By My Own Code
Dr. Walaa Ayman El-Shawi
In my own personal code, whoever enters my heart is safe, and whoever leaves it is also safe—yet there is a vast difference between the two states. To leave means one must vanish from my sight forever, even into the afterlife; for I choose to forgive, if only to ensure that no one stands as my adversary before God on the Day of Judgment. What was once mine, I have cast aside so that my eyes need never behold it again—such is the depth, and the utter futility, that psychological harm can reach. When you perceive yourself as a mere piece on a chessboard, when you feel that your silence has eclipsed your speech, and when your gaze has grown hollow, know that you are in the very womb of suffering. The true labor—the true birth—lies in ridding yourself of everything that disturbs your peace or defiles your soul; for any soul that does not resonate with your own will only feed upon your energy, your time, and your effort. Stay vigilant, for life is a fierce battle—and learn to emerge from it with the fewest possible losses.
