No success until you accept the pain of discipline!
🌈 1353 – Tuesday, 27 May 2025 23:56
London
Woke up early to the sound of the alarm, but something felt off. There was a heavy feeling – an uneasiness about the day ahead, no real reason why. The weekend had been good, sleep was restful, and there was even a workout planned for the morning. Still, the mind was restless and uncertain, unsure how to approach the day or even how to be.
Checked the family group WhatsApp chat, just to make sure everything was okay. It was. Sat on the edge of the bed and quietly recited Surah Al-Fatiha 40 times, hoping to find some calm.
By then, it was only 6:30 AM. I had tidied up the flat last night, which helped in the morning. Everything was in its place, which made the morning easier. Found the running clothes quickly and went out for a jog in Green Park. Just one big loop. It took about 20 minutes, but it cleared the head. Came back home, took a quick shower, ate some chickpeas, then started ironing a white shirt and black trousers.
Then the indecision kicked in – changed the trousers, switched the shirt, then changed back again. The freshly ironed shirt didn’t look as crisp as expected. Just the mind being fussy—looking for perfection, not settling for what’s good enough.
Outside, the day was beautiful. Warm and bright. Left home in a white shirt, grey trousers, black shoes, and no jacket. Rode the bike to work in the sunshine. It felt great.
Work was steady. A 10 AM meeting went fine. Sat at the desk until about 11:30, then went out for a coffee. But by then, the weather had flipped. It was freezing and pouring rain. No jacket or jumper – I hadn’t expected this shift. Still, carried on with the day.
Lunch break came at 13:15, and it was still raining. Picked up a tuna sandwich from Pret and ate it quickly at the café downstairs. Then back to work until 5:30. The rain had stopped by the time it was time to leave, but the air was still cold. Buttoned up the collar, rolled down the sleeves, and rode fast through Piccadilly and Green Park to stay warm. The traffic wasn’t too bad.
Back home, walking through the long corridor and taking the stairs up to the flat. On the way, I heard the downstairs neighbour coming up. Waited on the steps and jumped out with a playful “boo!” he jumped.. then laughed.
Then my mate said, two people from the agency were coming by to inspect the flats. Asked if the email had been seen – hadn’t been checked, but it was fine. Went inside and quickly tidied up the mess from the morning – clothes scattered from all the outfit changes.
A few minutes later, there was a knock. The neighbour and two guys from the agency were at the door. One of them was unusually short, bringing to mind Tyrion from Game of Thrones. Smiled, said hello. It felt like such a random, surreal moment – how the mind had been all over the place, and now this.
Only one of them came in. He asked if he should take off his shoes – said it wasn’t necessary. Then asked if he could take a video of the flat. Normally, the instinct would’ve been to say no – too personal. But today, there was no resistance. Just openness. Told him to go ahead. He walked around filming, and it didn’t matter what he did with it. There was a quiet contentment in letting things be.
Later in the evening, phoned Mother. Hadn’t spoken since Saturday. Had a nice, long catch-up. Then a quick chat with the brother who was in the same room, he showed his baby daughter, just two months old, and his lively two-year-old son running around. My little neph Hamd.. bless him!
20:30 made dinner simple: tuna and pasta. Now, just sitting at the desk for an hour of learning Python, then reflecting on the day.
A day that began with mental noise, confusion, and uncertainty. But somehow, with patience and presence, it settled. And that’s something to carry into tomorrow.
Around the World Today –
Today, Ukraine remains prepared to resume peace talks with Russia in Istanbul but insists on receiving Russia’s proposed terms in advance. Meanwhile, Russia has escalated its military activities, launching extensive drone attacks and amassing over 67,000 troops near Kharkiv and Sumy, signalling a potential summer offensive.
The Israel-Palestine conflict has escalated further, with Israeli forces intensifying their offensive in Gaza, leading to significant civilian casualties and a worsening humanitarian crisis. A notable incident occurred in Rafah, where Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd at a U.S.-backed aid distribution centre, resulting in at least 10 deaths and over 60 injuries, highlighting the dire conditions and desperation among Gaza’s population. (The Guardian).
Artificial Intelligence has made major advancements in reasoning, creativity, and human-like interaction, with systems like OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 and newer models capable of writing code, generating video, and holding nuanced conversations. (AI News)
Three Things I Felt Grateful for Today –
Grateful, I still felt good even after getting caught in the rain twice today.
Grateful I had a long chat and caught up with mother and brother this evening
I’m grateful I can go to bed feeling peaceful – my mind is quiet, no overthinking tonight.
What would it take for both of us to wake up tomorrow with a clear mind, focused, aligned, and sharp, ready to follow our goals? May all the negative thought patterns be wiped away now.
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Goodnight, and good luck.
—Ash Khaleem
