Are we judging ourselves before others judge us? In a relationship, do we even know ourselves well enough to declare that after one coffee date, ‘he is not for me’.  I’ve seen many of my friends go through the nebulous courtship process, some to marry, some come away single.  When we embark upon this quest to find a mate, we really don’t know ourselves all that well anyway, so judging a mate by the first da ...

In 2012, we live in an era that allows one to literally run a business from the palm of your hand.  We prefer our phone’s mapping technology to the paperbound maps.  Facebook is how we learned about the Egyptian revolution and how we keep current with friends.  Twitter has taught us how to speak in a horrible slang yet keep trending topics alive like #FreeSyria.  The Instagram generation takes photos that a ...

Can you believe that 2012 is halfway done?  Time to revisit any goals you may have set for yourself back in January.  I decided to make a revised vision board for the second half of 2012, with just a few updated goals and accomplishments.  My favorite tool is a vision board.  Have you ever created one? A vision board is a really great way to reinforce the goals and outcomes you wish for yourself for any per ...

When I start a unit on self-esteem with young girls and women, I talk about factors that impact it, positively and negatively.  And the group comes to the conclusion that aside from the obvious factors such as media, friends, and peers, there are others that subconsciously affect our self-esteem, and those factors can be the most important: a void.  When Gloria Steinem talks about self-esteem, she mentions ...

A recent blog post by April Perry on the topic of motherhood prompted me to think critically about how women view motherhood in light of current societal standards and expectations.  As a working mom, I’ve had my fair share of highs and lows.  Am I working too much? Am I home for my boys when the need me? Should I be working more?  Is there dinner on the table when my husband comes home?  Do my kids have cl ...

If there is one thing I dislike is the traditional ‘to-do’ list.  For some individuals, a to-do list is essential to migrating from one task to another, relishing the feeling of checking off each item.  For others, (present company included) the to-do list becomes an evolving depressing list with addendum’s such as ‘oh this too’, and ‘oh yeah, that too’, and before you know it, you have 27 ‘tasks’ to comple ...

Think about the relationship you had with your parents growing up.  What did that look like, and what does it look like today?  Are you close with your parents? What was the emotional relationship you had with them when you were growing up?  Did your parents fight at all, or fight often?  Were you a favorite child or middle child?  Think about the dynamics in your family with your siblings.  Did you grow up ...

Islam offers guiding principles on wellness and health and taking appropriate measures to ensure it. When we are physically ill, we take precautions for rest or medication if and when necessary. We exercise to build healthy bones and keep our heart strong and oxygen flowing within our blood. We eat foods that nurture our bodies. But what do we do when something ails us internally? Certainly Muslims are huma ...