Wasifreflects

Tag: life

  • My Digital Peace Pact: Choosing Peace Over Past

    Photo by Miray Bostancu0131 on Pexels.com

    There’s a quiet kind of pain that comes from opening an app and being pulled back into a world you’ve tried to move on from.

    You open WhatsApp and see statuses from people you once knew—some who hold beautiful memories, others who remind you of rivalry, envy, or a version of yourself you no longer want to revisit. You scroll through Facebook and see highlight reels of other people’s lives—career wins, travel, relationships, success.

    And somewhere in your heart, you feel… something heavy.

    You don’t want to compare. You don’t want to care. But your peace is disturbed anyway.

    🔁 What Social Media Was Supposed to Be

    Social media promised connection.
    But what I’ve felt, more often than not, is:

    • Disconnection from my present
    • Comparison with lives I don’t truly know
    • Regret over memories I can’t or don’t want to relive
    • A whisper of unworthiness

    I want to live my life, not keep watching someone else’s unfold like a never-ending slideshow.

    📿 What I Truly Want

    I want:

    • Silence from the past that no longer serves me
    • Freedom from subconscious competitions
    • A space where I can breathe, reflect, and move forward
    • Peace—not performance

    This is not bitterness. It’s clarity.
    This is not running away. It’s walking home to myself.

    📱 My Digital Peace Pact

    Here’s what I’m doing:

    1. Muting WhatsApp Statuses that don’t bring me peace
    2. Unfollowing people on Facebook who stir up unhealthy feelings
    3. Opening apps with intention, not out of habit
    4. Replacing noise with nourishment—Islamic reflections, writing, nature, and silence
    5. Noticing how I feel after using an app, and adjusting accordingly

    💭 My Life Is Not a Race

    We all bloom in different seasons.
    Some people may look “ahead,” but I’ve realized this: I am not behind. I’m just on my own path.

    And that path deserves presence.
    It deserves protection.
    It deserves peace.

    🌙 Final Words

    So this is my pact. My Digital Peace Pact.
    To mute the past when necessary.
    To stay present.
    And to live my life—not theirs.

  • Maybe I Wasn’t Meant to Lead—and That’s Okay

    Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

    For most of my life, I’ve been doing what I was told. Study hard. Follow the path. Get the degree. Chase the respectable life.

    And I did.

    But somewhere along the way, I started to feel something heavy:
    What if I’ve spent so many years learning what others expected—
    that I never learned what I truly want?

    People talk about leadership like it’s the highest goal. Be bold. Be seen. Lead the way.

    But here’s my truth:
    I’m not cut out to be a leader.

    Not because I lack intelligence. Not because I don’t care about the world.
    But because I know myself now.

    I don’t thrive in the spotlight. I don’t enjoy managing people’s opinions.
    I’m not built to carry others’ expectations on my shoulders.

    And maybe that’s not weakness. Maybe that’s clarity.

    I Take Negativity and Turn It Into Peace

    That’s who I am. When things go wrong, I don’t explode—I reflect.
    I try to find meaning, to find healing, to make something better out of something broken.

    I don’t want power. I want peace.
    I don’t want followers. I want freedom.

    And strangely, the more I walk this quiet path, the more alive I feel.

    What If We’re Not All Meant to Lead?

    What if some of us are here to:

    • Walk the forest path while others chase the road?
    • Raise kind children while others lead big crowds?
    • Heal silently while others speak loudly?

    Not everyone needs to change the world in the public eye.
    Some of us change the world by changing ourselves.
    By choosing calm over chaos. Stillness over struggle. Truth over performance.

    This Is Me Now

    I’m still figuring it out.
    But for the first time, I’m not rushing.

    I’m learning that my value isn’t in how loud I am—
    but in how true I’m willing to be.

    I may not be a leader.
    But I’m no longer lost either.

    And that, for me, is enough.

  • When Help Isn’t Mutual: A Reflection on Expectations and Boundaries

    Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com

    Today wasn’t an easy day.

    From the moment I woke up, I wasn’t in the best mood. I had a small task that needed doing — nothing complicated, just a simple favor. I asked a colleague I spend most of my time with at university to collect a delivery from the office and leave it in our shared space. It was just from the ground floor to the first — no timing pressure, no complicated process.

    His response? “I’m busy.”
    So I asked another colleague. Same story.

    It stung.

    Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

    I’ve often gone above and beyond for these same people — solving their issues, making time, going the extra mile. But today, when I asked for something small, they couldn’t reciprocate. I tried to justify it — maybe they were really busy. But the truth is, when someone accepts a responsibility and then simply doesn’t follow through, it’s more than inconvenience — it’s a breach of trust.

    One of them even said “I’ll do it,” but didn’t bother and just went home. That left me stuck. I ended up coming to the university — though I hadn’t planned to — just to ensure my own work didn’t suffer. And I was right: no one had done what they said they would.

    So what does that mean?

    It means I need to reassess where I put my energy.
    It means I need to protect my time and my mental peace.
    It means help should never be one-sided.

    Sometimes, silence says enough. I don’t need to lash out or confront them angrily. But I do need to set quiet boundaries — not out of spite, but out of self-respect.

    To everyone reading this:
    If someone consistently shows up for you, value them.
    And if you can’t help, it’s okay — but be honest about it.

    I’m learning not to expect everyone to match the way I show up for them. And maybe that’s the lesson today was meant to teach me.

  • Showing Up — Even When It Hurts

    Photo by Yelena from Pexels on Pexels.com

    Today’s therapy session didn’t go as I hoped.

    I was 15 minutes late — not out of carelessness, but because life has a way of throwing delays when you’re already carrying so much. It was supposed to be a one-hour talking therapy session, but the therapist told me we couldn’t do much now because of the reduced time.

    What hurt most wasn’t just the policy. It was the feeling of being shut down — of driving all the way there, battling my own thoughts and exhaustion, just to be told there wasn’t enough time to talk.

    And I felt vulnerable — not because of what we discussed, but because opening up itself felt like handing over my weaknesses. These things I carry as shame, I placed in the hands of someone who knows much about me… while I know almost nothing about him. That imbalance shook me.

    Therapy, I’m learning, is a one-way street. You give your truth. You give your pain. You hand over your fears. And sometimes, you wonder if that trust could be misused — not necessarily by malice, but simply by misunderstanding or indifference.

    As an overthinker, the whole experience drained me instead of offering peace. I walked away feeling heavier than when I arrived.

    But here’s what matters: I still showed up.
    Even when the odds were against me.
    Even when I was late.
    Even when fear and doubt whispered, “What’s the point?”

    Maybe the session wasn’t fruitful. Maybe there’s a policy to uphold. But I believe there’s something sacred about showing up — for yourself — especially when it’s hard.

    And that, I choose to hold on to today.

    This post is for anyone who’s ever felt dismissed, unheard, or rushed. For anyone who struggled just to get out of bed and go face the world — and did it anyway.

    You matter. Your effort matters. And your journey, however quiet or messy, is still worthy.

    Thanks for being here with me.

    – Wasif

  • A New Chapter: Starting This Journey on My Birthday

    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    Today is my birthday — a day I’ve often spent quietly, reflecting on the past year and wondering what the future holds.

    This year, I decided to take a step I’ve been thinking about for a long time: I started my own website and blog. It feels like opening a door to a new space where I can share my thoughts, my struggles, and my hopes — without fear or judgment.

    This blog is called WasifReflects.com, named simply because it’s me — Wasif — learning, growing, and reflecting on everything life brings.

    Why Now?

    Life hasn’t always been easy. I am a mechanical engineer with a master’s degree, currently finishing a PhD in chemical engineering, focused on heart valve research. But this academic path is not just a career — it is personal.

    My mother passed away from heart valve disease and angina, and that loss ignited my passion to understand and help improve these fragile parts of life. This blog will share parts of that journey — the technical and the emotional.

    Family and Faith

    I am a father to two wonderful boys, Hisham ul-Hadi and Musa. Watching them grow and helping them find their own voices is one of the greatest joys in my life. Sometimes, I’ll write letters to them here, hoping one day they read them and understand their father a little better.

    Spiritually, I am on a path of seeking peace through Islam. This blog is a space where I will share my reflections on faith, silence, and finding calm amid life’s noise.

    What This Blog Means to Me

    I don’t want this to be a perfect place or one full of expert advice. I want it to be real — a journal, a quiet companion, and a reminder that even when life is complicated, small steps forward matter.

    Starting this on my birthday feels symbolic: a new chapter, a fresh chance to be myself, and to share my story on my terms.

    Thank you for being here, whether you are family, friend, or stranger. Welcome to WasifReflects.com — I look forward to walking this path with you.

    With gratitude,
    Wasif