“What is meant for you, will reach you even if it is beneath two mountains. And what is not meant for you will not reach you even if it’s between your two lips.”
– Imam Al Ghazali
Dear Fellow Traveler
on Life's Journey,
Please accept my sincere gratitude for visiting The Garden in the Sky. Have a seat and take respite from your journey.
A NOTE ON GUIDANCE
The Gardener in the Sky and her blog do not offer clinical advice or medical guidance. Instead, the aim of this blog is to share a personal perspective on the world and the category topics discussed.
THE MASTER’S PLAN
Our life experiences, including hardships and life’s unexpected turns, shape us. That’s why gratitude at all times is the favorable reply to life’s events. It is the Master’s Plan (Director’s Cut)—Divine Guidance— that has shaped me and allowed me to grow, rather than the Master Plan (Performer’s Cut)—my own blueprint—that I had imagined and pursued. This journey through life requires patience, gratitude, and acceptance. It is our lifelong task to keep pursuing and honing these qualities.
THE VALUE OF FRAGILITY
The awareness that life is finite increases its value; it helps prioritize who and what is important, and when. Realizing that life is fragile teaches humility. It is a kind reminder that each of us is just a woman or man with many shortcomings as well as glimpses of the divine shining through and guiding us.
Many vintages ago in a Bavarian village, my grandmother ignited a passion for lifelong learning, reading, and writing in her granddaughter’s soul, and I am grateful for these faithful, ever-present companions.
THE SOUL BEHIND THE SCREEN
Professional credentials and work-related activities do not summarize or define a person; rather, they tell a story about opportunities, efforts, and pursuits. Sometimes these are fitting choices, and sometimes they are a bare necessity. In my case, I love what I do, but I am not what I do.
In this sense, The Gardener in the Sky embodies separateness, representing the nonprofessional and personal aspects — the soul behind the screen. It is a dwelling place for Iman, who is simply a woman, a fellow traveler, and a seeker on this journey between dunya—life—and akhira—afterlife.
Dear Stranger—Unknown Friend,
Stay a while, then leave — return whenever you wish. You are welcome here.
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Farewell,
Iman
Abdullah bin Umar conveyed, Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, “Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler along a path.”
— Sahih al Bukhari 6416 Book 81, Hadith 5
Iman’s Professional Background:
Iman is an American-board certified clinical psychologist (American Board of Professional Psychology, ABPP) . She is the clinical director of the boutique psychology firms Ihsan Living Pte Ltd in Singapore and Smart Living LLC in Chicago, USA. A polyglot and former business and PR consultant, Iman first came to Singapore three decades ago and considers herself Singaporean at heart. For many years she worked as an associate professor of psychology in the USA, authored two books, copious articles, and contributed extensively to several well-known international TV and radio stations on air.