A small end-of-year gift (and a pause worth taking)

As-salam alaykum, 

I’ve been thinking about something as the 2025 winds down.

When you slow down long enough to actually notice the colleagues around you, you start to see a pattern.

There are some colleagues who, from the outside, look like they’ve “figured it out.”
Not perfect, but anchored. Present. Consistent. Their work is excellent, but it doesn’t swallow them whole.

And then there are others, good people, whose lives feel like a constant code blue.
Not because they are weak, but because there has never been space to reset.
Just the next shift, the next demand, and the next thing that “can’t wait.”

Of course… there are system-level issues to contend with as well.
Healthcare has a way of extracting from you if you let it.

But I also don’t want us to hide behind that.

Because if we’re honest, a lot of the difference isn’t just the system.
It’s what we do inside the system. The choices we make — especially the quiet choices that shape our trajectory over time.

And the truth is: most of us don’t make those choices intentionally.

We make them tired.
We make them rushed.
We make them on autopilot.

That’s the treadmill.

You can be moving all day — seeing patients, answering messages, taking care of people, being “responsible”…
…and still feel like you’re not arriving anywhere you actually want to arrive.

Spiritually. Personally. Emotionally.

Even Professionally.

So here’s my end-of-year gift to you — something small, but I think it matters.

A safe space to pause and build forward intentionally.

A personal invitation: live tomorrow, Dec 21 (1 Rajab), inshaAllah 

Design Your 2026 With Barakah
A free live workshop for Muslim healthcare professionals to build a one-page 2026 plan that’s realistic, meaningful, and akhirah-aligned.

Date: Sunday, December 21, 2025 (1 Rajab 1447H)
Time: 11.30AM CST
Register here

If you’re even slightly interested, do register. Decide later if you can attend live—
but don’t let this become another “I’ll get to it after things calm down.”

What you’ll leave with bi idhni’ Allah:

• a one-page plan

• your anchors for deen, work, energy, and relationships

• a simple way to stop drifting back into autopilot by Ramadan, in sha Allah

And at the end of the session, I’m going to share something I’m genuinely excited about…

A first look at what we’re doing in person (Las Colinas — Sat, Jan 10)

We’re hosting an in-person life-design day curated for Muslim Healthcare colleagues like yourself in the DFW area:

Barakah Life Design Workshop (In-Person)
Saturday, January 10, 2026 — Las Colinas, inshaAllah (21 Rajab 1447). 

It’s built to serve the clinician who’s been in this long enough to feel the treadmill effect—movement without traction… and is ready for a different way to live and work—without compromising your soul or your akhirah goals.

If you’re in the DFW, or within a reasonable distance or just want to pop in for a quick visit to “Dallas Shariff”😁—and you’ve been needing a real reset, come to Sunday’s session. I’ll share:

• who the in-person day is for (and who it’s not for),

• what you’ll walk away with,

• and how to know if it’s worth making the trip.

• And the special early-bird discount for the forerunners!

Early-bird will remain open through Sunday, Dec 28, 2025 (8 Rajab 1447), inshaAllah.

May Allah, the Most High, grant us the Tawfiq to plant meaningful seeds of transformation as we enter into the month of Rajab, allow us to reach Ramadan and put barakah in the year ahead for us all. Amin. 

Sincerely,

Sulyman

P.S. If you’re reading this and thinking, “I don’t even have the energy to plan”… you’re exactly who this is for. Come as you are and don’t forget to share widely with your networks - friends, colleagues, trainees who may benefit. May Allah SWT reward you for spreading a good word. 🤲 

P.P.S. If this message resonated with you, I invite you to join our SakeenahMD Community, where we're intentionally cultivating the habits of highly successful, spiritually intelligent Muslim healthcare professionals. Together, we're learning to thrive in our careers and lives—grounded in faith. Join us here or book a free coaching conversation to explore how to anchor your healthcare journey in barakah and resilience.