Life Advice for a Meaningful and Successful Life

This personal development article explores how we can build a more meaningful, disciplined, and productive life through timeless wisdom, knowledge, perseverance, and respect for time. Drawing inspiration from thinkers and scholars such as İlber Ortaylı, Saadi Shirazi, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Cemil Meriç, Sezai Karakoç, Fuat Sezgin, and Nevzat Tarhan, the article emphasizes turning knowledge into action, learning from older generations, embracing difficulties, preparing for opportunities, and aiming for excellence. Above all, it encourages readers not merely to consume information, but to transform what they learn into habits, character, achievement, and lasting contributions to society.

Life Advice for a Meaningful and Successful Life

İlber Ortaylı advises young people to make friends with people from the generation before them. In other words, if you are in your twenties or thirties, it can be very beneficial to stay in touch with people in their forties and fifties. But simply knowing older people is not enough; we should also listen to their advice. If they tell us something valuable and true, we should try to apply it to our lives.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance of sincere advice. Therefore, a generation of young people who are willing to listen to good advice can, by Allah’s permission, become a blessed and beneficial generation. At the very beginning of this article, I would like to encourage you to listen carefully to the wisdom of your elders.

Yavuz Bülent Bakiler, one of our respected writers, once promoted a beautiful idea: “Let books be part of our daughters’ dowries.” He wanted there to be no home without books. Thankfully, many people listened to this advice. But now comes the next stage: it is time to read those books. And after reading them, it is time to put what we learn into practice.

We should allow books to change us for the better. Knowledge should not remain between the covers of a book; it should become part of our lives. I hope, dear readers, that you will pass through both of these stages: first reading, and then living according to what you have learned.

What makes great scholars and teachers truly great is often their ability to turn what they learn into action. Suppose, for example, that you read that physical exercise is extremely important for both health and intellectual productivity. You learn about its benefits. What should you do next? You should make room for exercise in your daily life. If you do that, the knowledge you gained has served a purpose. But if knowledge never becomes action, what benefit does it really provide?

The same principle applies to personal development. What is the value of self-improvement advice if it is never incorporated into our lives? Doctors, for example, may advise us not to sleep immediately after eating. Knowing this advice is one thing; acting upon it is another. Knowledge becomes truly meaningful when it turns into action.

Live a Meaningful Life

I believe that we should try to live meaningful lives, dear readers.

Saadi Shirazi, one of the great figures of the East, once wrote:

“Our lives passed wondering what we would eat today and what we would wear tomorrow.”

Mehmet Akif Ersoy was deeply struck by these words. He thought, in effect: “If even a master like Saadi Shirazi says this, what will become of us?”

Of course, human beings have to think about food, clothing and other necessities of life. There is nothing strange about that. The problem begins when these necessities become the center of our existence and we spend endless hours talking and thinking about them.

A person who pursues something lasting can live a much more meaningful life. Not everyone is fortunate enough to leave behind works that continue to benefit people after their death. Yet today, so many of our days disappear into gossip, TikTok, entertainment and endless distractions.

Fuat Sezgin provides a striking example of a different approach to life. Although he had the financial means to live more comfortably, he would sometimes prepare a simple lunch of bread, cheese and tomatoes, eat quickly, and return to his studies. His priority was clear: time was precious.

Respect Time

Respecting time and recognizing it as a blessing can lead us toward success. Does Allah not swear by time in Surah al-Asr?

Because I knew about the Qur’anic reference to the pen, I used to pick up pens whenever I saw them lying on the floor, out of respect for my Lord. I am not recommending this as a religious practice, of course; such an interpretation could become problematic. But if our Lord swears by time, I personally believe that time should be among the things we respect most deeply.

Respecting time means trying to use even its smallest portions wisely.

Billions of people who once lived in this world no longer possess the blessing of time. Human beings have lived on this earth for thousands of years, and the overwhelming majority of them have passed away. They no longer have the hours that you have today.

You do.

So use them well.

We should make the best possible use of our time if we hope to leave behind something lasting.

Aim for the Highest Mountain

Leaving behind lasting works is like climbing the highest mountains.

Sezai Karakoç once said, “A Muslim is an alpinist.” An alpinist climbs the Alps; metaphorically, he was encouraging Muslims to aim for the highest levels.

That is why we should not think like short-distance runners. We should prepare ourselves for marathons—or even for the Olympics. Athletes sometimes train for years simply to reach the Olympic Games. Even qualifying is a tremendous achievement.

