“Be More & Achieve More!”

Hi,

Yesterday we saw the European Elections results revealed, with a disappointing result for my home area, the Northwest of England, where the British National Party gained 1 seat, and 2 seats nationally. This only happened due to the terrible results of Labour, as the BNP did not gain much ground beyond their 2004 election results. Now Nick Griffin is an MEP even though he won fewer than he did 5 years ago: the slump in Labour support meant its share of the vote increased.

This is an interesting feature: a party that does not allow black members has become part of the European Parliament. The Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman described the BNP result as “terrible”.

But I think that this is another wake-up call for the rest of us peace-seeking citizens who believe in plurality, multi-culturism and co-existence. Remember how George W Bush and his cronies did their best to smear the hardworking citizens of many countries and attempted to curtail many civilian rights and freedoms that were enshrined in the First Amendment, The Geneva Convention and the like? But it didn’t last so long, did it? Despite Tony Blair, the then British Prime Minister saying that “we are in this for the long haul”. Forgive me for sounding dismissive of such tripe, but times change frequently, however the absolute truth is unerring and must always prevail: this is what it means to be principled and to stick to true, lasting and higher values.

We are surrounded by contradictions in our societies and the world-over so it is important to have knowledge and self-understanding to help steer through the difficult times. Most around the world marvelled at the victory of the black President Barack Hussein Obama: of black and white descent, of Muslim values and Christian belief systems, and of Eastern and Western heritage. He continues to bridge the gulf between various conflicting parties both in his homeland as well as overseas. Let’s see some of his recent remarks in the Cairo speech:

“We meet at a time of great tension between the United States and Muslims around the world — tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of coexistence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim—majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam. “

“So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, those who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. And this cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”

“I’ve come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles — principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”

“There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, “Be conscious of God and speak always the truth.” That is what I will try to do today — to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart.”

“As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam. It was Islam — at places like Al-Azhar — that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe’s Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities — it was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.“

“In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second President, John Adams, wrote, “The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims.” And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States. They have fought in our wars, they have served in our government, they have stood for civil rights, they have started businesses, they have taught at our universities, they’ve excelled in our sports arenas, they’ve won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building, and lit the Olympic Torch. And when the first Muslim American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding Fathers — Thomas Jefferson — kept in his personal library”

“So I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn’t. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.”

“Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United States has been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out of revolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we have shed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those words — within our borders, and around the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated to a simple concept: E pluribus unum — “Out of many, one.”

“So let there be no doubt: Islam is a part of America. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations — to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.“

“Of course, recognizing our common humanity is only the beginning of our task. Words alone cannot meet the needs of our people. These needs will be met only if we act boldly in the years ahead; and if we understand that the challenges we face are shared, and our failure to meet them will hurt us all.”

“For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere. When a new flu infects one human being, all are at risk. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations. When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean. When innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience. That is what it means to share this world in the 21st century. That is the responsibility we have to one another as human beings.”

“And this is a difficult responsibility to embrace. For human history has often been a record of nations and tribes — and, yes, religions — subjugating one another in pursuit of their own interests. Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners to it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; our progress must be shared.“

And on it goes, covering off thoughts, directions and plans on the following 7 aspects:

1.    “The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all of its forms.
2.    The second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world.
3.    The third source of tension is our shared interest in the rights and responsibilities of nations on nuclear weapons.
4.    The fourth issue that I will address is democracy.
5.    The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom.
6.    The sixth issue that I want to address is women’s rights.
7.    Finally, I want to discuss economic development and opportunity.”

“It’s easier to start wars than to end them. It’s easier to blame others than to look inward. It’s easier to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There’s one rule that lies at the heart of every religion – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. This truth transcends nations and peoples – a belief that isn’t new; that isn’t black or white or brown; that isn’t Christian, or Muslim or Jew. It’s a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilization, and that still beats in the hearts of billions around the world. It’s a faith in other people, and it’s what brought me here today”

“We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.”

The Holy Quran tells us, “O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.”

The Talmud tells us: “The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.”

