بسم الله

Ever felt like your brain is working against you?

No matter how hard you try, you're destined to fail?

You keep starting over, convinced that this time you'll finally stick to your new habits, yet 3 weeks later, you wake up realizing that you're back in your old routine.

Everyone tells you to be more disciplined, work harder, motivate yourself, stop procrastinating, but that's just treating the surface-level symptoms, not the root cause.

It's like putting a band-aid on a dirty wound.

When the wound gets infected and refuses to heal, you blame the band-aid and go to the store to get a new one from a "better brand."

The band-aid isn't the problem, nor is it that your body is working against you by refusing to heal, it's simply that you never took the time to clean out the dirt.

Your body was just trying to protect you and keep you alive, as it always does.

Looking beneath the surface

I've always known I wanted more out of this life.

More than a regular 9-5, more than "just enough," more than simply surviving each day.

I'd spend my nights scrolling through TikTok, watching girls live their slow, feminine lives and run businesses that made my yearly salary in a week.

Meanwhile, I was trapped in an endless cycle of 10-hour workdays, 2-minute microwave meals, and distractions, just trying to stay afloat.

I knew I needed change, and I thought the first step was changing my habits.

But I couldn't stick to any of them.

(Spoiler: creating new habits shouldn’t been my first step, but more about that later.)

The pattern was always the same. I'd get motivated, plan the perfect routine, and dream of my new life. Two weeks later? Right back to square one.

It felt like my brain was actively working against me.

I tried forcing change through sheer willpower. I devoured self-help books and spent hours desperately scrolling for some strategy, routine, or habit that would finally fix me.

I drowned myself in blame and negative self-talk, convinced that accepting myself as I was would kill my motivation to change.

But the negative self-talk never created motivation, only spirals of guilt, shame, and frustration.

I thought I knew why change felt impossible: I was simply too weak. Not disciplined enough. Not enough willpower. Lazy. A failure.

But I never stopped to ask myself why I felt so much resistance.

I didn't understand the science behind behavior change, so I blindly followed what others told me would work without questioning it.

And that's why it never did.

The power of shifting your identity.

When I decided to revert to Islam I realized that I could change my behaviour, pretty easily actually.

The story i've told myself of lacking willpower and discipline no longer added up.

That sparked something in me.

Curiosity.

I wanted to know why.

Why was i suddenly able to pray 5 times a day, fast a whole month, quit bad language and stop listening to music but the habit of journaling, meal prepping and meditating that i'd been trying to implement for the last 2 years never stuck?

My first theory was that I now had a strong"why" and a clear negative outcome of not sticking to my new habits (ending up in hell)

But that didn't satisfy my curiosity, i wanted to know the science behind it.

So I went down the rabbit hole and finally understood why.

I had aligned myself with Allahs command.

I had shifted my identity.

Or in other words, my self-image.

Understanding this changed my entire life.

It led to me being able to start my own business (after procrastinating for 3 years), quit my 9-5, overcome my limting beliefs and feel in control of my life, mind and emotions instead of being controlled by it.

Not only did i understand what i needed to do to create lasting change but more importantly WHY it worked.

I no longer felt like a victim.

Life wasn't happening to me, i was creating it.

I understood how my thoughts shaped my actions and my reality.

I became more forgiving to myself and others because I could see beneath behaviour and understand the deeper cause.

And most importantly..

I began to trust the wisdom Allah has placed inside of me by understanding that i he already gave me everything i needed to create change.

It was never about doing more, it was about clearing the resistance.

Healing old wounds. Shifting my beliefs and relying on Allah instead of myself.

.

.

You're here because you want to create lasting change and if you understand and integrate what i am about to share with you, you will inshAllah.

But this isn't a quick fix, you'll have to take responsibility and be okay with being uncomfortable in the process.

Change is uncomfortable, but so is staying the same.

And when you focus on changing whats is inside of you, Allah will fix the external problems for you [13:11]

Understanding the following 3 things will set you free to finally move forward in your life and to create change from a place of love and compassion instead of shame and guilt inshAllah.

