How to Discover and Pursue Your Purpose

﷽

The Lady Letter

What is my purpose?
Why am I here?
Where am I headed?
Will things always be this way?
What will I leave behind after my death?

Those were the million-dollar questions
circulating through my head for years on end.

My brain like a broken record on repeat.

I always wondered if these questions would ever be accompanied by any answers.

Worried if I will ever find them or if they even exist.

I would spend nights sitting in the silence and the dark unable to sleep.

No soft pillow or warm blanket could ever comfort me.

I knew I was meant for more.

But I also knew my days on this earth are limited
and with each passing hour, I gain nearness to my death.

And it ate at me alive. 

I am certain you can relate to me here, you may have even asked yourself these questions once or twice at some point.

If not, then it may be time for you to start getting a little worried.

Over the past four years, I have mentored thousands of women and families and strangely I have met very few people who have a plan for their lives.

Most people on planet earth are spectators, sitting on the bleachers just watching their lives unfold one day at a time.

No plan, no direction, no purpose.

Aimlessly living.

If you ever walked up to an average person and asked: “Where would you like to be five years from today?”

I'd like you to pay attention to their body language, their facial features, the way they chuckle and look away, and pay attention to how easily their words escape from their mind—losing all ability to articulate themselves, hoping to find some decent response to your question. 

You see, ‘deep’ questions like these make people uncomfortable.

Because it requires them to think deeply about themselves, where they currently are in the present moment, where they are headed, or how they spend their time.

All of which requires them to face reality, to reflect and contemplate (practices we are taught to engage in Islam), and to challenge their daily rituals and habits.

This is something most people are unwilling to do simply because it takes 'too much work and effort.'

They would much rather continue drowning in dopamine, pleasure, and turn to the wrong places in search for some form of cure.

All to avoid one thing: thinking.

Yet that is the one way out of this cycle.

To be willing to think, to reflect, and to use the powerful tool that Allāh (ﷻ) has gifted us with: the brain.

If you do not consciously think, then a path will be set for you.
And trust me, you won’t like it.

The Illusion of the Modern World

Most of humanity have fallen prey to societal conditioning which is a default path that has been set and determined by other humans.

Society is an illusion. A mirage.

Think about it for a second:

As we transition from childhood to adulthood, there is a traditional path that everyone is expected to follow. It is almost like an unspoken rule; to speak out against it, or dare I say - live in opposition to it, would almost be considered a capital crime or punishment.

If I were to illustrate what a typical path looks like, it may appear something like this:

• We are born

• We embrace a brief and short childhood

• Go to school for two decades

• Get a degree (like the other billions of people on earth)

• Find a job (if you manage in this economy)

• Get married (I certainly hope to someone upright and pious)

• Move into a house

• Have children

• And if you are blessed, have enough money saved for a false promise called “retirement” and live what little life you have left on a beach, a farm, or in your hometown in a remote village secluded from the world and its people.

I am not quite sure about you, but besides living on a farm/beach/village homestead (what can I say, I am a country girl at heart!) living life that way doesn't sound very appealing to me.

If you don’t question the current narrative that you have learned from your family, schooling systems, and the mass media, then you might find yourself living a life exactly as described above.

Now unless that is your aim, then by all means continue.

If not, I suggest you start to use your conscious brain and observe patterns in society, then decide to do the exact opposite.

And that is precisely what I did.

Growing up, I always felt out of place in society, and as I observed things carefully, I noticed that most people typically do the same thing, live the same way, and yet they end up depressed, unfulfilled, and experience insufferable outcomes.

They want and crave a different life but refuse to consider a different path out of fear, comfort, ignorance, or limiting beliefs.

(If you want new outcomes, you have to be willing to change.)

This realization propelled me toward a different path.

The more I felt pressured to conform to:

• dress a certain way

• marry a specific person

• pursue a specific career

• or engage in certain behaviors

solely because they were deemed as "cultural norms" or because society dictated, "this is just how things are done," the more I felt a sense of resistance and opposition.

If you want to live different to most, you must have the bravery to take a path others are unwilling to take. It is hard to be different. To choose different.

But that is why most people never succeed.

They give up too early or crumble to the fear of the unknown.

If you want to be different, be prepared to make discomfort your best friend.

The Conscious Shift

Dear reader, before we dive into purpose, it's essential for us to understand that the path most commonly taken isn't necessarily the right one.

Many people navigate through life on autopilot, conforming to societal norms or expectations without considering whether this path truly aligns with their internal compass.

