According to Malik, serving communities across the world as a chaplain, ordained minister, and speaker breathes life in his purpose. A purpose that has taken him from ten years in Hollywood to a lifetime of service. He has been working with community, political, and influential leaders to develop programs, courses, and employment to make needful changes in the world. From the challenging times of navigating this historic pandemic, he still finds a way to make a powerful impact on lives through various social media platforms.
He may easily be engulfed by distress due to his demanding role, but he has his tips for distress.
- Make time to protect your inner peace.
On a daily basis, Malik gets in nature and stays still without any distractions. “No social media, no internet, and absolutely no mobile device. That’s when you can hear your inner thoughts and voice without all of the other noise around you; life truly becomes fulfilling. Stillness has a way of changing your perspective on life and bringing out the best in people. It can be the difference between you becoming the best version of yourself professionally and personally or just remaining the same. It’s what most successful and effective leaders do regardless of their chosen industry.” He adds.
- Meditate before sunrise
Malik wakes up before sunrise and does his writing as he clears his mind. “The calmness and peace experienced by our subconscious are essential.” he said as he continued, “It’s something calming and peaceful about waking up early to get centered before your day starts. Once I adopted this daily morning routine, it changed my life. There was a paradigm shift that took place.”
Occasionally, Malik is prone to burnout and stressful days. He has his way of avoiding and combating stress.
- Spend time outdoors
When you have time, Malik advises to spend it outdoors. “Being in nature has a soothing and calming feeling that is great for the soul. This is how I avoid getting burnt out. My time is well spent in nature, whether it’s running 5 miles at Malibu beach at sunrise or hiking Runyan Canyon during sunset. The bonus of living in Southern California is that I can experience some amazing views of the Pacific Ocean whenever I choose. It’s nothing like morning residue saltwater piercing the air, hearing waves crash ashore, and watching the surfers conquer their boards and fear. It’s serenity at its best and calming to my spirit. This takes me away from any stress that I encounter.”
- Travel
Whenever Malik gets the opportunity, he travels. He made a promise to his kids that they will visit all continents before they turn 18. He finds it important to travel and see the world together. “I believe when you travel, it broadens your horizons and opens up your perspective in life. Even with the pandemic, I find ways to travel with my family within the state of California. Growing up in Philadelphia and seeing a lot of friends never leave the city, state or the country gave me the drive and desire to travel. So far, I’ve visited many countries on three different continents. This is by far a great way to avoid getting burnt out.”
Staying Motivated
His family keeps him motivated. When he looks into daughter and son’s eyes, he knows that they rely on him to love and protect them. He adds that being a parent, you carry a lot of duties, but you ought to perform all. Being responsible for two human beings can be humbling and exciting, equally. Humbling because no matter how you think you’ve figured out the algorithm of children’s behavior, it changes. Kids are great at keeping you on your toes. Exciting, simply because of the unknown variable of what’s going to happen from day to day. This makes him stay motivated.
Advice to the startups
To the people starting out, Stay humble. Stay hungry. Stay in the game. Malik advised them to find out the reason that they were put on this earth. After identifying that, they should commit to it, believe in it, and develop it until it becomes the center of who they are. “Once you’ve found the calling over your life, you’ll be fueled by purpose. That will lead you to a level of mastery. Then rinse off anything that doesn’t serve your purpose and repeat again and again and again.” He concluded.