“Be More & Achieve More!”

Dear Reader: Hi,

It’s been a while since I wrote here to you but as you know well by now, the world has seen some immense changes taking place this year and most surprisingly, or perhaps not really, these have been across the Middle East. The Middle East has traditionally been a historical place of significance due the constant line of God’s good Messengers appearing through-out the region over the centuries; it occupies the middle portion of the Earth, and of recent times contains within it the troublesome spot of Israel.

The Future Does Not Equal The Past, Does it?

Ever since man was created, the Angels questioned the Creator about the bloodshed and mischief that would be manifest due the actions of man. Almighty God, the Greatest, replied “I know that which you do not” (Final Testament, Chapter 2:30). God knew that He had created a being that was capable of bringing the forces of nature under his control – so long as he acted aright and with full reliance in his Maker. And so man was set on Earth to fulfil the noble mission of this stewardship: to ensure that the environment, nature, and all people co-exist peacefully with due rights and consideration given to all such elements.

But man was created in a complex fashion – his mind, heart, body and inner-self would be in constant flux and imbalance, with passions and desire often getting the better than reason and intellect; with negative attitudes such as arrogance, greed and envy getting the better of virtues like humility, charity and forgiveness. This battle of the inner and outer forces of man are the very basis of his ‘testing period’ here on Earth, as God, the Almighty states “He created life and death in order to test which of you is best in deed” (67:2).

The crowning glory of every man is to be successful on the The Great Day when he will be held responsible for all his thoughts, intentions, feelings, motives and actions. There will be no escaping from the Accountability of Almighty God in His Great Court – all of a person’s life will be laid bare – his own limbs, emotions and motives will give evidence to testify either for or against him. Successful will be the man who earns God’s grace That Day and successful will be the ones whose balance of good is weightier than his bad deeds.

‘Islamic’ Awakening of an individual can only occur when every person realises his and her own personal duty towards themselves, their neighbours and society, towards nature and the environment, and ultimately towards God. This realisation will lead to a heightened level of personal honour and a sense of nobility – that he has been created by God “Then He (God) fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him a spirit from us (the soul)” (32:9). This realisation combined with an attitude of accountability will help create an atmosphere of responsibility and due care.

Every child, mother and person knows what it means to act with love, care, kindness, patience and understanding. These virtues are recognised the world over as they are a part of God’s nature: as all good belongs to Him, emanates from Him, and returns to Him alone. We, who call ourselves as Muslims – who wish to lead an Islamic life – need to be more aware of when our passions and evil forces are attempting to make us act contrary to the higher virtues, values and characteristics. We need to understand that our benevolence, grace and compassion are much greater at winning the ‘game of life’ than when we exercise our lesser selves – acting with anger or irrationality will only debase our own credibility, it goes against our moral nature, and is not befitting for our purer soul.

In this way, Awakening occurs precisely due to Awareness: the keys to this awareness are many, but to mention some important ones here (a) every person has to increase their knowledge of life, the truth of this world, and the grand scheme of God; (b) they ought to ensure that they use the ‘aql (intellect), which has been bestowed upon humans to differentiate them from other living entities, working for the greater good through beneficial innovation, functioning within the framework of God’s Law; (c) to retain a healthy level of critical thinking, to have an attitude of curiosity, and to question openly the norms of our times, life, history and nature.

As well as this personal responsibility given to every man, there is an added responsibility upon the leaders of every nation to help ‘navigate mankind’s ship to a safe and prosperous destination’; as Muslims, we believe this is the fulfilment of the soul’s yearning – to be in proximity with its Creator. On Earth, we are guided to seek this divine proximity through prayer, devotion, positive contribution, self-sacrifice and charity. There is not a person on Earth who will not recognise a genuine act of kindness, care or charity. We must give more back than we take, if man is to reach the heights that have been destined for him.

In Surah Al-Ma‘ida (The Table Top, Chapter 5 of the Final Testament, The Holy Quran) we read:

15. O people of the Book! There has come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that you used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary).