Contemplate and reflect on this.

If we open the Qur’ān, we find that most of mankind are described to be: astray, ungrateful, ignorant, disobedient.

By following most people, we inadvertently surrender ourselves and our autonomy to the mercy of society’s standard of life - even if it goes against our morals, our religion, our purpose, and our values and principles.
 
This worried me greatly and I nearly got stuck in this trap myself, until I decided that things had to be different.

A conscious shift—a deliberate choice to live life differently.

I needed an escape route, so I created one.

You are likely reading this letter because you feel the same.

You’re reading this letter because you have a deep desire to live life more deeply, intentionally, and purposefully. You want to live a life that is full of purpose, joy, passion, and fulfillment. You desire to bridge the gap between who you are and who you can be. You want to create and build a legacy before your death.

And while I don’t have all the answers (nor will I ever claim such a thing) — I can certainly gift you with my outline and blueprint that helped me discover my purpose and is helping me reach my goals to this day.

Develop a Life Vision

What is a life vision?

In order to live your life with purpose, you must first create what is called a “Life Vision.”

A life vision is like a roadmap for your future, but it's more than just setting goals or making plans. It's about envisioning the kind of life you want to live in great detail—from the person you want to become, to the experiences you want to have, and the impact you want to make on the world. Your life vision is deeply personal and reflective of your values, passions, and dreams.

A sister recently asked me a question and I thought it was fitting to answer here:

Not knowing what you want your future to look like is a common challenge that many people face, and it's perfectly okay. Life is a journey of self-discovery, and it's absolutely normal to feel uncertain or unsure about the direction you want to take. However, choosing to live amidst uncertainty without any action is where most people remain stuck.

This is where having a life vision can be incredibly helpful.

Think of it as a compass or the “big-picture” of your life.

In pursuit of your purpose, having a clear life vision serves as the foundation upon which all goals are built.

Because all goals are dependent on clarity and your life vision provides that.

Now having a vision is simply a vision. 

This won’t deter you from the obstacles and challenges that you will face in life or the unexpected trials that will undoubtedly come your way.

As Allāh (ﷻ) says in the Qur’ān:

But having a life vision will help you become a more intentional person: with your time, money, relationships, standards, and behaviors.

When you have a vision, your goals will become more defined. When your goals are defined, your daily actions will have more meaning. You will know what you are doing and why you are doing it.

This entire process is an art form.

It is not as simple as “write down your goals and create a schedule around that.”

How do you know if those goals are leading you in the correct path?

What method will you use to measure and track your progress?

All of the Youtubers and TikTok creators make it sound pretty easy, but we are complex creatures. We have to account for all facets of our life.

“But Samira, how can I do that?! It sounds too hard and overwhelming!”

Don’t worry, dearest.

This is precisely why I am here: to help you create more ease in life.

Domains of Life (The Orbital Sequence^™)

This beautiful graphic is a blueprint I created called “The Orbital Sequence^™” 

I designed this tool with one clear goal in mind: to help you pinpoint the key areas of your life crucial for intentional and purpose-driven living.

It serves as a conceptual map of "the world (i.e: your world)," organized into an orbital sequence that represents major life spheres—what I term as the domains of life or life domains.

While some people set arbitrary goals, life is complex and multifaceted.

My goal is to offer you a framework to make it easy to identify and improve any areas of your life that may need attention, allowing you to lead a more fulfilling and rewarding life.

Before we dive into life domains, I want to offer a small disclaimer.

Life cannot be neatly compartmentalized; it operates as a seamless whole.

Consider the impact of our health on our vocation: poor health impedes creativity and productivity, while stress undermines physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Likewise, our emotional state, or our "heart," shapes our social interactions; struggles like depression or anger can strain relationships.

Given the interconnectedness of these life domains, each demands from us attention and care if we want to create a life that's fulfilling and balanced.

All of this is foundational in creating a meaningful life design and vision.

With this understanding in mind, let's take a closer look at life domains.

What is a life domain?

A life domain is like a map that covers various aspects of our lives, providing us with a roadmap to achieve holistic well-being and fulfillment.

It is an intricate interplay between the different categories in our life and it allows us to have more structure and direction to balance them.

To make this simple for you:

Imagine a gardener tending to a garden.

In your "life garden," different sections are reserved for different types of plants—flowers, herbs, fruits—all with their own roles. Each plant plays a part in the ecosystem.

Likewise, your life consists of distinct domains, each influencing your overall well-being.

Once you recognize these domains, it will help you achieve balance in your lives, goal-setting, and creative endeavors.

