“Be More & Achieve More!”

Hi,

In my previous blog where I presented the first half of the “The Kneeling” (Chapter 45), there were some really amazing verses in connection to how God’s purpose is to care for us all. The sea (verse 13) was only one example of God’s cherishing care in making all things in nature available for the use of man, through the genius and faculties which He has given to man. We (mankind), should never forget that it is all from “as from Him”, i.e. from God. For man is God’s trustee on earth and we are here to interact with all things in a manner prescribed by Him, The Master of the Universe.

This is why we have God’s Law’s: as instruments to protect all that is good and sacred, and to deter from all that is harmful and excess. To re-iterate, God’s Laws are here for the “attainment of benefit (arabic: maslaha) and prevention of harm (mafsada)”.  This means everything related to PLEASURE & HAPPINESS and what leads to them, and everything related to PAIN & SADNESS and what causes them.

We know that most of human behaviour is determined by one of these two elements: acquiring pleasure, and deflecting pain. These motivational poles are intrinsically built into the nature of man - its hard-wired in - so that sub-consciously we are all operating by, and between, these two psychological sides.

Such an inherent Reward / Punishment scheme has been given to us a part of our faculties by our Creator. This is why He, the Great and Wise, refers to those who do good as being eternally rewarded and those who sin, or commit evil, as being eternally punished. Its really feeding the same psychological centres that we operate in at the temporal realm where we want to increase GAIN and reduce LOSS.

But our real test comes from realising this Goal of the Creator and to not cave-in to our base desires and live an unruly, rebellious life as a consequence where the greater disadvantage is against our own self, person and soul. The sinners, or those wrong their own souls, think that they are gaining advantage, or pleasure and happiness, by submitting to fleeting, instant gratifications, but in reality they are only serving-up harm against themselves. The good-doers, who obey God’s commands, are living by higher standards of prayer, charity and selfless service and although they may face hardship along the way, these are minor aspects in the grand scheme of things where they will attain peace, satisfaction and immense rewards due to their purified souls. And in this life too, they will live healthily, garner prosperous relationships, have peace of mind, and a serenity in the heart accompanied with real contentment that can only come from above, despite the material comforts that may be afforded to them.

Adhering to the commandments of God (Do’s) & abstaining from His prohibition (Don’t) is the real test and this is where man’s free will, or freedom of choice, is exercised. In all things prescribed (do) and prohibited (don’t) there is CHOICE. In all other matters and things, Pre-determination reigns.

We will pick-up on the concept of God’s Commands again and reflect on why people fail to follow them, such as nations who were previously blessed by God and they actively rebelled against him, falling into vice, confusion and folly.

For Success & Contentment,

Asad Khan

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Hi,

What is time? The question has baffled many a thinker throughout the ages and continues to serve as one of the greatest mysteries. You realise that time ‘flies’ when you’re having fun, or when immersed in a series of long thoughts that has taken you into dream mode. Conversely, when you are waiting for something to happen and keen to see an outcome it seems like its taking forever!

Yet time, and its measurement, remains the same. The only difference is the state of mind that you have whilst experiencing its relativity. Now lets say that there is something that you have to do, its important and much depends on it. But you don’t feel like doing it, before long all the symptoms of procrastination set-in and the whole idea of that important task feels more like a chore, a burden. And if you actually get round to making a start, you tend to be sluggish, out of sync and phased by the whole process.

Consider the alternative: you are feeling fresh, responsive and ready to tackle any challenge coming your way, which may not only be critical, but difficult. And now you are not put off by the size of the job but welcome the opportunity to pour out your creativity and perform at greater levels. In doing so, you do not necessarily realise the amount of time consumed when working on it, which may be much more than what your originally envisaged!

So, enjoying what you do is more important than the act of the doing alone. This enjoyment comes from the inside, from your natural state, which is why you should choose, whenever you can, to work on those things in work and life that suit your inherent interests and abilities.

The test of time is to pick-out the most interesting and rewarding from the trivial, mundane and the un-captivating. Once this is done, you can ‘fly’ through time more often rather than twist and fret on the spot.

