What does your soul need right now?

🌈 1363 – Wednesday, 9 July 2025 23:46

London

It’s nearly midnight now, and I’ve only just started writing. I had a late dinner tonight – One of my best mates would probably call it unorthodox – he usually eats dinner around 6 PM. But I’m just not there yet. I can’t imagine eating that early. I’d rather eat my dinner the next morning!

For some reason, tonight feels like the kind of night you’d spend listening to old Spanish classics. But my mind drifted from that to a more recent song: “Too Sweet” by Hozier. It plays in my head:

“It can’t be said I’m an early bird… I take my whiskey neat, my coffee black, and my bed at three… You’re too sweet for me.”

The lyrics really hit something inside me. That sense of being a night owl, living a bit off-rhythm from the rest, but still loving the beauty of it all.

This morning, I woke up early, just as the sunlight was coming in through the top-right corner of my window. The sun was falling directly on me. There’s something magical about waking up in sunlight. It made me think of those descriptions of heaven from books and scripture – waking up in peace, feeling deeply thankful just to be alive.

It was a beautiful, bright morning. Last night was warm, I don’t remember when I stripped off in my sleep, but waking up felt like being reborn. Light in every inch of my body.

After taking care of nature’s call, I was too awake to go back to bed. So I sat at the edge of my bed, right where the sunlight was pouring in, and meditated with closed eyes.

I recited:

• 40 times Surah Al-Fatiha,

• 33 Subhan Allah,

• 33 Alhamdulillah,

• 34 Allahu Akbar,

• 100 Astaghfirullah,

• 100 Ya-Noor,

• 7 Durood-e-Sharif, and

• 40 Kalima Tayyaba: La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasoolullah.

Felt good.

I gave a heart to my dad’s “Good Morning” prayer message on the family WhatsApp group. Then got dressed and left the house. As I opened the door, the first person I saw was the maid from the building across. I smiled and mentally sent her blessings as I watched her get on with her work.

Got my bike and rode to the gym – it was 7:20 AM.

A gymmate of mine arrived early today, too. I saw him at 7:30 AM. We usually joke around about each other still being there by 9 and not at our desks, but it was good to see him. He lives out of town, but still makes time to show up. Respect.

Had a really, really, really, really, good upper body workout: Yes 5 x really’s (incl this one) –

• 4 sets of 11 pull-ups,

• Bradford presses,

• Dumbbell bench presses,

• Hammer curls, and

• Tricep presses,

• Lateral raises,

• Abs on the machine on my way out..

It was an incredible session. It felt so good.

After the workout, I said goodbye to my mate, took a shower, and went straight home to start work. Wfh today.

Logged in sharp. Work was smooth. Stayed in most of the day. Spoke briefly to my mum around 11:30 AM, just a quick check-in. Apart from that, I didn’t speak to anyone except for a couple of work conversations. It was a calm, straightforward day, free from emotional entanglements or dramas. Honestly, a relief.

Logged off around 18:15. It was still warm, and I felt a bit sleepy. The last three days I’ve been doing 8 km runs, and no matter how much I sleep, it never feels like enough. I scrolled on my phone till 18:45, then finally fell asleep and napped until 19:45.

I noticed I had a missed call from home, it was 50 minutes ago. I called back. It was just Mum, checking in on my day. That was sweet.

I didn’t really want to stay home after that. I thought I might skip today’s run, but my body had other ideas. It made me get up, change, and head out.

The sun was just setting. It was a beautiful, pleasant evening, lots of people outside.

I ran from Green Park, along Clarges Street, to Hyde Park. Then ran all around the Hyde Park outer circle. Got home by 21:20, and it was still light outside. That summer glow.

After getting home, I showered and prayed Maghrib Salah. Then walked over to Sainsbury’s in Mayfair, picked up some meat, and made supper. While cooking, brother was texting, so we had a quick chat.

Had dinner. And now here I am, writing this. It feels obvious now that I’ve fallen out of the habit of journaling every night, something that used to be so regular for years. I wonder why that motivation fades sometimes. I wonder how to keep it steady.

Whether or not I feel like it, I know the motto is: Get up. Dress up. Show up. If not today, then tomorrow. And so we hope. Hope is what keeps us going.

It feels warm again now. And with that, I say goodnight for today – and for the love I leave behind with you all… My darling, I love you so much!

3 Things I’m Grateful For Today:

• Grateful for two solid workouts – morning gym and evening run.

• Grateful to have time off for the next couple of weeks to prepare for my SQE exams coming up next Friday and the week after.

• Grateful that I own my time these next few weeks – not accountable to anyone.

Around the world today –

• Russia Ukraine – Russia launched its most extensive aerial assault in over three years—deploying around 728 drones and 13 missiles—mostly targeting western cities like Lutsk. (Reuters)

• Israel and Palestine war – Indirect negotiations in Doha, mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, continue toward a potential 60-day ceasefire and hostage release, with Hamas agreeing to free ten captives, though final terms are still being hashed out around aid corridors and Israeli troop withdrawal.

• DeepMind introduced AlphaGenome, a groundbreaking model that decodes non‑coding “dark matter” DNA to forecast gene regulation and disease risk, marking a significant leap in AI-driven genomics.

What would it take for me – and for you – to wake up feeling 10x stronger, bigger, leaner, more energetic, confident, happy, grateful? To wake up early, hit the gym, have a good workout, everything to be okay with family, friends, and everyone around, then have a mentally relaxing, relaxing, relaxing yet productive day tomorrow?

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Goodnight and good luck.

– Ash Khaleem