The Biggest Decision I Ever Made
4 years ago I made a big decision. So big, it took me a whole year of praying istikhara before I could come to a final decision.
On paper, it made no sense. Financially, it didn’t make any sense and there wasn’t yet a clear trajectory that this would ever be the case. It was nascent, but uncertain, with no guarantees.
At some point in September of 2013 the final realization came. It was as if the sandstorm in my heart had finally settled. That’s how istikhara feels, like a sandstorm that settles in your heart. The answer was clear.
I quit my job, made a long dua to put barakah in my actions moving forward, and took the leap of faith to work on LaunchGood full time.
I remember that decision felt like holding a rope in the dark. I could feel it with certainty, but I had absolutely no idea where it was headed.
Yet it 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.
Today I was reflecting on why that decision was so hard for me:
I remember I was at a crossroads in my life. I was 21, and it felt like I had unlimited possibilities and unlimited paths at the time.
Yet, I was hungry for deep personal growth. And I found that the times I grew the most were the times I was immersed deeply. I asked myself again and again: Where do I plant seeds? Where do I build? Where is community?
I realized too many times we aim for too long and never shoot and other times we shoot for too long and never aim.
So I spent that year doing both. Asking myself tough questions, reflecting as deep as I could, and in parallel working on a few projects, one of them being LaunchGood.
Like many people, I knew that if I was going to commit to something I believed, I would literally pour my heart and soul into it. After being in spaces where I poured too much and came out empty, I was reluctant to do it all over again.
But I’m grateful I took that bet.
LaunchGood turns 5 this month. It feels surreal, yet so normal. It’s truly been one of the most challenging projects I have ever had the opportunity to help build. It’s stretched me and my leadership in ways I cannot count.
For some context, nine out of 10 startup companies fail. I know that our success thus far was literally only possible with Allah SWT’s tayseer, our families’ duas, and my beloved community.
Today, many of us are at the crossroads of possibly life-changing decisions. I urge you to go deep and listen to your heart. To take the jump wherever it may be, however big it might feel.
To clarify, this post isn’t about quitting your job to chase passion projects or dreams. It’s about chasing growth in all its forms. There are many that can tell you that when passion becomes obligation it can quickly lose its spark… Passion can fade with time, but a deep hunger to grow is evergreen.
If I’ve learned one thing in the last five years it’s this:
Always go where you can grow. It’s the best-guaranteed bet you can ever take on yourself.
See how we’re celebrating 5 years and check out some of our favourite campaigns here: launchgood.com/birthday
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