The Unusual Moments in our Lives…

Sometimes you wake up, you perform your usual routine and things seem to run smoothly. They may not always be eventful or entertaining or even fulfilling most of the time –  but at least you feel a sense of stability. But then comes those dreaded days, the days in which you wish you could go back to sleep and wake up to a better outcome.

Gah.. if only that were possible! But enough of the woulda coulda shoulda…

What do you do when the very routine you base your whole life around becomes disrupted or perhaps thrown out of proportion? As humans, we are creatures of routine or habit. How do we retrain ourselves to develop a new routine or perhaps become proactive again?

It’s not that simple. We begin to obsess over the negative effects this disruption can cause on our lives. Our money, our social life, living situation, independence.. all of that can be taken away in a blink of a moment.

Is it possible to overcome the adversity of the situation and still come out on top? It’s hard to stay positive when everything in your life depended on on the routine you once lived. Giving up that independence and surrendering to the horrid life of ‘dependence’ is never an easy transition.

How do you still maintain a sense of control over your life when in reality it feels like you’ve lost it all?

If you haven’t yet understood what I am speaking of… I am talking about the layoffs that have become an all too familiar term in this recession. These layoffs have affected families, individuals, new graduates and students with a heap of responsibilities, bills and people to take care of. How do these people start over again? While I cant answer every overwhelming question that newly laid off employees might have – I can provide a foundation that will help jump start you back on  your feet.

There are six simple steps that you can take:

1. Apply for unemployment – you have paid into since you began working –  now it is your turn to collect!
2. Update your resume, skill set, objectives and rethink your goals for the next month. 
3. Develop goals for the year that align with your monthly goals.
4. Get in touch with old connections, friends or co-workers to see if there are any opportunities for you.
5. Make new connections online via job boards or networking events.
6. Research trends in your industry and try to see if your skill set matches. If it does not, then begin to start self educating yourself on how to obtain those skills.
7. Than last but not least – APPLY, APPLY, APPLY to jobs ANYWHERE – because at this moment in your life, the location nor the company should be a huge concern!

Your focus should be solely on landing your next gig that aligns with your goals and has growth opportunities.  Focus on getting back on your feet before you are forced to move back home or with other relatives.

A New Freelancing Era – The Downfall for all Writers

Unfortunately with this economy, hiccups can occur at any point advancing some individuals up the totem pole and pushing others down. How can you be sure when it is your time to rise? The unfortunate truth… You can’t.

For writers, reporters, copywriters or copy editors – this economy is very scary because it has opened up a new realm of freelancing that did not exist in the Carrie Bradshaw years. This era of freelance allows –  for lack of a better phrase “poor hungry writers” – to be held to a lower standard of pay. Freelancing traditionally was a “moonlighting” position for writers where they could make extra cash on the side or gain experience while still having their own full-time position.

But now freelancing has turned into a full-time position for some that are lucky but without the benefits of healthcare, a 401K plan and of course let’s not forget… a stable paycheck.  There are now websites dedicated to companies looking for freelancers and freelancers looking for jobs. It has become a new world of what I like to call “writer scabs”.

Writers have become undervalued and therefore are only sought out when needed. Kind of like a pest exterminator except they can charge whatever price they want and people will still adhere to it.  Unfortunately, for a writer they are given a price range in which they can charge clients.  In most cases this range does not yield much of a profit for the writer – considering the amount of time/research they have to do for the job.

What most companies or managers fail to realize is that writing is a craft not a skill that can be acquired by anyone. It is something that I believe you are naturally given and that as you grow older has to be cultivated to some extent. Whether it’s learning different types of style guidelines, experimenting with writing tones or learning how to reach a certain demographic.

I’d like to compare to it to singing because it is something you are naturally given but can be cultivated through a vocal coach or vocal classes. Similar to a writer who can obtain a journalism degree to learn how perfect their writing.

Most writers or reporters are trained professionals that have worked in the field or wrote for a variety of different platforms comfortably. They aren’t stay at home moms who like to blog in their free time.

This is a HUGE misconception! Many managers or companies believe that writing is a hobby or something not requiring that much skill. A common phrase I like to quote that I’ve heard often is:

“How much effort does it really take – to jot a couple of words or facts down and throw some sentences together?”

