Celebrate Through Financial Planning

Today I introduce you to a brave and honest woman, a woman who I admire, for the journey she has walked and the path that lay ahead. I first met Rasheda Khatun in 2010 leading up to the launch of her very first charity ball, themed ‘Celebration of Life’.

Then, I must admit, I was in awe of her ‘get up and go’ a businesswomen and a philanthropist, did I mention she was a singer too? Fast forward to 2012 she now is the co-founder of her own financial advisory business, a qualified life coach – and she’s raised more than AED200,000 for charity.

This year’s ball is themed ‘All White Night’ representing the inner celebration of life and our guardian angels. Rasheda embodies the same drive to ‘celebrate life’ today as she did the first day I met her. And she has very good reason too.

Q) Rasheda, you’re a financial planner and your big on celebrating life, how do we do this through financial planning?

A) The meaning of celebrating life for me is to live free, having the freedom to choose life and fully embrace and experience it. This is living in fulfillment. I want to get to my last hour and say “I lived” “I gave it my best shot.” The fact is EVERYTHING costs money. Life costs money. Financial planning is the process of creating and building financial freedom giving you the freedom to make choices in life, to live the life you truly want to live.

Q) Rasheda, your passion to ‘celebrate life’ is quite a personal journey, can you share where it began with us?

A) Well, it began as a normal work day back in 2007, I was sitting in my office, mystified at the news I’d been given. I’d just been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and my world was a blur! I was informed that I was in the last stage of the cancer and my chances of survival were slim. I was only 26 years old! In the months that followed I was then faced with the harsh reality of reflecting upon my life. It was at this time I found myself asking, ‘Is this my last hour? Have I lived? And have I lived fully?’ My answer was ‘Yes, I have lived. Fully? Hmmm… not sure.’ And it was from that day I made a decision, a decision to celebrate life every day in every way…

Q) And now you encourage us all, to join in and celebrate life with your annual charity ball…

A) Yes, it is so important to ‘consciously’ take the time to celebrate. So often the business side of life gets in the way. The idea of the ball came from a dear friend of mine, Pam. She too was diagnosed with cancer and we both journeyed on our road to recovery together, we joked that we would have a big party to celebrate ‘life’ not death, as too often people only get together at people’s wake. We decided to tell the world and organise a charity ball, so we could all celebrate together.

Q) And you did it!

A) Actually, I didn’t that year. I too got caught up in life and then a very sad thing happened, Pam’s cancer progressed and she passed away later that year. Something shifted, I am not sure if it was my sadness or grief, but I knew I had to honor my agreement with Pam. I started organising the ball in honor of ‘our lessons learnt’ unfortunately not celebrated in time with the world. So it was Pam who gave birth to a great ball for a great cause! Rasheda has now completed five years in remission.

Q) What drew you to the charities for children, education and good health?

A) Surviving a life-threatening illness gifts you with the value of life. Through my eyes, seeing people in poverty, especially children and young adults is so unjust! Giving these people, ALL people an opportunity to learn and the privilege of a health system will change their lives. There’s a saying which goes…don’t give a man a fish, teach him how to fish! The money raised by everyone from the ball makes a difference, changing the world to be a better place, today and tomorrow and for generations to come.

Q) In your recovery, what thoughts, feelings and friendships do you feel served you well?

A) My parents and friends carried me in the hard times. I learnt to receive their love, even in those times when it was just too much. I understood it was ‘their’ way and this is how they showed it. By acknowledging my own network of love I realised even if I wanted too, I could never fall.

Q) The picture below is a quote ‘if we love ourselves first everything else just falls into place’ what does this mean to you?

A) Having love for yourself will bring out the best person you are. Life becomes easy. You can just live as you are, you no longer have to live up to the expectations of others. Simply put, loving yourself first brings out the real you.

Q) Why do you think it is so hard for us as women and human beings to love ourselves?

A) Personally, it was hard for me because I thought it was really stupid and silly. How wrong I was! For women, it’s hard to love ourselves because we don’t understand that we can receive love from ourself. Even though we know how to be judgmental towards ourselves, we fail to acknowledge that we can equally feel compassion towards ourselves. And really ‘we’ are our only judge. I am learning this now, to be a women who is more than just happy with myself, but a woman who truly loves herself which I believe is our ultimate freedom.

Q) Tell us about your love for the color orange and how you love a splash of orange in what you wear ? 

A) Thank you. I love colour, I feel colour. However it was only in my recent years did I learn about connecting with colours in a new way. For me, when look at orange I see excitement and fun and growth. We all know the feeling of seeing our reflection and liking what we see… when I wear orange it does that for me. It’s a splash of confidence, excitement and fun and I am off on my way.

Q) You celebrate life in many ways, including the clothes you wear. What are you wearing this summer?

A) Well this summer for me is about feeling light and refreshed with a big splash of fun. And a splash of glam to give it a bit of jazz. I will bring out my whites, nudes, pinks and oranges. Also linen to beat the heat in Dubai respectfully. On my list to buy are accessories for the wrist, belts, stripy sandals – just a few new pieces to glam up my casual look.

Q) How else is your sense of style reflected in your life?

A) My style seems to be represented throughout all of my life. I just realised the other day while going through my wardrobe that my home interior has the same theme to the colors I wear. I like to have my home reflecting my energy and when friends arrive and they say “Ohh this is ‘so’ you” it makes me feel wonderful.

See below some beautiful pics of Rasheda’s home… we can see that same orange theme re-occuring below.

For those of you who want to join in and celebrate life with Rasheda and feel good knowing it’s for a fabulous cause… you can! Celebration of life presents; ALL WHITE NIGHT, Friday 5th of October 2012. It will be at The Westin in JBR.

For enquiries please contact  Rasheda at  [email protected] or on her mobile 050 259 1005. I know I’ll be there with bells on.