Recently I spoke at a wonderful event in Valparaiso, Ind. called the Banat Brunch. This event was a beautiful celebration of sisterhood, with plenty of conversation, friendship, henna, a raffle with awesome prizes, a dance floor, and of course FOOD! 

During the event, I gave a talk about sisterhood and competition. Nowadays it's incredibly easy to become overly concerned about appearances rather than focusing on the actual health of our interpersonal relationships. We're not going to rise above collectively as an ummah if we're not supporting and encouraging one another. 

We hear all the time not to compare ourselves to others, but in today's social media-saturated environment, that can be easier said than done. It is so important to remember that, when we're scrolling our Facebook timelines or doing our morning Insta double-tap routine, social media only shows the iceberg tip of our real lives. It's unfair to beat ourselves up for feeling like we can't keep up when really, what we are trying to keep up with is only a small part of the complete picture of what it means to live an authentic life.

So how do we overcome this as an ummah? It really starts with ourselves and being secure with who we are so we're not threatened by another's success or efforts. Each of us is made unique, and the sooner we learn to accept and love ourselves, the more likely we'll be to follow our own dreams, tap into our own strengths, and not be tempted to compare ourselves to someone else.

It was a wonderful event and I'm so grateful to the organizers for having me! Check out a few more pics below!