With the challenges happening within and around us, it is normal to feel overwhelmed. For a moment, we may even feel like we’re losing sight of life’s meaning and purpose.

Breathe. Remember: the more society changes, the more the essentials remain the same.

I remember sharing some A’s for A Transformational Society almost 23 years ago when I was invited to address the 2011 graduates of my high school alma mater (now, don’t start computing my age). I’d like to briefly share them here (with some revisions learned through life, Alhamdulillah) as a reminder to myself first and foremost, and with the hope that you find it beneficial as well.

APPRECIATE. Appreciate life in all its twists and turns, progress and setbacks. Appreciate the ‘you’ who falters but goes back to striving hard to be a better servant of The Most Compassionate. Appreciate efforts (big and small) to make a positive difference in society—not only those made by others but also the ones we contribute ourselves. Seriously, in a society where almost everyone criticizes and complains, appreciation is such a breath of fresh air. It’s a reflection of gratitude and even of compassion. We are alive, Alhamdulillah (all praise be to God), and we will continue to be people of Alhamdulillah, in shaa Allah (God willing).

ACT as a form of Worship. An appreciation of this life He’s given us means making the most of it through the performance of acts that are most pleasing to Him. Act on the obligatory ones first and foremost, and add more and more of the voluntary ones each day, be it at home or in the community, in shaa Allah.

ACKNOWLEDGE. Acknowledge our thoughts and emotions. There is no use denying or bypassing them. Acknowledge them, for it is the only way for them to be processed and for us to neither be drowned by the positive ones nor be controlled by the challenging ones. Acknowledge and make use of them to become better servant leaders, in shaa Allah.

ACCEPT. There are so many things to accept in this life: Accept that while we may give our best, life will not always be the way we want it to be, and that’s part of His grand plan and His wisdom. Accept that it is normal to feel down or overwhelmed at times—we are humans, after all. Accept apologies; we ourselves know the effort it can take to reach out to someone who’s hurt. And, yes, accept that society will continuously change, so we can protect even more the non-negotiables that will help us transform society for the better.

ASK. Ask for help; it’s not being weak, but being beautifully interdependent. While we can make use of the talents and skills that The Almighty has graciously given us to fulfill our duties and responsibilities, we need to admit that there are things that we cannot do. There are tasks that would require the help and even the expertise of others. Hence, ask. It’s a beautiful opportunity to experience our inherent complementarity as diverse creations of The Almighty.

APOLOGIZE. Apologize when we make mistakes—even and especially to family members. Conversations with fellow sojourners in this world have made me realize that it’s actually common for family members to assume that loved ones will automatically just let their mistakes go, so there’s no need to say they’re sorry. However, this can actually make loved ones feel taken for granted (and if communication within the family is also problematic, these feelings may grow over time and lead to sad consequences, may The Almighty forbid). Thus, apologize and work on the ties that bind us. Let’s also apologize to friends and colleagues for our lapses while remaining open to their feedback. And in all these circumstances, let’s apologize for the sake of The One Who never tires of forgiving our trespasses.

ADJUST. I’ve mentioned that we need to remain open to feedback. This is an important part of growing and contributing positively to our communities. There will always be room for improvement. There will always be more than one way to positively make a difference. Accommodate. Give and take. Compromise. Plan B and C. These are all possible when we know the essentials that we should and will never negotiate.

ASSERT. Life is…tough. Adjust when it’s acceptable, but speak up when we need to. Make a stand for what is right, even when it means having to stand alone. Say No to all forms of injustice and oppression, and mean it.

AVOID. Avoid excesses and deficiencies. Our path should always be the middle one—that of moderation, the Straight Path. Avoid unnecessary or harmful talks and activities. Avoid what may seem like a ‘need’ but, in actuality, is just a ‘want’. Avoid people who constantly bring others down and who’ve forgotten how good it feels to look at life with gratitude. Yes, life is short, and we have the right to surround ourselves with those who share and remind us of our life purpose and non-negotiable values.

ASSESS. We are meant not to merely exist but to live; so live, we must. Are we truly alive? Are we applying all the A’s mentioned above? Are we breathing in love and gratitude? Are we chasing not a life of happiness but a life of meaning through service for His sake? Are we fulfilling our duties and responsibilities in all the concentric circles of our lives? Are we moving with and towards Him, or somewhere else? Assess, constantly.

ACTUALIZE. Think it. Say it. Do it. Everyday…with, through, and for The One Who has been blessing us with an opportunity (every second, every minute, every hour) to be the best servants we’re meant to be, in shaa Allah.

May we all graduate in life with an A+ in akhira (hereafter), always for the sake of Allah. Ameen.