16. There has come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book - wherewith Allah (God) guides all who seek His good pleasure to ways of peace and safety, and leads them out of darkness, by His will, unto the light - guiding them to a path that is straight.

17. In blasphemy indeed are those that say that Allah is Christ the son of Mary. Say: “Who then has the least power against Allah, if His will were to destroy Christ the son of Mary, his mother, and all every - one that is on the earth? For to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between. He creates what He pleases. For Allah has power over all things.”

18. (Both) the Jews and the Christians say: “We are sons of Allah, and his beloved.”
Say: “Why then does He punish you for your sins? Nay, you are but men - of the men he has created: He forgives whom He pleases, and He punishes whom He pleases: and to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between: and unto Him is the final goal (of all)”

19. O People of the Book! Now has come unto you, making (things) clear unto you, Our Messenger, after the break in (the series of) our apostles, lest you should say: “There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner (from evil)”: But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner (from evil). And Allah has power over all things.

When we wish to understand world events, we cannot really dissociate the spiritual dimension from the physical one, as this will only lead to a lesser understanding of causes and effects. As believers in God’s Message, His Book and His Messengers, we must trust in His Judgement and Wisdom at all times: that He is ultimately The One Who controls all affairs and to Him is our final return. Despite confusion, turmoil, politicking, double standards, negation of rights, injustices, propaganda, subjugation, oppression, denial of truths and fairness, we must remember that “Allah has power over all things.”

Much can be said about the world events and current ‘Islamic Awakening’ but the central point, as it always is, is about higher matters of fairness, justice and trust in God, His Commandments and His Order. Herein lies the ‘test’ referred to earlier, of not only every individual, but of also the nations and states that constitute such people and races. God’s mercy and bounties are distributed freely – imagine for a moment that there are now over seven billion people inhabiting the Earth, and still there is more than sufficient food, water, shelter and clothing to for all. Truly, “Allah has power over all things.”

When people are taken away from this central point of acting in accordance to God’s commands, they rely on their own senses and faculties alone – perceiving that their strengths and judgments are greater than any other. This only happens when a person, or a people, who are depending on God’s mercy anyway to live on this Earth of His, begin to consciously deny God as the rightful Owner, Creator, Provider and Master of the Universe. Steeped in self-indulgence, the luxuries and comforts surrounding them dull their spiritual senses and arrogance, false pride and jealousy take over. This arrogance leads to corruption and abuse of power, which in turn leads to acts of greed and monopolisation.

Greed, Envy, Corruption and Over-Consumption

This is precisely how the rulers and dictators in the Middle East region have been behaving over the past 40 to 50 years or so. They are no different to a dictator from any other region of the world, as the nature of a dictator is the same whichever country he maybe ruling: to rule with tyranny and disregard of basic freedoms of speech, consultations, debates and democratic processes. But sometimes, it can be argued that a people bring to power such dictators, or rulers, as they themselves deserve: its a two-way process. Let us continue with Surah Al-Maida and hear what Allah instructs us:

20. Remember Moses said to his people: “O my people! Call in remembrance the favour of Allah unto you, when He produced prophets among you, made you kings, and gave you what He had not given to any other among the peoples.

21. “O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah has assigned unto you, and turn not back ignominiously, for then will you be overthrown, to your own ruin.”

22. They said: “O Moses! In this land are a people of exceeding strength: Never shall we enter it until they leave it: if (once) they leave, then shall we enter.”

23. (But) among (their) Allah-fearing men were two on whom Allah had bestowed His grace: They said: “Assault them at the (proper) Gate: when once you are in, victory will be yours; But on Allah put your trust if you have faith.”

24. They said: “O Moses! While they remain there, never shall we be able to enter, to the end of time. Go you, and thy Lord, and fight you two, while we sit here (and watch).”

25. He said: “O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother: so separate us from this rebellious people!”

26. Allah (God) said: “Therefore will the land be out of their reach for forty years: In distraction will they wander through the land: But sorrow you not over these rebellious people.