The Space-Time Factor

Now, If the Sun is able to warp the space-time factor, and it being only one of the many suns in this lower universe, then you shall deduce that other bigger suns and entities will ‘affect’ time in similarly extraordinary ways. And in the proximity of God, the Ultimate Power, Absolute Force and The Infinite Source of Energy, who sits on His vast throne above the seven heavens, time definitely is not as we perceive it here on earth. Recapping on an earlier Chapter (The Ways of Ascent, 70):

70:4 The angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years:

70:5 Therefore, do hold patience, a patience of beautiful (contentment).

70:6 They see the (Day) indeed as a far-off (event):

70:7 But we see it (quite) near.

So ultimately, in the grandest scheme of things, life and the universe, the only aspects that really matter are the deeds that we send forwards which we all will be accounted for on the Great Day of Reckoning. If we utilise our God-given talents and strengths for the benefit of others, within the guidelines provided for us by our Creator, then we will not only find success but contentment also. This is the test of time, particularly when our ‘goals’ are not reached and the outcome we desire is not in sight, then the magnificence of patience must be exercised and witnessed.

And remember, no-one really manages time, you can only manage the activities that you do through choice and self-discipline.

There is much more that can be stated on this topic including the eastern view of kairos versus the more western chronos interpretation of time. However, if one day can equal 50,000 of our human years, be sure that there is a massive unfathomable world out there waiting to receive us in our onwards journey.

For success and contentment,

Asad.

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Hi,

You know how most political divides are mainly measured across 2 major axes: the economic one and the social one. The range of issues and policies across theses two principal lines is viewed through either a lens of liberalism or conservatism. And in a very brief nut shell this creates the democratic framework around us here in the West, where you can have economic freedom with some social constraints, or social freedom with economic constraints. But you’ll be hard pressed to find both social and economic freedom / constraints bundled together.

However, there is a third central axis that in my view is more elementary and requires a careful integration into the political spectra: the Spiritual Axis. It may already be present to varying degrees as personal values, but it is not appreciated as an order, an entity and an identified need in its own right. So despite outward loyalties or disagreements on policy and law, inwardly there seems to be a disparity between personal conscience, morals and values which is reflected in the shifting tides of political debates and positions.

I’m reminded of parts of the American Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Ingrained into history, collective creed, constitution and general infrastructure is the idea that “all men are created equal”. Yet I cannot rid myself of the belief that ours is a fragmented, fractured and contradictory society, where the individual and communal strands are in constant tension, and the struggle between self-identification is underpinned by state legislature and practice. The basis of the existing creed stated above was, I like to believe, one of sincere determination to uphold higher values and ideals. But, tell me

• Who creates the law?
• Where do values come from?
• What is Truth and how is it adhered to?

Is it possible to say that when stripping away social scripting, political bias, selfish interests and peer pressure, there resides within each of us a pure form of a human being that inclines towards higher virtues and ethics? Take a scenario: what were to happen if suddenly we were all to fall victim to a massive earthquake, would we then begin to sense that indeed we we are all created equal and that the fleeting labels, status, privileges, comforts and positions that tend to comfort us otherwise can do little in the event of such major catastrophe?

Would, and can, any advancement in technology or other modern sophistication’s help prevent or avert such a calamity? I think not, it never was possible and it never will be. We are all subject to a common end which is to meet our Creator and answer for our time spent here on Earth.

God’s message in all ages has been singular and we are better positioned when using His guidance as the criterion for measuring right from wrong, truth from falsehood, fact from conjecture. In the chapter of Jonah (10) we are informed:

But most of them follow nothing but fancy: truly fancy can be of no avail against truth. Verily God is well aware of all that they do.

This Qur’an is not such as can be produced by other than God. On the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the worlds.

The final testament completes, confirms, clarifies and corrects all former scriptures and further elucidates the one true revelation - sent by the ONE TRUE GOD in all ages.

Whist on the topic of Declaration of Independence, values and spirituality, I just want to share with you some other aspect, as I’m pressed for time at present. I’ll cover-off some other aspects with you later, particularly in relation to Ch. 10. Here’s the other part:

The “Ten Points” appear every February 12 in newspaper ads honoring Abraham Lincoln. In fact, these aphorisms are from the pen of Reverend William John Henry Boetcker (1873-1962).

* You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
* You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
* You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
* You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
* You cannot lift the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer.
* You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
* You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
* You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
* You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.
* You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

A. Lincoln is also claimed to have written the following to his son’s school headmaster:-

“My son will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.
It will take time, I know; but teach him if you can, that a dollar earned is of far more value than five found.
Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning, steer him away from envy, if you can.
Teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Let him learn early that bullies are easiest to lick.
Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books…but also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hillside.
In school, teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat…
[Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong.]
Teach him to be gentle with [gentle] people and tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the bandwagon.
Teach him to listen to all men; but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad.
Teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him to scoff at cynics and to be beware of too much sweetness.
Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders, but never to put a price on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob…and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right.
Treat him gently; but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel.
Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in humankind.
This is a big order, but see what you can do. He is such a fine little fellow my son!”

Hope this helps.

For Success and Contentment,

Asad R Khan

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Hi there,

Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates, fellow entrepreneurs and innovators of Stanford University to pursue their dreams…

Sometimes life’s going to hit you in the head with a brick, don’t lose faith.

I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going is that I loved what I did. You got to find what you love - and that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work, is to love what you do. And if you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And as with any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.  So keep looking and don’t settle.

“If you live each day as if it were your last, some day you’ll most certainly be right!”

For the past 33 years I’ve looked in the mirror every morning and ask myself: “If today were the the last day of my life, would I do what I’m about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been ‘no’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon has been the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked, there is no reason not to follow your heart.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living by the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other opinions drown-out the noise of your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

So I decided to start over. I didn’t see it then, but getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure of everything: it freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

“Stay hungry, stay foolish” I’d be happy for you to share your views on what you think this might mean…

And don’t forget to ‘connect the dots’ in your life. There’s a unique thread running in your life and you need to give yourself the honest space to see it for what it really is: a wonderful opportunity to:

• do what you love
• love what you do
• have faith and keep going
• innovate, be creative, fill a vacuum
• & don’t settle for anything less than your outstanding best

For Success & Contentment,

Asad Khan

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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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Most often people are troubled by the idea of income and where the money will come from when facing troubles and financial hardships. We can have so many expenditures and barely enough income to cover the costs. So what do we tend to do - borrow and begin incurring debts - whether that’s personal or business loans, bank overdrafts, credit, mortgages, cooperatives or any other means of borrowing from the array of financial instruments. And when the debts are insurmountable, what happens: we become bankrupt. I too have had to borrow in recent times and am the financial pinch as anyone else might be.

But even when we are in the darkest period, we have to resolve to think of higher purpose and the greater scheme of life. I was reading some passages of the scripture and they re-inforced the belief in me that the One Who made the world and is its Sustainer, is the same One who provides for all living beings out of His Mercy. Allow me to present some passages for you to consider from the Final Testament, chapter 16 (The Bee):

66 - And God sends down rain from the skies, and gives therewith life to the earth after its death: verily in this is a Sign for those who listen.

67 - And verily in cattle (too) will you find an instructive sign. From what is within their bodies, between excretions and blood, We produce, for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those who drink it.

68 - And from the fruit of the date-palm and the vine, you get out wholesome drink and food: behold, in this also is a Sign for those who are wise.

69 - And your Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills on trees, and in (men’s) habitations;

70 - Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours wherein is a healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought.

71 - It is God Who creates you and takes your souls at death; and of you are some who are sent back to a feeble age, so that they know nothing after having known (much): for God is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.

72 - God has bestowd His gifts of sustenance more freely on some of you than on others: those more favoured are not going to throw back their gifts to those whom their right-hands possess, so as to be equal in that respect. Will they then deny the favours of God?

73 - And God has made for you mates (and companions) of your own nature, and made for you, out of them, sons and daughters and grandchildren, and provided for you sustenance of the best: will they then believe in vain things and be ungrateful for God’s favours?

74 - And worship others than God - such as have no power of providing them, for sustenance, with anything in heavens or earth, and cannot possibly have such power?

You can see so many immense lessons of life and wonders of creation given in just a few verses. When I read such words of revelation it becomes hard for me to remain at a level of grief or despair - how can I - when the One Who posseses the Keys of the Heavens and Earth and knows the finest mysteries therein is ever-watching and providing for all?

Lest we skip and forget, take note of five things that I’d like to draw your attention to:

1) Eat and drink of the good things that have been created for you and ask your Creator for health and wellbeing; therafter rejoice in the knowledge that you have been taken care of by the One who fashioned you from dust;

2) Use and develop your skills, just as the bee has to, and scout the glorious earth for the Provision that is destined for you that no one else can deter from you;

3) Use your wisdom and judgment when spending and spend less than you earn. Whenever possible invest the difference in something tangible of lower risk.

4) Don’t agonise over those who appear to have more. If they have more that’s their good fortune. Your job is to identify your calling, align to it and do your best, as anything less is where tragedies and frustrations reside.

5) Begin to foster feelings of contentment with the outcome that is destined for you; reflect and give thanks to your Maker who bestowed too many gifts to list.

I hope this helps put somethings into perspective and be sure that ultimately, there isn’t a crisis or problem in the world for which there isn’t a solution that can be found if you trust Higher Order and work diligently.

As always, for Success and Contentment,

Asad Khan

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Often times people will get stuck on an issue that pre-occupies the mind no end. This could range in form and type where on the one hand it may be about someone having uttered something, perhaps neglectfully, rather than maliciously, and on the other hand it could about who to share the rest of your life with! What I have found most interestingly is this: that people are prepared to make huge personal sacrifices, to say health or time, for the sake of pre-occupation with an issue.

We all know that we have to continue to ride the ebbs and flow of life, so what gets us so hung-up on issues that may not even figure much in the grand scale of life? The answer is this: the lack of priorities. When a person hasn’t given sufficient thought to their place in the scheme of life, or found significant roles to fulfill, or defined their personal mission or understood which ways they are going to contribute back to the common pool of progress, then you will find a person who gets stuck into every little event - or nonevent - for the sake of utilising their finite energy in some way or another.

But take a person who has given due consideration to their personal roles, mission, vision, ambition, areas of contribution, relationships, and code of ethics and you will find a purposeful person who lives by priorities rather than reaction.

Looking out of my office window, I can see a busy 4-way road junction that has traffic lights with pedestrian crossings on each of the four sides. Now, firstly we must appreciate the ability of invention for such useful and purposeful mechanism for creating traffic order. Secondly, it brings home the point that we have to understand, appreciate, accept, and live by an order of things that will be mutually beneficial for all. By doing so, we create harmony not only in our own personal lives, but in the lives of those who surround us.

Imagine for a moment if such technology did not exist: who would have right of way and who should remain stationary? How would drivers know when to go and when to slow down or stop? How would drivers recognise the rights of pedestrians and vice versa?

So you see, the mark of individual distinction arises from realising the priorities of affairs and most importantly, that which helps shape your life according to your best ideals and highest goals. This is something that I expand on in the workbook “How to Maximise Peace and Power through Pure Leadership” available as either an e-copy (£15) or hard copy (£20). Chapter 2 (Work The Edge) deals with the essence of leadership, personal growth, development and effectiveness with a focus on the being, rather than just the doing. Because we tend to lost sight of what really matters, we get caught-up in the thick of minor things. This isn’t to say that certain issues don’t require a greater degree of attention at particular points in time, such as picking a partner to share the rest of your life with - they do - but then we have to take it in our stride and move on. It’s not correct to remain stationary when the lights have turned green!

Similarly, the more successful people and centered people are those who deal with life’s issues almost like a traffic signal system: Red = stop = give more attention as required. Amber = slow down = take caution if changing from green upwards / or get ready to set-off if coming down from red. Green = flow through smoothly towards your desired destination.

So consider who has priority in your life? What are you paying more emphasis to? How are you dealing with issues and what level of priority do they really require? Once you grasp this key idea, you can apply the Red/ Yellow/Green code to most things and move forwards to achieving greater success and fulfillment as a result.

Get your copy of the workbook here

Best wishes,

Asad Khan

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