Life: 20 and Counting

A letter to thyself

Dear future Izhar,

Life is never easy. It's confusing, challenging and part of the way, there is a series of insecurity, pain, and sometimes jovial. On your journey, you'll encounter many things. But before you can continue your steps, always remember your sole purpose of your existence.

Tidak aku ciptakan jin dan manusia melainkan hanya untuk beribadah kepada-Ku 

[Adz-Dzariyat, 51: 56]

Put God on top of anything for once you have Allah by your side, you don't need anything else. Your deen is your priority. In search of thyself, is to know your Creator. And in search of barakah, is to follow His guidance. Years ahead, you'll be walking alone and for that reason, you need a stronger heart. As you need to eat to fill your stomach and to gain energy, the food for soul are patience and gratefulness.

A wise and pious man always gets benefits whether in time of good or bad. He who endures problems with patience and cherishes comfort with gratefulness.

Many more years to come, you'll be walking on the path you chose. Never regret once you made a choice but also, be cautious every time you have to decide. Don't make decision when you're angry. Once it's decided, put your best into everything you do and let God do the rest. Never give up. Hope doesn't last without prayers, and prayers are meaningless without efforts.

Don't hold your tears. A man's tear is as powerful as a woman's. To cry doesn't mean you're weak. It's to let you know your potential. Cry when you need to cry, and laugh when you need to laugh. You'll also meet many people that come and go in you life. Never judge unless you've been in their shoes and experience the same thing.

Everyone is struggling to fight their own battle. So have heart - Nadia Ashari

Among those you meet, be sure to know who is friend and who is foe. Take care of your good friends as they are jewels in life. Nowadays, it's hard to find a friend that's always there for you especially in time of need. Cheer your friendships and repay their kindness. Remember the time they all came sitting next to you when you were sick? They didn't utter a word, just sat there and read comics but they were there when you need them.

Be careful of your foes, but always forgive them. A strong man is not someone who can lift 100 kg of stone, but the one who can control himself when in anger and the one that is forgiving.

Who spend (in the cause of Allah) during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good;

[Al-Imran, 3: 134]

Family. Be a good man that loves his family the most. Treat your father and mother the way they treated you. Take care of their welfare when they grow old. Express your gratitude to them, ask for their forgiveness, pray for their prosperity in this world and the Hereafter. Make them feel your love and always make them proud. Make dua for them everyday in your prayer. That's the best thing you can do.

And We have enjoined upon man (care) for his parents....

[Al-Luqman, 31: 14]

The same goes to your siblings. I know you guys fight a lot but that's just how siblings express their love to each other. Remember all the happy faces when all of us gather during holidays, during Raya, and the precious moment you've shared together. No one understand you best like your own family.

Don't live in the past. Learn from them. There are many lessons for you take from every single thing that happened in your life. Keep you head held high. Be confident but don't lose that crazy attitude of yours. Every group needs a clumsy guy that can crack a joke and makes them laugh sometimes.

Be calm in whatever situations. Don't be a lazy bump and a sleepy head. I mean, reduce it to a minimum level. Procrastinate when you feel like doing so. Sometimes, you need to take a break from everything but not too often. Or else, it'll become cancer :)

Love equally. Love is subjective and tougher than calculus. You've been there and you know you're not ready. But when you are, I'm sure you'll meet someone special like no other. And she just suits you best. Everything will be worth the wait, and in the meantime, never lose hope and keep praying. Be honest to her, be loyal to her. Because in the next phase of your life, she'll be the one that provides support to you, lend her ears to your stories, share your heart and love, and a hug from her will make every sickness and worry disappear.

Bila lafaz cinta itu halal, memang lain rasanya - Aiman Azlan

Keep dreaming. You know what you want to achieve. You've been in the bathroom for more than 30 minutes thinking what to do next year. Dream is not something to be laughed at. Now you know your goals, pursue them with courage. Like every pain makes muscle grows stronger, fear makes you braver. Don't afraid of trying and falling down. Be motivated. If everyone else can do it, why not you?

Be yourself. Be Khairul Izhar. Live to that name, and make your life awesome.

Happy 20th Birthday

Another year older, another year wiser.

And when you turn 21, write another letter to Mr. 22. Keep the tradition going because

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Neither does bathing. That's why we recommended it daily 

-Zig Ziglar-

Err, in our case, it's yearly :)

Sincerely,

Present Izhar, or should I say Past Izhar?