Pick the Path That Makes the Most Sense for You
The Weary Heart #17
Everywhere you turn someone has an opinion about what you should do with your life.
Family. Friends. Colleagues. Strangers on the internet.
Everyone has a version of your “best path”, and it often sounds like noise.
You scroll through posts telling you to chase your passion.
Others insist passion is overrated…so, just make money.
Then there are those who say security matters most.
And a few who believe the “dream job” is a myth altogether.
No wonder you feel paralysed.
The Noise That Drowns You
In moments like this it’s easy to drown in the voices of others and forget the sound of your own.
You begin to make decisions not from clarity but from fear.
Fear of making the wrong choice.
Fear of wasting your youth.
Fear of regret.
You tell yourself, “I’ll figure it out eventually,” but deep down you wish you could start tomorrow with a clear sense of direction.
The problem is, everyone’s advice seems convincing.
One friend says, “Follow the money first, then your passion later.”
Another says, “If you don’t follow your passion now, you’ll never find it again.”
You read an article saying “Stability matters most.”
Another tells you “Take risks while you’re young.”
You’re caught in the middle - your heart leaning one way, your head another.
The Four Pieces That Make Sense
Here’s the truth.
The path that makes the most sense is rarely the one that’s the loudest.
It’s the one that aligns four essential pieces:
What you’re qualified to do: the skills and knowledge you’ve actually built over the years - school, university, volunteer experience, and your job.
Where you could make a living: opportunities that sustain you financially. This could be as narrow as a sector or a specific job, or as wide as a region or a country where you could find meaningful work to do, AND get paid for it.
What you know you’re good at: strengths that feel almost effortless.
What you enjoy and are passionate about: work that makes you feel alive.
When these align, you’re not just working. You’re thriving.
Think of these four like the legs of a table, remove one and everything becomes shaky. You can still put things on top of it for a while, but eventually it collapses.
But, There’s a Fifth Piece
If you want to avoid the kind of career that burns you out every few years, there’s a fifth piece.
A deeper layer most people overlook:
You must feel that you are making a difference.
That your work adds value to other people’s lives.
That it matters to someone beyond yourself.
That you can provide for the people you love without being in a constant state of worry.
Because income sustains you. But impact sustains your soul.
This is why some people earn incredible salaries yet still feel empty. They have the first four pieces but not the fifth.
A Story: The Two Offers
There was a young man named Yaser. Fresh out of university, he had two job offers.
The first was a corporate role in a large multinational. The pay was generous, the benefits unbeatable, and the career progression clear. But the work? Mostly spreadsheets, reports, and long meetings about things that didn’t stir his heart in the slightest.
The second was a role in a small social enterprise teaching underprivileged youth digital skills. The pay was modest, the hours unpredictable, but the mission deeply resonated with him.
Everyone around him had an opinion. His father told him to take the corporate role- “Don’t waste your degree.”
His best friend told him to take the social enterprise- “You’ll be making a real difference.”
He couldn’t decide.
One night, in his frustration, he wrote down on a sheet of paper filled with questions, just questions - for him to ponder upon deeply. Some of the questions included:
What am I good at?
What pays?
What do I enjoy?
And where can I make a difference?
He rated each job on each question.
The corporate role scored high on qualifications and income, but low on enjoyment and meaning.
The social enterprise scored high on enjoyment and meaning, but low on income.
The decision wasn’t easy, but seeing it laid out helped him see the trade-offs clearly.
In the end, he took the social enterprise role, but also freelanced on the side to cover his financial needs.
Three years later, he was leading a department, training dozens of young people each year, and earning more than he had imagined possible in that field.
It wasn’t just about picking one job over another, it was about designing a path that made the most sense for him.
Sailing Your Own Ship
Choosing a career path is like navigating a ship in open waters.
Some people shout from the shore, “Go east! That’s where the treasures are!”
Others insist, “No, head west — the waters are calmer there!”
A few yell, “Stay right here, don’t take risks, just drop anchor.”
