30/01/2025
What is the story behind this lamp?
When we launched .eg , I was unable to leave my 9-to-5 job due to financial obligations. I felt trapped for four years until I could finally quit and dedicate myself fully to Lotus. Those five years were challenging; living a double life was exhausting. Yet, deep down, I always knew I wouldn’t be stuck there forever. To make the journey more manageable, I did the following:
The lamp in the picture had a twin, and both belonged to Lotus. I took one to my day job to keep a piece of Lotus with me. This simple act made a significant difference in my mood. Whenever I looked at it, it reminded me that Hesham and I had built something special, and that one day I would be fully involved with it.
I downloaded all the energy and holistic podcasts that I had never found time to listen to, and they became my companions during my morning and afternoon commutes. My daily drive became exciting, and I hardly complained about the traffic.
Each day, I would smudge my office with palo santo and play an OM mantra to clear the energy in my space. I also took holistic breaks—meditation and EFT tapping—to connect with the essence of Lotus, even when I wasn’t physically there. I might have been called a witch behind my back, but I didn’t care!
I cleared my desk and office of all personal items, except for the lamp. I deleted personal folders from my computer and my work email inbox, and I wrote my farewell email. That email stayed in my drafts folder for four years. Whenever I made a new professional contact, I added their email address to Bcc, ensuring they would receive my official goodbye when the time came.
February 1, 2021, marked my first day of freedom after 22 years in the corporate world. Tomorrow, I will celebrate four years of that freedom!
The moral of the story is that we are never truly stuck. Even when we feel trapped, we can choose to shift our energy and endure difficult chapters of our journey until they come to an end. And I promise, sooner or later, they will.
The weekend is just hours away—make the most of it, because you deserve the best life has to offer!