LESSON OF THE DAY 447

Ayahs of the Day:
And as for the earth, We spread it out and placed mountains on it, and We produced everything on it in balance. And We have put means of sustenance there for you, and for those whom you are not the providers. [15: 19,20]

Hadith of the Day:
There are some sixty (or seventy) branches of faith. The best of them all is 'There is no god but Allah', and the least of them is to remove an impediment from a public way. Having a sense of shame is one branch of faith. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Contentment is the true guarantor of freedom. The one whose heart is filled with awe of his Lord has no room in it for the lusts and vain desires of the world. [Ibrahim Shaibani]

Guidance of the Day:
Nothing helps us build our perspective more than developing compassion for others. Compassion is a sympathetic feeling. It involves the willingness to put yourself in someone else's shoes, to take the focus off yourself and to imagine what it's like to be in someone else's predicament, and simultaneously, to feel love for that person. It's the recognition that other people's problems, their pain and frustrations, are every bit as real as our own--often far worse. In recognizing this fact and trying to offer some assistance, we open our own hearts and greatly enhance our sense of gratitude.

Compassion is something you can develop with practice, It involves two things: intention and action. Intention simply means you remember to open your heart to others; you expand what and who matters, from yourself to other people. Action is simply the "what you do about it." You might donate a little money or time (or both) on a regular basis to a cause near to your heart. Or perhaps you'll offer a beautiful smile and genuine "hello" to the people you meet on the street. It's not so important what you do, just that you do something.

Compassion develops your sense of gratitude by taking your attention off all the little things that most of us have learned to take too seriously. When you take time, often, to reflect on the miracle of life--the miracle that you are even able to read this--the gift of sight, of love, and all the rest, it can help to remind you that many of the things that you think of as "big stuff" are really just "small stuff" that you are turning into big stuff. [Don't sweat the small stuff]

Food for Thought:
Sowing patience in adversity is difficult, but safeguarding the fruits of patience is even moreso.