What's Inside:

• 💪🏽 Character Building
• ❓ Update: Where I’ve Been
• 🩺 Med-Diaries: #9
• ✏️ Insights - This week's podcasts, movies, books and other cool things

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Character Building

Character building starts at home around those closest to you.

A truly patient person is patient in the home, with those closest to them.

It's easy to demonstrate honesty, integrity and other good character traits with your work colleagues and friends when you only spend a fraction of your life around them. But to truly encompass those qualities you must show them with those closest to you. The people with who you spend the majority of your time. Your family and close ones.

If I was to be dishonest with my friends, to argue and fight with them, I wouldn't last long in their company. But if I act like that at home with my family, although they would dislike my actions, they wouldn't leave me that easy. They'll stick around.

Do you see how you can get away with more 'bad character' at home? That's why I say when you can uphold a good trait at home, it shows you truly possess that quality. Once you master something in the home environment, it becomes very easy to take it to the outside world with you.

I think this is relevant this week specifically because university and school are about to finish. If like me, you're a student about to head home, now might be a time to think about which aspect of yourself you want to work on during the holidays.

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Character development is a never-ending pursuit, you can never reach perfection so there is always something to work on. Lately, I've been practising discipline and organisation through exam season, but when I go home I want to work more on interpersonal qualities like patience and compassion.

Recently I told someone that I'm a patient person and tend not to get angry, which is very true, but after thinking a little deeper about that I realised I have less patience at home. I want to change that. I can't claim to be patient if I only show it outside my home environment. I think it's natural to be a little different at home, but I'm trying to be the same version of myself wherever I go. So that's my aim this Christmas break.

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As we close in on 2021 I'm trying to put myself in the best position for a positive trajectory and growth in the new year - I love the novelty, the 'new year new me' vibe and I fully exploit it for personal growth each year. You should too.

That's why my latest focus is to exercise goodness in the home, with my siblings and parents, because if I can uphold great qualities at home, I can maintain them anywhere.

When I'm at home I have no filter, I am the most authentic version of Daanish around my family, but when I'm in public I'm sort of on best behaviour and I can see there's a subtle difference between the two. That's why when I make personal changes, I start at home, with the real me.

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This blog is called Live Better because I like to give actionable steps to literally live better. At the end of each post, I'm going to add a little summary with an actionable step in there. If you liked the post and want to take action with it, this little summary below is what you need to do. I'll be adding these to future posts.

Try: Pick one quality you would like to work on and be conscious of it whilst you're at home. Do your best to exercise that quality at all times. Notice when it starts to slip and practice holding onto it even at difficult times. When you catch yourself slipping, pick yourself back up and start again. Keep doing this day by day and in time you will see gradual improvements. By the time the holidays end you will have made significant progress, I hope.

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Update: Where I've Been

The last few weeks have been a little hectic. I had huge exams this year and decided to put some things aside to focus on health and education, like this blog. But not to worry. I've reevaluated my lifestyle and I'm keeping this on a weekly basis, every Sunday. One of my aims for 2022 is to be consistent with my content creation, so I hope this is the last time I have to explain my absence.

I've been reading a lot lately, so I have plenty of new life lessons and life insights to share 😄

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🩺 Med-Diaries #9

So because of this weird Omicron variant, all exams at uni got postponed or turned into open-book online exams. I’m honestly not complaining, I get to spend more time studying and I’ll inevitably get a higher grade now, but it’s a bit unnerving that I’ll have to do one of those exams in the middle of next term. I bet when the time comes I’ll be knee-deep in lectures too, but whatever. Everything happens for a reason.

I think I’ve found my ideal study routine at university. I’ve also mastered cutting out the bs from my lectures so I’m looking forward to term 2 to be more efficient with my learning. I think this term my chill:study ratio was 90:10 so next term I want to reverse that. 2nd year in Aberdeen is meant to be the big one (asides from 4th year) so I just want to get my head down now. I’ve got the chilling out of my system.

What are you enjoying right now?

My routine. I’ve religiously slept at 11 and woken up at 6 for the last 3 weeks, I haven’t skipped a workout and I’ve been on it with studying. I have to say this feels great and I am NOT going to let this slip now.

What are you looking forward to?

My exam on Thursday - it’s open book and online so I’m hoping to smash it insha’Allah. It’s just been a drag this semester getting to the exams, at this stage, I really just want to get it done so I can go focus on other things. It’s anatomy though, my favourite module so I’m enjoying the study process.

What is your biggest worry?

I don’t think I want to share that here - future Daanish, see your journal instead x

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✏️Insights

🎙️ Podcast - The Huberman Lab​

• This is my all-time favourite podcast - I haven’t listened to it in months but I picked it back up this week. If you’re into healthy living and science it’s a must-listen. There’s literally an episode for everything - sleep, diet, exercise, studying, relationships, you name it. Andrew Huberman is such a brilliant teacher he simplifies EVERYTHING. Highly recommend!!

📚 Book - Wherever You Go, There You Are​

• I’m almostttt finished with this book - I’ve been reading before bed but these days I fall asleep very quick so I don’t get much reading in. So far an amazing book that has really sparked my desire to meditate properly again. If you’re looking to get into mindfulness this is a very good starting point. It dives very deep into what meditation is and all the different ways you can practice it.

🎥 Movie/TV Show: Peaky Blinders​

• I RARELY watch TV series but this one has managed to keep my attention for a few weeks. I think the fact I used to live in Birmingham and I recognise the areas they mention makes me like this show more? I love the way they dress too. A few years ago I took some inspo from them with the pocket watch and chain at my brother’s wedding (in the pic below) lol.

🤔 Thoughts:

• I’m going home this week and I’ll be staying there for quite a while. I’m not sure how long I’ll last. I’ve been living a very structured life lately and I’ve been so happy. I hope I can keep it up at home. Given that my exams are postponed means I’ll need that routine at home to keep up studying. Regardless, I’m looking forward to seeing the family! :)