Well buddy if it was so easy -  then WHY are YOU looking to hire someone else in the first place?!

To able to write in a manner that is engaging, allows others to connect with you or perhaps speaks on the behalf of others –  is truly a gift. It is not something that everyone can learn, develop and actually be good at.

This new era of freelance will be the downfall for writers if we continue to let companies devalue their talents and skills.

Remember historically – Writers or reporters are those that keep the masses informed, maintain the status quo and protect our fundamental liberties. If we denounce their role in society, belittling their skill set to something that any common man can obtain…. than what else are we sacrificing?

Let’s step back and Analyze these 2 wars

Are we really going to compare the amount of deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan?! About 5,000 soliders died in Iraq in a January 2012 estimate. Over 110,000 Iraqis have died according to the Associated Press from March 2003 to January 2011. About 2,000 soldiers died in Afghanistan and according to the United Nations 12,793 Afghanis died. What have we achieved in those years in those countries lets be real!? Do the American people really think that these wars have prevented another attack?!

That’s 7,000 American soldiers dead and about 123,000 Iraqis/Afghanis dead. How have these wars helped these countries at all?! Afghanistan is still marrying young women to older men, their economy is still crippled, they have not been able to make money off of the minerals “we discovered”, young men are still being manipulated into becoming suicide bombers….ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAS CHANGED since we entered the country except bloodshed. With Iraq, we took out Saddam, alright we we took out a dictator. But how is Iraq any better now than it was then?! Are there more jobs, are there more liberties for the people, is the economy more open and seeing progress?! all the answers are NO! So tell me America what did we gain from these two wars except bloodshed, increased hatred and more havoc in the region?!

An article I wr…

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An article I wrote for work on one of our websites – Supply Times at emedia.

Super Size Your Social Media Strategy

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Super Size Your Social Media Strategy

Check out how McDonalds is keeping their consumers engaged. Here’s an article I wrote for one of the websites I write/edit for at emedia. This article was fun to write, share any comments you have!

Email Phishing: Hook, Line and Sinker to Your Data

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Email Phishing: Hook, Line and Sinker to Your Data

Check out the latest phishing scams and protect your inbox! An article I wrote for one of the websites I write/edit for at emedia. Hope you like it, let me know what you think!

Islamic Uproar – Is this what Islam teaches?

“I have just one question for those who killed the ambassador in Libya: The Prophet Muhammad PBUH was stoned, exiled, had the intestines of animals thrown on him while he prayed- he was no stranger to people’s insults or abuse- at what point did he ever retaliate by becoming violent, by killing the other person? To love the Prophet means to adopt his character and practice, how about we start with that before we twist and deform Islam into something beyond recognition.”

A friend of mine recently posted this and seriously I could not have said it better. Please remember this when are angry or feel hurt by peoples’ comments about Islam – the Prophet PBUH endured way worse.

“ It is a fine thing to…

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“ It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test. ”

— Elbert Hubbard

A new journey, a new chapter, another opportunity to grow

So it’s been a while since I wrote a post that wasn’t so controversial and allowed me to reflect on life.

If I think back to this time last year my thoughts, my dreams, my goals were all pretty ambiguous. I didn’t draw out a map or provide myself with proper directions on how to get there. I had a bus route, a subway route, a plane route, a walking route, but I still had not chosen which one I preferred most. Apart of me was erratic because everyday I’d change my mind on what route I wanted to travel on. All I knew was that I wanted to move to NYC but deep down I didn’t trust myself to land a gig there. 

Inevitably after graduation, I ended up moving back “home” to a world that I left behind. A world where I was young, naive, narrow-minded, and captivated by my own ignorance of how the world really was. It strange to return having to immerse myself back into a community where I no longer felt I belonged. It wasn’t really a feeling of rejection it was more a feeling of discomfort. In college I had met so many amazingly inspiring people that allowed me to think in a way that I never thought I was capable of. Every person, every action, every event that I had encountered exhilarated my spirit. It was frightening to think that I may not be able to have those type of interactions anymore. 

I mean I really didn’t know anyone anymore and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know them again. I began to just focus on my career and apply to almost 20 jobs a day. It was so hard coming back to a home where I wasn’t independent. It was almost like I had grown into this new person that I wanted the world to see but only ended up back where I started. 

