A millionaire by the age of 21

10 years ago, I made a promise to myself that I will make a million by the time I'm 21 ! I don't know why that age precisely ? I thought it was a magical number, and I thought 10 years is definitely enough for anyone to make a million ! Clearly I didn't do the math. I would be in school for the next 10 years, how can I possibly make a million? 

I remember telling mom about this and she just smiled and said okay.  Mom was and still is used for me to come and tell her all about my crazy dreams, and she would just smile and say, okay. (Sometimes she screams and says NOOO, when it's too crazy of a dream) !!

This goal however or let's call it a dream came from another goal, and this goal I set 10 years ago shaped who I am today. I have decided back then and set the goal to be successful. I didn't know any better, I thought money counted as success ! (and it is if used in the right way) I've been driven ever since  to make the "success" thing happen ! 

When you grow up your understanding of things change, and the term success or successful is one that change the most for me. I think world wide fame and money is the dominant meaning of success. But what I came to realize that it's not. Then in 2011 I read a poem wrote by Elizabeth-Anne called Success !! And right then I knew the kind of success I want.

"To laugh often and to love much; 

to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; 

to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; 

to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; 

to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. 

This is to have succeeded. "

My feeling at 12 years old was spot on, 21 was a magical number.

Being 21 was the most awesome age. I accomplished so much in one year, I felt so free and proud, and mostly happy. I didn't make a million but I feel like a million. And you know what? I quote Justin Timberlake here in the movie The Social Network " A million dollars isn't cool, you know what's cool ? a Billion dollars !" Okay not really… But why not ? with Allah's will and hard work I believe I can do anything, and you can do anything !

The main thing for me is to be happy and make my family proud, then comes the million !

Dream Big,

By Omama 

بداية جديدة

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته 

أعتذر لكم ولنفسي عن غيابي عن الكتابة في مدونتي الجميلة. 

الكتابة كانت ولا تزال جزء مني منذ الطفولة، وأعتقد أن حبي للكتابة جاء بعد حبي للقراءة. لكن مشاركة ما أكتب كان شيء صعب على نفسي ولا يزال كذلك، فالكل يخاف النقد اللاذع أو التجريح أو التقليل، وقد قابلته في مناسبات عديدة زادت من تخوفي من المشاركة. 

لكن حتى يتطور الشخص و يتعلم لابد له أن يتحدى ذاته في كافة المجالات، بالتدريج !!

فبالتدريج ركبت دباب بري بعد سنوات من كسر يدي، بالتدريج أصبحت أزور طبيب الأسنان بانتظام، بالتدريج أصبحت قادرة على التحدث أمام جمهور، بالتدريج أصبحت أكتب وأشارك. 

في نفس هذا الوقت من السنة الماضية، قمت بكتابة ومشاركة أول مدونة لي على موقع تمبلر بعنوان  ( The Power of Lists ) ، وكانت ردود الفعل جداً جميلة ومشجعة للاستمرار. 

لا أكتب بأسلوب أدبي مفخم، أكتب بتعبير بسيط، متأكدة أنه ملئ بالأخطاء النحوية والإملائية ! لا أستخدم كلمات غريبة أو غامضة.

 أكتب لأن الكتابة تعطيني وقت للتأمل، وقت للاسترخاء، أكتب لأن لدي أراء ومشاكل أود أن أعبر عنها بطريقة آو آخرى. أكتب لأن ما حولي يغضبني ويسعدني ويلهمني. 

أكتب من أجل عقلي و لأمل أن ألهم غيري.

• سأحاول الالتزام بمدونة كل شهر.
• مدوناتي بالعربية والإنجليزية. 
• أستقبل أي اقتراحات أو انتقادات بصدر رحب. 

- أمامة

Change The World

     I have been asked the traditional question as a little girl when I first went to school, like most of you have, what do you want to do -be- when you grow up? "I want to change the world" I would answer.. That was my honest and direct answer, simply I want to change the world. How? Doing what ? not exactly sure. 

Reading books and hearing stories about scientists, inventors and of course superheroes, I always believed it was doable…I still do..

But life's struggles get in the way of that believe, things gets really hard and complicated. Sometimes I'm distracted, busy, only thinking of how to get through this day or this week or even this year ! 

Sometimes I stop dreaming so big and I feel okay with how things are, no change in the world is needed. And sometimes darkness take over, and I lose faith in the world, in humanity and mostly in myself.

I do lose faith sometimes but I NEVER quit !!

I pray for strength and patience. Take some time off of everything, take a notepad and a pin, and I get to work. I set some goals, I do some planning, drew a map to guide me through. I look every where for an inspirational, heartwarming stories in books, movies, websites and in youtube videos.

I remind myself that I was put on earth to do something remarkable, and Allah implanted in me all the talent and abilities needed.

Slowly but fast enough I start to have this childish innocence feeling back. I start to Believe again. 

I believe that the world is worth saving, humans are not as terrible as they may appear and I believe in myself, I believe I'm on a mission to change something, make life better for me and people around me, I believe again that I'm capable to leave something great behind, something to be remembered for, a mark that says I was here.

We are here. Humans not animals, on this earth not any other planet, at this specific era ! You weren't born 2000 B.c.! Allah chose for you to be here at this time, at this part of the world whatever that part is. With all of the advance technology and all of the information you need available and reachable. And all of the opportunities our ancestors have never dreamed of. 

So tell me why can't you be a scientist? an inventor? or a superhero ? 

Tell me why can't I change the world ? Tell ME WHY CAN'T YOU ?! 

Written by Omama.

إستراتيجياتي لتعلم القراءة باللغة الإنجليزية

كَتبتُ مقالة لمادة التعبير في الصف ثاني متوسط بعنوان ( أمة إقرأ لا تقرأ ) بعد قرأتي لكتاب عن الأرقام القياسية و الأرقام الغريبة لا يحضرني اسمه، ذَكر في جزء من الكتاب عن القراءة في العالم العربي و عدد الكتب المترجمة إلى اللغة العربية سنوياً و جميعها تشير إلى ضعف القارئ العربي مقارنة بالقارئ البريطاني أو الأمريكي، و ضعف المحتوى العربي في المكتبة العالمية. ذكر إحصائية كان نقطة تحول بالنسبة لي و هي أن الكتب المترجمة إلى اللغة العربية من لغات العالم لا يتجاوز ١٠٪ أو أقل ! 

أي ما يعني أن أكثر من ٩٠٪ من الكتب في العالم لن تقرأها و لن تتعرف على العلوم الجديدة الموجودة لدى الغرب إذا لم تكن تقرأ باللغة الأولى عالمياً.

تحول هدفي من قراءة كتاب باللغة الإنجليزية من مجرد إتقان للغة إلى هدف أسمى و هو العلم !  

لم أرد أن أحرم نفسي من فرصة التعلم و التعرف على علوم جديدة التي قد لا تترجم أبداً للغتي الأم. أردت أن أتعلم!

سنتين قبل هذه الثورة الفكرية و تغيّر الهدف، كنت قد بدأت المحاولة لإتقان اللغة الإنجليزية فهماً و تحدثاً و كتابةً و بالطبع قراءةً، و كانت القراءة هي الجانب الأضعف بالنسبة لي، فاقتنيت كتب إنجليزية لمجرد شكلها الخارجي بهدف المحاولة لقراءتها و تحسين لغتي، تكونت لدي مجموعة لا بأس بها من الكتب الإنجليزية التي لا أعرف حتى ما تحوى أو نوعها هل هي علمية، نفسية أم رواية خيالية !!

محاولات كثيرة للقراءة كلها باءت بالفشل ! لكن أبداً لم أستسلم و أصبحت أضع هذا الهدف في كل قائمة أهداف للسنة الجديدة، و كما ذكرت في مدونتي الأولى استمريت بكتابة هذا الهدف و العمل عليه. و بعد ٦ سنوات تحقق الهدف !

حالياً  لغتي الإنجليزية ممتازة و لله الحمد و أقضي وقتي في قراءة كتب علم النفس و تطوير الذات و إدارة الأعمال و الروايات المختلفة باللغة الإنجليزية أو العربية إن توفرت. 

المفتاح الرئيسي للقراءة بالانجليزي هو زيادة قاموسك من الكلمات. العقل " المعجزة" يصور كل الكلمات التي تقرأها أو حتى مجرد النظر إليها لكن تحتاج للتثبت بالتمرين، فقط!

مهارة القراءة هي مهارة مكملة للمهارات آخرى و هي الفهم و التحدث و الكتابة، لا يمكن أن تقرأ بدون فهم، و لا فائدة عظيمة تخرج منها إذا كنت تتحدث بدون كتابة. و الجميل في الموضوع أن تقويتك لمهاراة واحدة يساعد في تقوية المهارات الآخرى. 

