Showing posts with label Self Improvement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Self Improvement. Show all posts

In Search of Human Potential

Posted by Haqir faqir On Sep 10, 2010 0 Comments

According to the Qur’an, the revelation communicated through the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), God created the heavens (multiple universes) and the earth with a purpose and allocated the earth as the place for human habitation. Humanity was not the first creation of intelligent life; angels, created from pure light, and jinn, spirits created from the element of fire, preceded man. In fact, the Creator announces his plan to them prior to creating the prototype of man, Adam (peace be upon him): “When your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am going to place a representative on earth’, they said, ‘Are you going to place someone there who will do mischief and spill blood, whilst we (already) sing your praise and glorify you?’ He said, ‘I know what you don’t know.’ And He taught Adam all the names and then presented (things) to the angels and said: ‘tell me the names of these if you are right.’ They said: ‘Glory be to you, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. You are the Knowledgeable and Wise.’ He said: ‘Oh Adam, tell them their names.’ And when he told them their names, He said: ‘Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the heavens and the earth and that I know what you let on and what you hide?’ Qur’an, Surah 2 – Al-Baqarah – ayah 30-33. 

The key difference between the knowledge given to the angels and that given to man is that the angels only know what they have been taught, whereas Adam (peace be upon him) was taught all the names, in other words, he was given the power of creative thought and speech, being able to conquer unknown environments in his mind and give a name to things he never encountered before. The news of this in many ways superior creation did not go down too well with the angels, for man’s abilities can also be used to do great harm to his fellow creatures and the world in which he lives. Nonetheless, the angels, readily submitted and bowed down to Adam (peace be upon him), but Iblis (the devil), a jinn put in charge of the angels, refused. His objection, however, was not one of principle, but governed by pride, scoffing at the humble origins of man who was created from base material, the soil of the earth, when he, Iblis was of a purer, better substance, fire. This original racism, judging others by their make-up and origins rather than their potential, is the prime cause of strife and competition between people today. The devil was reprimanded for his attitude and stripped of his position of honour. He bargained for time to prove that man, on whose account he became rejected, was not worthy of the privilege. He was given until the Day of Judgment to try and seduce people from the path designed for them by God, and those whom he would manage to lead astray would go down with him. Thus, the devil becomes the enemy of man, rather than the rival of God as in other religious traditions. 

Adam (peace be upon him) was given paradise to live in, a place free of want, and for companionship was given a partner from his own makeup, Eve. The complete bliss of paradise was tainted by only one small prohibition: a tree, the fruit of which Adam (peace be upon him) and Eve must not eat. Given the abundance of fruit available, this minor restriction should not have mattered much, but the devil succeeded in arousing the couple’s ambition, telling them that God only forbade them from eating this fruit to prevent them from becoming angel-like and eternal. The fruit had the opposite effect, however, and made them aware of their nakedness and vulnerability, and as punishment they are sent as mere mortals to live on earth, toiling in hardship to survive. It is said that above God’s throne it is written that His mercy overcomes His anger, and in true keeping with that Adam (peace be upon him) and Eve were forgiven and provided with guidance which, if followed, should help them find their way back into paradise. Life on earth then becomes the temporary examination room where the intentions of each and every human being are being tested, whether they follow the guidance which helps them fulfil their true potential of living up to the spirit of God in them as His representatives on earth, or whether they follow the devil into obeying their base desires which betray their humble material make-up. Through religious observance and prayer man can thus rise from an animal-like existence to a level of worthiness above that of the angels. Rather than having evolved from an animal, the animal existence is the fallen state of man when he gives up on searching for and fulfilling his potential as a spiritual being.

Baca selengkapnya


7 Unique Ways To Make Someone Smile

Posted by Haqir faqir On Sep 7, 2010 0 Comments

Do you want to put a smile on someone's face? Maybe make their day a little bit brighter? It doesn't have to take much time or money on your part. In fact, many things can be done as a part of your normal routine and cost little or nothing. You won't know how many people are encouraged by your kindness because smiles are contagious. Try out one or more of these 7 ways today to put smiles on their faces.

1. Write an encouraging note to others that have encouraged you or that need encouragement. Handwritten notes that are given to encourage, not just for thanking someone for a gift, are rare. That makes handwritten notes even more special. Start a new practice of sitting down and writing an encouraging note on a regular basis. You just might start an epidemic.

2. Take a friend out to lunch or invite her to your home for a meal. You will get to know each other even better than you do right now. If you feel like being more adventurous, throw a party for several of your friends and put smiles on a multitude of faces.
3. Give someone an inspirational book to read. You will feel good doing it, reading the book will change the person, and they will think of you every time they read it.

