I am here at my grandfather’s home, Eid lunch, waiting for my uncles and cousins to come. I decided to write. I need headphones to listen to quiet music, but I lost my headphones again. This must be the 20th headphones I lost during the past 2 years. I believe these headphones, one day, just decide to leave the other gadgets and say, ‘Bye Bye guys, I am leaving.”
Anyways, this 26th year of my life was a gift. I believe it is the richest year of my life. I got to know a lot of people. I tried some new things. I witnessed good and bad experiences. I worked in my first job and transitioned into my second one. I witnessed the death of a beloved family member inside home. I met a relative from Lebanon for the first time. I helped with making wedding invitation cards. I do not know how, but I learnt how to control my anger. I posted unauthentic posts on LinkedIn which oppose my beliefs and values, and it worked out. I did many bad things for the first time and many good things also for the first time.
Before starting writing this post, I went back to my post from the past year. To be honest, I was overwhelmed by how I wrote that magnificent post. Every lesson I wrote 1 year ago is still applicable for me today and it led me to great places. I am proud of it.
This year, on my 26th birthday, I am writing a list of 26 things to do before my next birthday. I made the list of things I really want to try out, also, I got help from the most creative and innovative people around me. Now, let us go over the list, one by one.
1- Trying Seafoooooood
During my life till now, I have not tried out any type of seafood. The reason is that I cannot stand the smell of fish. This thing was strong while I was a kid. Now, I, somehow, can stand the smell, but I could not overcome my mental image on seafood. So, this year, for sure, I want to try seafood.
2- Mastering Spanish
For the past 5 years, I have been faced by a lot of Spanish words from songs, TV series, and language learning applications. Now, it is the time to get some real experience by enrolling to a Spanish learning center. Also, I believe I could enroll in Spanish & Latino communities in Jeddah. For sure, I can meet very magnificent and shining people there.
3- Rage Room
I saw it for the first time in a movie where a girl and her father are breaking everything in one room to release all bad emotions from within. One friend told me that there is a Rage Room Experience providers in Jeddah. I truly want to do it.
4- Spending One Day Alone (No Phone)
Ahmed Al-shugairi (an Idol for me) once did it for a long period of time (I believe one month). A lot of historic figures also did this experiment. I just want to try it for one day. The most important thing is that I do not want any phones with me or social media. The experience could be done in a hotel by the beach.
5- Make Hajj
Now, I am 26 years old. I believe it is time to make Hajj. Who knows when I am going to die or what will happen to me. Currently, I have health, money, and ability to make Hajj. So, my intention is to make it this year Inshallah.
6- Got Engaged
Hahaha This topic is so sensitive. My family was pushing me in the previous two years to marry. I refused. I did not want to my family to handle all the wedding and money Issues. Now, as I am in a good job, in a nice place. Also, I started an evening master’s program. I believe I have the mental and financial stability to get married. I will try my best to get engaged before my next birthday.
7- Play Tennis (not padel)
The best thing I love in tennis is the transformative moment from super quietness to super loudness. A real moment of LIFE. Three years ago, I bought a tennis racket. I took it with me to the university to play tennis with other students. At that time, I did not have the simplicity I have now. I was so shy, so the year passed, and I graduated without playing tennis.
8- Get to Know Someone Better through a Lunch Invitation
This person could be your regular Barber or your Regional Sales Manager. The restaurant must be local and unknown to the other person. It will give them a unique simple experience which they will love to share with their beloved ones.
9- Start a before sleep Journal and stick to it
All my life, I have wanted to do this. Perfection was killing me. Whenever I start journaling, I keep writing and writing. This time, I am doing it differently. Just bullet-points of the most important things happened during my day. No looking towards tomorrow (Only what happenED).
10 – Read a book from start to end in one day
In my life, I started to read many amazing books and completed just a few of them. This trend is obvious in my life timeline in general. I might break this bad habit by this challenge. It will be a small book (around 100 pages). I really love books. A book for me is beam of continues knowledge (could be right and could be wrong) drawn from the head of someone into yours.
11- Buy a Rolex or Omega
In the last year, I believe I spent 2 months watching YouTube videos only about watches. You do not know how much it helped me to connect with people. Becoming interested in watches got me two advantages.
- People are so interested in themselves (This is one secret of human nature). If you ask someone about their watch, inside themselves, they say, ahh this person noticed my details. They will give you special attention.
- When you speak with someone interested in watches, you tick a very private button within them (I call it the CHILD BUTTON). Now, you get to know the child within the person Infront of you. Being a friend to that child means that the person will give you all what he can in all possible ways, they will be by your side and will say great things about you.
I will buy a Rolex or Omega (Mostly Omega) to satisfy my inner needs for prestige and halo, but it will also help me to look better inside other people’s eyes. As Jim Rohn once said, ‘god looks on the inside, people look in the outside’.
12- Buying an iPhone
Exactly same reasons for buying an Omega watch. And for this one, I bought it Yesterday 😊. This is my first Iphone since Iphone 5s.
