The Unconventional Life

Category: Inspiring

  • The Sheep Mode

    How to Think: Sheep Mentality — On or Off?

    Over the years, I’ve become aware of what I call “sheep mode.” Sheep mode has no senses, no internal compass, no moral direction. It is the state of moving with the herd, doing what everyone else does, and ignoring the voice inside you.

    “What have my fellow sheepers done in this situation?” I would ask myself, and then, almost automatically, I would follow suit.

    In the world of sheep, almost everything is automated; it’s a copycat system. You buy a smartphone because everyone else has one, get branded shoes because it’s cool, or keep six feet apart out of fear. Conforming and fitting in often takes precedence over critical thinking, and our subconscious thoughts get silenced along the way.

    I decided to switch off my sheep mode during lockdown. I caught myself becoming obsessive, over-cleaning to avoid the virus, following arbitrary rules, and I knew it made little sense. A billion viruses could live on the tip of a needle, yet I still acted as if I could control them. That was one of the moments I chose to step away from sheep mode.

    Six years on, I can see how much of my life I spent simply trying to fit in. Looking back at jobs I hated, destinations I visited because they were popular, or trends I blindly followed, I realise how uncomfortable those experiences made me at the core. I suppressed my own thoughts, dismissed my instincts, and became a stranger to my own self instead of welcoming it.

    After all, what separates humans from animals, other than our ability to reason, to see, hear, and think critically?

    Allah states in Surah Al-A’raf, verse 179:

    “And certainly We have created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind; they have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like cattle. Nay, they are even more astray! Those are the heedless ones.”

    Reading this felt like a mirror. My sheep mode thoughts: the fear, the copying, the constant self-suppression, were exactly what this verse describes. It reminded me that the fitrah, the innate nature we are born with, is still there. It’s easy to let the herd silence it, but it doesn’t disappear.

    Recognising this has changed everything. I no longer follow the herd blindly. I try to live consciously, listen to my inner self, and make choices that reflect who I truly am, not what everyone else expects.

    Yet the world of sheep never goes away. It is always nudging you to conform. So here’s a little reminder, a playful nod to those still in sheep mode:

    Hush, little sheep, don’t you cry…
    Mummy is going to buy you a brand-new car.
    And if that car doesn’t make you happy,
    Mummy is going to get you a brand-new plane.

    It’s a funny, ironic lullaby, but it’s also a warning. Real happiness, meaning, and freedom don’t come from following the herd. They come from stepping out of sheep mode, facing yourself: your thoughts, your instincts, your fitrah and choosing to live consciously.

    Don’t fall asleep counting sheep.

    Uma Love

    Thanks for reading — stay unconventional.

    About the Author

    I’m a writer exploring faith, modern chaos, and the path less taken. I believe stories change lives — even if it’s just one reader at a time.

    Did this resonate with you? Leave a comment or share it with someone who needs a sign.

  • “What Da…?”

    What Da...? --- instant gratification vs. iron-era self-control

    You know that feeling when you’ve been walking for ages, only to realise you’re at the wrong location—and now have to walk that same long distance again, but in the opposite direction?

    That’s the “What Da xxxx” moment.

    🚶‍♂️ The Long Way Round

    Looking back, those moments were a blessing for my legs, my belly—trust me, I’m no belly dancer, though I wish I were—and even for my mind. At the time, though, there may have been a bit of steam coming out of it.

    Today, just thinking about walking around a large supermarket is enough to irritate me. The thought process usually goes something like this:

    “Are you an idiot? Why waste your time when you could just Uber it from the comfort of your own home?”

    I’m currently a recovering coffee addict. Uber will likely be next.

    🕰️ The Iron Era

    Those delayed-gratification days remind me of what I call the Iron Era. It feels so long ago that even mentioning it sounds almost mythical.

    My mum is from the Baby Boomer generation, and when she eats dessert, she still leaves a big piece behind. Her self-discipline is comparable to iron steel.

    I’ve never managed to break her—get her to finish her plate. Instead, I’m always there, ready to “help out.” Cleaning up is one of my stronger traits.

    ⚡ Instant Gratification, Instant Everything

    We now live in a world of instant gratification—one that grows more tempting by the day. This is the environment in which we’re raising the next generation.

