Chasing Money vs Living Your Purpose
The Weary Heart #12
Question:
If you had to choose between all the money you’ve ever dreamed of… or your health, which would you choose?
If you had to choose between all the money you’ve ever dreamed of… or your family by your side, what would you let go of?
And if you had to choose between all the money you’ve ever dreamed of, your health, and your loved ones with you, OR your peace of mind, your ability to sleep at night, your mental and emotional stability, which would you pick?
You see, no matter how the question is asked…
There comes a point where money just stops being the thing that matters most.
We say we want success.
But what we really mean is freedom.
We want to be free from stress, from fear, from dependency, from that feeling of being stuck, or unappreciated.
We want to live meaningful lives, not material lives.
Living On Purpose
People often ask me how to “find” their purpose, as though it’s a lost item waiting under the bed.
But I’ve never believed that purpose is something you “find”. I believe it’s something you build. Something you walk into, or stumble upon while doing the work.
My principle has always been simple:
Do the work. And the purpose will reveal itself.
I didn’t sit around waiting for some epiphany to hit.
I didn’t overanalyse myself or expect others to tell me what I should do with my life.
I just lived it. I did the things I was drawn to. I tried. I failed (countless times). I adapted.
I walked into unfamiliar rooms.
Started things I didn’t fully understand.
Said “yes” to projects I wasn’t qualified for, yet.
And slowly, the world whispered back:
“This is needed.”
“You’re good at this.”
“Keep going.”
That feedback loop, the response of people whose lives were touched by something I did. became the compass that guided me. That’s how purpose unfolds. You live, and life answers back.
I Didn’t Chase the Money
I didn’t write my first book to make money.
I wrote it because my daughter was going to be born in a few months, and I wanted her to have something, a legacy of words from her father.
A small piece of my heart in pages she could one day hold.
But Allah wrote a different story for that book.
It reached others. It healed readers I never met.
And over the years, my books became a steady source of passive income, blessing my family in ways I could never have planned.
I didn’t start posting online to become an “influencer.”
I just wanted to help people.
Since 2009, when Facebook first came around, I was writing to the broken-hearted.
To those going through a rough patch.
To the ones holding on by a thread.
A little post of hope. A small reminder of light.
I never imagined brands would pay for collaborations or sponsored content. That came much later, and only after trust was built.
And the events?
The talks, the conferences, the retreats I’ve been doing since 2010…
At the beginning, they weren’t part of some masterful business plan.
They were born from a desire to spark and inspire hearts.
To help people realign their life with their faith.
And yes, the work grew. And yes, the income followed.
But the intention wasn’t income. It was impact.
When You Live With Purpose, Rizq Finds You
Here’s something I’ve seen over and over again in my own life:
When you live with purpose, the rizq will come.
Not always immediately. Not always in the form you expect.
But it will come.
Opportunities will start finding you.
People you never thought you'd meet, will reach out.
Rooms you never imagined stepping into, will open their doors.
Collaborations, ideas, income streams, they appear when you're doing the work that aligns with your heart and your values.
It's not magic. It's not hustle culture.
I believe it is barakah.
It’s Allah placing ease where there was once only effort.
The moment you stop chasing purely for money…
and start moving with sincere intention…
you’ll attract exactly what was written for you, and more.
A friend of mine - who is already very successful in her own right - was asking for my advice when she didn’t get a project that she worked extremely hard for. It devastating for her. Felt down for weeks before picking herself up again. I told her, what I’ve learned in life is, the moment we don’t want something so desperately anymore (detachment from the outcome), it will come. That was around 2-3 weeks ago when she was in town.
She texted me last night saying,
“You’re right Ustaz, once we don’t want it, and redha about it, the offers datang. It was when I really didn’t mind anymore if I got them.”
And so here’s the “secret”:
You don’t need to know the whole plan.
You just need to keep walking in purpose.
Every single day. With faith in Allah’s goodness.
Good things will come your way when you least expect them to.
The Struggles Are Part of the Purpose
Were there struggles?
100%.
Late nights. Empty halls. No shows. Negative bank balances.
Team conflicts. Event failures. Harsh criticism. Delayed payments.
Seasons of doubt. Of exhaustion. Of “Why am I even doing this?”
But you know what those challenges gave me?
Depth. Grit.
A sweeter sense of fulfilment when things finally clicked.
That’s the part nobody glamorises when they talk about purpose:
The messiness. The setbacks.
The times you almost gave up… but didn’t.
Purpose isn’t glamorous.
It’s not neat or predictable.
It’s earned, in the fire of persistence and the grace of divine timing.
A Divine Reminder
The Qur’an offers us a piercing insight into chasing the wrong thing:
“Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in wealth and children…”
(Surah Al-Hadid, 57:20)
We think we’re building empires.
But sometimes we’re just building prisons made of expectations.
And when you chase money without anchoring yourself in purpose, you’ll end up with neither.
But when you serve sincerely, when your work is done with ihsan (excellence) and ikhlas (sincerity), barakah follows.
Sometimes in the form of income.
Sometimes in the form of impact.
Sometimes in the form of a peaceful night’s sleep. And that’s more valuable than gold.
So, Let Me Ask Again
If you had to choose between money and your health, what would you choose?
If you had to choose between money and having your family truly with you — emotionally, spiritually, not just physically, what would you choose?
If you had to choose between all of it, and your sanity, your peace, your deep sense of calm…
Wouldn’t you trade every dollar for that?
Well, the truth is…
You don’t have to choose. Not if you lead with purpose. Not if you build a life that serves others while remaining true to yourself. Not if you work first, then listen for the signs of affirmation that this is the path meant for you.
I’ve lived it.
And it’s still unfolding.
So keep going.
You don’t need all the answers.
You just need to move.
Trust the Process & Keep the Faith,
MW
PS: Check out my upcoming Singapore events
PPS: Block these dates for my epic Malaysia events (21 Sep & 12 Oct)
PPPS: Relating to today’s newsletter, google: Loom Founder lost purpose after selling company for 900million