And if you want the full masterclass on how to master your thoughts, emotions and habits check out The Mindful Muslim Masterclass.

Let's dive in

1) Create a new baseline

Every person has an inner baseline, a kind of self-identity that says

“this is who I am”

“this is what feels safe”

“this is how much i should have”

This baseline acts like a psychological anchor.

A thermostat.

Even if life temporarily goes up or down, it will pull you back to whatever you’ve set as normal.

• If you see yourself as “someone who doesn’t work out,” you might train hard for a while, but sooner or later your identity will drag you back to not working out.
  

• If you see yourself as “someone who never has enough money,” you might get a raise, but subconsciously you’ll find ways to spend it until you’re back at your baseline.

That's why you can stick to your 5 daily prayers, yet struggle to stick to other habits.

Praying 5 times a day is a part of your identity.

Your baseline.

You identify as a muslim and a muslim prays 5 times a day, no questions asked.

It doesn't matter if you feel like it or not, you just do.

Not praying would go against your identity.

Your brain is wired to work nonstop to keep you alignment with your identity.

That's why you can pray 5x (aligns with your muslim identity) but still be convinced that you lack discipline when wanting to create change in other areas of your life.

You don't see praying 5x as a sign that you're disciplined because it's one of the most basic things you do as a muslim, and it's the normalised standard in your circle/community.

But someone who does not identify as a muslim?

They see you as extremely disciplined.

I know this because I was one of them.

Before i reverted, I was AMAZED by the discipline of people who prayed 5 times a day.

AND FAST FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH???? NOT EVEN WATER??

I don't think you realize how disciplined you are.

If you'd ask me if I was able to, I would have laughed and said NEVER.

Yet, here i am today with that as my baseline, الحمد لله.

Did i magically get more willpower? no.

Did i magically get more disciplined? no.

I simply shifted my baseline through shifting my identity.

And you can too.

By making your desired outcome your new baseline.

Start seeing yourself as the highest version of yourself.

The one who sees your goals as the norm.

The one who prays on time, no matter what.

The one who trusts Allah fully.

"I am a person who ______________"

is consistent.

values my time.

speak up for myself.

earns $xxx each month.

is loved unconditionally.

Repeat it until you believe it.

Once you believe it, your brain automatically adjusts your behavior to match your new identity.

And when you combine shifting your identity with the intention of getting closer to Allah and put your trust in him, you tap into a whole new level of potential.

You align yourself with the creator and open the door of endless possibilities.

2) Stop treating symptoms, start understanding the cause.

Most people think their problem is procrastination, lack of motivation, or bad habits. But those are just symptoms.

Allah created your brain as an extremely cleaver problem-solving machine.

And believe it or not, it is working for you, not against you.

The reason why it feels like it's working against you is because your conscious & unconscious goals clash.

Your conscious mind wants success, growth, health, and happiness, it wants you to thrive.

Your subconscious mind wants safety, comfort, and security, it wants you to survive.

Your subconscious mind controls 95% of your daily decisions, while the part of you that wants to change, your conscious mind, only controls 5%.

That’s why willpower alone never works.

You can try to force yourself to stick to a habit, but if your subconscious sees that this habit will lead to change (which it classifies as unsafe), resistance will show up in the form of procrastination, low energy, lack of motivation, or other “negative" symptoms.

Why does your subconscious work this way?

Because it hasn’t changed much since the hunter-gatherer days.

Back then, survival was everything.

Exploring new territory, trying something unfamiliar, or standing out could literally get you killed.

Wild animals, enemy tribes, or social rejection were real threats.

Your subconscious still operates on that same survival logic.

So when you try to change, whether it’s building discipline, setting big goals, or stepping out of your comfort zone, your conscious mind is excited, but your subconscious throws up resistance.

Not because it hates you, but because it’s protecting you.

The key is to align both parts of your mind.

When you make your subconscious feel safe with change, when it no longer sees growth, success, and transformation as a threat to your survival, resistance disappears.

