Hello everyone, my name is Sahar. At the time I’m writing this post, I’m doing my MBA, which I started after many challenges and overcoming them. I believe true stories, life journeys, experiences, and challenges we overcome are the real lessons from which we can learn, and they can deeply impact others.
Through this blog, I want to be honest and share why I didn’t start earlier and the core purpose behind this blog.
Table of Contents
Hiding My Voice: The Fear That Silenced Me
I grew up as someone who my family always expected to be a perfect and decent Muslim girl. I was raised to be conservative—and being an Afghan girl, oho! You should be more careful and cautious. And I tried to! And I became. As a result, I became over-conservative, over-cautious, and an overthinker about each and every step I wanted to take or word I wanted to say.
I didn’t talk about personal or family problems. I was ashamed of sharing what I thought or believed in. I was afraid to speak up because there was always a question in my mind: What will others think?
Still, I felt compelled to express myself from the bottom of my heart because I needed to at least empty my heart somewhere. So, I began journaling, putting my ideas, feelings, experiences, and plans in a notebook. But I always hid that diary carefully so no one could find or read it.
Eventually, I moved to typing my thoughts and stories on a computer and added a password for extra protection. That’s how insecure and conservative I felt.
Inspiration and Courage: Learning from Others
I’m a bookworm—I just love reading books. It’s like exercise for my mind. Thanks to those who wrote books and, through them, helped many, including me. So, I was and am reading books and watching motivational YouTube videos, amazed by people who spoke without fear. They talked about their failures, challenges, and even family issues and didn’t seem ashamed at all. Deep down, I wanted to do the same.
Then I realized I’m not alone. And that thought changed everything. I asked myself, What good is it to keep stories and thoughts hidden? Yes, writing gives me peace, but I wanted more. I wanted to share. I wanted to speak up. I wanted to have a voice. I wanted others to know: You exist. You matter. You’re not alone in having challenges.
I eventually found the courage and bravery to share my experience. I decided to be strong and unafraid of criticism from my family, friends, or anyone else. And I’m ready for any criticism now. I no longer blame anyone. Yes, I lacked courage. I lacked self-confidence. Yes, I wasted time. Yes, fear held me back. But I’ve learned from it all.
“True courage is being afraid and going ahead and doing your job anyway,” Norman Schwarzkopf once said, and I adore it.
Starting this blog and sharing my views and struggles in life was one of my greatest fears and anxieties, but I was more driven to motivate others.
This Blog: A Space to Grow Together
I believe this blog can be a place for learning, motivation, and encouragement. A reminder that you are not alone. We can grow together. To be honest, even starting this blog was full of doubt and fear. Sometimes I paused for days, questioning myself. But I didn’t give up.
Seeking perfection is one of the biggest mistakes we can make, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s one of the largest barriers in life. It frequently results in failure and deters us from pursuing our true passions.
If you people have experienced similar situations, please refrain from asking yourself. Avoid trying to be perfect. Just talk. Your voice counts.
Let’s share our stories—our struggles and how we overcome them—to improve the world. Let’s support one another. And make this world a beautiful place for each other.
The Power of Stories
I believe stories bring change. They help people feel seen and heard. They remind us we’re not alone. Real experiences, real tales, and lessons learned will all be featured on this blog. I’m still learning and developing, so I’m not saying I’ve conquered everything.
I’ll also talk about the cultural norms that negatively affect people’s lives. I’ll share stories about life-changing events, the positive impacts they’ve had, and the real lessons they taught me.
Being True to Myself: Breaking Cultural Expectations
It’s not that I didn’t want to do things; I just couldn’t at the time. But I did want to study, and now I’m doing my MBA, even though there was criticism from family members.
According to our culture, a girl my age should be married and have children. But I’m not. And I’m okay with that.
I’m not blaming my family. This is a cultural issue, and it’s not only ours. I’ve researched other cultures too, and they also see marriage as a “must” for women above Twenty Five or at least having a boyfriend. But in Islam, relationships outside of marriage aren’t allowed. Still, the pressure to be married is real.
Closing Thoughts: It’s Just the Beginning
This blog contains observations on actual events that have influenced people’s lives in addition to true stories, personal struggles, and my efforts to overcome them.
Instead of mindlessly adhering to customs or trends, I want us to stop and consider what we may learn from these occurrences. Let’s seek meaning, question what’s around us, and grow with intention.
I also dream of this blog being a platform where we support and love each other as we are, not as who others expect us to be. Let’s not try to change people but understand them. Let’s love unconditionally, without judgment.
As Saadi Shirazi wrote:
“Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.”
— Saadi Shirazi, Source
These are problems I’ve seen for years—criticism, judgment, jealousy, and comparison. I want this space to be different. A space of peace, acceptance, and meaningful stories.
This blog is my step forward, and I hope it becomes a space where you, too, feel seen, heard, and inspired.
Let’s grow together.