We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.
Sarah, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I didn’t realize I had imposter syndrome.
It was so part of my cultural upbringing to be humble and not draw attention to the self. It is used as a grounding technique- to be aware that there is always someone wiser, someone better to stave off arrogance from taking seed in the heart. Additionally, it is looked down upon to appear superficial and to do something just for likes and comments. I do see the wisdom behind this practice. It is to increase authenticity, sincerity, and purifying the heart. So I took it as a positive decorum to work in anonymity and prove my sincerity to my cause.
In hindsight, it portrayed me as a weak or not-so-confident person in my current American culture. A downside of believing that there is always someone superior ended up allowing self-doubt to grow like weed. I did not know to distinguish between competence-based confidence and hollow showmanship.
Finally, after my son was born, as I was writhing in the angst during the post-C-section recovery period with hormonal imbalance, swollen feet, tight chest making breathing a struggle, my postpartum depression and anxiety reached their climax. And somehow, it was that one night, when the discomfort of being foreign in my own body catalyzed my awakening. I had epiphany bursting through that I had to do something with the gestating ideas in my head that also want breathe in the world.
Those inspirations felt like a divine trust that if I don’t take the helm and birth them into the world, someone else will. It might be later, it might be better. But I will miss out on the joyous experience of being the mom. I will miss the opportunity to be the conduit for greatness that can elevate the condition of Muslims, humans, environment, the world. And most importantly, I will ignore the opportunities to pave the path to a better world for the tiny babies my body built in my womb for the world to live their potentials.
It kept echoing in my head that my kids are only as safe as the children around them. And I want my children to grow up safe, beautiful, and amazing in a beautiful world that is glad to have them.
The list of my worries went on—from plastic pollution to pollinator extinction to sexual abuse, manmade famines and more. It was frustrating that the mass isn’t doing more to protect my progeny, or theirs.
It was that night that something exploded within me. An opening cracking and widening, until I poured out of my anxious mind and foreign body.
And then I encountered my imposter within, doubting me with the usual dialogue: who did I think I was? To dare to think that I could even make a dent in the woes that plagued me?
Also there was the blackmail of people will ridicule me for my delusions.
It played back the voices of my close ones who told me that my kids are too young for me to try take risks. The mom-guilt that I will miss out on them growing up. That I am not anyone great enough to do anything significant. That I don’t know enough to claim or guide anyone.
Fear, inadequacy, incompetency, derisions—I was flooded with my insecurities—my ego trying to protect me and my reputation. It tried to lull me with promise of safety in the familiar and the present. I had everything. I worked hard to get here. Now just enjoy the fruits of my labors. Don’t be crazy.
But the funny thing about fruits is that they require constant labor. And the bees are dying. Will my grandchild get to taste a sweet mango? Or a buttery avocado?
A desperate rebellion rose within. Questions to my questions: if not me, then who? If not now, then when?
And I was stunned. It’s true… no one will love my children, my progeny that I still have yet to meet, like I will. No one will care about the world the way I do. Is that not enough for me to take action despite my fears and inadequacies?
Just because I don’t know now, doesn’t mean I can’t learn. I just finished grueling medical school, soul-shattering residency, dysfunctional workforce, and I popped out two new humans through the span of 3 years while learning to function on low sleep. I had already broken many times by venturing beyond my limits. And somehow I was still here – broken but breathing. I already transformed into something beyond regular human. So if not me… then really… who else?
I felt the inspirations wriggling in my brain like my babies did in my uterus. Am I not responsible to them as I was to my babies? Don’t they deserve a chance to beautify the Earth? Don’t I deserve to meet them, hold them?
My inspirations started to feel like a divine trust, just like my kids.
Once I started to realize that my ideas are gifts to me that I need to deliver into the world, I found the strength to face and tame the imposter within. Since then, it has become an ally who fact checks me and challenges me to grow wisely.
That’s how I overcame imposter syndrome—not by silencing it, but by understanding its roots, retraining my brain, and taking a leap of faith forward.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
At the heart of everything I do—whether as a doctor, coach, speaker, multipreneur, or mother—is the intention to live a life of meaning. I am a Transcendant, living life to the fullest—navigating both the clinical world and the creative, spiritual one with a sense of adventure and deep presence.
My work is a reflection of my values and calling: to live with purpose, transcend limitations, restore balance, and build a legacy worth inheriting.
As an osteopathic doctor specialized in family medicine and subspecialized in addiction medicine, I currently serve as medical director at a methadone clinic, while also covering satellite sites across California via telemedicine.
My approach to restoring health is holistic, grounded in osteopathic philosophy—and deeply influenced by my engineering background. In undergrad engineering classes, I learned about closed systems, energy conservation, and how it translates into chemical reactions that biology is built on and performs following the laws of physics.
Now that I understand more intimately about how the human body works—the science of pharmaceuticals on the body and vice versa, how the brain interprets chemicals to attach emotions, how our reward pathway builds habit when hijacked by addiction—my approach to patient care has evolved. It’s not just about symptom control, but more about restoring homeostasis, dignity, and long-term balance.