It was very frustrating and a little disheartening but I just needed someone to believe in me. I felt as though no one really took me seriously in every part of my life whether it was friends, family, or prospective employers. But now I that I can look back at those feelings I had, I know now that I didn’t need SOMEONE to believe in me I needed to believe in me. 

It took me a while to realize that I was the only one who could turn my situation into something better. I didn’t need anyone to believe in me I just needed to show people that I believed in me. My own confidence would attract them to my skill set and allow them to decide for themselves on whether or not I’d be an asset to their company. 

I’d have to say it took MANY conversations with my role model to get me to start thinking this way. I truly am blessed to even have someone that believes in me as much as they do. But I couldn’t let myself just sit around and sulk. I needed to get a job, be independent and most of all prove to myself that I could FINALLY be self sufficient. Something I ALWAYS craved to be as a child, teenager, and now young adult. 

When I got my first job offer well paid-intern position (ha), only two months after graduation I truly felt blessed. But I have to tell you it was a HUGE confidence booster. 

That day as cliche as this sounds, a new chapter of my life began and I evolved into this person that was bold and daunting. 

Going in to work everyday to people that were eager to hear my ideas, my thoughts, my views on their work was an amazing feeling. These people didn’t know me at all but they put all their trust in my ideas not knowing if they would be successful or not. But that was the best part about it, it was the biggest rush to know that these people that had been in the business for YEARS relied on me to help them. 

I also was able to learn from them because I had never really worked in the corporate world and that opportunity alone provided me with soooooooooo much knowledge. I began to understand the atmosphere, the goals, the ideals of the corporate world while learning the IT jargon that leaves most Americans on the phone with Raj from Pune, India. haha.

My boss was awesome. He let me be apart of every meeting, take notes, and soak up as much as I could. Later we would sit together and discuss what I had observed then brainstorm all the viable solutions. My boss always told me, “Don’t ever think any idea is too farfetched because that idea can transform into something that everyone will aspire to have”. 

His attitude was so inspiring and allowed me thoroughly impress everyone I had come into contact with. I mean of course not everyone is ready for change and there were some that were hesitant to my ideas. But the company needed change, it needed that boost in order to keep up with the needs of our customers. 

The corporate world is a completely different ball game than writing for consumer based platforms. While it was fun and a new experience I quickly realized that it wasn’t a place I wanted to be in for the rest of my life. 

I wanted a position that would allow me to touch more people on a grand scale and open their eyes to something different. Now that I am transitioning into a new position at a new company I feel like I can do that. 

I have never been more excited to start a job in my life. ha. I think it’s because I finally found a position that has structure meaning clearly defined responsibilities, goals, and a chance to move up the ladder. And I shouldn’t leave out my first salary position haha! Not that money has anything to do with it haha! But it’s pretty awesome to get paid for work that you love to do! 

But I guess what I’ve been trying to say throughout this whole entire post is that I didn’t believe in myself but only I could change that. 

You have the power to make your mind strong and fearless. YOU control yourself and your actions no one else. Yes, there are factors that can influence you and sometimes push you down but at the end of the day you are your only fan. If you don’t believe in yourself, why would anyone else? 

I know a lot times we think we need others to love us or give us attention or that boost to make us feel valuable but we don’t. I mean don’t get me wrong and think I’m saying to be conceited or narcissistic but it’s good to believe in you. 

All those people we think we need come secondary because we only need the love that comes from within. 

Now that I have completely gone down that mushy road – I just want to say never sell yourself short and always believe in yourself! 

The Ignorance of American Muslims…

As I logged onto Facebook today I came across this picture which really quite frankly made me angry! I feel like our Muslim Ummah (people) have become completely blind to the atrocities/oppression that Muslim woman around the world deal with on a daily basis.

 

I dont agree with this image I dont think that you can compare an average Muslim woman to a nun, traditional jewish woman or an orthodox nun. Let’s be real those women are apart of their religious worship centers. That is their role in society they do NOT have other roles in society besides that. They are not like Muslim women who go to school, become doctors or lawyers and have a life beyond their hijab. They wear that type of clothing because it is part of their role in the church. If they were not apart of the church they would NOT wear that out. Muslim women wear it whether or not they are active members of the Shura or any council in their mosque. So no this is not an accurate comparison. In fact, it is stupid that we call this picture hypocrisy because its just idiocracy.

