Embracing change with confidence—living authentically and staying true to my values #Day26

Tina Rahman, HR Habitat

Day 26. Let me tell you how it’s going.

It’s been 26 days since I have worn my beautiful crown - my headscarf.

Here’s my experience for the last 26 days.

➤ I have never felt as sophisticated as I do wearing the headscarf! It’s truly such versatile yet humble attire

➤ Everyone knows I love my suits/blazers, and let me tell you- a scarf makes my suits look 100% more classy (example pics pending upload).

➤ I feel more confident in myself. I’ve always been very modest and now I get to be my truth authentic self

➤ In the first few days I used to wonder what others thought. Then I realised I don’t actually care. It’s a free world, I’m happy with my choice.

➤ I feel I am representing other women in business who wear a headscarf. Together we’re smashing boundaries and stereotypes.

➤ I work 10x harder to be a “good human”. If I’m going to visually represent Islam, I need to ensure I do it justice. Say less words, show them what it’s really about.

➤ I realised it’s so usual and common and nobody actually cares 😂

The reason why I post is this:

⌦ If you’ve been contemplating doing something but fear/confusion/uncertainty is stopping you, do it anyway. You’ll be surprised of the outcome.

⌦ Educate and learn about things you don’t know much about.

⌦ Don’t be afraid to live life to your values. Others don’t have to agree, and you don’t have to agree to their values. But you do have to be a good human.

⌦ Experiment! Don’t be afraid to try new things. I NEVER thought I’d ever be in a headscarf, so I certainly surprised myself!

⌦ Be open about your story. There’s a whole lot more I can say but that’s for another post.

All in all, I’ve had a wonderful experience but do I think of that small 1% of of Islamophobic people who might treat me differently? Not as much as I used to.

Does that stop me being who I want to be? Nope.

employment advice
HR Compliance
Leadership & Management
HR & Legal advice
Manager Development

Tina Rahman HR Habitat

Founder of HR Habitat, award winner of "Best HR & Employment Law Consultancy, 2024" title. As featured in BBC Oline, BBC Asian Network Radio, Telegraph & more.