🐢 What my tortoise taught me about success

Hello, my fellow seekers,

I'll be honest with you—I've been staring at this blank page for weeks.

It's been almost two months since my last newsletter. Before this gap, I was consistent, sending you something meaningful every week. But then our crowdfunding campaign ended, I felt exhausted, and I needed to step back.

The voice in my head hasn't been kind about this break. "Readers will forget you," it whispered. "You'll lose all the momentum you built. All those past efforts wasted."

I made a commitment to myself that newsletters only work if they're regular. Missing that rhythm felt like failing a promise, both to you and to myself.

But then, something small and slow taught me a different way of thinking about success.

My Tiny Teachers

In April, I brought home two baby Sulcata tortoises. They were only two months old when I got them, so small I can hold them in my palm.

Yet these little creatures will grow to weigh over 100 pounds and live nearly a century. They'll outlive me. They'll outlive my children.

Someone asked me recently, "Your tortoises don't really do anything. Why do you find them so fascinating?"

It's true. They sleep most of the day. When they move, it's incredibly slow. They're not performing, not hustling, not trying to impress anyone.

But here's what struck me: They're not hurrying in order to be successful.

They follow their nature. They trust their pace. And somehow, without rushing, without anxiety about progress, they reach exactly where they need to go.

As Lao Tzu wrote: "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

The Pressure to Perform

Our world has trained us to link success with external metrics. Get good grades. Hit your deadlines. Post consistently. Grow your numbers. Show visible progress or you're falling behind.

I see this everywhere in schools, colleges, workplaces. It becomes part of how we measure our worth.

But watching my tortoises reminded me:

• What if we're measuring the wrong things?

• What if outside success shouldn't trump internal success?

• What if our emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being matter more than external metrics?

Following Your Natural Rhythm

I'm not saying consistency doesn't matter or that we should abandon our commitments. But maybe we can hold them more lightly.

Maybe we can trust that if we're following our authentic path even when it includes rest, reflection, and renewal. We'll reach where we need to go.

You'll still hear from me, but it might be more like a tortoise pace than a rabbit sprint. Some weeks you'll get a newsletter, others you might not. And that's okay.

Because I'd rather share something real and meaningful when I have it to offer than force something hollow just to fill a schedule.

What I'm Working On

I want to give you a glimpse of what's been taking my time and attention lately. I've been diving deep into some new projects that I'm really excited about.

1. Journey in Grace - Graphic Anthology

2. Ali’s Hajj Adventure - A Journey of Discovering True Connection

I'll share more details about these projects in upcoming newsletters.

A Question for You

Where in your life are you rushing to be successful? Where might you benefit from adopting a tortoise approach, trusting your natural pace instead of forcing external timelines?

Maybe it's in your creative work, your spiritual practice, your relationships, or even just how you move through your day.

My tortoises at home aren't worried about being behind schedule. They're just being who they are, one slow step at a time.

And somehow, that's enough. 😊

warm regards,
Mohammed Ali

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