{"_id":"6834c21788fa9cc04dd3ef26","title":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"What advice do you have for someone feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, and behind in their career?\\n\"}]}","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Every night, a feeling of emptiness fills my heart. Thoughts about the fact that everyone else my age is way ahead of me in terms of their career and in general life skills bothers me a lot. I feel like a loser. I want to try to restart, but I cannot because my mind is focused on the thought that I should either be and do the best or not even try because you cannot. I fear trying and falling short in the eyes of people around me. I prefer that people think of me as capable but underachieving due to not trying hard enough rather than laughing at my mediocrity after trying hard. \\n\\nI pray and fast. I am trying to look at everything around with an intention to please Allah. I pray Tahajjud. I recite the Quran. I beg for a connection with Allah in every prayer. Yet, every night, right before Fajr this feeling of being useless, worthless and a loser at life bothers me a lot. I am so confused at where to start in my career. I feel so lost when it comes to finding the right words to ask help from Allah. \\n\\nCan you please guide me with some examples from life of the Prophet (PBUH) or a Quran verse? I am currently not working and everyone around me expects me to work (which I also want to), but since I don’t work, I see myself as a loser in their eyes.\\n\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"I am sorry to hear about the difficult feelings you are navigating during this stage of your life. I want to first and foremost commend you on reaching out for guidance. It’s not an easy thing to do. Facing these unpleasant feelings about oneself requires bravery and courage. In shā’ Allāh, this is the first step to paving a path of healing and progress toward your life goals on all levels.\\n\\nI want to bring your attention to a pattern I noticed in the language you used to describe yourself. The words you chose place the majority of your worth in the hands of others to decide. No matter how accomplished we are, this is a recipe for failure. There will always be someone out there more accomplished than you, happier than you, smarter than you, etc. For this reason, to compare yourself to anyone else is fruitless. Allah ﷻ created us all with different gifts that we can use to benefit ourselves and those around us. Humans were meant to live as a community by nature. Some have been blessed with talent in art, some in treating medical conditions, some in education, some in child-rearing, etc. The point is, none of us were created with no goodness or nothing to offer. The key is to uncover what yours is, not to question whether or not it exists.\\n\\nShift your focus from “What do people think?” or “What do I want people to think?” to “What do I think\\\" and \\\"What does Allah think of me?”\\n\\nAt times, Allah ﷻ will bring us to our lowest in order to force us to see Him and only Him as the pillar in our lives that will never let us down. It is an invitation from Him, and a blessing. The key to success in both this life and the next is striving for none other than Allah ﷻ’s pleasure. When you make this your ultimate focus, He ﷻ will send you who you need and what you need, and your heart will feel content on a level that is unmatched by any of His creation. That doesn’t mean life will be easy, but it means you will gain the resilience through Him and only Him to get through the tough times. There is no other way to attain true happiness and contentment in this empty dunya.\\n\\nWhen we put Allah ﷻ as our focus, everyone else and their worldly standards become very small in comparison. Your goals are higher.\\n\\nAs far as a career choice, take your time. Shadow, volunteer, consult with elders, etc. And then, leave the rest to Allah ﷻ through duʿāʾ. Duʿāʾ is two parts: action and reliance. We cannot rely on duʿās with no action, nor should we rely only on our actions without seeking His help and guidance. We need both.\\n\\nIt’s easy when you feel down to convince yourself that everyone is successful except you. The reality is: every single one of us is struggling. Some are just better at hiding it than others. This is the same dunya for all of us. All of the Prophets and Messengers (may Allah ﷻ be pleased with them all) were rejected, laughed at, abused, and ridiculed. Yet they never let that shake their focus on obeying Allah ﷻ. Although we aren’t Prophets or Messengers, the lessons they taught us are still relevant today. The recipe is the same: Allah before anyone. Allah before anything.\\n\\nSadly, in the times we live in, the majority of people don’t have others’ best interests at heart. We live in a culture and time of disingenuity and social media’s fake standards for everyone. If you have social media, I highly recommend you delete it. Subconsciously, it works to rewire our brains to be in a constant state of comparison with others, and it is very destructive. Focus on looking for friends who also put Allah first in their lives. The energy you surround yourself with is very important, so choose wisely.\\n\\nMay Allah ﷻ grant you success and clarity to see yourself as the best of His creation and allow you to reach the full potential He created you with. Āmīn.\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668d9ff00b76658b4c2329a9","tag":"Contemporary Life: Jobs and Career","count":120},{"_id":"668d9fff0b76658b4c232b60","tag":"Worship: Other","count":54},{"_id":"686c05975bca77ccedff9483","tag":"Health: Mental & Emotional","count":28}],"createdOn":"2025-05-26T19:33:43.261Z"}