I will never forget the day I sat across my father as he described his lifetime achievements to me and my brother.
Indeed, his description was inspirational. I realized that it was both grand and scary to have such a successful father. He is a constant reminder of what I need to achieve in life; and a person I am very proud to be linked to. As he was telling me about his Mecca project, I was overwhelmed with the motivation to add value to the world the way he has.
My father was responsible for designing the entire electrical base of the Al-Haram mosque; it is because of his lights that pilgrims are able to complete their duties to God Almighty. The Al-Haram mosque in Mecca happens to be the most important mosque not only in Saudi Arabia, but in the entire Islamic world. Within this great mosque lies Al-Kaaba (The House of God). Needless to say, I was awestruck to know that all of the electrical engineering of this great mosque was completed by a person that raised me, my father.As he stood before me, with his eyes sparkling with passion and his words racing each other to inform me about his accomplishments – I felt nothing but the need to experience the kind of self satisfaction that he experienced as he looked back upon his life.
During those few minutes in our family dining room, I learned one of life's invaluable lessons. As our discussion with him ended, my brother and I were speechless, yet wrapped in joyful surprise. My father was so humble that his achievements seemed like a falsehood.I wondered for a long time: how could a person who was so successful act so modest? When I look at my father now, he is a new man. Most importantly, however, I have realized the importance of humility in the face of success.
Indeed, humble, successful individuals are most admirable seeing that it is easy for ordinary folks to relate to and thereby emulate them. Such people make perfect leaders. That fifteen minute chat with my father was the beginning of a dream for me. It was at that point that I recognized my role in the drama of life.I started to visualize how I would like to lead my life. I saw myself as a highly qualified electrical engineer that has helped women in her country to reach for the unseen.
I realized that I do not only wish to make others proud of my achievements, but myself as well. That very day, I had evolved; I was a different person altogether because I had a dream to fulfill. From that point on, I started striving for success. I was thrilled to go to the factory; elated to learn how light switches were manufactured.
It struck me at the time that electrical engineering is beauty to me. Its wires and plugs are the complex images I want to understand to beautify the world for myself and others. Furthermore, the inspirational chat that I had had with my father, in addition to my trips to the factory have led me to believe that I will certainly achieve my dream. Indeed, my experiences have given me the strength to climb the roughest mountains, and to regain the strength if I fall.
I will add value to my world, no matter how difficult it may be.