سأذكر باختصار بعض الاستراتيجيات التي اتبعتها حتى توصلت للهدف، و التي أتمنى أن تفيدك إذا كان لديك نفس الهدف و الرغبة :

١- أهم نقطة هي تحديد الهدف و عدم اليأس أبداً من المحاولة، مهما كان الأمر صعباً في البداية.

٢- قبل البداية بالكتب قم بزيادة قاموسك الخاص من الكلمات، أبسط شيء فعلته هو قراءة التعليقات باللغة الانجليزية على الفيديوات في اليوتيوب، و إن أمكن حاول المشاركة بالتعليق حتى و إن كان إملائك مريع، لا بأس شارك ! و إذا كنت من مستخدمي تويتر اتبع حسابات تكتب بالإنجليزي و تفاعل مع متحدثي اللغة سواءاً من العرب أو الأجانب. 

٣- كتب الأطفال. كتب سحرية، ممتعة و جذابة !  كانت بدايتي هي قصص سندريلا و سنوايت، قصص تكون قصيرة، خط واضح و مدعمة بالصور. و من أجمل الكتب التي قرأتها أثناء تطويري للمهارة القراءة و لا أزال أقرأها لأنها ببساطة مجموعة كتب ممتعة هي "diary of a wimpy kid "

 ٤- إذا كنت تشاهد الأفلام، شاهدها بالترجمة الإنجليزية ! ستتفاجأ من تطور مهارتك و السرعة عند القراءة. تحدى نفسك و شاهد أفلام أسبانية أو ألمانية أو يابانية، أي لغة آخرى بترجمة إنجليزية. شخصياً شاهدت مسلسل ألماني في الحلقات الأولى كنت أوقف الحلقة لكل جملة تقال لكن مع تقدم الحلقات أصبحت لا أحتاج لإيقاف الحلقة أبداً، و أستطيع أن أقرأ الجملة المترجمة بثواني قبل تغيرها بجملة آخرى  ! 

٥- المترجم سيكون صديقك المقرب ! سواءاً كان تطبيق مترجم على جهازك أو قوقل للترجمة. في البداية ستحتاج للمترجم كثيراً، و لن تستغنى عنه في الحقيقة حتى و إن تمكنت من اللغة. الحقيقة دائماً ستكون أن اللغة الإنجليزية لغتك الثانية و ليست اللغة الأم.

٦- تبعاً للنقطة السابقة، لا تخشى الخطأ عموماً، لكن في القراءة تمتع بالخطأ، كلما أخطأت بالنطق و صُحح لك من قبل الغير كلما زادت فرصة ثبات الكلمة في عقلك ! كانت حصة الإنجليزي ممتعة و مليئة بالكلمات الجديدة و القواعد. لكن ما إن نصل لجزئية القراءة و تبدأ المعلمة باختيار عشوائي للقراءة يبدأ الرعب بالنسبة لي و أخفض رأسي و لا أرتاح حتى تمر العاصفة بهدوء ! الآن أنا أتطوع للقراءة حتى و إن لم أَطّلع على القطعة المطلوب قرأتها، و أستمتع بالخطأ و أستمع جيداً للتصحيح. 

٧- اختيار الكتاب مهم جداً، قبل اقتناء كتاب حاول التعرف أكثر على الكاتب طريقته و مجال كتابته. هل يكتب بأسلوب أكاديمي صعب ؟ يستخدم كلمات غريبة و صعبة ؟ و يجب أن يكون مجال الكتاب يهمك.

مثال على ذلك الكاتب مالكوم قلادويل اشتريت كتابه في بداية ٢٠١٠ لأن العنوان و الغلاف جذبني ! كنت قد قرأت كتب انجليزية قبل كتابه لكن أصابني احباط شديد لأني لم أستطع أن أنهى الجزء الأول من الكتاب، و استعنت بالمترجم كثيراً ! و قراءة صفحة واحدة استغرقت الكثير من الوقت. لكن بعد أن تمرست القراءة و زاد قاموسي من الكلمات.

مالكوم قلادويل هو كاتبي المفضل و قرأت له ٣ كتب حتى الآن و لدي كتابين من تأليفه في قائمة كتبي للقراءة هذا الصيف. التدرج مهم جداً في القراءة.

