LESSON OF THE DAY 1274

Ayahs of the Day:

Do you see the one who rejects religion? That is the one who rebuffs the orphan and does not encourage feeding the poor. So woe to those who pray yet are inattentive to their prayer: those who put on the appearance and yet are withholding assistance. [107: 1 to 7]

Hadith of the Day:

A believer sees his sins as if he is at the foot of a mountain and he fears that it will fall upon him. The hypocrite views his sins like a fly that lands on his nose that he just swats at. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:

God says: "I have created you, your moments, your breaths, your possessions, your lives. If they are expended on Me, if you give them to Me, the price of them is everlasting Paradise. This is your worth in My sight." [Mawlana Rumi]

Guidance of the Day:

Remember, this too shall pass: A nugget of ancient wisdom that has served me well is the saying "This too shall pass." Think about it. Everything comes and then it goes. Problems develop and they disappear. One day we are on vacation, the next we're back to work. We get a cold or flu, and it goes away. . . . . There is enormous freedom in remembering this wisdom. In fact, it can be the fountain of a very peaceful life. It serves as an important reminder that everything has a season, a time, and a place. It gives us perspective during hard times, a frame of reference that nothing lasts forever. It gives us hope and confidence that we will get through this -- it will pass; it always does.

As we look back on our lives, it's easy to see that all things come and go: winter, spring, summer, and fall; joy, sorrow, praise, and blame; hardship, ease, rest, and exhaustion; accomplishments, mess-ups, and all the rest. Genuine freedom and happiness come when we can see this dynamic, not only in retrospect but while we're going through something difficult. This way, we can keep our perspective right in the midst of the chaos. When you remember that all things come and go, it allows you to keep your perspective, an open heart, and even a sense of humor during all the phases of your life.

I encourage you to remind yourself of this bit of wisdom whenever you feel annoyed, stressed, or bothered, as well as when you are going through something terribly difficult. Life is very short. Our children are little; they grow up. We are young; we grow old. We will get through it all. The best and most effective way to maintain a grateful spirit and keep yourself from being overwhelmed is to remember that all things -- even the hard things -- will pass. [Carlson, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff -- with your family]

Food for Thought:

Being bored is an insult to oneself. Boredom is a sickness of the soul. Is not life too short for us to bore ourselves? The one sure means of dealing with boredom is to care for someone else, to do something kind and good. The amount of satisfaction you get from life depends largely on your own ingenuity, self-sufficiency, and resourcefulness. People who wait around for life to supply their satisfaction usually find boredom instead.