by AnnSheybani | Dec 23, 2013 | Cultural Issues, death, Faith, fatalism, free will, God, Islamic Fundamentalist, Life
How much of your life do you consider blind luck, and how much do you attribute to the choices you have made? Muslims are fatalists. They believe what’s ordained is ordained; and no one but God can alter anything. Each event, small or large, long before it ever...
by AnnSheybani | Nov 25, 2013 | Betrayal, coaching, Courage, Cultural Issues, grace, guest post, identity, Iran, Life, life transitions, recovery, reinvention, route finding, Sahar Irwin, self-image, Starting Over
As you may know, I love a good Starting Over story. You know the kind: one minute you’re riding high, the next, you’re flat on your back wondering what hit you. What fears prevent you from letting go of your old life? What if they actually happened? ...
by AnnSheybani | Oct 21, 2013 | Authenticity, Betrayal, confrontation, connection, Courage, Cultural Issues, death, divorce, guilt, Honesty, husband, identity, Intimacy, Iran, Life, marriage, mixed marriages, risk, Self love, tension, voice
The summer I came back to the States, the fall I chose never to go back to Iran, I told myself that if I could just get away from my husband’s family, just gain a little control, then all my troubles would magically disappear. I understood that if I refused to go...
by AnnSheybani | Feb 4, 2013 | Boundaries, Cultural Issues, exotic cultures, expectations, Iran, misinterpretation, people pleasing, Saying no
We make commitments to others in order to appear nice, and then we kick ourselves when they are inconsiderate enough to take us at our word. When I lived in Iran I often found myself irritated by tarof, traditional Iranian etiquette. Stopping by someone’s home...
by AnnSheybani | Feb 28, 2012 | adventure, choosing a mate, Cultural Issues, dating, divorce, expectations, husband, identity, Iran, love, marriage, match profile, Match.com, mistakes, Muslim, Self-Esteem
I used to think that women, like me, were guilty of being non-selective when it came to choosing a mate. That any warm body that paid us a little attention could end up walking us down the aisle. But lately I’ve been noticing that men–particularly young...
by AnnSheybani | Mar 31, 2011 | Cultural Issues, Uncategorized
When I was young, I fancied myself a global citizen. A Margaret Mead type, who gravitated towards exotic cultures. Impressed with my “intimate” knowledge of obscure peoples, of my ability to hang out in their communities like the team mascot, I turned my nose up at my...