The Children of Israel were granted manifest bounties from God, not least the land, opportunity to thrive, power, provisions, free-trade, commerce, travel and security. But they abused their position and became weak-hearted after Moses led them away from the bondage of Pharaoh towards Mount Sinai. Clearly they had rebelled, which led to their own ruin. Rather than working for their own inheritance and future with faith and courage, they relied on Moses and his God to turn out the enemy first. In God’s law, we must work and strive for what we wish to enjoy.

This passage of events is not only referred to in the Final Testament (The Quran), but also in the Old Testament in the Book of Numbers, where we are informed how Moses sent a group of 12 men to examine the land North of Sinai. They came back with reports of “a land with milk and honey” – a rich country full of delights like pomegranates, figs, olives and grapes. Joshua (who took the leadership of the Israelites after the “forty years of wandering.”) and Caleb were the only ones amongst the twelve men who reported back positively.

However, the remaining ten men reported badly of strong men – the great stature of the Canaanites – in the new land, and this further inflamed the crowd, who were prepared to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, and return back to Egypt. Their reply to Moses was full of irony, insolence, blasphemy and cowardice. In effect they said: “You talk of your God and all that – go with your God and fight there if you like – we shall sit here and watch.” The people of Israel had no faith, nor courage, and Moses remonstrated with them.

A New Approach Needed?

Is it a striking co-incidence that the people across the Middle East and Asia have suffered an almost similar fate as the Israelites over the past 40 years or so? Could it be said that the people across the region in general became weak-hearted, lost faith and courage and were left to wander in distraction for this period? Libya has been ruled by a dictator for forty two years, and Syria an equivalent time – so too in Yemen, Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and many other countries where authoritative regimes have been ruling autocratically.

But now the people are re-inventing themselves and saying a resilient “no!” to dictatorship, authoritative rule and brutal regimes. Using technology, combined with the spirit and dynamism of youth, strengthened with values of fairness, equality, truth and transparency, people are rising to make unprecedented changes sweeping the whole region. No-one had any idea that this would happen the way it has in such a short span of time. This is why it is important to refer back to Scripture/s to see the events through the spiritual lens and put such aspects into proper historical context and reading.

We like to believe that now there seems to be a ‘new approach’ towards self-expression that is helping to re-balance the power struggle in the Middle East and across the World. The vibrancy of the recent ‘Arab Spring’ is having effect in places further outside of the Middle East, such as sub-Saharan Africa, Europe (Spain, Greece, Turkey), South Russia and Latin America. It could be said that the current uprisings have their seeds in the recent events of the Intifada in Palestine and the Islamic Revolution in Iran, both inspired by spiritual leaders like Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Imam Khomeini, respectively. Every part of the world has deep history and pages can be written about them – about Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Malaysia, Lebanon and on it goes. World events will never stop happening, as long as the World keeps spinning around till The Great Day.

So let us take a closer look at why these struggles occur; what drives them not only on the state level, but at an individual level, for we have come to realise that the individual constitutes the nation. We have also seen how a people can be deserving of a type of leader (such as dictator) due their own characteristics, and as in the case of Moses and his people, how a good leader can be the head of a stubborn, stiff-necked and uncooperative mass. History reveals many answers – Nature reveals many answers – and indeed Divine Revelation provides us many answers and insights for events which none of us were present.

Pride and Jealousy: Powerful Drivers and Tools of Evil

27. Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. Behold! They each presented a sacrifice (to God): It was accepted from one, but not from the other. Said the latter, “Be sure I will slay thee.” “Surely,” said the former, “(Allah) doth accept of the sacrifice of those who are righteous.

28. “If you do stretch your hand against me, to slay me, it is not for me to stretch my hand against you to slay thee: for I do fear Allah, the cherisher of the worlds.

29. “For me, I intend to let thee draw on thyself my sin as well as your own, for you will be among the companions of the fire, and that is the reward of those who do wrong.”

