Tasneem Noor, the Faith Connector, is an award-winning, Amazon best-selling author of "The Faith Connection: Your Journey Starts with Knowing Yourself." Tasneem is the founder of Noor Enterprises: SOULful Transformations—committed to providing transformational experiences, personal & spiritual development, and facilitating meaningful dialogue across differences. Her mission is two-fold. First, to help women trust themselves more to play big and answer their calling. Second, to build bridges of compassion, curiosity, and collaboration across differences by changing difficult conversations into impactful moments of connection.
Tasneem received her Masters in Education in Student Affairs from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). For over seven years, Tasneem worked within student affairs on campuses including Santa Monica College, UCLA, and Cal State University, Los Angeles. As the Programs Director for NewGround: A Muslim Jewish Partnership for Change, Tasneem has trained over 200 community leaders through 8 month long conflict transformational programs. The Inter-religious Council of Southern CA recognized Tasneem as an emerging faith leader. She is serving as the Interfaith Minister-in-Residence with the Southern CA Episcopal Diocese; and sits on several interfaith boards.
Tasneem uses authenticity and courage are her most cherished values in building stronger relationships and sustainable communities.
I am... a spiritual coach, an author, interfaith leader, a speaker, facilitator, spiritual leader and religious leader.
However the title that best describes and encapsulates who I am and what I do far more than any one or all of these titles combined is THE FAITH CONNECTOR!
Whether you identify as being religious, spiritual, seeking, unsure, not religious or atheist, I believe the power of faith, "deep trust," is the game changer.
Faith is not the same thing as religion.
Faith is YOUR SOURCE of power, clarity, courage, conviction, love, and whatever else that grounds you. It is WITHIN YOU, it comes from you, and its experience is unique to you.
Faith is THE ingredient that strengthens, nourishes, and grounds you from within to dream big, speak up, step up, and become the best version of yourself.
I am Muslim. I have faith in "Islam" as a religion of peace, truth, mercy, and guidance. My Muslim identity has greately informed, enriched, and influenced what I have faith IN. However, Faith is not the same as religion.
Faith is in here (your heart). Simply said, faith is deep trust. It is your experience of deep trust. The most important question then becomes, what do you have faith, deep trust, IN?
I was in college. Sitting in the student center, munching away on chips and reading something when Juanette, my friend walked over. And she said, "you should run for student government."
I stared at her blankly, shocked that she would even suggest such a thing. And in a daze I said, "Who, me?!! No, I would never run for office."
Juanette simply asked, "Why not?" She didn't say too much more but encouraged me to think it over. I agonized over her question, "why not?" for days. It was the last thought before I went to bed and the first thought when I woke up! I had all these doubts and fears pop up.
I thought… I am just good at helping people, but I am not a leader! Why would anyone vote for me? And then all the "what if'' scenarios started piling up… What if I lose? What if I win? What if I can't handle the pressure? What if I don't know how to vote? What if I mess up?...
There was no escape. Finally, I made my decision. I would turn in my election application and see what happens!
I am sharing this moment because it is my earliest memory of making a decision that stretched me. My first time when I used my faith, deep trust, to overcome my fear.
At that time, I had faith IN that "I was safe and whatever happens, God would be there to guide me and support me."
I didn't have much faith, deep trust, in myself at that point. and certainly did not have any true idea of my potential, let alone have faith in it. But by tapping into what I DID have deep trust IN, it helped me to make a decision that took me way out of my comfort zone.
I didn't know it then, but this was my first step towards becoming The Faith Connector.
The power of faith is in knowing what you have deep trust IN and using it to be IN ACTION.
And in case you are wondering what happened -- I won the election, and happily, successfully served my term! =)
As I became aware of my strengths and talents, my confidence in myself also grew.
I now began to have faith (deeper confidence) in myself as a leader, professional, counselor, facilitator, etc. I recognized I have value to offer and make a difference.
In other words I became confident that "I got this!"
However, outside of those specific roles, I still didnt have faith in myself. I was self-conscious, cautious, indecisive, and used external benchmarks like education, job, relationship status, travel, to determine my success.
And while I was blessed without measure and felt super grateful on all fronts, something was missing. By societal standards, I had it all -- job, car, financial security, fun, family, health...
And yet, this gnawing voice got louder and louder and went on auto-repeat mode -- "Something is missing. Something is off." I felt guilty, selfish, frustrated that I wasn’t happy with everything I had.
I had the audacity to want more, but I didn't know what.
And then I dared. I dared to dream. Sitting in the Dreambuilder conference in 2013, for the first time I let go of expectations, check-boxes, and ideas of what was logical or realistic. I asked myself, "If there were no limitations, and everything was possible, what would I love?"
At first asking this question, "what would I love?" felt foreign and uncomfortable.. And I didnt have an exciting answer.
But as I continued to stay curious with myself on what I would really love to have/do/be/experience... My dreams surfaced. I envisioned a beautiful life with a loving, supportive family, an impactful career where I was building bridges to bring different communities together.. I was sharing the power of faith on large stages, traveling the world, married to the love of my life, blessed with a beautiful, loving, kind, smart, healthy daughter, spending quality time with my family and friends, sky diving and snorkeling.. I was plugged into abundance and had time and money freedom…
Suddenly, I knew what "that something missing" feeling was all about. I was unhappy & discontent because I was following societal norms, and not listening to my inner-truth, my calling.
I was living the life I was expected to, not a life I truly desired or intentionally designed.
I was playing small by playing safe.
Dreaming up a life I love was one step closer to believing in myself as The Faith Connector
It was an opening into a world that I didn't know existed. I began to feel more alive!
I got my first coaching certification and quit my university job to build my dream life.
And the best part was that I felt at total peace with my decision. I felt this deep assurance (faith) that everything will be ok, and work out for the best.
And even though I basically said goodbye to my job, security, familiarity, and the only life I had known until then, I still felt grounded and held.
There was no worry, no stress. I felt light. I felt alive. This is the power of faith.
I started to believe in myself as Tasneem, and no longer rely on titles and degrees to define me.
At every turn, every obstacle, every opportunity I have had to give myself permission to stretch more, to honor my inner guidance and speak my truth.
I have had to deepen my trust (faith) in myself.
Have faith (deep trust) in my ability to take decisions with peace and confidence.. and to live a life without regrets.
Trust myself to take risks because they are aligned with who I am and what I desire.
Trust that labels/titles dont define or limit me but who I am being does.
Trust that my presence is more powerful than anything else I can do or say.
Trust that I am enough and ready NOW with what I have and where I am.
Trust joy and my dreams as a reliable guide to follow my potential & inner truth
Trust my intuition, my inner wisdom
Living with faith is a practice. It is a lifestyle.
Living with faith is not the absence of doubt, pain, struggle, fear, or worries.
Living with faith means to be grounded, nourished, and strengthened in your resolve to become a fuller, more authentic version of yourself.
Living with faith is the secret to living a fuller, fulfilling life now!
Living with faith feels like that sincere smile that comes from deep within, spreads on your face into your eyes, and feels so good all over that it catches you by surprise… It is gentle, yet powerful and oh, so joyful!
I invite you to trust yourself more and more and play big!
And if you want to live with deeper faith then, get in touch with me today. Let's start!
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