🌈 1424 – Friday, 21 August 2026 23:57
London
Just sitting in bed with my laptop resting on my lap. The weather has rather gone cold.
Only about 15 minutes ago, I took the laptop into the kitchen and sat there while heating up some bits of croissants and pizza pieces from the fridge. I couldn’t really sit there for long because my legs were getting cold in my shorts. For almost a month now, it has been very warm – in fact, hot – and then it changed for a while, and today was the first day I felt I needed full trousers because I could genuinely feel the chill.
I’m writing this down because I do want to remember the weather. Apparently, a little chill in the air makes people sharper and more productive. Maybe there is something to that.
Woke up at 08:46. I wish I hadn’t looked at the time. Perhaps tomorrow I shall try not to.
Looking at the time before going to bed, then looking at it again immediately after waking up, and calculating exactly how many hours I slept, or how much of the day has already gone, is really nothing but adding unnecessary pressure to ourselves. It creates stress where there doesn’t need to be any. If we are not required to account for the time to anyone else, then why look at the clock and worry about waking up late, half the day being gone, or there being so much to do because we slept for so long?
There is no need for all that.
I found myself waking up towards the right side today. I looked at the words Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem at the top right of the wall, but I didn’t read them out loud, which I usually do.
I looked for Dad’s good-morning message in the family group chat, usually accompanied by a little prayer. Normally, I read it, but today I found myself not reading it. Even now, I still haven’t read it.
Everything that followed seemed to happen in a slightly different order today.
I was on the apps again in the morning, scrolling for a bit, but I do remember reading the affirmations, so at least that wasn’t missed. Said hello to a mate, as we usually do. And today is Friday, so it’s generally a packed day for the whole family and me to catch up in the morning, especially because our times are different.
09:30 – Went into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee and a piece of toast. Just one. Ate it, looked out of the window and saw quite a few people walking. Perhaps it’s the last working day of the week for most of them.
Left home around 11:20, wearing only shorts and a T-shirt, and went to the gym, Better Leisure Centre at Covent Garden.
Had a really, really, really good workout.
Upper body today: three sets of 11 reps each of dumbbell bench presses, standing cable flyes from low to high, incline bench press, Bradford presses and dumbbell lateral raises.
The abs machine wasn’t free. For some reason, I was quite happy about that because I wanted to get out of there exactly at 12:30 anyway.
Jumped in the shower and had a decent, unrushed shower. Got dressed again in a shirt and blue jeans shorts, then rode the bike back home.
Dried the gym clothes and changed into my Jumma prayer libaaz – a long blue kurta and plain white trousers. Made a protein shake with a banana, drank it quickly, left home again on the bike and headed to Holborn Mosque for Friday Jumma prayers at 13:15.
As soon as I got there, it was packed.
I looked up and saw this man looking at me and offering me the seat next to him, under the sun. I was very glad. I thought I might have to turn around and go home if it was too full.
Two rak’ahs of Salah.
The prayers went well. I felt very connected. I found myself closing my eyes for part of it.
By then, it was around 14:00-something when I got home. I read the whole Surah Kahf for the first time. It probably took around 20 minutes or so.
Then I heated up the lamb and rice I had at home, sat in front of the telly and watched something on Netflix.
My goal had been to leave home at 15:00, but I ended up leaving at 15:20.
Walked up to Holborn Library for the first time. It was good, although there was a slightly closed-room smell about the place. I still sat down for an hour and a half and worked straight through.
Mother phoned halfway through to check on me. I told her, “I’m at the library and can’t really talk right now. I’ll ring later.”
I left the library just a few minutes before it closed at 17:00.
Got back home and chilled for a while, reading some news and catching up with what was happening in the world.
Took a nap from 18:45 until 19:20.
Woke up feeling very fresh and made dinner. Again, it was half of the lamb and rice left over from lunch. Ate it while watching some rubbish on the telly.
Then just hung around home and around the kitchen. A few of our building mates were there, talking and chilling. Nothing particularly special, just one of those ordinary evenings.
Got back to my bedroom around 21:47.
Turned the laptop on. Started reading.
And now it’s past midnight.
Not a significant day, but mildly eventful.
Hopefully, I’ll manage not to get carried away over the weekend and can keep myself just a little more productive.
3 things I felt grateful for today:
The man at the mosque. I felt genuinely grateful when that kind man offered me a seat next to him this afternoon when everywhere else was already taken. I don’t even know how he had managed to hold that place, seemingly just for me. Bless him and his family.
Holborn Library. I’m so grateful that it is only a few minutes’ walk from me. I cannot wait to go there more often.
It feels like my writing habit is slowly slipping away, but I’m grateful that I realised I need to present myself to the world more often – to keep writing, keep putting things down, and keep showing up.
What would it take for me – and for you – to wake up 10x times bigger, thicker, more muscular, leaner, more energetic, confident, happy and grateful; to wake up early, have a good workout, have everything be okay with family, friends and everyone around us, and then have a relaxing, relaxing, relaxing, yet productive day tomorrow?
Sign up for the monthly letter below…
Goodnight, good luck!
Ash Khaleem