Ambitions Of A Child

When I was a child, I wanted to be like Bill Gates, have a big company and be one of the top people out there.

He was inspiring, and I knew about him because he was the richest man in the world, and because he was in the software field. What more could a nerdy child want?

A few years later, a teenager, I realized that that kind of money comes with problems and constraints, and so I decided it was not worth it. I just want to be in the software field but I don't need to have a big company nor be the richest man in the world.

Few years later, I realized I have better role models, and a better goal in my life, as a Muslim, all of this did not matter if I died tomorrow.

This realization comes with the understanding that most of the world does not operate this way.

Ironically, though, this is exactly how Bill Gates succeeded, he didn't care about how the world operated, he wanted something and he went for it, and he did it. I could at least give him that.

As a Muslim, I have greater motivation to do what is good and great, I have a greater purpose in life than merely accomplishing my ambitions.

The more I realized this the more Bill Gates diminished in my mind. He was like a racer going against the track at a crazy speed thinking he's winning.

Muslims today need to realize they need both: The correct goal, and the correct mindset.

We, instead, look at the mindset of the disbelievers, see their crazy speed, and go: "Woah! That looks awesome! I want to be that as well!". They then neglect having the correct goal, and start to turn around against the track.

The more people go against the track, the more those going with it look weird and out of place. "Dude! Everyone is going this way, what are you even doing?!".

Eh.

By the end of the race, don't expect to be declared a winner.

May Allah grant us ḥusn al-khātimah.