Olla Abbas shares what it's like navigating the world as a Black, African, Muslim woman. She's been stopped at immigration, rejected from martial arts classes, and excluded in classrooms. Instead of letting these moments break her, she chose to see them as fuel for gratitude and growth.
Chapters
As for me, there are two types of challenges that I face when I organize an experience like Mindvalley reunion. One is the challenge of crafting an unforgettable experience for our tribe while always raising the bar to think and put all the details together in a way that everything runs smoothly. This type of challenge pushes me to become stronger, smarter, and faster every time. The other type of challenge is the one I face when I reach the immigration counter at the airport. Well, if you don't get that, I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia and I hold a Sudanese passport. Worst combinations ever. And while everybody passes through, I get stopped to answer questions like how many times have you been arrested? Or did you steal anything in your life? And that situation is tricky for me because it doesn't matter how fast, strong or smart I get, it doesn't change. And sadly, that type of situation or challenge makes me wish I was someone else. But quite frankly, when you're a foreign black Muslim woman, immigration is not the only place you will have that wish. I remember years ago when I went to Engineering university in Asia, I was the only black woman in class. And in my first days of class I thought I was back to primary school because people would queue by the lecture hall and when the doors opened, people would run, almost pushing each other just to sit in front. And people would do that every single day because, you know, they were valued for how much the lecturer liked them and their grades and so on. One day I happened to arrive early, so I just sat in front, not realizing that people didn't want to sit next to a black girl. So they left the entire row of front row seats empty and started filling the back of the room. And during the same period of time, I decided that I wanted to do something different. So I took martial art classes. Those classes were so intense, I would be exhausted and ready to go home after the warm up. But those classes also really pushed my limits. So I stayed. And one day the instructor came to me and said something between the lines of, you know, you've been really having some progress, but I'm afraid there is a problem. You're the only woman in the class and we all agree that you've been slowing us down, so I'm afraid you can't come back. And for years and years and years, I had nothing but resentment for the person that I am. But as these situations continued to happen in different scenarios, I realized that I had two choices. One, continue feeling sorry for myself, or two, try to find a way to see the blessing in these experiences, and so I did. Now every time I pass immigration, I make it a point to remind myself of the blessing of traveling the world, having friends all across the planet, and seeing the impact that we leave after every single trip. Now, I know my university days gave me the blessing of seeing that diversity is beautiful and what makes people different, make them so, so special. Thank you. And these are just some of my stories. But I know that I'm not alone. Matter of fact, I believe every single person in this room today faced and know the feeling of rejection, not because of what you did, but because of who you are. But I honestly believe now that these experiences will continue to happen to us until we've learned to appreciate every single part of our uniqueness. Looking back now, I wouldn't change my experiences for the world. And finally, the answer is no. I don't get to experience the event like you do. But I damn sure get my dose of personal growth every single time. And the reason why the team and I are willing to put our heart and soul into every single detail is because this space and this community is our constant reminder that transformation into who we want to be starts with falling deeply in love with who we already are. Thank you.
