LESSON OF THE DAY 1247

Ayahs of the Day:
Have you heard tale of the calamity? Some faces will be downcast that day, laboring, exhausted, roasting in a burning fire, given drink from a boiling spring. There will be no food for them but bitter thorn that neither nourishes nor satisfies hunger. [88: 1 to 7]

Hadith of the Day:
Be in the world as a stranger or a passerby. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Be joyous only for an increase in knowledge or in good works, for they are your two companions who will accompany you in your grave when your family, wealth, children, and friends stay behind. [Imam al-Ghazali]

Guidance of the Day:
Obviously, only you can determine what's appropriate for you, but I can assure you that every single decision or demand you make involving a higher quality object, an increased standard of living, or more perfection on your part of someone else will be very easy to justify. It will always seem like "one more" thing or"one more" demand will do the trick -- then you will be happy. It takes a great deal of wisdom to say "More isn't always better," "More isn't going to make me happier," or " I have enough."

I'm confident that if you experiment with this strategy you will discover a route to contentment that you might never have considered. You can still have a wonderful life and all the things you need -- and most of what you want. However, your life will be far simpler and easier to manage. You will feel less stress and pressure, as though a better life is just around the corner. You will spend less time thinking about what you want, you'll be less consumption oriented, and you will be much more easily satisfied. You'll also be far less inclined to "sweat the small stuff" because you will have reduced your habit of thinking that things aren't good enough as they are. Not a bad list of benefits. I hope you'll give this strategy a try. It might change your perspective a great deal. [Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff -- with your family]

Food for Thought:
If you are swept off your feet, it's time to get on your knees -- the problem of the world today is there are too many theologians and not enough kneeologians. Prayer is the pillow of religion. The best prayers have often more groans than words. Prayer is the most powerful form of energy one can generate -- it supplies us with a flow of sustaining power in our daily lives. Prayer is conversation with God, it is the very highest energy of which the mind is capable, it is the spiritual gymnasium in which we exercise and practice Godliness. It is not well for man to pray cream, and live skim milk.