LESSON OF THE DAY 496

Ayahs of the Day:
And there is a lesson for you in cattle: We let you drink from what is inside them, between feces and blood, milk that is pure and palatable to those who drink. And from the fruits of the date palm and the grape you make wine and wholesome food; surely in that is a sign for people who understand. [16: 66,67]

Hadith of the Day:
O Allah! I seek refuge in you from knowledge which holds no benefit, from a heart which is not submissive and humble, from a soul which is never satisfied, and from a supplication which goes unanswered. [Ahmad]

Wise Quote of the Day:
How strange is the one who believes in destiny yet cries over the loss of that which is fleeting. How strange is the one who knows Reckoning to be true and yet goes on hoarding ceaselessly. [Othman radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Lighten up: These days, it seems that almost all of us are too serious. The root of being uptight is our unwillingness to accept life as being different, in any way, from our expectations. Very simply, we want things to be a certain way but they are not a certain way. Life is simply as it is. Our limited perspective, our hopes and fears become our measure of life, and when circumstances don't fit our ideas, they become our difficulties. We spend our lives wanting things, people, and events to be just as we want them to be--and when they are not, we fight and we suffer.

The first step in recovering from overseriousness is to admit that you have a problem. You have to want to change, to become more easy going. You have to see that your own uptightness is largely of your own creation--it's composed of the way you have set up your life and the way you react to it. The next step is to understand the link between your expectations and your frustration level. Whenever you expect something to be a certain way and it isn't, you're upset and you suffer. On the other hand, when you let go of your expectations, when you accept life as it is, you're free. To hold on is to be uptight. To let go is to lighten up.

A good exercise is to try to approach a single day without expectations. Don't expect people to be friendly. When they're not, you won't be surprised or bothered. If they are, you'll be delighted. Don't expect your day to be problem free. Instead, as problems come up, say to yourself, "Ah, another hurdle to overcome." As you approach your day in this manner you'll notice how graceful life can be. Pretty soon , with practice, you'll lighten up your entire life. And when you lighten up, life is a lot more fun. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Food for Thought:
Instead of judging others as people who ought to be behaving in certain ways, see them as reflection a part of you, and ask yourself what it is you are ready to learn from them.