And when people talk about Islam being sexist, they are not referring to the treatment of American Muslim women. They are referring to woman that live in areas like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Dubai, Syria and many other Middle Eastern countries. That HAVE to wear a burqa whether they want to or not. They can’t be out without a man EVER, and if they are and god forbid they are assaulted in some way it becomes their fault not the man who assaulted them. Their justification is that they tempted the man and therefore it was their fault. So yeah THAT IS oppression! In most cases I am almost positive that’s what people are talking about.

Woman and children are used as shields when terrorists fight. That is terrorism. Women just recently got the right to vote in Saudi but they still can’t drive. Cmon open your eyes people! But I will say this there are some media outlets on the right that take these notions and apply them to every Muslim woman and THAT IS NOT ACCURATE. But there are a TON of muslim woman in the world that are suffering. The Muslims in America only make up a small percentage of the American population – they are barely make up 2% of the American population. There are only 6.58 million Muslims in American. That is such a small percentage of the Muslim population in the world. There are 1.65 billion Muslims in the world! So just because we arent being oppressed doesnt mean our peers arent!

Human trafficking, arranged marriages, female genital mutilation, and reproductive rights to name a few are the huge problems in the Muslim world. Girls and women are sold all the time in order for their poverty-ridden family to pull themselves up. Young girls are forced into marriage for the same reasons. In areas like Sudan, Congo, Somalia and many other African countries children as young as the age of 10 are undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM). According to the World Health Organization, 100–140 million women and girls are living with FGM, including 92 million girls over the age of 10 in Africa. The practice exists in 28 African countries, as well as in the Arabian Peninsula.  It is known to exist in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq. It is also practised in Indonesia in a very inhumane way.

And that is not the worst of it human trafficking is by far a large problem in conflict-ridden societies where woman hold no place in society.  Victims of sex trafficking are routinely lured away with promises of a better life in a different country, sold by family members, or kidnapped. They are often drugged, imprisoned and tortured if they attempt to escape, and those who do manage to return to their families are turned away because of the social stigma attached.

“According to the US State Department 2010 Human Trafficking Report, 12.3 million adults and children are trafficked into forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution. Around 56% of these victims are women. The US State Department Annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) ranks countries in order of how they tackle trafficking and those in the lowest tier are sanctioned. In the 2010 report, Iran, Mauritania and Kuwait were amongst the Muslim-majority countries whose governments did not comply with the minimum standard” (www.wisemuslimwomen.org). Take a look at this map. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

 

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Sudan are considered Tier 3 for their human trafficking problems. These are predominately Muslim nations.

“Even though in Islam sexual relations should only exist within the confines of a legitimate marriage, sex trafficking still occurs in the Muslim world. Unequal access to education, war, dire poverty, limited opportunities, and other forms of gender discrimination increase women and girls’ vulnerability to being trafficked. For instance, many women who fled Iraq to Syria during the US invasion into Iraq, have been forced into prostitution” (www.wisemuslimwomen.org).

In places like war-torn Bosnia, women were also trafficked and sold throughout Europe for forced prostitution. In Saudi Arabia, women from Pakistan, Yemen, Nigeria, and other countries are routinely trafficked for sexual exploitation, and others are kidnapped and forced into prostitution after running away from abusive employers.

Saudi Arabia not only lacks adequate anti-trafficking laws but also does not provide victims with any support. So how can we sit here and say that there is no oppression, submission, and terrorism when so many of our Muslim Women live this life EVERYDAY!

Remember there are only 6.5 million of us in the United States but there are 1.65 billion of us in the world most of which that live in nations with unequal access to education which leaves them vulnerable to being trafficked.

Wearing a hijab is a choice for a Muslim woman and apart of her everyday life. She can still study, and become a valuable citizen of society. It can’t be compared to a nun or an orthodox Jew because an average Christian or Jew does not wear a head covering if they are not apart of their church/temple. Muslims do!

So yes while not ALL Muslim women are oppressed and forced into submission there is an alarming amount that are! And as an Ummah we need to recognize it and figure out how to fix it.