One of my happiest moments in 2022 was a simple, unexpected one.
I was with some of my closest friends, the people who’ve known me for over a decade, talking about life—our growth, our work, our wild adventures, everything that had shaped us. At some point, during a pause, my friend Ehsan, who I've known since preschool, looked at me and said, “You know, one thing about Khizer is that he just knows. He just knows it’s going to be ok. No matter what’s happened, he just believes it’ll be ok.”
That hit me. I’d never really thought about it like that; I’d never vocalized it. I’d just lived with that quiet certainty because, for me, there’s no other way. Ehsan’s known me through my toughest times and my happiest. And hearing him recognize that steady belief in me—especially from someone who doesn’t share the same worldview—was deeply meaningful.
For me, it’s something we call tawakkul, which means trusting in God’s plan, trusting that no matter the struggle, there’s purpose, and everything will turn out as it should. Ehsan, on the other hand, is more likely to believe in aliens than in God. But I think he’ll get it eventually.
Tawakkul is about doing your part—tying your camel—and then letting go, knowing the rest is out of your hands. It’s a quiet surrender that frees you from worry, letting you move forward with confidence, trusting that no matter what, things will work out as they’re meant to.
It’s not about sitting back and letting life happen to you; it’s about doing your best in every moment while letting go of that tight grip on the outcome. And the effect? You let go of negativity, you focus on what’s good, and you approach life with gratitude and appreciation.
When things aren’t going to plan, tawakkul lets you find calm in the chaos. Trusting in a plan greater than our own gives a sense of peace even during uncertainty, so that no matter the challenges, you move forward with gratitude, joy, and the kind of certainty that your friends might notice—even if they don’t fully understand.