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Self-realisation, work life, and social media 

28 Jan 2021

Mastering Mediocrity by Zeeshan Akram Jabeer    The third episode of Mastering Mediocrity premiered on 26 September, featuring freelance stylist, content creator, and former Cosmopolitan Sri Lanka Fashion Editor Sumaiya Mohamed. Here are three key things we learned from our chat with Sumaiya on Mastering Mediocrity.    Episode transcribed by Amani Najumudeen   
  1. Hard work and perseverance can take you places 
  Sumaiya reminisced about her teen self and how she wasn’t the most outspoken person in the room, but she did not let that stop her from reaching her goals. Sumaiya’s story is what we could call a “rocky road” but she still persevered and pushed herself despite the constant criticism she received from the various individuals around her. Sumaiya also mentioned how she knew that accomplishing her dreams wasn't going to be an easy task as it was a lot of emotional and mental strength that she needed to build on and most importantly, she needed to take up every opportunity that came her way.   
  1. You are who you surround yourself with 
  It was when she set foot in Malaysia for her secondary education that Sumaiya began to contemplate what type of individuals she needed around her. As an ambitious individual, she needed people who would contribute to her progress in life. Content creation and fashion designing are all forms of art which not a lot of people can master. It is an industry where you need to always keep up with the latest trends and lifestyles and therefore is not the easiest field to work in. For the duo or anyone pursuing a career in this industry, it was vital that they believe in themselves and in their creativity. Which is why it is imperative that they surround themselves with friends to bring a positive vibe into their lives.  Zeeshan and Sumaiya both explained how choosing their circle was one of the most difficult yet best decisions they had to make. Sumaiya’s journey is a strong life lesson, the moral being that with the right people around us, no obstacle would seem too difficult to surpass.   
  1. Having a lot of followers doesn’t mean your content is great 
  As we live in a world of technology, every person we pass by has their own social media account. To put it in the words of Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, “now everyone has a voice”.  The usage of social media has almost become a necessity in today’s world, especially for those working in the media industry. Unfortunately, it is now the case where a person’s talent is measured based on their number of followers. This has had a major impact on upcoming content creators and freelancers who despite their capacities and talent, are passed on for opportunities. Zeeshan too recollected the numerous times during his early years where he was passed on for projects due to a comparatively less number of followers than other content creators on Instagram.  All in all, this episode was inspiring yet relatable to us in many ways. Balancing your work life and personal life is not an easy task but with the right people, how hard could it possibly be?    YouTube: https://youtu.be/ADs9hkbC5ss  Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3a7DOhC


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