As I walked in, a bestie came over to hug me, adding with a twinkle that I looked like a cupcake — actually, I was going for cotton candy, I said with a wink. 😉 Joy!

“My Baba would say,” Dalia starts but has to hold back tears, “that if nobody’s criticizing you, that means you’re not doing any work.

Capture your own story in the 30 Days Journal.

If I could share one message with the world, it would be this.

And this is how our friendship began, on January 1st, 2022 – one story leading to another, about our fathers and mothers, about pottery, special friends, kind gestures, and pixie sticks… unraveling, story by story, the threads that bind us.

A 2022 Kindness Calendar with inspiring stories, 365 ways to share kindness, and joyful art. Support KindWorks and spread kindness.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison shares a wisdom from his Mom, who passed away in 2020.

Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim reads a wisdom from the “30 Days” book that my (then 16-year old) son wrote — one that has clearly guided him.

A wisdom Munira learned from her teacher while creating leather artwork now guides the rest of her life.

When Peter Sanders was a young boy, he used to make a frame using two fingers of each hand – so he could take away the clutter, and focus on what’s right in front of him.

Asma Khan, founder of the acclaimed restaurant Darjeeling Express, shares her reflections on patience — and her mother's wisdom.

An honor to speak alongside the Ambassador of Pakistan Asad Majeed Khan at an event promoting Peace and Understanding.

We talked about the role of storytelling in a fast-paced, short-attention-span world of swipes and likes.

The book’s beautiful cover design and art by Sughra Hussainy fit so beautifully with the exquisite art of the Alhambra I couldn’t resist taking ‘30 photos’!

The billboard outside announced my talk; I had to take a picture – never in my dreams did I think I would get a chance to share my book in this beautiful, soulful corner of the world, once the center of Islamic art, architecture, thought, and power.

Absolutely gorgeous setting (the venue matched the book beautifully!) to launch ‘30 Days’ in Madrid with an interesting mix of people from art, culture, journalism, philanthropy, law, and more.

I was waiting for this picture - my mom (middle) and her two sisters (and another smiling down from heaven) - reading my book, our book.

"Contentment. That's what I learned from my mother and my father," Ambassador Khan tells me. "They were very content, with whatever they had; they were the least material people.”

Want to write your story, but don’t know how to start? Take a listen for a dose of inspiration.

My Mom’s wisdom, which I continue to turn to over and over. Take a listen (1 min).