أخيراً اللغة الإنجليزية ليست "موضة" أو "كشخة" ! هي أداة تساعدك على فهم العالم و مواجهته ! و أداة للتطوير عالمنا…

كتابة: أُمامة.

The Little Monster !

Fear. That little monster that lives within and feeds of our hopes and dreams ! 

What do you fear? for me I’m afraid of a lot of things ! 

I’m afraid of mainly failure ! I’m afraid that I will not live up to my potential. I’m afraid of not being loved, understood and to be wrongly judged. I’m afraid that this big world will swallow me, or chew me and spit me like I’m nothing ! I’m scared to leave this world not leaving anything to be remembered of ! I’m scared to be forgotten !!!

Most of us has these fears in common, but instead of pushing us forward they hold us back ! When you take a second to think about it, that doesn’t make any sense !

You don’t want to be a failure ? Well you can’t just set around waiting to be successful ! You have work hard and try, try, try and try a little harder and you will not be a failure, at least you tried you got that ! 

You don’t want to be forgotten ! Do something unforgettable and guess how you can do that ? By facing your fear and challenging yourself. 

People will judge you, they will miss-understood you, they might hate on you. But that’s okay because you’ll always, always have someone, somewhere that loves you and understand who you are, and where you come from and they will always have your back. You just need to reach out to those people. Your people. 

Keep in mind you will never ever please everyone ever !

Let’s talk about this wonderful world ! The thing is with life and this world is that if you stood still and did nothing it’s the easy way to be swallowed or chewed and will most likely to be spitted out like nothing !! You a have to fight, don’t make it easy for the world to break you, and make you feel like nothing. Move and fight. 

What I’m saying is these fears are there, wither you faced them or not. If you just stood still and tried to change nothing the monster will grow inside you and will be harder to fight, it will paralyis you, and you will most definitely lose more than you can win. 

In the other hand if you faced your fear, fought and did your best, amazing things could happen. At least 30 or 40 years after, you’ll be thankful that  you did, if it’s not for the sake of success or whatever your aiming for, it’s for the sake of story telling.

Don’t be ashamed of your fears. We all have some of our own.

Be courageous, be adventures. Face your fear and live.

Nelson Mandela said ” I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

I’m overcoming my fear of writing publicly, by writing to you.

written by: Omama

21 Things I'm grateful for

My favorite thing about birthdays is the small recognition that comes with lots of love from family, friends and even people you don’t know so well ! The free smiles coming your way when you mention “it’s my birthday” ! The sweet prayers and wishes you receive, and the feeling of being loved.

Sometimes you lose yourself in the maze of life. You start taking things for granted, and stop appreciate the small things.

I like to stop every once in awhile and appreciate things around me, and not focusing on the negative things but the small positive things, that have the power to change my day.

So I decided to start a new tradition, every birthday I will write small things I’m grateful for. The number of years I’m turning into. Today I’m turning 21, that means 21 thing, and so on. 

21 Things I’m grateful for:

1- I’m grateful for the miracle. The Internet. ( That’s not small ) ! 

2- I’m grateful for people who offer me chocolate out of nowhere ! I love you. 

3- I’m grateful for people who smile back, making the day a little bit brighter.

4- I’m grateful for people who say thank you for the smallest things. 

5- I’m grateful for balloons, for making the world a happy place.

6- I’m grateful for ICE CREAM.

7- I’m grateful for online shopping ! 

8- I’m grateful for coffee mugs with funny and cool notes on them. 

My coffee mug note says (Do not upset me ! I’m running out of places to hide the bodies!!!).

9- I’m grateful for Chai Karak.

10- I’m grateful for home cooked meals. 

11- I’m grateful for strawberry milkshake, for being the best thing on earth.

12- I’m grateful for hair rubber bands that last with you for a long time.

13- I’m grateful for the days when I have absolutely nothing to do. (these days are fading away as you grow older)

14- I’m grateful for cinema’s tickets. I don’t need to buy bookmarks anymore, you do the job just as well.

15- I’m grateful for highlighters. I’m a better student thanks to you.

16- I’m grateful for funny videos on youtube. Actually I’m grateful for youtube in general.

17- I’m grateful for the books I have, and for the many more to come.

18- I’m grateful for my family and friends who never complain of me complaining.

19- I’m grateful for people who call me by my nickname.  

