We are delighted to debut an article by Safiya Al Nuaimi who has been motivated to write after seeing her friend Alia Al-Hazami ‘s post. This is about having the wrong priorities as she casts her opinion on this matter. Enjoy

Authors Note: First of all, I’d like to thank Untitled Chapters for allowing everyone to take part in their beautiful blog. If it wasn’t for this blog, I wouldn’t have written this. So, thank you.

Should I start off saying that I am so irritated by people’s wrong priorities? Should I offer to fix it for them or offer endless thought-provoking questions with no solutions? Is the new world so advanced that we no longer look at the essence of things? How did we drift off from life’s fundamentals and started looking at absurd issues that do not add up to our lives?

Before I start attacking the media and the cyber world, let me start with the human’s brain. One would usually set a list of priorities that goes something like this: Religion, education, participation in social activities, charities… and so on. Why, when and how did insignificant things like beauty, appearance, weight, and perfection access the human’s mind? This is where I’d usually blame the fast development. I came across this quote the other day that said, “It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out.” In a snap, we became so open-minded that we became unaware of what goes first in our list.

The internet plays a big role in affecting the users’ mentalities. You open a site and see variegated forms of beauty through pictures and ads. Pictures of perfect bodies, perfect models, and perfect men are invading our brains and eating up our confidence. I, personally, do get affected by what I see and end up recalling my insecurities. However, I always snap out of it and remember what my priorities are.

Weight loss never made it to my list. Perfection? I never seek it. So how do I avoid having minor things planted in my head? I set my priorities. We did not come to this life to impress people. Instead, we were born to dream, achieve, create, and make a stand. Looking good, representative, and put together is a must, but going so far that you become someone else in the process is wrong. Additionally, losing weight is excellent for the health but going to the extremes where you starve yourself to get fit is wrong. So, it all starts from you. Pause for a moment, breath, and reflect. Why were you brought to life? What are your priorities?

Author: Safiya Al Nuaimi