LESSON OF THE DAY 469

Ayah of the Day:
And God has subjected the night to you, and the day; and the sun and the moon. And the stars are subject, by the Divine order. Surely in that are signs for people who discern. [16: 12]

Hadith of the Day:
Do not say , "I feel rotten." Instead, say, "I do not feel well." [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise quote of the Day:
May you have patience, for patience is to faith as the head is to the body; there is no good in a body without its head, and none in faith without patience. [Ali radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Practice humility. Humility and inner peace go hand in hand. The less compelled you are to try to prove yourself to others, the easier it is to feel peaceful inside. Proving yourself is a dangerous trap. It takes an enormous amount of energy to be continually pointing out your accomplishments, bragging, or trying to convince others of your worth as a human being. Bragging actually dilutes the positive feelings you receive from an accomplishment or something you are proud of. To make matters worse, the more you try to prove yourself, the more others will avoid you, talk behind your back about your insecure need to brag, and perhaps even resent you.

Ironically, however, the less you care about seeking approval, the more approval you get. People are drawn to those with a quiet, inner confidence, people who don't need to make themselves look good, be "right" all the time, or steal the glory. Most people love a person who doesn't need to brag. a person who shares from his or her heart and not from his or her ego. The way to develop genuine humility is to practice. It's nice because you'll get immediate inner feedback in the way of calm, easy feelings. The next time you have the opportunity to brag, resist the temptation. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Du'a of the Week:
Allahumma'stur awraati wa aamin raw'aati. (O Allah! Cover my shameful things and assuage my fears).

Food for thought:
Practice being in the world, but not of the world--learn to ignore how things outside of you are going, and know that higher awareness is truly a disappearing act.