Bringing together my training as an engineer, doctor, coach, faithful, and parallel entrepreneur, I launched Zenara Care—a concierge telemedicine practice designed to help people achieve Total Recovery through compassionate, comprehensive medical care.
At Zenara, we support individuals navigating addiction and chronic health conditions with high-touch treatment, education, and guidance to return to their optimal health. It’s where science meets soul, and healing becomes possible.
And where the reach of medicine ends, Transcendant You continues—offering the tools, coaching, and structure to pursue balance across all six dimensions of life and step into a Transcendant state of purpose.
Transcendant You was the missing piece for me in delivering the care and guidance one needs to keep moving forward to a higher state of existence. By internalizing the 4 pillars, one becomes a Transcendant by (1) transcending their limits, (2) connecting with their limitless soul, (3) harnessing the power of their purpose, (4) living a fulfilling and thrilling life of design.
I help clients ideate, plan, and execute transformative goals across the 6 Dimensions of Transcendant: Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Social, Financial, and Aspirational. These tools not only support people coming out of addiction but also help high-achieving, mission-minded visionaries rise above survival and the daily grind.
This is more than coaching. It is a movement— as we transcend and intentionally improve our individual selves, it compounds into a global transcendence.
In both ventures, the transformation people experience is one of alignment—rediscovering themselves, reclaiming their power, and stepping into an optimized life where balance leads to impact and purpose becomes an adventure.
Zenara Care offers more than just treatment. It is where judgment dissolves into compassionate science, helping patients regain health and homeostasis across their whole being. Transcendant You carries on that journey—guiding individuals to balance all six dimensions of life, align with their soul, and design an intentional life that feels both meaningful and thrilling to live.
Everything I create is rooted in compassion, faith, empowerment, healing, service, and belonging—not as buzzwords, but as the living principles behind how I serve, lead, and raise my children.
I don’t just help people heal—I guide them back to their lost light, then help shape it into a legacy that transcends time and space and leaves a lasting, positive mark.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Sight (Insight & Foresight)
The critically analyzing empath in me always looked beyond the obvious—reading between the lines, noticing patterns, connecting signs. That’s insight. But just as important is foresight—anticipating how those patterns might unfold. My foresight didn’t come from guesswork; it came from years of observation. I studied my own experiences and other people’s choices, tracked similarities and differences, and paid close attention to how different decisions shaped outcomes. That pattern recognition now allows me to simulate potential futures—and prepare wisely.
Advice: Be a student of patterns. Pay attention—not just to what’s happening, but how it plays out across time and people. Insight comes from deep observation. Foresight comes from learning how the past echoes into the future.
2. ADHD as a Superpower
My mind is always running—fast, full of tabs open. But I’ve learned to stop seeing it as a liability. My ADHD lets me juggle multiple plates—projects, roles, ventures—without dropping the ones that matter. It’s not about doing everything at once; it’s about knowing which plate needs attention, when to switch, and how to recover the rhythm when one wobbles. My neurodivergence helps me multitask, zoom in and out, and fuel momentum when others stall.
Advice: Don’t fight your wiring—learn how to dance with it. Design systems that honor your brain. Master your energy spikes and crashes. Distract boredom with productive detours, but make sure you loop back. Create accountability. Celebrate wins. And most importantly, don’t chase structure for its own sake—build it to amplify your flow.
3. Growth-Oriented Productivity
I’m not just productive—I’m intentional. I constantly evaluate what matters, what’s aligned with my purpose, and what’s worth building. I pair critical thinking with optimism, and a relentless hunger for beneficial knowledge. I don’t just want to do more—I want to become better, continuously.
Advice: Learn how to distinguish noise from signal. Be disciplined in your curiosity. And remember—productivity means nothing if it doesn’t bring you closer to who you’re meant to become.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
Transcendant You – Ideal Client
My ideal client is a mission-driven visionary—someone who knows they were made for more than just existing. They feel a pull toward something greater, even if they can’t fully name it yet. They’re high-capacity, high-reflective individuals ready to exchange doing for becoming. They’re not interested in surface-level solutions—they crave soul-centered systems that throb purpose, balance, and clarity to every dimension of their life.
What makes them ideal isn’t perfection—it’s hunger. A hunger for meaning, for wholeness, for impact. They’re willing to do the uncomfortable inner work, to challenge old narratives, and to bring their gifts into the world with intention. They’re not just living cradle to grave—they’re building an outlasting legacy.
Zenara Care – Ideal Client
The ideal Zenara client is ready to reclaim their health journey and narrative—restoring balance, and writing a story of power and success. They’re intelligent, introspective, and tired of being dismissed by rushed, impersonal systems. They want care that listens deeply, understands addiction, and delivers both compassion and clinical precision.
They thrive with structure, appreciate education, and want a science-backed, stepwise path to total recovery. They value efficiency, privacy, and the freedom to heal on their terms. Tech-comfortable and self-aware, they love the convenience of telemedicine—no waiting rooms, no travel, just direct access to a doctor who respects their time and story.
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