30. The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones.

31. Then Allah sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how to hide the shame of his brother. “Woe is me!” said he; “Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the shame of my brother?” then he became full of regrets-

32. On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our apostles with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.

33. The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter;

34. Except for those who repent before they fall into your power: in that case, know that Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

35. O you who believe! Do your duty to Allah, seek the means of approach unto Him, and strive with might and main in his cause: that you may prosper.

36. As to those who reject Faith- if they had everything on earth, and twice repeated, to give as ransom for the penalty of the Day of Judgment, it would never be accepted of them, theirs would be a grievous penalty.

The two sons of Adam were Habil and Qabil (in English Bible Abel and Cain, respectively). Cain was the elder and Abel the younger – the righteous and innocent one. Presuming on the right of the elder, Cain was puffed up with arrogance and jealousy, which led him to commit the crime of murder. The cool, calm reply of Abel “Surely,” is full of meaning. He is innocent and God-fearing and the threat of death does not alter his state of belief and trust in God. He loves his Maker as he is effectively saying: “I am not going to retaliate though I have as much power as you have against me. I fear my Maker for I know He cherishes all His Creation. Let me warn you that you are doing wrong. I do not intend even to resist, but do you know what the consequences will be to you? You will be in spiritual torment.”

The innocent unselfish pleading of the younger brother had no effect, for the soul of the other was full of pride, selfishness and jealousy. He committed the murder, but in doing so, ruined his own self. The story of Cain is referred to in order to tell the story of Israel. Israel rebelled against God, slew and insulted righteous men who did them no harm, but on the contrary came in all humility.

When God withdrew His favour from Israel because of its sins and bestowed it on a brother nation, the jealousy of Israel plunged it deeper into sin. To kill, or seek to kill, an individual because he represents an ideal is to kill all who uphold the ideal. Whereas saving an individual life in the same circumstances is equivalent to saving the whole community. What could be stronger condemnation of individual assassination and revenge?

Honest Soul-Searching

So the current uprisings and revolutions are a culmination of years of inward reflections, yearning’s of the people’s soul to be closer to Him, free to call out His name with genuine pride and real honour and to live under His safe rule and good law. These revolutions are still taking shape – five months is nothing much in the grand scheme of things.

The Future of the any nation belongs to the people and in the world-over the people, want the same basic human rights: freedom of speech, opportunity, livelihood, education, travel, trade, business and security. The ‘war on terror’ was a convenient phrase to pursue the policy of ‘forward presence’ in sovereign lands according to the (non)-rules of ‘asymmetric warfare’. The so-called ‘axis of evil’ has been presented to the world as a way of dividing the planet along the ‘you are either with us or against us’ paradigm.

It is the current uprising and revolutions that is re-shaping the whole pattern and the re-shuffle of traditional power grids continues. Now a new language and a new idiom are required to secure the hearts and minds of the masses. People are not afraid of calling out for the truth. They are no longer afraid of pulling the reins of power in confidence towards the path of self-determination. The old regimes are losing ground, and I believe the East-West divide is narrowing all the time because the human needs, values, ideals and sufferings are the same as expressed the world over.

The ‘new approach’ is in fact a return to the honest self-expression as Abel demonstrated to his murderous brother Cain: “do what you want, the truth is on my side.” This same truth is what is causing pain to people across Europe and America – the great divide between those who ‘have’ and those who ‘have not’. The once great institutions of Education, Health, and Care Support are dwindling in face of huge economic crisis brought about due to the greed of the few in the banking world. This very economic crisis is causing the current political re-shuffle as people are claiming back their basic rights and privileges.

The whole world is undergoing a soul-searching exercise – the negative forces and impurities are being purged. The Earth is tired of carrying evil on its stomach, and the Great God above is allowing enough time for a rational re-assessment to take place country-by-country, people-by-people, and individual-by-individual.

