My Reading Journey: 

I grew up in Sri Lanka and the U.A.E before moving to Canada. Me and my family moved quite a bit but I spent a large portion of my time with my grandpa. I believe he has played a large role in raising me especially when it came to reading. He is a literature and economics professor, you will always catch him in the university library finding his next read. He used to take me there every time he got the chance but I was never interested. I loved going to the beach, it was my favorite part growing up in Sri Lanka and Dubai. I remember throwing tantrums for him to take me to the beach instead of the library since I never had the patience or interest in completing a book. He taught me to read and write and also the benefits that came with it but I refused to take part in what seemed like a burden at the time. A part of me feels guilty for not fulfilling his wish as we couldn’t bond over books as he had hoped but I am in the process of making reading a habit. I hope by the end of this course, I’ll obtain a greater passion for reading and implement it into my daily lifestyle.

Time to get personal:  

I am uncertain of many things in my life. I have so many things to figure out but there’s two factors that influence the way I walk through life; my religion and my fears. 

Religion: 

My hijab is the most expressive thing about me. Its the first thing people see as they instantly recognize that I am a Muslim part of the peacful faith of Islam. My religion is my best teacher. It teaches me to approach difficulty with faith and a positive mindset. It helps me navigate my life and has set a clear purpose for me where I don’t dwell in the pain life throws. I believe that Islam has given me a better perception of the world we live in allowing me to become the best version of myself. 

Fears:

I am not scared of death but I am scared of dying a bad person. Before I die, I want to feel fulfilled and know that I did everything I could to make the lives of others better. I find happiness in making others happy but I also want to experience a bold and spontaneous life. I want to travel and cherish the small moments that make all the difference. I yearn for a spontaneous life yet one that also delivers a positive impact. I want to express myself and be who I truly am without fearing judgment. I want peace of mind even with all the chaos. Essentially, I have created almost what seems like a fantasy life that is exclusive to my mind but I am on my path to facing the reality that is beyond these forlorn fancies.

Among the many fears I hold, the greatest is my fear of failure. This fear limits my capabilities and confines me to experience only the things which I know I will be successful at. I am inspired by the success of others though I am afraid to tackle my own goals. I strive to have a growth mindset not letting the setbacks pull me down. I have yet to find my voice, to be discovered by my wavering mind that weighs down on all the amazing things that hide beneath my fears and mistakes.

URL: Among the many names you encounter, I’m confident mine is one that remains unique. Sadhiya Zainab Siraj Ahamed. I get a lot of questions on my name so here’s your explanation. My first and middle name hold great significance in terms of meaning. I have been told that my first name means divine, an adjective. My parents wanted some sort of noun to go with it so they came up with Zainab which translates into soul. Hence, divine soul. The last two names are simply what I inherited from my dad. 

Disclaimer: Arabic names can hold many meanings as it can’t be perfectly translated into English. Also the dialect is important. The meaning of my name is strictly from my family’s point of view so it may mean something slightly different for someone else. 

2 thoughts on “ABOUT ME

  1. Dear Sadhiya,
    Your About Me is very beautifully worded and I feel like I actually know you a little bit better now that I had the opportunity to read it. Something that really stood out to me was how advanced your vocabulary is. I truly felt like I was reading a professional piece of writing because of it. When you wrote, “I have yet to find my voice, to be discovered by my wavering mind that weighs down on all the amazing things that hide beneath my fears and mistakes.” I honestly felt that. I feel like there are so many people who feel the same way and you did a great job of putting that into words. I also just wanted to say that I think your name is one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen; the spelling of it and everything just seems so elegant to me.

    I truly don’t feel like you have to improve on anything, because you did such a great job of summarizing who you are without seeming detached from what you were writing. From my own experience writing an About Me (even though this was my first time) I didn’t like the way I was writing my first version of it, because I felt like I was forcing it, but yours had a really smooth flow to it and I enjoyed reading it.

    Sincerely, Gurman.

  2. Dear Sadhiya,
    I absolutely loved how I got to know so much more about you from your About Me! I really enjoyed how open you were about your past experiences with your grandfather and living in Sri Lanka and the U.A.E. Writing about your personal fears and the role Islam has in your life made your piece so insightful and showcased how sincere you are. The detail and effort you put into this truly gave me a better understanding of who you are as an individual and it definitely paid off! I also appreciate the fact that you kept your About Me organized by separating paragraphs and adding headers so that it was easy to read and not chaotic at all. I can’t think of any other way you could make this better, you did a really great job! I guess for improvement, I’d encourage you to edit your writing for minor things – I felt like there were only a few places where you could have used a comma to help your sentences flow. Also – lovee the URL choice and now since I know the significance behind it, I love it even more! I’m really looking forward to reading more of your writing Sadhiya!
    Sincerely, Sarah

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *