Interviewer: Maram Mohamed
Writers: Nada Elnady and Ola Refaat
Life is all about the hardships you face and how you chose to cope with them, and when it comes to this, there are two types of people: those who go through hell and back and start losing hope for living, and those who go through hell and back and realize that “[their] misfortunes could sometimes be [their] greatest blessings”.
Meet Kariman Maher: a life coach, a wife, a mommy of two, a lawyer to be, and an entrepreneur. As a child, she’s been through the whole package (aka a tough childhood and divorced parents), and she grew up hoping never to go back to that stage again, wishing she’d create her own little happy family when the time comes, and promising herself to make her future kids live the life she never got to experience. She believes in the phrase “our misfortunes could be our greatest blessings”, and thus, she used this as an opportunity to empower herself and those around her, becoming an optimist who spreads a little bit of positivity everywhere she goes.
“I empowered myself out of this experience and created the life that I have always dreamt of. That is when I realized that this is what I can help people with and I do it relentlessly. I hate to see them waste time because of some limiting beliefs that could be smashed in the matter of minutes.”
Kariman Maher
Since Kariman is a mother of two kids, she believes that it’s really easy to get consumed around the house all day. The fact that there is always something to be done and so little time for relaxing makes juggling time between work and the house increasingly difficult. However, the fact that she works and studies from home, her efficient use of multitasking, and the dreams she always keeps envisioned in front of her own eyes (aka the ambitions pushing her forward) have her getting by really well.
“That’s the reason why I always ask my clients to have a clear vision for the results that they want, because they can use it as their number one distraction killer.”
Kariman Maher
Despite her numerous responsibilities, kariman still gets what she calls “recovery time”, that being when she engages in a girls’ night out. She believes that relaxation time is extremely essential for a person’s well-being that when she feels like she’s losing the spark of excitement she always carries around while working, she would immediately retreat and take some time off, allowing herself to restore her creativity, “listen to [her] intuition more”, and “give space space to [her] brain to open hidden doors”.
Everyone has their first supporter, Kariman’s being her husband. She always finds him having her back without her asking, encouraging her to go for her dreams and promising to support her while she does it.
“I have to say he changed my life, showed me that there was another dimension to every situation, taught me that there is nothing that we can’t get through together.“
Kariman Maher
The day her daughter finally came to life after carrying her inside her for 42 weeks was a life-changing moment for Kariman, a moment when she realized the value of the word “motherhood”, a priceless gift filled with unconditional love and infinite, sleepless nights.
“At that moment, I knew that the word love was underrated, what I felt on that day was out of this world. I knew then that there was now something more important than my existence.”
Kariman Maher
Kariman sees social media as an opportunity rather than a challenge for her kids. It “shows their interests and dreams by giving them the right motivation.” She used a personal example of her own daughter, a precocious 4-year-old who speaks like a 10-year-old since certain parts of social media influence her mindsets. It all depends on what they choose to spend their time on, really, a result of what the kids would think their parents would approve of.
“Remember, our kids are slaves to our approval, so they usually want to do what they think you will acknowledge and appreciate.”
Kariman Maher
Her answer to the next question was so perfect that we couldn’t find the will to summarize it, so we decided to show you the whole thing. When we asked Kariman what her tips to a new working mom would be, her answer was as follows:
“Do not do it unless you enjoy it; there is no obligation on you to be a working mom if your interest is to stay at home and raise the kids. You‘re doing such a horrific job already. I know that society now puts a burden on the non-working mommies to do something, but unless you want to work, then please just do what makes you happy. The real reason behind anybody seeking anything is that they are really seeking the happiness behind it. When someone’s goal is to get rich, he’s actually seeking the happiness that he thinks the money will provide him. So, make sure that your target is to be happy, let’s start with that. My message for all the working mom’s is to please stay strong. There’s no such thing as right and wrong, just do it however it suits you and remember if you’re following your passion, it will be totally worth it.”
Kariman Maher
And since today is Mother’s Day, Kariman, a beautiful mother of 2, a woman who held and still holds a successful marriage for 5 years, urges all the mothers out there to not give up on their dreams. You went through hell and back to reach the moment you are in, and we’re proud, your kids are proud, all your loved ones are proud. Take a break, live your life, take a moment to appreciate all your blessings and reflect on all what went wrong. Whether you work or you don’t, you have to know that you’re capable of doing the impossible. You’re a mother, and nothing will ever be able to top that.
“For all the mommies out there, I salute you. Please don’t give up on your dream. If you already started then I wish you all the luck to make it happen. If not, I urge you to have a conversation with your inner child and remember what used to light you up and do it. I know that the kids are a lot of work but when you’re doing something that you’re passionate about, that fulfills you. I promise you an incredible life for you and your family. Remember your kids will always look up to you, so make them proud.”
Kariman Maher
