There comes a day in your life when you wake up, look around, and say to yourself: “I’ve had enough.” Enough of the fear, enough of the doubt, enough of being invisible to others and small in your own eyes.
For me, that day came when I was 18. But to understand its weight, I need to take you back to the years before it.
Growing Up Stuck
All throughout my schooling years, I was the quiet one. The boy who never spoke up, never volunteered, never wanted attention. I played it safe, always. Behind the scenes, never leading, never showing real confidence.
And because of that, I was often overlooked. Sometimes bullied. Most of the time, just existing in the background. On the outside, I blended in. On the inside, I was wrestling with questions that seemed to have no answers.
“Am I really worth anything?”
“Will I ever be good enough?”
“Do I have a future that means something?”
I carried those doubts like a second skin. Self-esteem was something I never knew. I compared myself constantly, and always came up short. While others shone, I hid.
That was my life - until it wasn’t.
The Breaking Point
When I completed my pre-university at 18, I found myself staring at a 6-month gap before university started. By then, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
It wasn’t one dramatic incident that flipped the switch. It was simply years of feeling small, building up until I reached the edge. And at that edge, I decided: no more.
I wanted change. I wanted a new life. A rebirth. And I was determined to make it happen.
So I told myself:
This is the first day of the rest of my life.
(not my exact words - but I’m sure you get it)
The Library That Saved Me
I grew up in Bedok. Back then, the library had just been refurbished — a new space built on the old one my mother used to bring me to as a child.
It quickly became my favourite place. As an introvert, it felt like heaven. Air-conditioned. Quiet. Everyone minded their own business. Nobody judged, nobody mocked. Just shelves of books and people lost in their own worlds.
While waiting for university to begin, and in between odd jobs like tutoring younger madrasah kids, I found myself spending more and more time there. At first, I wandered aimlessly, picking random titles, passing time.
But soon I realised that if I was serious about starting fresh, I needed to be intentional.
So I walked deliberately to the aisle labelled Self-Improvement.
The First Book
That day, one title caught my eye. It was about building confidence in public speaking.
Public speaking. The thing I dreaded most in life. The thing that filled me with fear every time teachers asked me to read aloud in class. The thing I hated so much I would do anything to avoid it.
And yet, something in me knew I had to pick it up. Maybe I thought it would help me just a little. Maybe I hoped it would chip away at the fear. Maybe, deep down, I knew I couldn’t run forever.
So I borrowed it. And then something strange happened.
I read it. Not just skimmed, not just glanced. I read every single page. On the bus, in my room, behind a closed door. I devoured it, word by word, sentence by sentence.
I had never been hooked by a book before (apart from Garfield, Asterix & Obelix, and The Adventures of Tin Tin!). Never saw myself as a reader - especially books of non-fiction. And yet there I was, 18 years old, finishing a book cover to cover in a single day.
Looking back now, the irony is not lost on me. The boy who hated public speaking became the man who speaks for a living. The teenager who never thought of himself as a reader became the author of books that others now read.
It all started with that moment.
Why That Moment Mattered
It wasn’t the library alone that changed me. It wasn’t the book alone that transformed me.
It was the decision I had made before I even stepped into that building. The decision that said: I’ve had enough. I am done living this way.
That’s what gave the library its power. That’s what gave the book its impact.
Because until you decide, nothing changes.
You can walk past opportunities every day. You can scroll past wisdom every hour. You can sit in rooms full of inspiration and still remain the same.
But the moment you finally decide you’ve had enough, even the smallest thing - a book, a conversation, a thought - can spark a whole new life.
Why Most People Stay Stuck
Here’s the truth: most people never make that decision.
Not because they can’t. But because they don’t hurt enough, yet. They’re uncomfortable, yes. Frustrated, yes. But they’re also comfortable enough to stay where they are.
And comfort, I’ve learned, is the real enemy of growth.
As long as you can tolerate your “stuckness”, you will stay stuck. Change doesn’t begin with desire. It begins with desperation. With the deep, gut-wrenching conviction that says: I refuse to live like this anymore.
That’s when you find your courage. That’s when you create momentum.
Faith and Movement
The Qur’an reminds us: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (13:11)
God’s help comes, but it meets you in motion.
You must take the first step, however small, however shaky. That step is what signals your readiness.
My step was as simple as opening a library card and borrowing a book. Nothing glamorous. Nothing dramatic. But that small act, powered by a firm decision, became the seed for everything that came after.
A Word For You
So maybe you’re reading this right now feeling stuck.
Maybe you’ve been in the same job for years, going nowhere.
Maybe your marriage has flatlined, and you feel more like a roommate than a partner.
Maybe your spiritual life feels dry, like your prayers bounce back unheard.
Maybe your health, your dreams, your finances - they all feel frozen.
And you’re tired. Tired of being tired.
If that’s you, hear me clearly: you are one decision away.
One book away.
One conversation away.
One action away.
Your transformation won’t begin when you have the whole plan. It will begin the day you finally decide you’ve had enough.
Let me summarise this for you #TLDR
Stuckness is not forever. It feels permanent, but it’s only a chapter, not the whole book.
Decision is the real beginning. No opportunity matters until you decide you’re ready to change.
Comfort is dangerous. It’s what keeps most people stuck, tolerating lives they don’t love.
Small steps count. One book, one choice, one act can become the seed of a whole new life.
Faith fuels courage. Take the first step, and God will multiply it in ways you can’t imagine.
You don’t need to wait for the perfect day.
You don’t need to wait for permission.
You just need to wake up one morning and say: Enough.
And then take one step.
That’s how new stories begin.
God bless, Godspeed,
Mizi
PS: Remember to follow these on IG for updates on my upcoming events:
The Nikah Academy (Singapore)
Usrah Academy (Malaysia)
Ilma Events (Brunei) *New event just launched yesterday. See you soon, inshaAllah~