Procrastination fades, motivation returns, energy comes back, new ideas show up and habits stick naturally.

Your brain isn’t working against you. It’s working to keep you alive.

Show it that change is safe, and your subconscious will become your strongest ally

3) Align your conscious and subconscious goals.

As you know by know, your brain is not sabotaging your progress because it wants you to fail, it's just trying to protect you. Your job is to figure out why by understanding the "benefit" of staying stuck and what your brain is actually protecting you from.

Imagen yourself receiving the thing you want, what thoughts/feelings comes up?

Ask yourself:

What am I afraid will happen if I actually reach my goal?

Is there a downside to achieving this goal that I’m not acknowledging?

What am I protecting myself from by not moving forward?

Am I relying on myself and my efforts to achieve this success instead of Allah?

Example:

Goal: Financial Stability / Halal Wealth

Fear:
- “If I make more money, I’ll become arrogant and forget Allah.”
- “Others will expect too much from me or envy me.”
- “What if I lose everything? It’s safer not to try.”
- “Rich people are greedy and selfish, and I don’t want to become like that.”
- "I shouldn't want more than just enough"

What your brain is protecting you from:
- judgment
- envy (hasad)
- responsibility
- fear of losing blessings.

Affirm:
Wealth is a test, not a curse.
Money doesn't change people, it only amplifies what is already inside.

As the prophet ﷺ said: How excellent is righteous wealth for a righteous man!
[Ibn Majah]

Solution:
Do your morning and evening adkhars: Know that Allah's protection is greater than peoples envy. Nothing can happen to you unless Allah has decreed it.

Du'a: Ask Allah to give you the thing you want (in this case halal wealth) and seek protection from the thing you fear (envy, arrogance, greed). Ask Allah to make it a source of increased gratitude, barakah and reward for you.

Seek protection from shaytan: whenever these thoughts and fears show up, seek Allahs protection from shaytan and reaffirm that Allah is protecting you, guiding you and want's you to have success in this life and the hereafter.

4) Make du'a for others

Your brain doesn't know the difference of you speaking about yourself or others.

If you judge, criticise or envy someone who has the success, money or marriage that you want then your brain will sabotage your efforts and inspire you to actions that take you further away from it.

You're basically telling your brain that if you get this thing then that would mean you will be judged, criticised and envied as well.

So when you see someone who got the thing you want, say allahumma barik and make du'a for them.

When you make du'a for someone, the angels will make that same du'a for you and your brain will start seeing that success as something positive and desirable, not as something negative.

None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.[Bukhari]

Remember, we're not in competition with each other, them getting more does not take away from you.

Allahs provision is endless.

Turn to him.

I could spend an entire letter on this topic alone, but this is already long enough.

The main thing I want you to take away is this:

Your brain isn't your enemy.

It's actually trying to help you every single day.

Allah has placed incredible wisdom inside your mind, wisdom that knows exactly how to create the changes you're seeking. Your brain is constantly working WITH you, protecting you, guiding you. It just needs the right directions.

Imagine the relief of knowing that you don't need another routine, system or habit tracker.

You don't need to do more.

Imagine being able to let go of negative self-talk, guilt, and frustration by seeing your body and brain as powerful tools working for you, instead of obstacles you have to fight against every day.

When you learn how to align your mind, your identity, and your intentions with Allah, change becomes easy.

Not because you're adding more to your life, but because you're finally removing everything that's been blocking you.

The Mindful Muslim Masterclass isn't about doing more.

It's about stripping away everything that's keeping you from accessing the incredible intelligence Allah has already placed inside you.

In just 3 weeks, you'll learn how to work WITH the way Allah created your brain so you can become the healthiest, wealthiest, and most confident version of yourself.

The truth is that you already have everything you need.

The wisdom is there.

The capacity is there.

And when you're ready to clear away what's blocking it, you know where to find me.

That's all i got for you today.

Thank you for reading all the way to the end.

With love & du'as,

- Lina ♡