The Holy Bible tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

“The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God’s vision. Now, that must be our work here on Earth. Thank you. And may God’s peace be upon you. Thank you very much. Thank you.”

We all await to see if these words are mere sentiments or an honest call for earnest action. I think that we all need to see that higher purpose and values can manifest through well-meaning people, otherwise we have nothing to solid to hold onto, except assured belief. But Belief without purposeful action is insufficient to meet the needs of people. And so the struggle continues, as it has always been intended by the Creator, for each and every one of us to rise-up to the challenges of the day and fulfill our duties and inherent potential. To give back to others as we have taken, and add a little more to the stock of good hope and collective well-being.

This is how the racist and fascists in our societies will be defeated. We all need to understand ourselves and each other much better. Through such common fraternity we can take bold decisions that re-maps our world. And through selfless service - sharing with others the best of what we have - we can help people make insightful distinctions on aspects of higher value, values and issues pertaining to:

Right / Wrong : Good / Evil : Hope / Despair : Prosperity / Poverty : Progress / Regress

Life is about struggle it always has been and will always remain as such, for this is within the Grand Master Scheme of the Great Architect of the Universe. There must be constant and continuous improvement as this will surely help - help make sense and decrease the contradictions that exist in our world. The clock is ticking, so how are you deciding to contribute…?

For Success and Contentment,

Asad Khan

PS Last night we also witnessed the last episode of this years BBC’s series of The Apprentice . Interestingly, Sir Alan said it was the “Toughest decision ever made in this boardroom” (that he was faced with) / “Between the best I’ve ever had here” (2 distinguished ladies, Jasmina and Kate). Get the MPPPL workbook and help yourself to shift further.

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Dear Reader,

We can all feel tremendous at times - especially when winter begins to fold away and the sun begins to beam through - a special force residing within shapes our thinking and changes the mood that permeates our choices and course of actions. With this, we begin to talk differently, the walking alters, the lighter dress colours are adopted, we hang outside with others more and generally we begin to look forwards towards completing our day.

There are other times however when no matter how light and bright it may be outside, we still feel rotten inside because we cannot let go of the past winter that hemmed us in. Why? Does the weather have complete control on how we think, feel and behave? You will probably agree with me and say “no, of course it doesn’t”.

Then what is the force that gets altered so much so as to make us feel ecstatic in one moment yet miserable another? That force is the spirit that resides within us all - the mighty spirit that is coupled to our indispensable soul. Now its not so much of ‘it’ getting altered itself, but rather how we relate with it from moment-to-moment, task-to-task, goal-to-goal.

So you see, I’m not talking about the condition of the weather outside and how it affects our mood, although this is true. I’m talking about our ability to change the ‘weather’ on the inside at will. This can be done and mastered. Its just a matter of practice. There are certain handles on how it can be managed and related to so that you can optimise your feelings and ability to do things to a greater standard -  as and when you please - regardless of the weather outside!

One such handle is to know what you want.

What is it that you are trying to do or achieve?

What are your short/mid/long-term aims?

Have you broken these down aims into manageable steps?

And most importantly, what do they mean to you?

Soon I’ll share with you some more important aspects on how to work this spiritual force to help get great results in every department of your life.

For Success & Contentment,

Asad Khan

Further Information on this topic is available in the free sample chapter of the MPPPL Personal Development Workbook available at the main Ark2Ark Training & Coaching site under the Free Items tab .

Are you a Champion? Then you have to Work the Edge…

“Champions aren’t made in gyms, champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina; they have to be a little faster; they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” M Ali, 3 times heavyweight champion of the World.

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It’s the one who make it inch-by-inch, step-by-step, towards their heart’s goals that make life worth living! It’s the people who are ready to sacrifice all to win those inches who stand-out as the remarkable people in our societies and who go on to help build great civilisations.

You don’t have to become famous personality or world leader, but you need to have a deep satisfaction that you have done your best with the opportunities life presents to you. That you don’t settle for anything less than your best. And that you did what you can to help fulfill others needs with your God-given talents and abilities. You helped pull it together, and the journey was made easier because of you.

