Barakah in Your Efforts with Alignment

Today , we're going to be talking about how to be more efficient with your work , more productive , how to make the most of your time , and I talk a lot about this topic , but today I want to bring a different type of attention to it .

Today , what I want to talk about is how you're going to align yourself before you take any action to save energy , so that there's barakah in your effort , so that the result of your effort is far more than you expected . So I just want to start out with some definitions .

First of all , alignment that's a term that I'm going to be using a lot today which means getting your thoughts , feelings and actions to work together in type of a harmony towards a goal . This is when you clear up your inner conflicts , like your fears or your doubts , so that all the parts of you are moving towards the same direction .

That will save you a lot of energy , a lot of time . Instead of ignoring the parts that you feel hesitant or unsure , alignment asks you to pause , understand those feelings and bring them into balance without judging them . So when you do this , you're saving energy and you make much more progress , a lot more smoothly and effectively .

What do I mean when I say the word Barakah ? This is the divine blessing from Allah SWT that causes something to exceed its expected benefit or capacity . This is what transforms what seems small , mundane or limited , whether it's time , money or food .

Barakah transforms it into something abundant and impactful , and the thing starts to serve you in ways that go beyond your logical expectations . And this definition , or a version of this definition , I might have gotten through Productive Muslim . Now let's define Barakah in time .

Let's say you have a packed schedule , you have barely an hour to spare , but somehow you manage to accomplish everything in your to-do list and then some . Or Barakah in food , when you're able to serve all the food to everyone on the table to their fill .

Or barakah in time , receiving a modest income by the worldly standards , but even when you think it shouldn't be enough to cover all of your expenses and your needs , it does so anyways . Prerequisite of barakah is , of course , you start with the remembrance of Allah .

But what brain action you can take to tap into this barakah that Allah SWT has already ordained for you . What is it that you can do is not more physical action , not more struggle , not more hustle . It's mostly mental action , cleaning up the energy that's driving you and dividing you in different ways .

And this is the mental action of alignment of your thoughts . Aligning yourself saves energy . Before you jump into action , you have to figure out what your internal parts are saying , what your thoughts are , what your emotions are . Are they pulling you in different directions or are they working towards the same goal ?

If you act without resolving inner conflicts , you will expend energy fighting yourself . This misalignment will create friction , and friction consumes energy . It slows you down , it makes it harder for you to sustain momentum . This is one of the very important reasons why you should be working on inner alignment first .

If you have one part that wants to push forward , but the other part hesitates out of fear , doubt , uncertainty , and if you start to take action without addressing these internal tensions , you'll feel drained and scattered Preemptively .

Sitting with these opposing forces and working to align them initially might feel like you're wasting time , especially when others appear to be making progress . They're taking quick actions . But this upfront action is like calibrating your compass . This way , you're ensuring , when you do move , you're heading in the right direction and you move forward much faster .

People who ignore this inner alignment and take action despite of opposing thoughts . Initially they might look like they're moving forward , but the longer their inner resistance remains unresolved , the quicker they will lose momentum , and if that's you , that's a fast way of burning out .

But on the other hand , if you're somebody who works hard to align yourself , align your inner world , address your fears , then it might take you longer to start in the beginning , but you move with much greater power and endurance , because then your actions are fueled by clarity . You're not constantly addressing the doubts .

This is what brings Baraka in your time , because your inner conflict is not slowing you down because you've preemptively addressed it . The common advice that you get is to push through resistance . Just do it , even if you feel unsure , and there is a time and a place for that .

There's a time and a place to take action despite of your inner turmoil , like when you need to meet an urgent deadline or you need to break through procrastination and just do the work . But this approach has limits for goals that need to be sustainable and that are long-term . This pause of finding alignment before you act .

It's not you sitting with your thoughts or using it as an excuse to do the work . You're preparing yourself to move forward with purpose , kind of like getting rid of the garbage on the path before you start to go down it . This preparation will make sure that you don't waste your energy fighting internal resistance .

This way , you're going to't waste your energy fighting internal resistance . This way , you're going to fully channel your energy into your actions . Mal-alignment steals barakah away from your time and effort . Start every task , minor or major , with Allah's name , but also elevate your intention behind each task .

Clean up the garbage that's keeping you weighed down , and this is the secret to sustainable and impactful action . Let's say you want to start a business , an idea that excites you and energizes you , but deep underneath this ambition , there's the fear of failing , being judged or realizing you're not as capable as you hope . You get tired sooner .

All of these internal conflicts will create a pattern of dabbling . You research endlessly , you make plans , you take small steps , but you're mostly hesitant , and then you retreat whatever progress you've made . Weeks , months or even years go by and you're still swirling in the same place .

