Welcome to the Mindful Meeting Podcast. In this episode, I talk to licensed professional counselor Anika Munshi. Anika is also the Founder of Sukoon Circles, where she specializes in working with the Muslim community and the unique challenges that they face living in the West. We discuss ways to deal with difficult parents, how to mindfully take care of your aging parents, and perfectionism in Muslim families.
What You’ll Learn:
[00:00] Introduction
[02:03] Why King Abu loves talking to therapists on the show
[07:42] The strength that comes with being vulnerable with yourself
[09:10] Who is Anika Munshi?
[10:50] The do’s and don’ts of dealing with parents
[15:50] Is it possible to separate culture from Islam?
[19:47] Breaking down the idea of respect
[21:46] Obedience and how to deal with narcissistic parents
[26:21] Navigating the different types of parental abuse
[29:49] Why do parents physically or emotionally abuse their children?
[36:14] What does the Quran say about taking care of our aging parents
[43:16] How to mindfully take care of your parents
[45:58] The pain and joy of taking care of your parents
[49:07] Perfectionism in Muslim families
[57:02] How to set boundaries with perfectionistic parents
[01:03:08] Approaching life through the lens of a tree’s life cycle
[01:09:30] We need to start seeing Islam raw and unfiltered
[01:12:03] Anika’s message to humanity
[01:13:21] Parting thoughts
Resources:
Anika’s LinkedIn
Sukooncircles.com
Mindful-meeting.com
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Quotes
“Compassion does not take the place of justice. Otherwise it enables bad behavior.” – Anika Munshi
“Humans are resilient creatures. And they are capable of change at any age.” – Anika Munshi
“Stop trying to base your personal worth on how well you can take care of your parents.” – Anika Munshi
“Unfortunately, a lot of people think perfectionism is just the normal way of doing things.” – Anika Munshi
“Perfectionism is like having a trophy. A trophy is really shiny on the outside but it’s empty on the inside.
Clips:
Start at: 14:28 – When we read…
End at: 15:04 – …meaningful truth.
Start at: 23:17 – So often…
End at: 23:59 – …Our own dependence.
Start at: 32:30 – Because we…
End at: 33:33 – …disagree with our parents
Start at: 43:04 – When it comes to…
End at: 44:07 – …out of balance.