Check out this Motivational Speech by Al Pacino

“In life, like football, the margin for error is small.”

“We know, when we add up all those inches….that’s gonna make the difference between winning and losing; between living and dying!”

A great coach can help make that difference clear.

In Any Given Sunday, Al-Pacino may not have put together a great philosophical speech full of high morals and virtues. But he did help a fragmented team of demoralised young footballers realise that there must be more to life than just getting old……

For Success & Contentement,

Asad Khan

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Hi there,

The Magic of Relationships seminar is coming up on the 18th December. To get us started, allow me to share with you some ideas that will help foster better understandings towards one another.

Men are Like Rubber Bands:

Which means they like to pull away, they like to stretch out to create distance, but then they have to return - often springing back. Its the male intimacy cycle that involves getting close, pulling away, and then getting close again. Women don’t tend to realise this rhythm and feel distressed when the deep romance surrounding a relationship abruptly ends and when the man wishes to focus on something else. It’s a common misinterpretation because women tend to pull away for different reasons: when she doesn’t trust him to understand her feelings, when she has been hurt and fears being hurt again, or when he has done something wrong and disappointed her.

Of course a man can pull away for the same reasons, but he will also pull away even if the lady has done nothing wrong. It could purely be a male thing - the need to have space - even though he loves and trusts her. But like the stretched rubber band, he’ll come back. This need for space is like the man going into his cave: its a place of solitude, independence and autonomy. He’ll soon feel the need to spring back and automatically pick up the intimacy at whatever levels required, even just before he pulled away, without the having to go through a period of getting reacquainted again.

If properly understood, this male intimacy cycle enriches a relationship, but can cause havoc when misread and misjudged, or even mis-timed. Usually, the man can give and take less readily than the woman, so the women thinks that her man is not reciprocating her love. Women naturally give and take more readily and can easily express their sentiments. But when they don’t see this happening with the man, they misjudge him and think that there’s something wrong with him. Anxiety builds up when she tries to ‘fix’ him - that’s not what he needs…rather he wants to simply pull away to have his own breathing space: whether its in the shed, out with friends, strolling, watching a movie or reading. She continues to get frustrated when he wants to ignore her and she develops ideas that he doesn’t love her, or worse still, think that he has got someone else! A confused state of affairs soon arises.

Women should understand the need for a man to pull away. Its good for him and her (and any children). He’ll spring back with power and enthusiasm. Men however need to remember that it may be easy for them to get to intense levels of intimacy as he was before pulling back, but the woman may need to time to catch-up and re-familiarise - particularly if she’s been through a state of confusion or panic (she doesn’t know what she did to switch you off)!

It is very confusing for a woman when a man pulls away because something she says or does often triggers his departure - usually when she begins to talk about feelings. The talk of feelings creates intimacy and the man can be defensive and not open-up, hence begin to pull away. It’s not that he doesn’t care about her feelings as at another point in the intimacy cycle those same feelings will draw him closer. So its not just what she says but rather when.

When a man gets too close and doesn’t pull away, common symptoms are increased passiveness, moodiness, irritability and defensiveness. And the women builds a huge amount of dependency on the man that can lead to a high degree of unwarranted trust, such that if he does pull away, she feels totally dejected for ‘doing something wrong’ or misappropriating the trust. She may begin to resent him and hold bitter feelings towards him unjustifiably. When women don’t understand the male intimacy cycle, they can unknowingly obstruct it in two ways: they are (1) chasing him when he pulls away; (2) punishing him for pulling away.

Men must be sensitive to the needs of women (I’ll come on to that later) but also understand the requirement of pulling away. If timed, done well and worked with, a high degree of satisfaction can be engendered in the relationship such that the natural rhythms of both the man and woman are held to a better standard. There’s no need for guilt or blame on either side. The man needs to go to the cave every now and again, grow and become wiser….he’ll return to with a freshness that the women has longed for and will be better prepared to hear her share her feelings. The patient woman who understands this will love and trust her man, share with him as needed, and allow him to open-up in his own time without demanding it to be so.