A return to the historical era of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is beckoning. The re-alignment will be complete with the old order crumbling and the new, purer, just order replacing it. The Islamic Awakening is still nascent, as much remains to be done, and the impurities still need to be filtered post-colonisation era and dictatorial rule. Again, it will be deemed by some, and the question presents itself once again, could the colonisation process itself be considered an act of God? That US is currently the world’s dominant superpower, despite its huge deficit of $14trillion, so are not its actions a result of following Divine inspiration? This can be argued, but surely a sea-change is in process, with the former attitudes of complete hegemony arguably not plausible anymore as actions and motives are scrutinised ever-more with today’s communications methods including social media.

The role of the next batch of purer leaders will be to write a new narrative – one of peace, security, love and charity. They will demonstrate Higher Order by living by Principles of Justice and Divine Commandments. The Holy scripture/s will not be diluted or relegated to abstract theological polemics, but be the guiding light for the people and nations who wish to prosper, because they understand that the spiritual and physical dimensions are closely intertwined.

The on-going story of life is always the same as re-accounted here through the case of Moses and his people, as well as between Cain and Abel; the tussle between good and evil, light and dark, truth and falsehood, greed and generosity. It is the law of nature and history that the pendulum always swings to normalise the world affairs, though the history of conflict will continue due to our testing probationary period here on planet Earth.

Peaceful, democratic dissent and demonstrations are paving the way for change. Nations are healing and reconciling their differences. The contradictions between the elite and the masses are being re-addressed. Injustices and overstepping of boundaries may still occur here and there, but the new dialogue has the pendulum swinging well in the favour of Justice. Cultural forces are shaping a new vision for the people that have unleashed their creative power. Democracy will now be on suitable terms, not just on grounds of self-interest. People know who they really are, and deep down they sense that there is an alternative, better way to prosperity and global peace.

For Continued and Rising Success & Contentment,

Asad Khan

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Hi Friend!

Been a while, but I will show you in the blogs-to-come why exactly. But in case you were getting a little down-hearted have a gift from me: The Power of Positive Thinking.

Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind thoughts, words and images that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that expects good and favorable results. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds.

Not everyone accepts or believes in positive thinking. Some consider the subject as just nonsense, and others scoff at people who believe and accept it. Among the people who accept it, not many know how to use it effectively to get results. Yet, it seems that many are becoming attracted to this subject, as evidenced by the many books, lectures and courses about it. This is a subject that is gaining popularity.

It is quite common to hear people say: “Think positive!”, to someone who feels down and worried. Most people do not take these words seriously, as they do not know what they really mean, or do not consider them as useful and effective. How many people do you know, who stop to think what the power of positive thinking means?

The following story illustrates how this power works:
David applied for a new job, but as his self-esteem was low, and he considered himself as a failure and unworthy of success, he was sure that he was not going to get the job. He had a negative attitude towards himself, and believed that the other applicants were better and more qualified than him. David manifested this attitude, due to his negative past experiences with job interviews.

His mind was filled with negative thoughts and fears concerning the job for the whole week before the job interview. He was sure he would be rejected. On the day of the interview he got up late, and to his horror he discovered that the shirt he had planned to wear was dirty, and the other one needed ironing. As it was already too late, he went out wearing a shirt full of wrinkles.

During the interview he was tense, displayed a negative attitude, worried about his shirt, and felt hungry because he did not have enough time to eat breakfast. All this distracted his mind and made it difficult for him to focus on the interview. His overall behavior made a bad impression, and consequently he materialized his fear and did not get the job.

Adam applied for the same job too, but approached the matter in a different way. He was sure that he was going to get the job. During the week preceding the interview he often visualized himself making a good impression and getting the job.

In the evening before the interview he prepared the clothes he was going to wear, and went to sleep a little earlier. On day of the interview he woke up earlier than usual, and had ample time to eat breakfast, and then to arrive to the interview before the scheduled time.

He got the job because he made a good impression. He had also of course, the proper qualifications for the job, but so had David.

What do we learn from these two stories? Is there any magic employed here? No, it is all natural. When the attitude is positive we entertain pleasant feelings and constructive images, and see in our mind’s eye what we really want to happen. This brings brightness to the eyes, more energy and happiness. The whole being broadcasts good will, happiness and success. Even the health is affected in a beneficial way. We walk tall and the voice is more powerful. Our body language shows the way you feel inside.