Likewise, we should aim high in life.

Imagine a student saying, “I only need a passing grade.” If that student studies only enough to barely pass, they may not even achieve that. But another student who aims for 100 and works accordingly may score around 90.

I once heard that Japanese teachers tell their students, “Your success is the success of our country.” Whether we think of it individually or socially, the underlying idea is valuable: the success of a young person does not necessarily benefit only that individual. It can produce benefits for an entire society.

Become Deeply Rooted in Knowledge

In the pursuit of knowledge, we should aspire to become among the rasikhuna fi'l-'ilm—those deeply rooted in knowledge.

Islamic civilization is, at its heart, a civilization of knowledge. Muslim scholars of the past undertook long journeys, known as rihla, in search of knowledge. These journeys could be extremely dangerous, yet many scholars still chose to travel because knowledge was worth the sacrifice. Thanks to their efforts, countless treasures of learning eventually reached us.

There is also a famous saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

“Seek knowledge even if it is in China.”

Another narration encourages us to be among those who teach knowledge, learn it, listen to it, or love and support those who pursue it.

Perhaps the ideal is to spend our entire lives doing all four: learning, teaching, listening and loving knowledge.

Cemil Meriç summarized his own life beautifully: “My life is learning and teaching.”

Although he did not particularly like the word “teacher,” he nevertheless saw teaching as one of his responsibilities. Teaching others and doing something beneficial for society can also bring a deep sense of inner peace.

There is a well-known saying: “If your plan is for a hundred years, educate children.”

A generation can mature in twenty-five years. Perhaps in our rapidly changing age, transformation can happen even faster.

Success Has a Price

Before enlightening others, we must first enlighten ourselves.

And success demands a price.

Sometimes hardship makes maturity easier than comfort does. This is the idea behind the popular saying:

“Hard times create strong people.”

Why do we sometimes hear stories of shepherds achieving extraordinary results in university entrance examinations? One possible reason is their desire to change their circumstances. A shepherd may wake up early, return home late, carry serious responsibilities and perform difficult physical work. They are not responsible for one sheep, but an entire flock.

People who experience the difficulties of life can sometimes develop an intense hunger for education.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy is an important example. His father died, and his family home burned down. Because of these circumstances, Akif chose an education that would allow him to find employment quickly. He graduated at the top of his class. He had to succeed because he felt responsible for helping support his family.

Perhaps the discipline he acquired during those difficult years remained with him throughout his life.

When we look at these events, they are certainly painful. Yet perhaps those difficulties were also preparing Akif for the enormous responsibilities he would later face during the First World War and the struggle surrounding Çanakkale.

Even in nature, danger can sharpen abilities. Birds that must escape hawks develop speed, alertness and quick reflexes. Difficulty, therefore, can sometimes become a school of development.

Success Belongs to Those Who Can Endure

Nevzat Tarhan says that enduring difficulties leads to success:

“Success is given to those who endure.”

He also says:

“You cannot climb mountains on roads covered with flowers.”

If we repeatedly climb a mountain, perhaps eventually we create a path.

Our brains work in a somewhat similar way. When we encounter new information, strong neural pathways do not instantly appear. Repetition strengthens connections. When learning a language, if we say, “This is too difficult; I’m giving up,” we never give our minds enough time to build those pathways.

And so we never climb the mountain.

Interestingly, information that surprises us or challenges us often remains in our memories much longer. When knowledge becomes connected with a powerful emotion—surprise, embarrassment, excitement or curiosity—it can become unforgettable.

So we should climb the mountain.

And perhaps we should climb the Alps as well.

I would like to encourage our young people to develop the courage to say:

“I want to become one of the best people in the world in my field.”

There will not always be a ready-made path to the summit. Life does not always move along smooth roads. Sometimes the road rises; sometimes it falls.

Those who can endure these fluctuations have a much better chance of eventually reaching their destination.

Conquer Knowledge

While enduring difficulties, perhaps we should imagine ourselves as conquerors.

Conquerors prepare for months. They struggle, take calculated risks and develop plans before achieving their objectives. I believe a scholar or student should possess some of these qualities as well.

We should conquer fields of knowledge.

Napoleon is reported to have emphasized that military genius may be a gift, but that firmness of character and determination are essential qualities in a commander.

