By Don’t you just hate it when you’re coasting through life, happy as a clam, and out of nowhere, you get taken down by the specter of self-doubt, self-deprecating thinking, or imposter syndrome?
Ah, it happens to the best of us, but where do you turn when this trifecta of trouble comes knocking on your door? Where do you turn to refresh and renew? Where do you go for a little dose of positive inspiration to ride out the wave of this negativity?
We turned to a handful of our writers who spilled the tea on what they do when they need a pop of positivity:
1. Let’s Get Creative:
Anonymous says, “I once read that we should all develop three types of hobbies: one that keep us fit, one that makes us money, and one that keeps us creative. To stay creative, I picked up photography and I fell head-over-heels in love with it! When I feel like I’m in a funk, I just grab my camera and go on a walkabout to lose myself in the sights I adore the most.”
2. Get that Girl Power Flowing:
Gameelah Alsamah says, “Friends, and reading about women in history. One of my favorites is Khawlah bint al-Azwar. I remind myself of women before me; I think about their successes and triumphs, but I also like to pick up the phone, and talk to close friends when I need a dose of positive inspiration. I will also go out with girlfriends, and have a night out. I have a mixture of things I like to do to truly feel the positive energy.”
3. Dance, Dance, Dance It Out:
Amina Radwan tells us, “Truthfully when I need inspiration or I need something to boost me up, I sing, dance, or go for a long drive and blast my music. I don’t have to go anywhere specific; I just drive all over, but I enjoy driving on the highway when I just have a free amount of space and a road that takes me to wherever. One thing’s for sure, social media isn’t my outlet, or a place I run to when I need positive inspo. And to be quite honest, now that I have the pleasure of knowing each and every member of the #MuslimGirlClique, I feel like I can just come to them and get that positive inspo, because each of them are individually unique and bring something amazing to the table.”
4. Lose Yourself in a Fantasy World:
Amani Salahudeen says, “It’s cliche, but I look for inspiration in books. A lot of books have really good motivational quotes, and sometimes it’s just the thing you need to hear or read. Some of my favorite authors for this kind of inspiration are J.K. Rowling, Sarah Dessen, Cassandra Clare, and S.K. Ali, so I guess you could say I turn to young adult for positive inspiration, even though I’m not a teen. Binging shows helps too, LOL.”
5. I Got It From My Momma:
Zeina Jhaish tells us, “I spend time with or talk to my mama and friends. Either that, or I write a poem.”