How do I FEEL? 18th Nov 2024

This is the most common question I have been asked in the past few weeks and months as I approached the end of an almost 40-year corporate career (38 years to be precise!) spanning my 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s….and my goodness what a rollercoaster it has been!

Everyone seems curious to capture my feelings, perhaps it’s just a really obvious question to ask a person at a big milestone (birthday, marriage, graduation, divorce etc) or maybe it’s just out of curiosity, a little ‘heads up’ on how they will navigate this experience when they reach it. Whatever the case, I didn’t find it very difficult to answer because although I have used the word retirement for for want of a better word, retire is the very last thing I am going to do!

In fact, I am going to do the very opposite. I feel the last six decades have prepared me to propel myself into my true area of passion and allow me to finally scale up my influence and usefulness to the audience I want to serve; Young Professionals around the world – especially in the two regions with which I have enjoyed a very personal connection. The Middle East (in particular Saudi Arabia, my beloved home for the last quarter of a century) and Pakistan (the country of my birth).

So, how do I answer THAT question? I can describe my current feeling in just two words:

GRATITUDE – for what Allah has bestowed on me. The opportunities. The bounties and even the challenges, all of which combined to produce the man I am today.

EXCITEMENT – In unlimited quantities for what is about to come - The very best decade of my life where I get to reach my full potential.

The best is yet to come, Insha’Allah (if God wills). Yallah, let’s DO this!