Maham Coffee Chats is a series of short reflections inspired by my personal experiences. Everyday observations and the thoughts that occasionally emerge over a cup of my coffee. This time, I catch myself thinking about dreams. The circles we move in. And the little pebbles that sometimes stand between us and the lives we imagine for ourselves.
On ambition, the courage to strive, and the silent wisdom of knowing when to let go.
Circles of My Coffee
A question I ask myself often: “When to surrender to the Will of God and when to fight using our own Free Will?”
~ Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich, once asked an audience, “What is the average number of times a person tries to achieve something before giving up?”
After several guesses from the audience, he replied. “Less than one.”
Many of us give up on our goals, passions, dreams, and even love without giving it even one honest try.
Typically, we jump over our passion cruises bearing the words “I can’t” in our minds. From the very beginning, we start manipulating the reasons why it is not possible, or all sorts of negative outcomes, in case it happens by chance.
Often, we give up on our dreams, leaving them in the name of ‘fate’ or the ‘Will of God’. Consequently, end up following the same circles for most of our lives.
And then there is another counterpart to the story, where a few of us try too hard.
Pebbles in the Path
On the contrary, sometimes we become so consumed by our passions and dreams that we turn them into a challenge for our egos. And unknowingly, we keep trying too hard for too long to make things happen.
On the contrary, sometimes we get so consumed by our passions, dreams, love, or goals that we make them a challenge for our egos. And unknowingly, we keep trying too hard for too long to make things happen.
At times, we focus too much on objectives we want to achieve badly but not passionately. This unnecessary pivot creates a void inside us, with feelings of insufficiency or the sensation that we are not good enough.
We start imagining numerous obstacles or pebbles we still need to overcome before reaching our desired destination.
In that instance, when we start fighting too hard in the name of ‘Free Will’ to achieve specific results, we unwittingly begin to act against nature.
So the question is, where is the balance?
Me and My Coffee
So how do we know when and how much to fight for our dreams, and when exactly to surrender?
There are a few key notions to keep in mind while pursuing any passion, desire, or goal:
1: Firstly, ‘the art of allowing‘.
This means creating an atmosphere or specific circumstances that allow your desired goal to come into your life ‘without forcing it.’
2: Secondly, take action ONLY when it feels good.
Your feelings associated with any goal, desire, or dream are foremost.
Your gut feelings are the signs from Nature/God telling you to follow the right direction at the right time. Taking action at the right time and with just the right amount of energy is a key component for manifesting dreams.
3: Thirdly and most importantly, ‘the art of letting go.’
The art of letting go of your dreams is another essential component for pursuing your passions, but equally hard to practice.
The art of letting go is about putting in the right amount of effort and then unleashing your dreams. Trusting that the right time will allow it to happen.
~ Just learn to sit back, relax, and look at the outcome of all your efforts from a distance. Learn to trust and surrender to the ‘Will of God/ Nature’ and believe that all your efforts will yield the best fruits soon.
Concept, Content writing, Art direction, Photography, Photo-editing done by Maham Iftikhar