This single insight into the male cycle that has been represented as mimicking a rubber band can replace so much confusion and unnecessary pain with that of care and understanding.

Soon we’ll take a look at how women act as waves….

For Success and Contentment,

Asad Khan

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Hi there,

In my previous blog just below I referred to case of Provision and how the the Sustainer provides from above for us all - unconditionally. And if you really think about, and link this with my earlier blog dated October 15th (2008), it’s all a lesson for those of us who will, for a moment, just stop, pay attention to Higher Order, and let feelings of gratefulness emit for what there is, rather than worrying about what there isn’t.

Yesterday I was feeling totally out of it (because of cold syptoms) and was considering flying off to an exotic place in the sun for a change. What, with the idea of sun, sea, sand and palm trees, it was a tempting image not easy to remove from my minds eye. And I might ask a friend or two to join me on the excursion so we could enjoy some good times, laughter and perhaps adventure. It was a plausible idea and it swept me from my work the instant it penetrated my head. Wow! I could escape away from this grey and rather murky weather and go to swim in warm waters, walk along soft sand and take in some deeps breaths of fresh air and look up to a blue spotless sky. I haven’t done this in a while and it may be just what my physiology needs. Then, as always, I snapped out of it; “not yet as I’ve got quit a bit on” I thought and the former picture soon faded away. Instead, I tidied my desk, left the office and drove home through the rain to have a lemsip prepared for me by my wife.

This was something I was very grateful for and as much as I’d like to have escaped, I was deeply comforted by the care offered to me. In fact, it removed any former notion of getting away for a fortnight as I knew this kind of care wouldn’t necesarily be on hand - unless I took her with me…

But this is the point I wanted to bring forward as news continues to get hurled at us about the global financial crisis amongst other things: that despite the various kinds of issues and challenges that we may be facing, let’s not forget the crucial element of appreciating the ‘finer’ things in life. You know, the ability to communicate, engage, relate, connect, think, imagine, feed, clothe, travel and all such beautiful things. The list is literally endless as we can highlight so many aspects that we can, if we decide to pay heed to them, begin to count as blessings and become more certain about how we decide to live our life.

When we develop our spiritual ken, we begin to understand the inter-relatedness of many things. Sure life can get awkward from time to time, as I’ve said before, but its not what’s out there that’s going to increase the quality of our lives, it’s what’s within. Have you ever considered that in a moment your eyesight may be removed, you may have a tragic accident, you may lose someone you feel deeply connected to, or you may not enjoy the level of creature comforts that you once had? But whatever the uncontrollable changes that life teases us with, the better, stronger and wiser amongst realise that the causes and effects that we are all part of are just a means of testing our inner worth and the sense of choice.

Of course we have to make adjustments to cater for the extraordinary circumstances, but how do we keep ourselves from despairing, ‘losing the rag’ (so to speak) or simply wanting to escape? We need to develop our personal mission and remain true to it. What’s more, we need to give ourselves the time to reflect and cultivate an eye of veneration in order to understand the timeless truths of life and the boundless beauty of the universe around us. We then need to connect back to the basics of relationships and appreciate the often neglected aspects of friendship and companionship and fulfil the rights towards to one another.

We can help ourselves to get grounded and reach the inner core of our existence and shift to place of surity. Remember the following taken from page 63 of the MPPPL workbook:-

“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alteration of the night and day; in the sailing of the ships across the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which God sends down form the skies, and the life which gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds that are trailed between the sky and the earth - there are indeed signs for the wise” (2:164)

From the difficulties surrounding us at various levels, the sure reality is that we have more going for us than we tend to appreciate. This is how can shift the pattern of self-detriment to fulfilment and contentment. Inevitably, we have to do more to fine tune the inner vision. How can you do this you ask? Don’t delay and get the MPPPL Workbook from the Ark2Ark site.

Also, don’t forget the next seminar on the 18th December, The Magic of Relationships. More on that a little later, but book early to avoid disappointment.

For Success and Contentment

Asad Khan

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