Do Your Part. The Rest is Not Up to You

اعملي اللي عليكي التوفيق من عند ربنا

For the longest time I didn’t get that. I didn’t really comprehend the meaning behind the words. Sure I know that everything happens according to the will of God. But what did it mean to me to do my part and that’s it? For a well-bred perfectionist that doesn’t make any sense. It’s not in my original programming. I needed an upgrade.

So my father explained to me that I should learn to accept that life doesn’t work according to what I think I want. So I should stop worrying about the what ifs and the coulds and shoulds. I should instead focus my energy (again focus, it’s a recurring theme with my dad that one), I should focus my energy on doing what I should do and give it my best. Whether or not I reach the result I think I should reach is really not up to me. We tend to forget that as humans when we see things happening according to an idea we have in our minds. We end up thinking that we willed it to happen, when in fact we had nothing to do with it.

It’s a very thin, but quite distinct line, if you think about it. It certainly makes life a whole lot easier. Just do your part and have faith that things will be the best they should be, even if you don’t get how that really is.

I’m sure someone out there will start saying that this is being weak and passive. It means not going after what you want. Not at all. In fact, I think it’s the exact opposite of being weak and passive. It’s not like you’re not doing anything. You’re doing your part, you’re doing it in full. But you’re doing it, and doing nothing else. You’re not trying to control anything, or stressing yourself out trying to get something to be just as you want it.

The trick, I think, is to properly identify your part, and have the control and self-discipline to do it, do it well, and let go of everything else.