This is the lack of barakah , because this is the lack of you cleaning up your internal conflicts . In this case , even if you do manage to take an action , it will feel like pushing a boulder uphill . You have not paused to address the fearful part of you . It does not feel seen . It has not been addressed when you have acknowledged this existence .

Just that awareness alone , most of the time , softens the fear . It sheds light on it long enough so you can understand that most of your fears are actually baseless , coming from a primal fear of visibility or a primal fear of being cast out if you're a failure , when none of that actually hold matter in the modern world .

And you can take multiple daily life examples . Let's say you agreed to help a friend move because you don't want to disappoint her , but deep down you're running on empty . You need time to recharge . You need time to focus on yourself , on your own goals , yet you push all of this aside to avoid the guilt of not helping your friend .

The result More resentment builds up . You feel annoyed at your friend . You wish she wouldn't ask so much of you . This puts your friendship into jeopardy . This is the exact opposite of barakah in your relationships .

The malalignment that you're not aware of in this case is leaving you emotionally drained and instead of this task being a generous act of friendship , it becomes a source of tension for you In this case . Alignment here would mean learning to prioritize your needs and addressing them without ignoring them .

Acknowledging them just so it can create some soft space in you , space enough just for you to recognize how much energy do you have to be able to help your friend ? Or let's take another example . Let's say you have a desire to make money . Do you have to be able to help your friend ? Or let's take another example .

Let's say you have a desire to make money , whether you want to support your family , you want to achieve your personal goals , you want to be financially independent , but there's another part of you that feels that earning money , especially in significant amounts from the worldly standards , is superficial or even morally questionable .

You might want to make money , you might want to even work hard , but you're going to be subconsciously sabotaging yourself towards earning more money easier . You may even think that it's more virtuous to just work for a non-profit or have a business that prioritizes only social good .

While those are good qualities , cleaning up the malalignment might tell you that more money will give you more resources , more money will buy you more freedom of time . But when you don't slow down to address this malalignment , making money and putting value in the world to be able to earn money is going to feel very hard .

The inner conflict is going to keep you stuck . You're going to undercharge for your services . You're going to feel guilty for earning more than others . You're going to subconsciously avoid more lucrative opportunities altogether , opportunities that might even make your life easier , that might make your income grow easier .

To align these opposing parts , you will need to redefine your relationship with money , recognizing that money itself is neutral . It's a tool that can be used for good or harm . By earning more , you create the capacity to contribute more , especially to the causes that you value . You can support your loved ones .

Your recognition of your opposing parts within you helps you realize that you've always been working with these opposing thoughts . They aren't separate physical entities . They're not human beings inside of you battling for control . They're just thoughts , habitual , persistent and sometimes deeply ingrained .

These are patterns of thinking that loop through your mind , and the nature of opposing thoughts is sometimes they appear so factual Questions like what if I fail , or thoughts like I don't deserve this , people will judge me . I should do what's expected .

These are not loud , dramatic intrusions , but rather slow whispers , and they always are running in your awareness very subtly , in the , like an unopened browser that consumes your energy Over time . The repetition , even without your awareness , gives them weight , making them feel like absolute truths instead of just thoughts . This is why they feel so persistent .

This is why opposing thoughts stick around for so long . Part of your brain sees them as a protective mechanism , but they're actually just arising from past experiences , conditioning social expectations , things that your brain has determined are important to keep you safe

. Living with these thoughts in awareness does not mean that you are going to be able to control them 100% of the time . It just means that you recognize them as thoughts , things that you do not have to accept at face value just because they're present in your brain .

While this noticing does not limit you from having opposing thoughts , it does give you the freedom to choose them , especially if they continue to show up on and on in your long-term goals . So the first step in working with opposing parts is noticing them for what they are just patterns of thinking , not immutable truths .

When you successfully observe these thoughts without judgment , you will begin to loosen their grip on you . So instead of thinking I'll never succeed , you might observe hey , that's a familiar fear of my failure again , that's the fear of visibility again .

And instead of being paralyzed by thoughts like what will people think , you could just acknowledge that this thought about judgment is present , but it does not have to define my choices moving forward . Just by bringing awareness to these thoughts , observation for them , you separate yourself from them and they stop being the drivers of your actions .

They just become something you can reflect on , something that you can challenge and especially dismiss , especially in cases where they're driving you in opposite directions , not allowing you to achieve any measurable results , directions not allowing you to achieve any measurable results . Just the recognition opens the gate for possible reframing .

