33voices

The soul’s liberation of realizing “I am” was amongst my first learnings from Zainab Salbi. A world renowned humanitarian, Zainab founded Women for Women International when she was 23 and dedicated decades to offering both human connection and $146 million of aid to over 400,000 women survivors of war and conflict. Her inner journey is equally inspiring and I was most excited to hear her answer to that ultimate question: Who am I? This experience of ‘descending all of her knowledge to her heart’ revealed that our hearts have a language—One she can only learn through emptiness. “There's no value of emptiness. Yet, it is only when I go to emptiness that I can feel the divine,” she says. “It may not be spiritual for everyone. Though, for me, that is the path of my joy and freedom because I go to the place where all the space is. It’s joy for no reason and all reasons. Love for all, no matter who. It is only when I arrive at emptiness that I can go to that vastness of emotions.” Zainab graciously explores her pat