Episode 06: The Purpose of Life Is To Live With Sincerity and Intentionality
Who are you?
I am a designer, entrepreneur, and teacher.
How do you define purpose?
Purpose is about having a clear sense of intentionality (niyah) with a level of sincerity (ikhlas).
How do you live with purpose?
My lived purpose week to week is connected to my role leading a design team and working on brands, products, and experiences that are meaningful or at least do something positive. I design not just to sell things, sneakers or soda, but to inspire someone to have a better connection to their community. We create some products especially for kids that create a better sense of belonging and representation.
Peter noticed a big need for more representation in toys, so he launched the “Salaam Sisters” dolls pictured above.
Has your purpose changed?
The overall arc of my life has been really trying to understand and apply Islam by getting deeper into the meaning. Too many of us, particularly us converts, we think we have to jettison our cultural identity to become closer to God. There is a reason why you are gifted with these unique experiences and you can bring them into your holistic sense of self.
What is your advice for the younger generation?
Some good advice that was shared with me was when I was doing design study at Stanford was the concept of “T-Shaped” people. The “T-Shaped” person has a broad set of skills across one layer and a depth in one. Across the top, you have things like collaboration, creativity, curiosity and an entrepreneurial interest. These are a broad set of skills and you make progress in them. Then you have one vertical like an interest in gaming or nutrition. You can apply this “T-Shape” model to any role that you take on.
Who helped you discover your purpose?
I picked up on this concept of having a personal board. Every company or start up has a board. You can think of it as a group of mentors who keep you accountable and point you into the right direction. You need different types of mentors across your board including one that will give you critical feedback.
How do you want to be remembered?
As you get older, there is a certain spiritual maturity that you hope to aspire to. You also start to look at your definition of success. Ultimately, I would love to leave the world with sakina (tranquility) in the heart, with a sense of gratitude, and a sense of rida (contentment). Rida is accepting and surrendering to every decision that’s ever been made in history and every decision that will ever happen in the future. It’s a deep sense of acceptance and calm. Only then you will have sakina (tranquility) in the heart.