I would like to adapt this idea to the pursuit of knowledge:

“Intellectual genius may be a gift from God, but for a seeker of knowledge, the essential qualities are strength of character, patience, consistency and the determination to conquer knowledge.”

We should approach learning with discipline.

Genius is a gift from Allah, but genius is not a requirement for learning. Most people possess enough intelligence to learn and improve. People have different intellectual abilities, of course, but we should not use this difference as an excuse never to begin.

You do not have to be a genius.

You have to start.

And then you have to continue.

Take Your Tools With You

If you want to climb a mountain, you need the proper equipment: ropes, appropriate footwear and other tools.

Knowledge also has its tools.

In the classical Islamic intellectual tradition, these preparatory disciplines were sometimes called the “instrumental sciences”—the sciences that enable us to access other fields of knowledge.

For example, if you want to study Ottoman history seriously, Ottoman Turkish becomes one of your intellectual tools.

We should also dedicate perhaps ten percent of our time to thinking about methodology:

How can I do this better?

If you work in marketing, read about marketing methods.

If you teach foreign languages, study language-learning and teaching methods.

Whatever your profession is, do not merely perform it. Study how it can be performed better.

Preparation Brings Peace

People who do the necessary things at the right time often experience greater peace later.

Sinan Canan draws attention to an interesting similarity in Turkish between the words huzur (peace) and hazır (ready). The idea is simple and beautiful:

Those who are prepared are more peaceful.

Imagine that you are taking a foreign-language examination. If you have prepared properly, you will naturally feel calmer during the exam.

If you regularly review your lessons, your knowledge grows. When you graduate and attend job interviews, you are more likely to feel confident and peaceful.

Life often gives opportunities to those who are ready for them.

Perhaps what we call “luck” is sometimes simply being in the right place at the right time—with the right preparation.

To Do One Good Thing, Say No to a Thousand Useless Things

On the road toward peace and success, I would also like to recall a statement by Ömer Lekesiz:

“In order to do one good thing, you have to avoid thousands of useless things.”

Studying, for example, requires some degree of solitude.

Sometimes you need to sit alone with a book in a quiet room.

If you choose to spend every evening watching television instead, how will you find the time to study?

If you spend endless hours with friends, when will you develop expertise?

If you want consistency, you may have to reduce activities that have little to do with your primary goals.

Success is not only about what you do.

It is also about what you deliberately choose not to do.

Two Types of People I Would Like to See More Often

There are two kinds of people I would particularly like to encourage.

The first are people who actually have considerable free time but do not realize its value.

Sometimes I see small food shops where the shopkeeper opens around noon and customers arrive intermittently throughout the day. If we added together the actual minutes spent preparing orders, receiving payments and serving customers, perhaps the total amount of active work would not even reach four hours.

What happens during the remaining hours?

TikTok. Instagram. Random conversations. Gossip.

Hours disappear.

If we work four hours but waste another ten, can we really say that the entire day was spent earning our livelihood?

As Muslims, we believe that our youth and our time are blessings for which we bear responsibility.

Why should someone who sells or rents cars spend every quiet hour in gossip and meaningless conversation?

If we do not occupy ourselves with something good, something harmful may eventually occupy us.

When the mind is not filled with knowledge, purpose and useful work, gossip, slander and countless distractions can easily enter.

Bring Difficult Knowledge to Ordinary People

My second request is this: make technical knowledge accessible to the public.

Medicine, neuroscience, economics, psychology and many other fields contain highly technical terminology. A neuroscientist, for example, encounters hundreds of specialized concepts.

But imagine that someone takes this difficult knowledge, explains it in language ordinary people can understand, adds good examples and turns it into something practical.

Millions of people can benefit.

Atomic Habits is a good example of this approach. The book has sold tens of millions of copies around the world. One of James Clear’s great strengths was his ability to collect useful ideas, illustrate them with memorable examples and explain them in simple, practical language.

We need more work like this.

Knowledge should not remain locked inside universities, laboratories and technical books. We should also produce works that ordinary people can understand and use in their everyday lives.

Final Thoughts

Thank you very much for reading.

I hope I have not tired your eyes too much. And please do not forget the “right of the eyes” after reading so many of my words! :)))

May we never remain thirsty while standing beside the fountain.

Read.

Learn.

Apply what you learn.

Respect your time.

Prepare yourself.

Endure difficulties.

Aim for the highest mountain.

And when you finally reach the summit, help others find their way there too.

Ozan Dur