Embracing Change

If there’s one truth that life keeps reinforcing, it’s this: change is inevitable. It doesn’t ask for permission, it doesn’t wait for the “right time,” and it rarely comes dressed in comfort. But it is always purposeful. And more often than not, it leads us exactly where we need to be—even when we don’t see it in the moment.

I was meant to go to UT Austin to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice. That was the plan. The dream. But then 9/11 happened. Like it did for so many others, that single event altered the course of my life. I ended up staying back in Karachi, and in doing so, I had to abandon not just a university application, but an entire vision of my future.

What did I do instead? I pivoted. I chose a field that was poles apart from what I had imagined—something safe, stable, and, frankly, not what I was passionate about. But at the time, it was what made sense. I spent nearly a decade in banking. It gave me structure, discipline, and a false sense of permanence.

Then one day, something shifted. There wasn’t a dramatic epiphany—just a quiet realization that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be. My wife and I, both passionate about design and creativity, decided to take a leap. We started our own design house. No roadmap. No guarantees. Just a belief that we were meant to build something of our own.

Then came children—yet another change. Beautiful, challenging, transformative. And just as we were finding our rhythm, we took a short trip to the U.S., intending only to explore opportunities. But life had other plans. One thing led to another, and we made the decision to stay and expand our business here.

Looking back, none of it was according to plan. But every detour, every decision made in uncertainty, brought us closer to our true path.

Change doesn’t always come with clarity. Sometimes it looks like failure. Sometimes it feels like loss. But if you meet it with openness and faith, it transforms into purpose.

We didn’t resist change. We embraced it. Over and over again. Because that’s destiny—not a fixed point on a map, but a journey shaped by every curve in the road.

Most recently, we embraced another change—transitioning from Signs By Tomorrow to an Image360 Northwest Houston brand. It was a big decision, one that has brought with it both excitement and uncertainty. But it also has sparked this reflection. This post. This reminder to myself—and maybe to you—that change continues to show up, asking only that we trust it.

To anyone standing at the edge of change today, may you have the courage to walk forward, the faith to let go of what no longer serves you, and the wisdom to know that what lies ahead might just be better than anything you left behind.

Ameen.