We are working and hustling to acquire the good things of life, in our view, but the race never seems to end.
Over the weekend, Twitter in its glory was polarized yet again for a statement that alluded to the notion; work hard now, play later. This thought represents a long-life belief that work comes before play and many people believed they need to make the sacrifice today for the future they wish to enjoy. It’s a phenomenon that everyone faced. It’s even more daring considering the fact that lifestyle and good living quality have been dropping in Nigeria before many of us were born. We were poised to not repeat the mistakes of our parents, to be smarter and more informed, and to think we should make better choices.
The going discussion amongst young people today is how to optimise for a good life as it goes. It’s a You Only Live Once (YOLO) and (Eyan Le Ku Any Fucking Time) ELKAFT that makes a lot to be self-conscious about what they delayed and what can be enjoyed now. Though, I shared some sentiments with the author of the controversial post. Albeit, without putting a minimum hour to the working hours for an individual. It is important that we realise the value of the work we do. How it adds up and better still works that give asymmetric opportunities with greater upside. Where my today’s piece comes to view the entire discussion stems from a conversation I had with a couple of friends and partners over the weekend wherein the concept of barakah was thoroughly explained.
It’s a reawakening message for me and it helps to put things in perspective properly. As many of us are optimising our life with hustle. Hustle culture in my view differs from hard work culture and both are nothing to our lives without barakah. This piece is not to differentiate between hard work, smart work, and hustle.
So what does barakah means?
Barakah is being able to enjoy the money you earn, not spending it on treating an ailment or fighting a case. Barakah is living a modest life of fun without the arrowing pain of debt despite your high income. Barakah is being able to sleep peacefully and re-energize after the day's work. It is the act that makes your little one achieve much while living within your means. It is the peace and calmness that radiate from within you while others think there is a secret to it.
To a family person, it could be the peace and love your family share, the brilliance and performance of your children in school, and the respectfulness of your child. It is many things that are intangible but very important for our life experience. When we change our views about how barakah works, we will realise that the work we do, the money we earn, and how we spend it is important and we will optimise for that which is blessed. The good thing this provides for us is contentment. As we can all tell, the life of this world is an endless chase that would stop only at death.
Thus, while we are working to pay the bills now, as Muslims, our life is an act of worship and we should take everything as a means of worship. This includes the work we do and how we earn our money.
Jazakallahu khayran