Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn!

🌈 1360 – Friday, 27 June 2025 – 23:46

London

Just made a cuppa tea. It’s a bit late, but hey ho – it’s alright. I wanted to sit at my desk and felt like having a hot drink. I feel it now – “coffee wakes you up, but tea makes you yawn.”

Woke up early today and slept so well. It was slightly warm, but the window was open just a little. I slept comfortably – the heat didn’t matter, and I didn’t wake up at any point until the daylight was pouring in. When I woke, I felt relieved and light. I wonder why that light feeling- perhaps it was the good night’s sleep.

So glad today was Friday. I didn’t even look at the time. I sat in my red easy chair and meditated with 40 Surah Al-Fatiha recitations. Then I got ready and headed to the gym. It was a beautiful, beautiful day outside.

Can someone give me this kind of goodnight sleep every day? To feel fresh and relieved? Maybe I went to bed earlier than usual last night. I’d gone to watch an animated movie at the Odeon Piccadilly Circus. I haven’t watched an animated film in a long time, and honestly, I think I’ll steer clear of them for a while. I couldn’t wait for it to finish.

Went with a mate – at some points, he found random parts terribly funny. The seating was good, the AC was on, the ambience was nice… but I couldn’t wait to get out. But again, you get caught up in giving time to things you can’t escape. I’ve no idea what I learned from watching that.

Got to the gym at 07:45. Had a good upper body workout – 4 sets of 11 reps of pull-ups, shoulder press, front raises, lateral raises, and abs. Showered, returned home, and logged into work around 9 AM. I’d built up some toil from working extra hours when colleagues were off, so now that they’re all back, I took it a bit easier today and only handled the urgent stuff. I felt a bit relieved after a long week, to be honest.

Spent most of the day at the desk, doing ad-hoc tasks – reading, writing, figuring things out. No matter how much time you spend on the internet, it never feels like enough. And when you finally get up, you remember that one important task you forgot to complete. Perhaps the most important one is still due.

At 12:30, I took a quick shower, did ghusl for Jummah, and walked up to Mayfair Masjid. Unlike last week (or the one before), I got space! Offered 4 rakats of Sunnah, then 2 rakats of Jummah Fard, then 4 more Sunnah before heading out. It was quite warm inside, and my back was sweating. I couldn’t wait to leave. But by the time the queue clears from the third floor, it takes at least half an hour. Still, I was glad to go and offer Salah.

Just as I was getting into the Masjid, my best mate texted to say he’d collected the keys to his new flat – Oh my God, I was so happy for him. I told him, “I’m just about to pray, will text back later.” My dearest chum – he’s been working so hard for days, honestly, ever since I’ve known him. Day and night. Run, run, run. Finally, a moment of satisfaction. A sense of achievement. I imagine his parents must be proud. His brother and sister admire him, and he inspires his friends.

I planned to go see him this evening after work, to celebrate his success. We watched an awful movie last night and had a good laugh. Somehow, he must’ve been vibrating on the right frequency to receive the keys today. And I, on the same frequency, received the news. And maybe you, who are reading this, are vibrating on the frequency to come across this news too.

What would it take for us to send special blessings to everyone who ever comes across this post, to own a home of their own, for themselves and the good of those around them?

I sat at my desk most of the day until 17:30, just like a regular workday. But plans changed—won’t be visiting my mate to celebrate this evening. He had other things going on, so I decided to take a nap… which turned into a long one—from 17:40 to 19:30. After a long, long, long week. I didn’t set an alarm. Just let myself wake up naturally.

Then I went for a long run.

Ran all across Hyde Park. Running around its perimeter is about 3 miles (4.8 km). If you include Kensington Gardens, it’s about 4.3 miles (7 km). Gorgeous day – the park was packed. I had no idea what was going on until I got home and looked it up. Turns out Olivia Rodrigo, apparently a US singer, had a concert. Thousands of people were there.

Came back home, showed, offered Maghrib Salah, made dinner, ate, checked in on my parents via their camera, and then sat in front of the telly to watch a full movie. Now I’m sitting here writing this before bed. Feeling peaceful. So grateful for the long run.

That was me. How was your day? Get up to much?

Around the Rest of the World Today:

• Russia Invading Ukraine – Russia publicly announced that Moscow is open to fresh peace talks in Istanbul, even as both sides carry on with drone and missile exchanges. (Euronews)

• Israel and Palestine war – Ceasefire negotiations are gaining momentum, with the U.S. predicting a ceasefire within a week, and mediators from the U.S., Qatar, Egypt, and others working to broker a deal in the face of mounting civilian tolls. (APnews).

• Artificial Intelligence – Microsoft introduced MAI‑DxO, a new AI diagnostic orchestrator demonstrating roughly 85% accuracy on complex medical cases, about four times better than doctors under test conditions, signalling a leap forward in healthcare AI. (FT)

3 Things I Felt Grateful For Today:

• Grateful for waking up early, getting a good workout in, and a long run this evening.

• Grateflu for weather – warm, actually hot, but beautiful.

• Grateful has been working on building a website, and most of it is now complete.

What would it take for you and me to wake up 10x stronger, bigger, muscular, leaner, healthier, more energetic, confident, happy, and grateful? To wake up early, have a great workout, start work on time, and have everything be okay with family, friends, and everyone around us, then have a relaxing, relaxing, relaxing yet productive day tomorrow? (cheesy, I know!)

Sign up for the monthly letter below…

Goodnight. Good luck.

– Ash Khaleem