Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Sabbatical Journey: A Beginning~

Assalamua'laikum wbt & Good Day,

We are now in Quarter 4 of 2018 and soon, 2018 will be just another history! This year is also quite significant for me as this will be the last year of my twenties era as next year my age will soon move to another number. But after all, age is just a number; as long as our heart and mind remain young and energetic. *HAHA*

When this post is published, I actually had taken a big leap of faith in my career journey by taking few months of career break. It is definitely not an easy decision as it was decided the night I received my second promotion letter throughout my career with P. Some speculation is also been made, knowing that the moment I took this career break is somehow quite close with some event in spite it was not related at all. Plus, with my recent progress in getting myself back into the right BMI, yeah, people can always interpret it in their own perception. This is just a mumbling that people who know me closely will able to relate, I guess.

Tirana, Albania.

Looking back on what had happened this year, I suddenly realized that being too well-planned and overthink on things had passed had taken so much of my time and hence I rarely feel and enjoy the presence. On a deeper thought, sometimes I do feel that it could be because my faith and trust that "rezq" is something that Allah had destined for me since I was not even born to this world still need to be improved. And the moment I do my self-introspection on this, I personally feel it is because sometimes I do forget that life in this world is just for temporary. 

The current journey of my life also had opened my eyes to re-look at all the blessings and nikmat that Allah had poured onto me. At this age, I could not deny the "different" feelings that I had when I see the posts from my friends via social media about their life and their family. I am now looking at babies post as something that sooth my heart in spite it was a total otherwise before. But I personally think that the incremental in age is one of the factors for this. And maybe the peer and society pressure as well. I just pray that I will always be able to refrain my heart from the feeling of despair and losing my hope to the One and Ultimate Listener. Because once it does, it is a sign that my heart had hardened, and there is a possibility that I will stop asking and it indirectly means that my faith towards Him is deteriorating. Nauzubillahi min zalik. I always believe that Allah's timing is always perfect and as a servant, we just have to STRONGLY BELIEVE :)

Just a month before I commenced my sabbatical, I had completed another series of my traveling chapter which I named as Chapter 20. I went to 12 countries in total, within 18 days of a-very-once-in-lifetime-hectic-schedule which I don't think I will want to repeat again in future. I would love to share all the experience and personal insight that I had went through in next post, InshaAllah. Started with transit in Dubai, I went to Slovenia, Croatia, meeting my long lost friend in Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Turki, Jordan and Thailand before return back to Malaysia. This is another once in a lifetime opportunity that I should thanks Allah for as everything went smooth despite a bit hiccups here and there. 


View of Ljublana City from Ljublana Castle, Slovenia.

As of now, I am yet to plan for another trip. After been to New Zealand last year, I think I had become the victim of Paris Syndrome; as other places seem failed to make me excited and feel that "Wow" again. Shall I make another trip to NZ again? *HAHA*

After all, whenever we are in doubt and the decision has to be made, do ask Allah through Istikharah prayer. There are lots of blessings that I never expect before had happened during this career break and I believe those are reasons why I still feel want to proceed with the decision in spite financially, it is a liability. At this age, I do not deny the fact that money is a basic need but surely, it is not everything. 

Till then, have a nice day. Wassalam~