Friends,
What began in a small corner of the internet in 2006 has become a journey of nearly two decades. Smile and Let Smile started with urgency: a voice for protecting children in the Maldives. Over time, it grew into more than 1,000 posts across two WordPress homes, reflecting on leadership, governance, volunteering, corruption, happiness, and hope.
Through every season, the rhythm has stayed the same: begin with a story, move into a reflection, and end with a gentle call to smile. Today I want to celebrate this journey by sharing three reflections on what blogging has taught me.
Words Can Spark Movements
The earliest posts were born from frustration at the silence around child abuse. Out of them grew the Child Abuse Watch Movement: proof that a simple blog can move people to act. Writing became not just personal reflection but a seed for community change.
At the recent MAHRP Learning & Development Forum, speakers reminded us that knowledge becomes powerful when it is shared, not hoarded. Blogging is that sharing: a way of turning private conviction into public courage.
Writing is a Mirror
Over the years, the blog became a place to untangle feelings about governance, community, and leadership. Sometimes it was angry, sometimes hopeful, but always honest. Writing gave me a mirror to check myself, to see where I was stuck, and to search for better.
At MPSS2025, Guan spoke of creativity emerging from collision: when ideas clash and something new is born. The blog has been that collision point: where inner turmoil met public dialogue, producing clarity and courage.
The Voice That Remains
Even as themes expanded, the heart of Smile and Let Smile stayed the same: to blend faith, family, and Maldivian life with global insights, in a voice that feels like a conversation under a tree in an island, or by the sea on an island. It was never meant to be a manual. It was meant to be human.
At Live2Lead, John Maxwell reminded us that leadership is posture, not position. The blog too has never been about position, but posture: sitting beside, reflecting, and lifting together.
🌺 From the Archives – Milestones of Smile and Let Smile
“The past is not gone — it is a mirror that still shines light.”
🕊 Fear of Losing (2006) Learning to turn frustration into responsibility: one of the first lessons on growth. Read more »
🌱 Dare to Dream (2006) Hope as fuel, service as the journey: early reflections on youth and vision. Read more »
🌊 Back to the Community of Caring (2007) Reviving the Maldivian spirit of generosity and everyday solidarity. Read more »
🌸 Strong Families and Communities are Central for Children (2010) “There is no trust more sacred than the one we hold with children.” Read more »
🌍 Discover and Serve Happiness (2015) Happiness as identity: discover who you are and use it to serve others. Read more »
Closing Thought
Nineteen years of words, and still the dua is simple: may our words carry light, may they spark kindness, may they help us smile and let others smile too.
Smile and let smile, Shihab
Smile and Let Smile 