⭕️ I am Taking a Step Back

+ 15 new opportunities and more...

Ziyaan Virji
July 09, 2024

In partnership with

Hey there,

Habari (Greetings) from Tanzania! I got back home last week and have been spending quality time with my family. Coming back home has allowed me to recharge and reflect.

It’s been a great reminder for me to realise where I came from and understand my roots and identity (will share more about this in the future).

As I navigate this phase of my life, this week I share a story I came across and why I decided to take a step back from everything…

What to Expect:

Opportunities: UN, Global Innovation Challenge, Diana Award
Deep Dive: The Woodcutter and The Axe

read time: 4 mins

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Opportunities This Week

In addition to these, here’s the living document of 25+ Youth Leadership Opportunities.

The Woodcutter and The Axe

I am going to be a little vulnerable here - but things have been quite tough for me lately.

2 weeks ago, I made a tough decision to take a step back from everything.

You see - the last 6 months have been crazy.

I quit my previous venture in December and knew I had 6 months until I graduate. I went on fight or flight mode and knew I had to figure out how I am going to make money and what I am going to do for work.

This forced me to go all in on the newsletter and that led to starting my company, getting clients, hosting events, hiring a team and bringing my brother on as a cofounder.

But a couple weeks ago, I had a massive realisation.

I couldn’t sleep all night and was overwhelmed with everything. I realised I was doing so many different things but not doing anything really well.

I had grown all these different sides of the business because I had to find a way to pay the bills, but deep inside I was not happy with the type of work I was doing.

But I realized, this was not my first time in this situation.

This has been a consistent pattern my whole life.

I started my nonprofit because I had a school requirement. I scaled and grew it because I knew it would get me a full ride scholarship. I grew a personal brand because it looked great externally. I tried out so many different things at university because that’s what everyone else was doing.

2 weeks ago, I decided to stop this pattern. I am tired of constantly running after the next thing, and doing things because they look great externally vs because I actually enjoy doing them.

As I have been navigating this phase, I remembered The Woodcutter and The Axe story. Here it goes:

Once upon a time, in a small village nestled deep in the forest, there lived a woodcutter named Thomas.

Thomas was known for his unwavering dedication and hard work. Every day, from dawn until dusk, he ventured into the woods to chop down trees and gather firewood to sell in the market.

Thomas prided himself on his strong work ethic and rarely took breaks.

His days were filled with the rhythmic sound of his axe striking wood, and he believed that constant effort was the key to his success.

However, as weeks turned into months, Thomas noticed something troubling.

Despite working just as hard, he was cutting down fewer trees each day.

One afternoon, as Thomas struggled to fell a particularly stubborn tree, an old man happened to pass by.

The old man, wise and experienced, watched Thomas for a while before approaching him.

"Why do you look so frustrated, young man?" the old man asked.

Thomas wiped the sweat from his brow and replied, "I don't understand. I work tirelessly from sunrise to sunset, yet I seem to be cutting less and less wood. No matter how hard I try, my efforts don’t seem to pay off."

The old man nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "When was the last time you sharpened your axe?"

Thomas was taken aback by the question. "Sharpen my axe? I don't have time for that. I'm too busy cutting wood."

The old man smiled gently and said, "That is exactly the problem. If you take the time to sharpen your axe, you will find that your work becomes much easier and more productive. A dull axe requires more effort and yields less result. Sometimes, stepping back and preparing properly can save you time and energy in the long run."

Intrigued by the old man's words, Thomas decided to follow his advice.

He took a break from his relentless chopping and spent the next few hours carefully sharpening his axe.

When he returned to the forest, he was amazed at the difference. His newly sharpened axe cut through the trees with ease, and he was able to gather more wood in a shorter amount of time than ever before.

From that day forward, Thomas made it a habit to regularly sharpen his axe. He learned that by being proactive and taking the time to maintain his tools, he could work more efficiently and effectively.

I am going to spend the next few months sharpening my axe.

But would love to hear from you - do you relate to this? How do you sharpen your axe? Have you had an experience like this before.

I try my best to reply to every email from our community.

My friend, being vulnerable on here is super hard. But I feel really grateful to have this platform to share what I am going through. My hope of sharing stories is that it can have a small impact on you. Even if it simply means feeling like you’re not alone.

So thank you, thank you for staying here and supporting me - even by taking out time from your day to read this.

Sending you positive vibes from Tanzania,

With love,

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