Zaid Ismail's Blog

Does your therapist stroke your ego?

You know that old adage about ‘practice what you preach’? At some point someone replaced it with ‘those who can’t do, coach’. And the world has been worse off since then. Yes, I know I identify as a coach, but it would be opportunistic of me to ignore the large number of charlatans using the […]

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Forgiveness without understanding is virtue signalling

If there is one piece of advice that will help you through the worst of times, this is it. Internalise this, connect with it, make it your mantra if you must, but understand that forgiveness on its own, without acceptance, will leave you yearning for retribution or justice. More than this, acceptance is only wishful […]

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Have you ever truly lived?

Is your definition of success really your definition of success? Or did you perhaps borrow it from society without really noticing? Our fixation on appearing successful is so toxic, that we readily give up our hopes and dreams in favour of acceptance. Most people don’t have a greater purpose in life beyond achieving what secures […]

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Don’t serve to be seen

Don’t only serve others when there’s something in it for you. That’s not goodwill or charity, it’s a path to hypocrisy. Uplifting others should be done because you want to ease their journey through life. Theirs, not yours. Not because you want them to worship you, or celebrate your praises. To contribute, support, and enrich […]

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Elusive peace

What brings you peace? If it’s likes, shares, and comments, then I’m afraid that peace escapes you too. Reconnecting with the human condition seems to get more difficult by the day with the filters of online life shaping our perceptions and opinions of the struggles or triumphs of others. Does an authentic human experience still […]

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Be blessed, not entitled

Appreciation is simply an acknowledgement of what we feel blessed with, while gratitude is reflected in what we claim to appreciate. The secret to contentment is found in gratitude. But not in an attitude of gratitude. It must be more substantial than that. Gratitude must be a meaningful connection with what we truly value about […]

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Raging into oblivion

The rage that we hold within us feels like a justified protest or demand for justice or fairness from those around us. But rage is a master of distraction. It is born in moments of legitimate duress, but continues long after. The rage of being unheard in one moment leads to harshness when we feel […]

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Are you sure you’re not enough?

I often see people needing to remind themselves that they’re enough. Some even print out posters proclaiming “I am enough” and place it on their fridge or at their workplace, or on their mirror. Enough for what? For whom? In what? To achieve what? We have to convince ourselves that we’re not good enough before […]

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A bitter end

Holding on to bitterness for a past betrayal is like drinking poison and hoping that your betrayer will die. Bitterness eats away at your peace while you hope that the intensity of your bitterness will somehow influence the karma of the person who treated you poorly. If you had that much power, you’d have been […]

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Dreamer or doer?

The absence of balance is stress. Emotional duress. Lack of joy. And so much more. The fear of not having, not coping, not achieving, or not thriving is what drives most people to exert themselves in what they think is a good effort towards a fulfilling life. Unfortunately, fear never inspires sustainable outcomes. The craziness […]

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