You can ask yourself is this thought serving me or is it holding me back ? What's the deeper truth here that I want to focus on ? What action can I take next that aligns with my highest intentional thought , my highest self ? Let's say , a thought tells you you're not ready to start yet you can counter it with readiness . Comes with action , not waiting .

You're not silencing your opposing part , you're acknowledging it . You're just allowing yourself to think something different , something that aligns more with actions that you can take efficiently .

This will create more and more ever-present awareness for you , and while this persistent awareness is going to require work in the beginning , it's not going to be as exhausting as you think , because eventually it will become the norm . Eventually , you'll become used to recognizing your thoughts . What if your malalignment was about hijab versus personal expression ?

Let's say you wear the hijab because you believe it's a command from Allah SWT , but a part of you that's malaligned . It feels that it's constraining and it's disconnected from your personal sense of style . You might want to be constantly adjusting your hijab style , or you might feel self-conscious about it or how you look at work .

This is going to create lack of barakah in your act of ibadah . This is going to create resentment , frustration . One part of you is committed fully to your spiritual duty , but another part of you is struggling with self-expression and confidence .

Your responsibility here is not to judge this self-expression part , not to shame yourself for having these second thoughts , but giving them their due time and recognition and letting them be present . That way , you can choose whatever path you choose to go down , which , like I said , if you're already wearing hijab , you are already making the better choice .

You're just creating a lot more work by suppressing your part that's creating the lack of confidence in your hijab . There's no need to continue to live with this resistance .

Or if you're struggling to prioritize parenting versus self-care , you spend the bulk of your time caring for your kids , making sure they're well-fed , they're educated , they're emotionally supported , but you do recognize that you're neglecting your own needs in the process .

Maybe it's reflection time , maybe it's worship , and this is making you more irritable , more resentful , more stressed out . The part of you that prioritizes being a devoted parent is also present , with a part of you that craves time for self-reflection , personal growth , self-care .

If you're feeling disbalanced because of it , if it's creating friction in you as a parent , creating more work for you , all you have to do is bring your mal-aligned parts into awareness and find out how you can address both of them . This is going to take the friction right out of the process . This is what I mean by aligning and harmonizing your efforts .

When you're in a marriage and you believe that being a good wife means prioritizing your husband's needs , but you do it to such an extent that , over time , you feel invisible and unappreciated . There's a part of you that wants to maintain harmony , but there's also a part of you that feels that this level of self-sacrifice leaves you neglected .

You absolutely have to address this malalignment , because without that , you're always going to be blaming the external circumstance , the marriage , the husband . When , with just recognition of personal boundaries , understanding that giving yourself time and attention does not mean that you're taking it away from your husband , that alone can align you .

That alone can take care of a lot of mind drama . You might have malalignment with your career goals and your ideas of modesty and how far you can go as a professional Muslim woman just because you practice modesty . And there are tons and tons of examples like this in your life .

I want you to pay attention to where you think you are not aligned perfectly , because when you think about moving forward in life if it's your career , deepening your faith , or about your relationship , your tendency is always going to be quickly move into action .

But real progress , the kind that feels fulfilling and sustainable , that only comes from not rushing but aligning yourself ahead of time . If you don't identify the thoughts that are pulling you in opposite directions , you will waste energy , create frustration and you will burn out much sooner .

People that continue to create sustainable efforts that accomplish long-term goals are the people that are putting energy ahead of time and paying attention to their mal-aligned parts . Paying attention to them with love and respect , not with judgment or shame .

You will see that even with fear and guilt , self-care and societal expectations , with personal fulfillment all of these inner battles can keep you stuck , even when you're working hard , because it's going to look like you're sitting idly in thoughts , but you're preparing the launching pad for takeoff .

You're preparing your mind , your heart , your intentions so that they work in harmony . It might take more time up front , but it serves you so well because this method will make sure that every step you take moves you closer to your goal .

You might observe those people who skip this step and sprint ahead and you might feel like you're not doing things fast enough , but if you have a tendency of taking action and not getting anywhere , alignment might be the missing link for you , because alignment doesn't just give you momentum , it gives you resilience , the ability to go much farther than you ever

imagined . This is exactly what allows barakah to filter into your time and your effort . With that , I pray to Allah SWT . O Allah , align my heart and my mind with your guidance , help me recognize all of the thoughts that hold me back and grant me the clarity to move forward with purpose .

O Allah , strengthen my resolve , ease my inner conflicts and fill my actions with sincerity and barakah . Ya Allah , let every step I take bring me closer only to you . Ameen , ya Rabbul Ameen , please keep me in your du'as . I will talk to you guys next time .