I attended an American international school. This meant that I was exposed to various cultures and celebrations.
One holiday that my western classmates looked forward to was Halloween, celebrated on October 31 every year.
During the week leading up to Halloween, my classmates shared horror stories and talked about their fears.
As children, we had common fears. We were afraid of ghosts, burglars, getting lost and murderers.
As we grew older, many of us have overcome these fears. What instilled fear in us and made us afraid to go to bed for weeks doesn’t seem so scary in hindsight.
But that doesn’t mean we became fearless people; our fears took a different form.
Some are now afraid of losing loved ones or failing at a business they invested time in building.
As fearless as I thought I had become, I developed new fears when I ventured into entrepreneurship.
I was afraid of uncertainty and how it could impact my business. I was afraid of failure that could cost me everything I worked hard for and of not having what it takes to manage a business as it expands.
But it was comforting to know that fellow entrepreneurs also had similar fears.
I knew that as long as these fears lingered inside my brain, my business wouldn’t grow.
My mother once told me that most of what we fear is exaggerated by our imagination.
When I was afraid of a thriller movie I watched with my cousins, she showed me a video of behind-the-scenes and how the special effects were made. I felt comfortable and didn’t ask to sleep with her that night.
Just as my mother had done with me, I had to learn how to dissect the fears I had as an entrepreneur and how to overcome them.
When it came to my fear of failure, I knew that the more prepared I was, the less likely it would happen.
I dedicated time to learning and when one option didn’t work out, I tried multiple others.
I learnt that everything has a solution. It may be unknown to us, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.
I also learnt that instead of treating failure as a scary monster that I should hide from, I had to befriend it.
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Watch: a new generation of Emirati entrepreneurs
Failure was bound to happen in one form or another. Whether it is failure to make a certain decision or failure to properly cater to your customers, failure happens.
It is part of the process and I chose to learn from it and use it as a building block towards my future.
As for my fear of uncertainty, I know that there will be external factors beyond our control; factors such as an economic crisis or a pandemic.
What we can control is how we react to these factors. I trained myself to be agile and flexible, and to not resist change. Since then, everything has become easier.
But the biggest fear I had to conquer was believing that I didn’t have what it takes to manage my business as it expanded.
This took me back to a question: how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
I was overwhelming myself, forgetting that I had also evolved with my business and if I didn’t know the answer, then mentors and acquaintances could always help.
Once I dissected my fears, I realised they weren’t so scary. The great thing is that opportunities always lay on the other side of fear.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
Price, base / as tested Dh207,846 / Dh220,000
Engine 6.2L V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque 624Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined 13.5L / 100km
SHAITTAN
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MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
The five pillars of Islam
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Results
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EElite%20men%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Amare%20Hailemichael%20Samson%20(ERI)%202%3A07%3A10%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Leornard%20Barsoton%20(KEN)%202%3A09%3A37%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Ilham%20Ozbilan%20(TUR)%202%3A10%3A16%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Gideon%20Chepkonga%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A17%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Isaac%20Timoi%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A34%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EElite%20women%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Brigid%20Kosgei%20(KEN)%202%3A19%3A15%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Hawi%20Feysa%20Gejia%20(ETH)%202%3A24%3A03%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Sintayehu%20Dessi%20(ETH)%202%3A25%3A36%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Aurelia%20Kiptui%20(KEN)%202%3A28%3A59%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Emily%20Kipchumba%20(KEN)%202%3A29%3A52%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
Read more about the coronavirus
Persuasion
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Jawan
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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