If you spend your life adjusting your sails to every voice you hear, you’ll circle the same waters… forever.
The captain who reaches their destination is the one who:
Knows where the ship is capable of going (qualifications).
Understands the conditions needed to keep the ship afloat (income).
Uses the winds they know how to harness (skills).
Chooses a route they genuinely enjoy sailing (passion).
And sails toward a harbour worth arriving at (meaning).
Without that last one - a harbour worth arriving at - the journey becomes an endless loop.
A Bit On My Own Journey
I’ll be honest with you, the path that made sense to me wasn’t obvious at first.
As a teenager, I struggled badly with low self-esteem. I couldn’t imagine speaking in front of a crowd or inspiring anyone. In fact, I could barely inspire myself.
So I began reading. At first, it was just self-help and personal development books. I devoured them like a lifeline, hoping they’d help me build the confidence I never had.
For two to three years, I invested heavily in books, programmes, and training. I absorbed lessons mostly from Western thinkers, philosophers, and motivational speakers.
But then something unexpected happened. As I read these ideas about the power of intention, the importance of gratitude, and the pursuit of excellence, I kept having these “aha” moments. Because… they weren’t new.
I had seen them before.
In the Quran.
In the Hadiths I had memorised as a Madrasah student.
It was as if these authors were rediscovering truths that were already embedded in my faith.
That realisation lit a fire in me.
From Reading to Writing
By 2008–2009, I couldn’t just keep these connections to myself. I began writing short reflections on Facebook, combining what I was learning from both worlds; the best of modern psychology and timeless Islamic wisdom.
I didn’t think much of it at first. They were just posts, small notes of inspiration. But people started relating. They commented, shared, and messaged me about how those posts resonated with them.
The feedback grew. And with each response, I felt a deepening clarity:
This is what I was meant to do.
To write.
To speak.
To inspire lives to believe in themselves, to hold on to hope for the future, and to trust fully in God’s goodness and His perfect plans.
It wasn’t something I stumbled upon by sitting in endless prayer waiting for an answer. Nor was it something I discovered by reading alone.
I found it by doing.
I wrote.
My posts turned into sporadic blog posts.
Blogs turned into weekly newsletters.
Newsletters turned into books.
I organised small events.
Those small events grew…
In size - 10s to 100s, 100s to 1000s, in attendance.
To significance - topics that not only touched hearts, but made a lasting impact in people’s lives.
I put content out into the world with a clear and sincere intention.
And in doing so, God gradually showed me the path that made the most sense.
Friends, I want you to leave with this: Your path will come through doing.
You won’t always find clarity by thinking harder. Sometimes clarity comes from moving. From experimenting and exploring. From putting your ideas into action, and letting the feedback of life guide you.
Your purpose doesn’t usually arrive as a neatly packaged revelation. It unfolds as you take steps forward.
So if you feel lost today, don’t wait for a perfect sign. Start writing. Start creating. Start teaching. Start helping someone in the small way you can.
And trust that as you move, God will move you closer to your path.
Before I close, just one final and important point to share.
Islam teaches us that our sustenance (rizq) is written for us, but we are still responsible for striving with excellence.
We are called to be people of ihsan - to do what we do with sincerity and excellence.
"And say, ‘Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers…’"
(Quran 9:105)
Your life’s work is not just about what you do, it’s about who you become through it.
And in that becoming, you find not just success, but peace.
So the path that makes the most sense for you is not the one that’s the safest on paper, nor the one that gets the loudest applause.
It’s the one where your skills, passions, and values meet, and where you can live without the shadow of constant worry.
I pray you’ll find the path that makes the most sense to you soon.
Start exploring.
Begin to boldly put yourself out there.
And trust that God will show you the way.
Warmest regards,
Mizi
MasyaAllah! This so speaks to me as I navigate getting through with the income and doing what I’m happy with the most. I believe Allah answered my prayers and questions through your writing here. Thank you!