I love this ad. It’s simple, but brilliant.
Sometimes, when work gets a little too overwhelming, and you’re on a constant deadline, and the clock is forever ticking, and you need to get things done done done, you tend to lose yourself and your sense of place in this life. When life becomes too hectic, it’s easy to lose sight of things that matter, and your focus becomes blurred in the process.
That’s why I’m grateful for my 5 times a day. It’s the time when I realign my will to be in accordance to His Will. It’s the time I take to readjust my lenses and to refocus on what I’m doing, why I’m doing it and where I’m heading. It’s the time when I reconnect with myself and head back to the Straight Path should I find myself strayed anywhere off-course from it.
There are times I feel like there’s a certain way I’m expected to act or be in a large commercial firm, and that’s fine because a level of professionalism naturally comes with the job. It becomes a problem though if I find myself too fixated on what I need to be like til I veer the wrong way and turn into someone I’m not, someone I’m not comfortable with being. My fives really help put me back in the right place. The calmness and certainty on that man’s face at the end of the ad? That’s exactly how I feel after prayers in the surau, when it’s time to get back to my table. I know who I am again.
The five prayers a day is like a breather you take to recuperate and rejuvenate. It’s a time-out from crazy, and gets you back on your feet again. It’s a way of freshening up and restoring your energy and strength to withstand whatever daily burdens you’re shouldering.
Ramadhan works exactly the same way, but with a longer time period. Where the fives help get you through the day, Ramadhan helps get you through the year. It’s the best month for intense self-reflection and inner healing, as well as the perfect time to really build a good sturdy defence to help get you by for the rest of the year. It’s also the time to pull out all the weeds, plant new seeds, and to grow stronger resolutions. Mend the old and clear out what you don’t need to make way for the better.
Ramadhan’s enough if you’re feeling empty, drained, devoid of any meaning. It has always been enough for me, and I pray it’ll be enough for you. Take full advantage of it while you can. You probably hear that saying all the time, but there’s a reason why it’s often repeated. Don’t take it for granted, because you’ll only know what you missed when it’s gone.
Ramadhan Mubarak, and have a blessed fasting month to all!
Enough said here.