20- I’m grateful for the replies, likes, retweets and the reblogs.

21- I’m grateful for the “Happy Birthdays” I receive every year. Thank you for making me feel loved.

I’m grateful for Allah for giving me everything I have. Alhamdullah forever and always.

Life can be so hard, and you can feel down and defeated by life ! 

When your day is going terribly wrong. And nothing is going your way.

Look around you, take a deep breath, and be grateful for that.

Written By: Omama.

Final note:

January 8th, is the birthday of the closest twin to my heart. This is a small recognition with a huge amount of love. Happy 20th birthday Hope & Faith <3 

30-12-2012

The Power of Lists..

I remember the first list I ever made, I was in 6th grade about 12 or 13 years of age,  just came across a study I read in a book that says there is a chance of 70% if you write your goals that it will eventually become a reality, more than just going around saying you’ll do this and that. The study says that the human brain works like this, taking the written note save it somewhere and program the whole body to work toward this written goal and object.

So at age 12 I took that study seriously and I wrote a list of my goals for that period of time and it went like this:

1- Laptop.

2- Camera.

3- Phone.

4- Practice my english till I can read a book.

Normal for a teenage girl, right ? 

For the next weeks and months this list was all I was thinking of, I told my mom and she said  you’re gonna have to ask your father yourself or save your money and buy all you want, and she said about my english if you work hard enough you’ll get there.

Few months after making that list, I got my first black Toshiba laptop but I had to share it with my younger sister and I was so okay with that ! 

By Eid that year my dad gave me his old camera and I was over the moon going to my list and crossing 2 out of 4 !  And guess what ? I got my first phone that year. And I was practicing my english through school and by watching movies, I wasn’t as nearly good as I wanted to be.

By the end of 7th grade I crossed almost everything of that list, then I realized the magic of lists !!!  And I thought this is great ! write what I want and I’ll get it ! so I did.

The next year I wrote exactly the same list with little bit more details, so it became like this:

1- White Macbook.

2- D60 Nikon camera.

3- IPhone 3.

4- Understand, write and read english.

I didn’t want a shared laptop ! or used old camera ! or used phone!  and I wasn’t happy with my english, I wanted to be better !

I wanted to feel the pride of buying my own things and working hard for them. And I told myself the first list doesn’t count, you got everything for free.

So I started working hard for my second list and I wasn’t going to stop. It took longer than one or two years ! it took three years of saving money and working for my dad in the weekends ! 

Every night I would take out the list and do the math of how much money I needed, I became obsessed with the list. It became the reason I wake up and do what I do everyday. My mind and body were programed to work toward these goals.

I remember once, I was coming back from school, my aunt was with me in the car and we stopped at a supermarket for her to grocery shop, at the entry she gave me 10 SR to buy a snack or soda. But I walked out of the store empty handed so she asked why didn’t I get myself anything ? and I told her its for my macbook, D60 Nikon and IPhone 3! she laughed and was impressed. How can 10 sr make that much difference? she was encouraging of me to keep on working. My aunt still tell the story as an example of dedication till this day.

I made that list in 2005 by 2008- 2009 I bought my first macbook and still use it till this day, the pride I felt when I paid for it with my own money, was priceless.

There was a poster  in my room of actor Ashton Kutcher holding a D60 nikon, my mom tried so hard to take it down and she almost did so many times but I would put it up every time. The day I came home with my D60 I took it down myself.

Didn’t get an IPhone because changing your mind about your goals is okay ! I got a Blackberry.

And about my english this goal was in every list I ever made for 6 years and as you can tell, I think I’m there with my goal, right ?

I’m proud to say that this year I read about 33 book, 17 of them were written in english. 

I grew up and my lists grew up with me. I started to write more goals on every level, life, education, self improving, health and exercise, family, friends, financial and the afterlife goals. And I promise you less of material goals, much less.

Every December I go back to last year’s resolution list and evaluate it, there’s a consistency of percentage 60% accomplished 30% failed 10% no longer a goal due to change of mind or situation. I take the 30% and put them back in the new list and they never come off till they are accomplished.

2013 is 8 days away, I encourage you to write down a list of goals, program your mind to work toward it. And don’t give up when you fail or did’t get what you want, that’s just childish.  Pick yourself up, set another list of goals and go for it.

Remember, your mind and your whole body loves and craves the feeling of accomplishment. Give it a little bit more of this feeling every year.

Written by: Omama.