I wanted to write a blog on gratitude and thought what better time to write about this than during one of my favorite American holidays, Thanksgiving.
When I look back at my life, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude to God, my parents, my teachers and so many people who helped me along the way. Anybody who tells you he/she is self-made is not telling you the truth, and they sure aren’t being grateful.
My parents provided everything a child could ask for, despite not having much to give, and prepared me to face the rest of my life with gratitude and resolve. I remember riding with my dad on his bicycle after finishing the day’s work at his crockery shop. He would tell me about his life and lessons he learned over time, and he would always say that the key to being grateful is to never be envious of what others have and you don’t. He would say if you want to be happy in life and live a life of gratitude, look at the people who don’t have as much as you have. This lesson has served me well
My mother’s care and prayers were and are a constant source of comfort in my life. Her motherly advice to have a firm belief in God, and her constant reminders that everything happens for a reason and to never lose hope in God’s Mercy, has made me who I am. Whenever I face something big in life, I seek her advice and ask her to pray for my success.
I was lucky to have some dedicated mentors throughout my life. I was introduced to Mr. Abdul Rasheed (lovingly called Matsahab), who tutored me along with other kids after school. His efforts helped me reach the top 25 scorers in the 8th grade board exam in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. It was beyond his expertise to teach after 8th grade, but he continued to teach me about life. When he would come to tutor my younger brothers, I would spend time with him, talking and learning about his life and his views.
After my parents, Matsahab was my biggest influence. He introduced me to religion, philosophy, politics, poetry, nature and more importantly, he prepared me to face many challenges in this life, always forcing me to look at them as opportunities for growth. I still remember discussing this couplet (originally in Urdu) with him, which he taught me and asked me to memorize:
“Don’t be frightened by these furious and violent winds, oh eagle! These blow only to make you fly higher.”
It was through his influence that I decided to apply for a student visa to do my Master’s in the US.
Another person who influenced my life while I was in India was the late Mr. Nauman Ali Masoom. He was a lover of the Urdu language. When I met him, he was working on a book about the themes in the holy book Quran, emphasizing the universality of its message. In my freshman year of college, I would regularly visit him and we would discuss various topics in the Quran and also philosophical questions like our purpose on earth. He also inspired me to read about other religions.
My interaction with Dr. Hanif D. Sherali, a distinguished professor at Virginia Tech, started before I even arrived in the US for my master's. I stumbled on his profile during my search to apply for a master's at a US university at USEFI (US Education Foundation in India) library in Delhi when I went to take my GRE. I wrote him telling him about myself and to my surprise, he wrote me back. Long story short, I applied to Virginia Tech for a master’s in Operations Research. He became my advisor and I did my master’s thesis under him.
Dr. Sherali was one of the top three academics in his field. To this day, I believe he is the only genius I have ever met. He is a man of faith, and one of the most modest people you will ever meet. He could always see fifteen steps ahead of me, and I’d normally get my work back covered in red ink. But while he was a tough instructor, he was also very kind and generous to me. He successfully lobbied to get me a tuition waiver from the ISE (Industrial & Systems Engineering) department after my first semester and then gave me an RA (Research Assistantship) to work for one his clients, a coal mining company to help them come up with an optimal mix of coal from different mines to meet the 1990 Clean Air Act, which also became the topic of my thesis.
In 1992, when there were almost no jobs available, particularly for somebody like me, fresh out of college and with a student visa, it was really difficult to find a job. Having Dr. Sherali’s name in my resume was a big plus for me. I had two offers after graduating: one from American Airlines and another from the Association of American Railroads (AAR). He advised me to join a smaller organization like AAR, where I could make a bigger impact. His advice was to never join for a paycheck or a big name, but to join for impact and contribution and become indispensable to that organization.
I have been taught and have tried to practice being thankful to God for all He has bestowed upon me. Being thankful to God is one of the most essential qualities of a believer. In the Quran, God asks rhetorically again and again about the arrogance of humanity. We are reminded that He has brought us into being and expects us to be grateful.
Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) once said, “Whoever does not thank people has not thanked God.” This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for the mentors that have shaped me into who I am today. It is hard to imagine my journey so far without the influence of these mentors in my life.
I hope this Thanksgiving you make sure to not miss the most important ingredient in your Thanksgiving dinner, gratitude!