    So when you see children battering their parents over a device, you know the battle is already lost. These impulsive little creatures will one day run the world—with little care for their brethren.

    I’d like to believe they’ll at least care for their parents. But Eminem already wrote a hit song in the millenium era about dissing his mother. If you didn’t own the album, chances are you still bobbed your head to it.

    🌱 A Quiet Resistance

    Let’s not sink into despair or give up on the future.

    My writing isn’t about comfort. It’s about sparking ideas, ruffling feathers, and—God willing—causing a chain reaction of good.

    I don’t want lazy readers. And if you’re reading this, you’ve already chosen not to take the easy route—so well done.

    🙏 Well Done

    This is my well done to every mother, father, husband, wife, son, daughter, honest shopkeeper, and bookkeeper.

    To all those who’ve sacrificed time, money, and independence to do the right thing.

    Well done for not cheating yourself out of the ultimate reward:
    a clear conscience with a clean slate—forever rewarding.

    Uma Love

    Thanks for reading — stay unconventional.

    About the Author

    I’m a writer exploring faith, modern chaos, and the path less taken. I believe stories change lives — even if it’s just one reader at a time.

    Did this resonate with you? Leave a comment or share it with someone who needs a sign.

  • The Book, the Doctor, and the Ayah

    The Book, the Doctor, and the Ayah

    Sometimes, the reminders we need come quietly.

    The Book, the Doctor, and the Ayah: Sometimes, the reminders we need come quietly.

    Sometimes, the reminders we need come quietly. Not through grand gestures, but in soft moments: a familiar book, an unexpected conversation, a verse that finds its way to your heart.

    It started when I picked up The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a book I hadn’t touched in nearly 25 years. One chapter in particular drew me in again — “Start with the End in Mind” — a message I was trying to drill into my husband’s mind. But, truthfully, I needed it more than he did.

    It invites you to picture your own funeral and imagine what those who knew you would say. Asking about what you left behind for your loved ones, to which one voice replies, “He left it all.”

    That line stayed with me.

    It reminded me of the reality of life: no matter how hard we work or what palaces we build, it’s all temporary. Eventually, everything fades and passes. What truly remains with us in the end is what we prepared for it. Yet as human beings, we’re often short-sighted. What we can’t see, we tend to ignore. As the saying goes, “Out of sight, out of mind.”

    And yet, some messages don’t need to shout. They whisper.

    📖 The Book

    Later that afternoon, I found myself at my local masjid for ‘Asr. After the prayer, I picked up a donated book. Inside was a verse from the Qur’an that struck me deeply. It described how the dead plead for a return to life, not to relive pleasure, but simply to do good. But they are not granted that return, because if they were, they would fall back into their old ways.

    The words stayed with me. I wanted to borrow the book, so I asked an elderly woman nearby. She gently told me the book was waqf, a charitable donation to the mosque, and could only be borrowed with permission. The process felt a bit much at the time, so I let it go.

    🩺 The Doctor

    We ended up talking instead. She told me she had just come from work, all the way from East London, where she works at a hospital. I wasn’t sure what to make of that. Given her age and the distance, it seemed unlikely. But then she reached into her bag and revealed not one, but two work badges.

    “I’m a consultant doctor at two hospitals,” she said, softly.

    I was taken aback. I would never have guessed. Clearly, appearances can be misleading.

    As we spoke, she kept trying to talk to me in Arabic. I had to keep gently telling her, Anna maa arafi ‘Arab, meaning “I don’t understand Arabic.” Though I said it in Arabic, because I truly do want to learn. In a way, I suppose I hoped saying it might help me get closer.

    She smiled and told me that’s exactly why she was speaking to me in Arabic. “If you want to learn,” she said, “you learn by speaking.”

    💬 The Ayah

    Then she paused.

    “I spent all these years learning to become a doctor,” she said. “But I wish I had started with the Qur’an. Everything I’ve learned, I now know it to be in the Quran. And what is the chosen language of the Quran?”

    My response: “Arabic.”

    In that moment, everything made sense — the ayah I read earlier, the lesson from the book, and this unexpected meeting. It wasn’t random. It felt like a message I was meant to receive.