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Hi,

When most people have issues in their lives, they often base the aspects on a series of events: usually what someone said, how they said it, or the way something was done or how it was not done, etc. This leads to a train of thoughts repeating themselves in the head that creates anxiety and disturbances, which the person own themselves. You see, no one else can really dominate your head, its yours and no-one else’s, so why do many end up agonising so much about (a) other people’s issues, (b) what happened in the past, (c) mis-interpretating the actual event to suit our own inner voice?

Its because its convenient to do so. It’s easier to follow self-furnished notions and assumptions rather than approaching the source of the matter and deal with it thoroughly and clearly. This takes courage, sincerity, respect and courtesy. Wheareas living by assumptions makes us feel secure in our own little world to the extent that we develop a notion, or an assumption, into a living fact, without any actual eveidence for it. This is the base nature of man, and we cannot turn away from it, but rather have to acknowledge it and work on it.

This, in my analysis, is all what NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), Meditation, Prayer and a whole host of other therapy/coaching/personal development disciplines are concerned with. Dealing with:

• Creating self-awareness, integrity and openness
• Acknowledging one’s own limiting beliefs, values and assumptions
• Expanding the Inner vision and developing an authentic voice
• Getting to the source of problem on the inside & altering images/sounds/energy vibrations
• Realigning the central nervous system so that it congruent and whole
• Moving to better (higher) place of being, relating, seeing, perceiving, judging and living.

The list is not meant to be exhaustive, but representative of what it means to deal with self-made, mind-consuming assumptions.

Furthermore, the same is true of revealed faith and monotheistic religions. Essentially, they point out the wayward practices of those who design their lives on fanciful conjecture, tradition and habits of convenience.  Continuing from the chapter (68) quoted in the previous posting, let’s take a look at some of the latter verses:-

What is the matter with you? How judge ye?

Or have ye a book through which ye learn-

That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose?

Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand?

Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that!

Or have they some “Partners” (in Godhead)? Then let them produce their “partners”, if they are truthful!

Just as we tend to repeat the false notions of others in our minds, the same is true of our spiritual beliefs and practices: we tend to reject the avenue towards clarity and evidence-based spirituality and rather follow convenient mis-truths because we have a sense of security by being surrounded in their presence: idols, fetishes, priests, godlings, suspicions, omens, materialism, fellowship, intellect, science, art, construction, industry etc.

Do we stop and consider the whole order of the universe and our little place in it? Are the work of our minds, imaginations and hands nothing but lesser reflections of the great order of the universe. If so, why not acknowledge the Creator of the heavens and the earth for this great order and leave all other considerations aside? Convenience should not replace logic, proof, evidence, justice, rationale, and pure spirituality based on these aspects. This was the way of Father Abraham and this is the right way. All other ways are bound to lead to confusion and imbalance.

The first step towards FREEDOM is to question. Question:

1. Yourself - the mind, body, soul and spirit, who’s controlling them?
2. Your Existence - from whence and to where, and why are you here?
3. Your Provision - who ultimately provides this for you?
4. Your Relations - what do they really mean and do you honour any of them?
5. Your Code of Conduct - who’s standards do you live by?
6. Your Laws - Who says what’s allowed and what’s prohibited to you?
7. Your Tastes - What are the boundaries and structures that define your choice of taste?
8. Your Inheritance/Legacy - How are you linked before you and with generations after you?

Begin this honest questioning process with yourself and then once done, ask yourself this:

What are my foundations for these, i.e. by which Authority  do I claim such matters? Do I have a Book, a God-head, or any other higher authority that determines such matters for me, or am I just living by ’societal norms’ of which I am clueless as to who, or how, these norms have come into place.

Question, for it is the beginning of your journey and the end of fanciful assumptions.

“Ask, & you shall be answered,
Knock, & you shall be opened to,
Seek, & you shall find”

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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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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