The Five Key Domains

I've developed a map of five key domains of human life that are crucial for fostering personal growth and fulfillment:

• orbit of being

• orbit of purpose

• orbit of relation

• orbit of vocation

• orbit of contribution

These domains address basic human needs such as religion, family, work, health, and community. I developed this approach because I couldn't find anything that could effectively guide me in pursuing my purpose.

(At the heart of it all, this is what business is about: creating solutions to problems that didn’t previously exist, starting with yourself.)

Here is a small breakdown:

1. Orbit of Being: This focuses on the concept of the self (you), devoid of materialistic or worldly ties - reflecting the core elements of mind, body, heart, and soul.

(note: as muslims, understanding this correctly is vital as many people measure their intrinsic worth based on social status, wealth, family background, etc)

2. Orbit of Purpose: The orbit of purpose revolves around the things that give our lives true and complete meaning: worship (ibadah), faith (imān), the knowledge we seek (religious and worldly knowledge), our principles and values, and the inner resources we possess.

We were created to worship Allah ﷻ as indicated in the Qur’ān. Allah ﷻ said: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [51:56]

This is the reason for our existence. It is our ultimate purpose, the most crucial dimension of all.

(One letter will not suffice, we will go into further detail in future letters.)

3. Orbit of Relation: The orbit of relation embraces family, companions, and social ties, which are essential human connections.

As social beings, we flourish through these meaningful connections with loved ones, close friends, and wider social groups because they bring us joy, support, and a feeling of belonging to our lives.

4. Orbit of Vocation:

The orbit of vocation is built on three pillars: vocational, avocational, and financial.

I know what you are probably thinking: what do all of these words mean?

Let's break them down.

Vocation:

A vocation is an occupation, career, trade, or profession that does more than pay the bills — it fills you with a sense of higher purpose and contribution to society.

Have you ever heard of people who say: "this is my calling in life?"

This is what they are referring to.

This is why I separated finances from vocation; while wealth creation is important, true fulfillment comes from work that aligns with our purpose.

This is why you may come across people in high-paying professions who lack contentment and fulfillment, while others happily pursue unpaid work and live joyfully like queens.

This is all defined as our "sub-purpose"

This is work that you would do for the rest of your life: regardless whether you get paid or don’t get paid.

While our primary purpose is clear (to worship Allah), our sub-purpose, like a smaller part of a larger whole, guides us in finding vocational fulfillment.

Avocational:

In our avocational domain, we find recreation, leisure, and hobbies—these are all activities and creative pursuits that bring us joy and help us unwind. These are all essential for personal growth and well-being, providing balance to our lives outside of work and financial responsibilities.

Financial:

This orbit is all about feminine wealth, business, home economics and financial literacy, from a feminine perspective. It's not just about making money; it's about finding fulfillment in our financial endeavors while embracing our femininity and familial roles.

Most of you are here to learn more about femininity and feminine embodied wealth in business.

I recently launched a business school "Feminine Wealth School" to revolutionize traditional business approaches. Conventional marketing often overlooks women's needs and her biological design (since they are built by men for men - nothing wrong with that inherently) but I believe in educating women in sustaining their womanhood, family roles, cycles, and feminine embodied wealth in business. I've witnessed many talented women abandon their aspirations prematurely, and im determined to change that narrative.

We will dive more into these topics in future letters and our podcast (p.s: you can give our social media page a follow here. website will be ready soon).

Our last and final orbit is:

5. Orbit of contribution:

The orbit of contribution focuses on activities that are charitable, philanthropic, and voluntary in nature.

This is one of my personal favorite orbits.

It is also one of the keys to creating a barakah-full life and "a barakah business."

A muslimah actively giving back through donations, volunteering, or other forms of support to the ummah.

Believe me my sisters, the greatest service you can do in your life is work done for the sake of Allah.

You’ll never regret it.

Before you know it, your life will be full of barakah.

The Heroine’s Journey

Now that we've laid the groundwork for our life domains, it's time for the crucial next step: action implementation.

The real excitement begins as we transition from theory to practice.

Ladies, pursuing your purpose is an exciting journey.

An adventure that will test, teach, ground, and humble you.

It is what will help shape you into the ideal you (or as I like to call it - "HER")

Believe it or not, you will not become the ideal version of you by putting on pounds of makeup, changing your wardrobe, and following a ten-step korean skincare routine (even though visual aesthetics and hygiene are important too!).

Don't let women online deceive you with substanceless advice.