    He grants wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been granted wisdom has certainly been given much good.
    And none will remember except those of understanding.
    — Surah Al-Baqarah (2:269)

    Thanks for reading — stay unconventional.

    About the Author

    I’m a writer exploring faith, modern chaos, and the path less taken. I believe stories change lives — even if it’s just one reader at a time.

    Did this resonate with you? Leave a comment or share it with someone who needs a sign.

  • The Ships I Didn’t Board: “Oh god why didn’t you rescue me?”

    The Ships I Didn’t Board

    “Oh God, why didn’t you rescue me?”

    The Ships I Didn’t Board: “Oh God, why didn’t You rescue me?”

    I know what I want out of life. Every day I tell myself, “Tomorrow, things will change.” But the truth is, I haven’t taken a single step toward that change.

    My goal? To live by divine wisdom.

    The oldest books carry this wisdom. It makes no sense for me to try and reinvent the wheel — yet I struggle. I live in an environment that constantly conflicts with these values. And when you live in conflict long enough, the environment begins to shape you.

    ⚓ Life on the Ship

    It’s like being on a ship. The sailors have already set their course. Trying to steer them elsewhere feels like madness.

    Can you imagine saying, “We’re changing course,” only to hear, “Get lost!”?

    So, you stay quiet… pretending you’re the captain.

    This metaphor isn’t just poetic. The ship and sailors? That’s my home. That’s my children. Trying to move a whole household in a new direction feels impossible.

    And yet, every du’a I make is for exactly that — to sail toward the unconventional. To live a life aligned with something higher than modern noise.

    🧭 The Signs Begin

    But why am I writing this?

    It started with my son. He couldn’t conform to the rules at school — and deep down, I understood him. Because he’s me. A younger version of the same storm.

    The first wake-up call came when I discovered a policy at his school. On the surface, it was a “non-faith” institution. But its mission and daily routine quietly pushed a hidden agenda of indoctrination — one that didn’t quite align with my beliefs.

    I was shocked to discover my suspicions were true. There, in black and white, their policies spelled out their aim to “indoctrinate.”

    I don’t mind faith-based schools — but why hide it from the public? Well, I’ll leave you to your thoughts…

    That was sign #1.

    🚑 Then Came the Nurse

    I was meant to see her for 10 minutes in A&E.

    Instead, she shared her own story — of changing the course of her own ship, just as I hoped to do with mine.

    She was deeply inspirational and refreshingly different from the usual rhetoric. She was as unconventional as they come — even when it came to her views on modern medicine.

    That was sign #2.

    🥥 The Coconut Boy

    Then I met a 16-year-old boy who had dropped out of school at 13. He was selling coconut drinks on the streets — no textbooks, no desks in sight.

    But he shared with me his thoughts on public education — and how he was already running four businesses at just 16 years old.

    He didn’t follow society’s rules. And yet, he was thriving.

    That was sign #3.

    🧱 The Builder

    Then I met the talented builder. He had moved from the US, then to Jordan, and eventually to the UK — where we met. He moved quite freely, like a bird.

    He didn’t have a large chunk of savings, but his currency was skill. Or shall I say… gold fingers?

    No school is going to tell you these truths. I doubt the teachers who teach in them even have the time to realize them.

    💔 The Moment That Broke Me Open

    Finally came the moment that broke me open.

    I was homeschooling my son — the one who “doesn’t conform.” I gave him a writing assignment.

    He ignored it.

    Instead, he wrote a joke:

    There was a man drowning at sea. He prayed to God for help.

    First came a big ship. He refused it.

    Then came another ship. He refused again.

    Then came a helicopter. Still, he refused.

    Later, when he drowned, he asked God, “Why didn’t You save me?”

    God replied, “I sent you two ships and a helicopter, you dummy.”

    And that’s when it hit me.

    All my du’as…

    Maybe the nurse, the boy, the school incident, the builder — and perhaps even this joke — maybe those were my ships.

    And I was too blind to see them.

    Maybe the help I was waiting for… already came.

    Thanks for reading — stay unconventional.

    About the Author

    I’m a writer exploring faith, modern chaos, and the path less taken. I believe stories change lives — even if it’s just one reader at a time.

    Did this resonate with you? Leave a comment or share it with someone who needs a sign.