4. Ask a friend or relative if you can take care of their kid(s) for a day or evening. If you have been a parent, you know the value of being able to have a few hours of "adult time" without worrying about the children. Don't wait to be asked to baby-sit when it is required. Offer to do it at a time when the parent can do something fun and relaxing.

5. Deliver a meal to someone you know that is sick or having a rough time. We have all been sick and know the last thing you want to do is be out of bed. There are also times when life is tough and it is hard to do all of the daily chores. You can be a tremendous help by providing a meal that can be enjoyed.

6. Volunteer time to supporting your local church or charity. Every minute you dedicate to a church or charity will cause many smiles. You will put a smile on the face of each leader just for helping without being asked. You will also be putting smiles on the faces of those that are being helped through the organization.

7. Thank everyone that supports you throughout the day. The list of those that you come in contact with is endless. Remember family and friends, secretaries, co-workers, teachers, Sunday school teachers, pastors, store employees, janitors, gas station attendants, those that deliver your mail and newspaper, and servers at restaurants.

I know this is a list of 7 ways to put a smile on someone's face, but there is one more way that can't be ignored. Reveal a genuine smile to everyone you meet. You will experience how easy it is to get others to smile!

Baca selengkapnya


10 Unusual Ways to Reduce Stress

Posted by Haqir faqir On Sep 6, 2010 0 Comments

You may think some of the ideas below are pretty far out and perhaps downright Weird. But that's okay. These are ways Real people have used to cope with Stress. Here's the thing, just read through these and choose one or two and see how they work for you. You know what they say. Different strokes for different folks. So just pick a couple to start with, and see how they help you.

They're not in any particular order. Simply read through the list. See what "jumps out" at you. Don't try to do too many at once. (You may stress yourself out even more.)

1. Hide a Toy in Your Pocket
What? How will that help you say? It will remind you each time you stick your hand in your pocket, not to take life too seriously. Remember how you felt when you were a child and life was carefree? Grab on to that feeling each time your fingers touch that toy.

2. Schedule Your Worry
If you have stress that comes from worrying, do this: when you start to worry, tell yourself you're not going to worry about it now, that you've set a time to worry. Say, each day between 7 and 7:30 pm, you've scheduled as Worry Time. When it's 7, then sit down. Better yet. Pace the floor! Then worry!
Really get into it! Worry BIG! Catastrophize! Awfulize! (I don't think that's a word, but you get the picture.) Worry like you've never worried before! You'll feel really odd doing this, but go at it. I know it sounds crazy, but trust me. I've recommended people do this and it helped them. No kidding!

3. Do Something Silly
Eat Twinkies for breakfast or something. I know, Twinkies are junk food, but break your routine once in a while. It's good for you.
4. Curl Your Toes
Huh? Yes, tighten your toes for 15" as tightly as you can, then relax. Do this with all muscle groups up through your body. All the way up. Finish with wrinkling up your face. It works.

5. Grab Your Pillow and Beat the Heck out of the Bed
(If you've got a feather pillow, be sure to check for holes first!) Beating on the bed is good for releasing stress that comes from anger. I knew a lady who actually put a punching bag in her basement just for getting out her anger! She swore by it.

6. Don't Answer the Phone/Door/Cell Phone/ Pager
(Say, Does anybody out there still have a pager?) Sometimes you don't feel like talking to anyone, right? Give yourself a break and don't.

7. Nuts - Eat Nuts!
Good for "anger stress" to crunch on something. Go ahead. Take out all your aggression on the Nuts. They won't mind! You could eat crunchy raw veggies, but the nuts are better.

8. Get good at Procrastinating
Egad! Heresy? Sometimes it's the very best thing you can do for yourself. Ask yourself, "Will something Awful happen if I put this off til later, to cut myself some slack?" If you answer No, then put it off, as long as possible.

9. Act Like a 2 Year Old
They're Real Good at saying No, aren't they? You gotta take care of yourself. If you don't, who will? Say No more often to the demands others want to heap on you.
10. Act Like an 84 Year Old

Now wait a minute! You just told me to act like a 2 year old. Now you're saying act like an 84 year old? What's up with that? Well, here's it is. When you're in stressful situation, ask yourself. "How would my 84 year old future self handle this or say about this?" See what wisdom surfaces from within you.

So there you have it, the 10 unusual stress tips.
I sincerely hope these ideas will be helpful to you.

To Your Health,

Dr. Nancy Olthof

Baca selengkapnya