Overcome the limitations of the Arab mind in a demeaning culture

!Warning: This article contains adult language and content that some readers may find disturbing and/or judgmental. 

We are all given an equal opportunity at birth to fulfill our ultimate destiny, to be great in our pursuit, and to inspire others through our actions, until our purpose is forgotten and stripped from us by culture, traditions, poor parenting, destructive education, institutionalized systems, and because of the weak choices we make along the way. Our brains and neurological wiring change to something less significant. We become ”settled” in a comfort zone of self-destruction and pleasure-seeking life missions. We forget that we were chosen to be great and that our unique DNA structure is the proof and motive to expand on this God-given state of uniqueness. Despite everyone initially having great potential, do we all fulfill such a destiny? I highly doubt it.

I have asked myself many times this one single question: Are we all meant to be great? I’ve concluded that yes, we are all meant for greatness, but not everyone achieves it. It’s a harsh truth to admit, but I’ve learned to confront this fact because it is only by doing so that we can set a plan for action to pursue a great life of purpose. This is how we can achieve and reach our full potential, instead of being lazy bums like most others. 

“Our culture is congested with lazy, visionless couch potatoes. And they want to be “great”? Give me a fucking break”

Our culture has a huge effect on us all. It’s congested with lazy, visionless couch potatoes with limited goals, glorifying their fake successes of  “I love sweets dot com” silly businesses. Acquiring false pride in wearing the stupid white national male skirts shoving it down their kid’s throat with a death sentence threat when he disobeys. Wasting time on attending useless never-ending social commitments. Copying local clown fashionistas’ latest face paint, walking on dirty red carpets with butt lifts and fillings adding up to plastic surgeons’ pockets, in hopes of building their careers. “Some on the hip and some on the lip, please doc, and be gentle,” they say. Many end up like mentally and physically challenged frogs wearing heels as tall as the Hamra Tower. — and they want to be “great”? Give me a fucking break!.

So yeah, sadly, not everyone will be great, even though we are all meant to be.

The road to greatness and maximum potential is a rigid, tough on your knees path. This is why only few make it through; most find it easier to settle for less. Just by looking around the corner, you can spot multiple examples with siblings, close family members, and even best friends. You will notice them “settling” for never-ending, routine jobs. They end up working for blood-draining bosses to make money for stupid owners whose main goal is to add to their “Daddy’s money” inheritance-fed bank accounts. 

For those hard-working, limitless-minded people, the ones who never settle for the minimum and believe in putting their hearts out there, daring to take real and scary risks; I’ve summarized four rules to absorb with an open mind… This it is only the first phase, really, as the road to greatness is long and can only be charted with lots of trial and error and failures. Hopefully, however, these four rules, which worked for me in my quest to find peace and harmony in life and in all that I do, can work with you, too. Soon, you will be able to set your mind right and to take the road toward greatness and self-satisfaction.

“From today, and all the days to come, nothing will stop me. I am an unstoppable force.”

First, Admit

1. Admit

Admit to yourself that you didn’t give enough and that you have a lot more in you than just being a role model to your kids or becoming a team leader at work. There is a greater purpose in addition to these common sense life goals.

Every morning, look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I failed you, I followed my pleasures, I was affected by the negative society around me, and people got to me, but now I will grow because of it. I won’t let them take the best of me, and if a door is in the way, I will break it and go through it. From today, and all the days to come, nothing will stop me. I am an unstoppable force.”

Admitting is the first step to realization. It is only by believing that there is more that you haven’t given enough to or tapped in on yet, that you can start on the road to maturity and developing a mentality that is ready for great achievements, complete fulfillment, and harmony. We are all affected by the environment around us, and by our family and close friends. As Robert Greene wrote in his book Mastery, parents contribute the most to the creation of the imaginary limits people sets for themselves. We should “slay” whoever is limiting us from reaching our maximum potential, hindering our will to become who we are supposed to be, following our dreams, and giving our best in the field.

Affirmations and admitting to oneself help us to build the protective fence we need to fend off the negative energy around us. After that, we need to clean up…

2. Clean up

This is the first step of action towards affecting things and others. After admitting to yourself the failures and the struggle of the journey ahead, cleaning up your environment becomes essential. You don’t expect an alcoholic who wants to sober up to still continue stocking their homes with bottles of vodka and whiskey or to visit a nearby bar every night. If you decide to change, then you must clean the environment around you and make sure you are set at the right spot to fire ahead. 

