Salaam Reader,

I always love this time of the year. The leaves are turning red and the weather is that beautiful in-between when the heat of the summer has receded and the cold winter winds have yet to arrive.

We’re also approaching a year into this genocide, and it’s difficult to recall the joy that I used to feel when fall arrives.

But despite the heaviness, I know that it isn’t beneficial or praiseworthy to give up on feeling grateful for the many blessings Allah has placed in our life, including beautiful weather.

So this weekly email is going to be a bit different than what I normally send out. I'm sharing with you a few items from my 'Things I’m Grateful For' list.

Writing and being able to connect with writers around the world is always top of that list, Alhamdulillah.

I’m grateful for you, Reader, and having you on this email list of almost 600 writers.

If someone had told me when I first started writing, that not only would I be a published writer, but that I would ALSO be teaching writers and running my own programs, I think I would have just looked at them as if they were insane.

To date, I’ve been blessed to work with over a hundred writers since I started this work in 2021, Alhamdulillah. There are some incredible writers amongst us and I’m waiting for the day that you and I get to read their books, InshaAllah!

But whether you’ve worked with me or have yet to do so, I’m grateful that you’re here. I hope that my emails have motivated and inspired you to write and helped you overcome struggles you’re facing in your writing.

If you’re feeling low too, try the writing prompt that I used. Make a list titled “Things That I’m Grateful For.”

Set your timer for as little as 2 minutes or as long as 10 minutes, and start writing! Don’t worry about whether you need to write bullet points or sentences or whether your grammar is correct or not. Just start and go wherever the writing takes you.

I’d love to hear if you used the prompt and how your writing went. Hit reply and let me know.

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With best wishes for your writing,

Hajera Khaja Writer + Creative Writing Teacher & Coach

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