A Special Ramadan There is a saying that goes “Time is money”, but where I come from in Malaysia we say “Time is gold”. This spring, I got a temporary job promotion where I got to earn ‘gold bars’ while staying at home and doing no work. With all that extra ‘earnings’, I wondered how to invest my ‘gold’ to reap maximum profits. Then I decided to invest in my soul! I started my investment by practicing meditation every other day. I would sit cross legged on my wooden patio, close my eyes and take deep slow breaths for twenty minutes. During that time I observe all the thoughts that creep into my mind and broadcast themselves in my imagination. I slowly detach myself from them by focusing on my breathing, the sound of the chirping birds and the gentle breeze that's brushing against my skin. Midway through the session I become completely present and out of my head, that's when I start feeling my soul. I reinvested the profits from meditation in Ramadan, where I finally had the 'gold' to participate wholeheartedly in the holy fasting month. For example, the practice of being present carried over into my daily prayers. Being aware of the meaning of the verses that I'm reciting and the significance of my movements made me feel at peace at the end of each prayer. I reinvested that peace into reading the Qur'an daily in both Arabic and English to feel the meaning of the words, igniting my soul with every page. Even when the promotion ends and I stop earning extra 'gold' I will still have enough profits to continue investing in my soul. This has been the most special Ramadan that I got to