipline to bleed for it without needing applause.”
And we spoke about it over dinner with a few of my beloved cousins, and that gave me my updated definition.
A lens/scope that determines how far you’re able to see, and an internal engine that dictates how much you’re able to GRIND towards that vision.
Both matter because, If your lens is blurry, your ambition will be restricted. If your engine is weak, your ambition won’t move you.
Then I looked at my targets for the rest of this year and it made me question, did i set them because that’s really all I wanted to achieve, or did I set them because they were within my safety net/comfort zone?
I concluded… My lens was too small. So I updated it. With goals that felt uncomfortable, even daunting.
And asked
“Umar, when have you ever been scared to dream?”
Sometimes, what it takes is simply not being afraid to be afraid. To stare at your fear until it fears you. For what is fear when you have the Lord of majesty behind you?
Real ambition is a force. It breaks barriers, it acts without waiting for permission, it embraces the messy and imperfect, it takes tribulation head-on, and it sharpens with every iteration… until the vision is reached.
And so, I ask you:
What lens are you currently wearing? One of safety, or what you actually want?
How can you update it to see further?
In what ways has fear kept you from action?
TAKEAWAYS FOR YOU
Sometimes, we limit ourselves from achieving big simply by not letting ourselves dream big enough
Be fearless in executing your ideas, because thinking it isn’t doing it. Talking about it isn’t doing it. Only doing it is doing it.
Don’t be afraid to be afraid, the biggest growth always comes after immense discomfort.
SIDE UPDATE
-I’ve been working on a huge programme for anyone that wants to build consistency with their Quran memorisation journeys - and I’m happy to announce that The Hifz-starter kit is open for registration!
I remember what it was like when I started, so we made this to give anyone in that position all the help they need
Digital tools (Including my book)
2 virtual live sessions with me
An exclusive accountability group chat (with a qualified accountability coach)
All of that for 50,000NGN | 25GBP | 35USD. The programme will run for 3 weeks in sha Allah starting from 23rd August (Saturday)
If anyone is interested in Joining - Send me a private message with “I’m ready.”
See you soon!