“Those who are the closest to us cause the deepest scars and the destruction of our will”

The environment around you is not just where you live or how things generally are; it is also made up of people, family and friends. They are not the untouchable holy creatures that we were taught they are. A brother, a best friend, even a parent, if standing in your way, can keep you from fulfilling your true calling. As Greene says, “slay them.” Remember, most times, those who are the closest to us cause the deepest scars and the destruction of our will. I say slay them with no regrets, clean up your phone contacts, unfollow fake influencers and stupid fashionistas. Think of how much time you waste on Whatsapp, posting messages like ‘Hi there” and “Hello, Cuz,” seeking self-satisfaction from low self-esteem losers. Grab a book instead – educate yourself. If you spend quarter of the time you spend chatting on reading instead, trust me, things will change.

3. Step on your ego

After admitting and cleaning up your surroundings, it’s time go back to “within.” In some cases, this is considered an even bigger challenge, as it involves fighting the ego.

“Take out the trash,” Socrates says to Dan Millman in his book Way of the Peaceful Warrior. “You take out the trash,” Dan counters, with ego and pride. Socrates takes a step closer and repeats, “Take out the trash, the trash that is in here,” while pointing at his head.  Then, he ends up convincing Dan to scrub the bathroom floor.

I read this book many years ago; it was probably among the first books I read. It didn’t really stick with me much back then, but now I see the meaning behind the words. There is too much nonsense in what we think about and what we allow to occupy our thoughts. Ego has taken over our wellbeing and changed our perception of reality. We live in perhaps the most egocentric, judgmental and racist region in the world. This has contributed both incrementally and massively to the development of people’s egos. Our culture not only judges people by their nationality and race, but also by the level they occupy within their family tree. Those at the top are perceived as being “higher” in terms of financial capability or knowing the 50-year-old family tree bullshit. Seriously? How dumb is it for a human brain to reach such a level, with “I am better than you, for no reason” written all over their faces.

Our society’s self-created false egos go a long way. The way people live, so “independently,” yet with more servants than family members in the house. Of course, such a lifestyle is a first class “hook on the jaw” ego booster.

“If we were in any other modern society, these people would be thrown in jail with no questions asked”

I have an egocentric uncle who advised me once to hit a servant every so often to teach him or her who is in control; he was totally serious when he said this. What kind of self-loathing, hateful human being would recommend such behavior? I have another close family member whose wife insults and hits servants and screams at them harshly on a daily basis. If we were in any other modern society, these people would be thrown in jail with no questions asked. Crossing boundaries of other peoples’ freedoms and instilling hate, insults, and abuse is intolerable and should be eliminated completely. 

It’s exactly people like these who contribute to the creation of poor habits in society. We are failing to build character, ethics, and principles to pass on to the younger generations. 

“We owe it to ourselves to stand up”

Our culture demeans the human spirit, and we are all affected by it, whether we like it or not. We must step on our ego very harshly if we want to pursue a path of greatness in the middle of the mess of our culture. Moreover, we owe it to ourselves to stand up, without ego, against not only the people or situations in our environment, but also against ourselves when we look in the mirror.

“Take out the trash,” he said. Now, I know what he meant. We must take out the trash in our heads and become free of all the strings we have inherited from society. To do so, we must learn to take out the trash literally. Every morning, you wake up, clean your mess, take out the trash and go outside to where the dustbins are. Be humble in your actions. If you can’t pull your shit together and clean after yourself, your ego will eat you and become deeper inside every little particle of your being.

Be humble, toughen up, stand against wrongful acts, and step on your ego.

4. Take care of your shit in silence

Now that you have admitted to yourself about the steps ahead, and realized that ego must be squashed, especially in a demeaning culture like ours, it is time to work on yourself from bottom to top.  You must do this in silence, when no one is watching.

Understand: It is what you do when you are alone and the door is closed that matters. It builds character solid enough to endure harsh obstacles. It is not what you do to impress others or to get approval that counts. You must take care of your shit in silence.

Read, write, study, work, build, and create, in silence. Then, inspire loudly.

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