You wont become a better woman just by altering your appearance or focusing on superficial enhancements.

You become the best version of yourself by doing what most women wont: focusing on self-growth, embracing your vulnerabilities, learning, failing, and evolving each and every day.

This is what will help you "live life to the fullest."

This is the heroine's journey and you're almost ready to start your own!

Feeling the excitement yet?

I know you are ready to experience more in life and tap into higher measures of joy, peace, profit, and happiness.

Hang tight!

Before we set sail, let's go over the tools you need to implement this into your life.

1. Self-Education:

Start by immersing yourself in the basic foundations relevant to your creative interests through self-education. Whether it's through books, courses, or online resources, dedicate time to understanding the fundamental principles that govern each aspect of your life vision.

People like to hasten toward going from student to master but most forget that what made the master into a master: thousands of choices, iterations, failures, and immersion in the repetition of fundamentals.

The reason why beginners remain beginners is because they ignore the foundations and try to skip into larger subjects or topics.

A primary example would be muslims who seek to learn islamic knowledge. The reason why a person can go years without knowing their religion is because they become hasty when it comes to the basics. When that is what will cause them to excel and succeed.

Once you are comfortable with being a beginner, you can then gradually progress into a seasoned learner and build from there.

One tool that I personally use is an app called “Notion” which acts as my second brain in all things — business, self-education, creative planning and organization.

I created this notion template called “Self-Education Academia” a few years ago to help me to pursue my studies and creative interests outside of the traditional educational system.

I wanted to share this visual with you in order to help establish a general idea as to how you can implement this.

Central to my self-education journey is the notion dashboard—a visual representation of my exploration. Here, I used to organize all of my studies, track progress, document notes and insights in my studies.

This dashboard truly helped me in my intellectual exploration. You do not have to follow this method or use this app specifically, but it is surely important to have some learning system that works for you to help you stay on track and ensure that you reach your educational goals.

(note: ladies, let me know if you're interested in accessing my updated notion systems where I organize all areas of my life.)

2. Life Plan

Take the time to visualize your dream life within each orbit and translate these visions into concrete, achievable goals.

Put paper to pen and create a written account of your ideal life and ideal future.

Next, break down your life vision into macro and micro goals mapping out a timeline that spans days, weeks, months, years, and even decades. Being mindful that the ultimate timeline is in the Hands of Allāh (ﷻ)‎, operating with daily, weekly, and monthly deadlines helps structure your life.

Reverse engineer your goals, pick 1-3 tasks you can commit to daily—this will help you stay on path to achieve your goals.

Without a life vision, you lack direction. Without a daily plan, you lack action.

3. Mentors:

When I say find mentors, I am referring to the process of discovering trusted experts that you can learn your creative interests from. Some of you are drawn here for my content on femininity and building a thriving family and marriage, while some of you are here to learn about feminine wealth and business.

Some mentors are experts in more than one skill or area of interest, we call these mentors "generalists," and aspiring to become one is typically advantageous (especially in business).

Conversely, mentors who present mastery in one specific focus or skill are known as specialists.

Consider medicine as an analogy.

When you visit a doctor's office, you usually consult with a family physician initially. A family physician is trained to provide comprehensive medical care for the whole family, covering men's health, women's health, and pediatrics—a generalist.

However, if a specific health issue requires specialized knowledge, the family physician might refer you to a specialist who focuses on particular organs, diseases, or conditions.

For instance, an OB-GYN or a maternal fetal specialist.

Similarly, in your quest to find a mentor, make sure you pay attention to their areas of specialization.

When I began my journey, I started by listing all the areas that interested me in a black sketchbook— they numbered to around 20 in total.

(Don't hesitate to list numerous interests; it's better to explore extensively than to limit yourself out of fear of being excessive. Over time, you'll naturally narrow down your areas of focus.)

After I wrote them all down, I decided to start my search on the internet.

I created a private social media account, which I still use to this day, and started following mentors that I found interesting. I studied their personal philosophy, perspectives, style, knowledge, and skill through livestreams, podcasts, courses, and programs.

However, make sure that you don't confine your search to social media alone.

Expand your knowledge base by purchasing books, reading articles, and spending time in libraries. Cultivate a habit of research and immerse yourself in books to the point where you begin to lose track of time.

If you are serious about finding your purpose, then you must look for it deeply.

Online and offline.

Search for it relentlessly: far and wide, in every nook and cranny, until you discover the path that aligns deeply within.

4. Daily Craft

Develop a daily craft or creative projects.

