I really miss the 'old days'. I miss when I used to pamper myself to a foamy latte on late Sunday evenings, in a comfortable place in our apartment, opening my laptop to draft my weekly newsletters. Back then, writing was smooth and natural, following the rhythm of my busy daily life. Topics used to come naturally and words flowed gently. I got used to the habit and found lots of comfort in it. However, life is seldom static; things can change by the second!
When I last wrote to you, I was in the midst of kicking off one of the most rewarding programs at Launch DXB. We were planning for and finalizing the logistics of the #SocialCamp, a 6-day social entrepreneurship program, which we hosted in collaboration with the UAE Federal Youth Authority and Tasjeel.ae, in addition to prominent ecosystem players like Dtec, in5 Dubai, RIT, and SBA at AUS. The last-minute logistics were occupying every minute of my day, to the degree that I decided to drop everything else I was working on, including newsletters, in order to solely focus on the Camp.
The #SocialCamp took place from August to October, 2021. It took 3 months to train 25 startup teams on everything social entrepreneurship, to vet ideas, and to choose 3 teams to build ventures with, through the support of Laucnh DXB's extended network of private and public partners. By the end of the program, it was an emotional deal to let go of the 3 selected teams that I spent countless hours talking to every week. By October, their mentorship with Launch DXB came to an end, and implementation of their growth plans was initiated.
The sad truth is that not all endings are happy. Some sudden events can shake up our whole existence. Unfortunately, during the time we were running the #SocialCamp, I lost a very dear soul to my heart. The loss left me stranded, lost, afraid, and full of anger. It pulled me away from everything I loved and everything I enjoyed doing. It pulled me away from the life I had built for myself and I loved living daily. It took me months to learn how to live with the pain. I did not get to cope with the pain yet, I am still unsure if I ever will. I just learned how to get used to living and growing around this pain.
Today, I decided to challenge myself. I chose to challenge myself to go back to the Diala I used to love. Diala that is committed to what she loves. Diala that wants to grow while she helps others grow around her. Diala that is passionate about supporting others in finding their potential and growing. Today marks the starting point of my journey for recovery, for regaining my strength, and for committing to what I used to love doing. If I relapse and a week passes without you hearing from me, please check in on me and advise me to revisit this piece and the promise I had made to myself!
As for you, please stay safe and enjoy every second of your life and of the lives of those you love. Grief takes time, so if you pass in a similar situation like mine, take your time and don’t challenge yourself until you feel you are ready to do so.
We will be reconnecting next week with a new blog post (like the ones you and I were used to) and some learnings from the startup, technology, and entrepreneurship ecosystem. We reconnect by then!
With love,
Diala J. Daoud
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