13- Jet Sky – Scuba Diving – Fishing
As a son of this miraculous city, Jeddah. These things must have been already done. I believe those things will enrich my Jeddah Living Style experience.
14- Joining a cultural community
I once saw an old YouTube video (I believe uploaded on 2007). The video was titled: Jeddah Cultural Monday Meeting. Since then, I yearn to be part of such events or communities. I have this love for literature, history, and philosophy. Also, it will certainly contribute to enlarging my circle of influence.
15- Helping in Securing a Job for a Talent
I got helped a lot of times; I just want to pay at least once. In this year, I will find someone great, I will write them a recommendation letter. I follow them till they secure a nice job. I will recommend them to the HR people I know. I will make sure that they get what they deserve.
16- I am taking my first step to be a learning and development specialist.
I once being told by one of the CEOs of Bupa that my best fit from his point of view is in a learning and development center in a big company. While in sales, I discovered that I have a special talent in influencing people and charming them. I believe this trait is a must for a learning and development specialist. I also know how to deal with emotions while being great in numbers at the same time. In this year, I will find ways to start taking this career shift slowly, and before that I will study its feasibility and decide.
17- Doing No-Social Media during Workdays
I heard about this terminology for the first time from my Professor Mohammad AlMuhaini 5 years ago. I also have heard it from Calvin Newport, the writer of the famous book Deep Work. Calvin suggested leaving social media totally for one month. See the difference and then decide to be back or not. I have tried that; it did not work out well with me, as I live in an interconnected society. But Professor Mohammad’s suggestion is doable. I am trying it out this year.
18- Putting 26 Names on my Bedroom Wall.
I will put those 26 names on the wall, so I keep reminding myself of the great things those people did to me, make prayers of them, and check on them from time to time.
19- Giving 26 Roses to 26 Beautiful Ladies
This might be hard in our culture hahaha. I believe I can easily find 10-12 ladies within my family circle. This one certainly will be a nice story to tell my friends about on a Thursday dinner. I can listen to their laughter right now.
20 – Pray one prayer in Makkah and one prayer at Medina.
I got this idea from two people among the people I asked them for ideas. I believe it is a nice experience to have. Also, it will be a story to tell others.
21- Visting The South of Saudi Arabia
I heard a lot about visiting the south of Saudi Arabia. I want to Visit Abha, Namas, Baha, and Jazan. I want to try the culture there, food, and clothing.
22- Trying out 26 well-known restaurants in Jeddah – Trying out 26 well-known Coffee Shops in Jeddah
I am doing this because I am a person who stays at home a lot. Whenever I need to invite a friend or a work mate to lunch, coffee, or dinner, I suffer. These 26 coffee shops and 26 restaurants will be a base for choosing the best fit for an invitation.
23- List The Most Famous 26 Streets in Jeddah.
1 year ago, I could give myself 10/100 in Jeddah navigation. Now, I will give myself 35/100. I want to increase it to reach 80/100. This will be done by drawing a map of Jeddah with the 26 most famous streets in Jeddah on it.
24- Write a List of 26 Creative & Crazy Products Ideas
I always come up with crazy ideas, ideas which make my friends and cousins go crazy in laughing. I once thought about a juice machine which can make any flavor of juice by combining the basic flavors (same as in colors RGB [Red Blue Green]). Also, I almost started a business with my school friend to make an app to study on behalf of you and make MCQs & Flip Cards to make sure you understand the material. This was just in the beginning of 2022 before this huge rise of AI. Now, this idea is a reality, and many platforms provide it.
25- I do not have any other good ideas
As they write in books; This Page was left blank intentionally’. I am saying, this line was left blank intentionally. This is a proof that I overcame my perfectionist mindset.
26- Write of 26 things I am grateful that I had a Chance to Have in The Past
Luis Enrique (Spanish Football Coach), once, had been asked about his past away 10 years old daughter. He replied with an answer that changed how I see life. An answer which reflects a huge inner peace. He said, “I was lucky to have her for 10 years and I am happy for that”. This answer cracked something planted deeply inside my way of thinking. I always think about not losing a thing till the point which I forget how great it is to have it in the first place.
Honors List.
Those people helped me write this mazing piece of writing. Their names are:
-Dr Ali Muqaibel (University Professor)
-Ahmed Bokhari (University Friend)
-Ahmed Alamoudi (Relative)
-Rayan Alghamdi (School Friend)
-Eng Ibrahim Musleh (Colleague)
-Abdullah Al Farra (University Friend)
-Dr Carl Dusthimer (University Professor and Friend)
-Nada Abdulhamid (Cousin)
-Asal Soum (Colleague)
-Dr Majad Khan (University Professor and Friend)
-Mr Waheed Darwish (High School Teacher)
-Faisal Hijazi (University Friend)
-Dr Adel (Our Family Doctor)
-Nawaf Bajunaid (School Friend)
-Marawan Bin Hilabi (Online Friend)
-Layan Sami (Cousin)