I truly enjoy directing people to share their art with the world by creating a personal brand online.

This journey is incredibly rewarding and offers a wealth of experiences.
(believe it or not, in many ways, it can directly impact your character development!)

Even if financial gain isn't your primary aim, the internet provides an avenue to leverage digital impact and influence in this digital economy.

Should you ever decide to monetize in the future, you'll already have laid the groundwork which can create quantum leaps in success. When you share your learnings online, you not only reinforce your knowledge better (which will help you retain it), but you also sharpen your skills because teaching is the most effective form of learning.

Earlier, I emphasized the importance of seeking knowledge through books, podcasts, and other avenues. However, it's really important to remember that your brain is a vessel.

This means you must creatively channel the knowledge you are consume into active action. Don't fall into the trap of endless education, most of which is mindless consumption or information overload. Instead, focus on creating something meaningful and valuable to the world. This is the artist's way.


5. Patience

The final tool you need on your personal development journey is patience.

This is something we do not like to hear, but it is absolutely essential.

In pursuit of purpose, I have personally spend thousands of dollars and years learning, reading, and investing.

I can confidently say, for most people, discovery will take time, grit, effort, the right mental outlook, and consistent du’a.

Be persistent in your du'a, consistent in observing the night prayer, and earnest supplication during times when your prayers are most likely to be answered.

You will not wake up with picture perfect clarity in one day, or a week, or perhaps even a year or two.

However, with time, it will build up.

Slowly, but surely.

Whew. We sure unpacked a lot in this letter.

I am sure you may have thought we would dive into femininity, business, or wealth but we need to first engage in deep contemplation of life as a whole. We must reflect upon our purpose and why we are truly here on this earth.

Our time in this world is short and temporary.

We need look toward our intentions in all areas of life so that each action is not spent in vein and (strive) to attain barakah and tawfiq from Allāh (ﷻ) in our time and our lives.

This week's letter draws to a gentle close, dear ones,

I am looking forward to sharing more with you in our future letters!

Thank you for reading and being part of our tender online haven.

Stay tuned, more to come soon.

Until next time, my darling,

Stay graceful and keep pursuing your beautiful dreams
because the world truly does need
that special charm and gift that only you have. ♡

With love,
Miss Samira Abdulaziz

Gentle Notes (A Dainty Digest):

1. Youtube:

A YouTube video is scheduled to go live this upcoming week as a prelude to a new series: “A Lady of Distinction” - providing you with the resources that you need to become a woman of refinement. (we’ll build off of the domains of life lesson shared here too!)

No more following “that girl” “it girl” “glow up” or “high value woman” trendy-trends that fade as quickly as the seasons or the colors of the leaves on trees. Who defines these trends anyway? Be timeless, elegant, feminine, and rare - just as you (a believing woman) are meant to be. Become a lady. Become her.

If you wish to join me, here is the link to subscribe (no pressure):

https://www.youtube.com/@ladyabdulaziz

Note: Access to my voice requires an identity verification process (I know ladies!) But the reality is sneaky men exist and I hope to preserve my hayaa as much as humanely possible. I ask that you help your sister in preserving her voice.

2. Private Community

Our private society “The Ladies Société” is making a full transition from our discord server to our private community website so that we can provide free courses, resources, and tools in a more accessible manner that I just don’t share anywhere else. (And yes, you can work closely with me too!) If you are interested in joining, send an email to my team [email protected] and follow the instructions for the verification process. All sisters in the discord group check the server for further details.

3. Maghrib

It is the time for the launch of my new company “Maghrib”

An islamic wellness company supporting the modern muslim with tools to achieve excellence in mind, body, heart and soul.

If you want to keep up to date on our islamic planners, journals, and wellness products, follow us on our instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/maghribco

(Ramadan Planner releasing soon!)

4. Careers:

There are a few vacant positions in my companies available. A formal description will be made available on my website and social media very soon, so you ladies on my list are the first to know!

Here are the available positions.

• Graphic Designer

• Motion Designer

• Social Media Manager

• Video Editor

• Copywriter

• Translator

We are heavily prioritizing market-wide impact. So if you are a native (fluent) in any of the following languages:

🇩🇪: German
🇹🇷: Türkish
🇸🇦: Arabic
🇳🇱: Dutch
🇰🇷: Korean
🇯🇵: Japanese
🇷🇺: Russian
🇫🇷: French
🇩🇰: Danish
🇳🇴: Norwegian
🇮🇩: Indonesian

and you would like to be part of my team, I would absolutely love to have you!