“Be More & Achieve More!”

In the early hours of Tuesday night (3^rd of January 2012), I got a call at 3:00am that my beloved father, Mohammed Afzal Khan, had peacefully passed away, at the age of 78, and his soul’s journey had moved to the next stage of its journey. I made my way back to Manchester from the south of England by car and arrived by 11:00 am to find the process of communications between the coroner, mortuary (at the hospital) and the personal medical doctor were all underway, with my three brothers and two sisters being kept abreast of it.

Due to Islamic prescriptions of burying the deceased as soon as possible, we were all anxious that the body was released sooner rather than later. But owing to his excellent general health, the medical practitioner was unable to issue a death certificate. However, with some assistance from friendly local municipal councillors, who sent emails to the coroner, we managed to get the body by late Thursday afternoon. His body was washed on Friday morning, prepared for burial – only two sheets of cloths are required to cover the body – and then transferred to the mosque where the final prayers would be made over it.

The funeral was well-attended, some 2,500 people or so came from multiple sides, the mosque was over-capacity and so many had to pray outside in the car park area to ensure attendance.

The body was then transferred to the graveyard with some following the hearse vehicle and many others making their own way. His body was lowered directly to the ground six feet below onto the cold, wet earth, wrapped in the two clean white cloths, with his face showing, and then turned eastwards towards the direction of Mecca. Further involuntary prayers and supplications were read over the grave by Imam’s who were touched by the whole scene and felt a close attachment with my father both in living days and on his departure from this plane of existence.

Now, here is what is more surprising, in a sense, than any of the procedures or indeed his sudden departure: the number, range and type of people who visited our houses to remember him fondly – women, including my mother, were in the adjacent house and men in my father’s house.

Since my arrival on Wednesday morning until Monday morning, apart from the burial day of Friday, I have personally been receiving people from eleven in the morning ‘til eleven in the evening. Many expressed their shock and disbelief of his expiration, as he was so fit and healthy, whilst others recounted their times with him.

One of the oft-repeated aspects mentioned by them was my father’s kindness and ability to make people feel warm, special and welcome when meeting them – both young and old. It’ll be easier for me to copy here what I put on my facebook and twitter statuses on the morning of January 6th:

“Dear Friends, the loss of any near one is a gap that cannot be easily filled, but even more if it was one who was a pillar of society: one who combines the secular and religious seamlessly such that the social and spiritual merge with grace, beauty, mystifying power and great resolve. One who crossed continents yet had deep care for one-and-all on both sides of the global hemisphere; one who gave his full attention, willingness and magical smile to both young and old alike to make each feel extra special, assured, centred and clear-minded; one who resolved conflicts, aided the insecure, helped fulfil the aspirations of the eager, and gave comfort to those in distress. A person of principles with huge self-dignity, his goal was to make people see the brighter side of life. This is just a glimpse of my dedicated Father, whose soul entered the next stage of its journey a couple of nights ago, and whose body will be buried by me and my brothers tomorrow on the glorious day of Friday. Please join me with your refined thoughts and prayers in earnestly asking Almighty God to have mercy on his soul. Thank you.”

Esteemed people of the society came and sat with us at home and through this testing time, I managed to get right to the heart of why so many endearingly remembered him. This is what I want to share with you here as I feel it will assist manifold in the common relations we have amongst us whilst we attempt to tackle the issues of everyday life on top of the global concerns surrounding us. He was not the richest, most powerful or the most famous, but he was amongst the most caring, sincerest, principled and whole-hearted of people.

Until his last days, he was himself running a daily luncheon club for the elderly. Though we all told him to leave it and rest more, his view was that it provided him daily activity, a focus, and an opportunity to engage with others; something I only came to truly understand posthumously.

His affectionate concern for others stemmed from a deep appreciation for how sincere and useful others were towards him just as he was unreservedly towards them. Colour, creed, gender, role, status, socio-economic class were not barriers or his measurements for bonding, but moreover, the genuine application a greater value system of others within inter-personal relations.

This value-system is what carried him into the political arena where the Rt. Hon Gerald Kaufmann, MP has been a long-standing friend of his (for over thirty years). I believe given the right circumstances, he would have made a brilliant cabinet minister. But he had a young family to take care of in a new country, get them through education - which was his main priority - look after the household here in England as well as those overseas, including the needs of several relations who called upon him living in Pakistan, Canada and elsewhere.

Apart from these practical issues, another feature that kept him slightly away from committing fully-fledged to the political machinations was his deeper spiritual understanding, strong values of ethics and principles of morals ~ with truth and justice residing above all. Accordingly, political expediency was not his mantle, nor could he accept the “rule of the mob” at the expense of ‘golden-mean’ standards. Most of the national and international issues were clarified in his mind as he saw the extension of the ‘great game’ as a farce, a denial of International law and a rejection of the idea of principles over policy. Thus, he found an alternative way, his way, in the care world.

As such, the last and only one to be with him in the depths of that Tuesday night in his transference from earthly existence to the spiritual realm was my beloved mother (75), whom he was looking after. Since that moment, she has proven herself to be a solid rock in the midst of torrent rain, wind, and engulfing sea waves of trial and tribulation. Remarkably, she retains redness in her cheeks, a glowing testimony that it is her character which has come to symbolise the 55 year partnership she had with my father.

All their children and several grandchildren will remember this message well: that a lasting partnership has love, understanding and compromise at the root of its organisation. It is now up to us to continue such a wonderful legacy with both faith and benevolent determination as we journey on back into the same Earth and beyond.

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Hi,

Here are some of the other presentations submitted elsewhere for public viewing, but which I thought would be suitable for referencing here also…

There’s plenty more to come, so stay tuned!

For Success and Contentment,

Asad R Khan

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Dear Reader,

Here is the second article from a senior member of the MCB, Dr Abdul Bari, who has put thoughts on the recent riots on record:-

The shooting of 29-year-old Mark Duggan by armed police in north London on the evening of 4^th August created a chain of riots, looting and mayhem in London and subsequently other cities. The first human casualties were three young Asian men of Muslim origin in Birmingham who were defending their property. According to the West Midlands Police Chief Chris Sims: “At some point, and in circumstances that as yet I can’t fully explain, a vehicle has been driven into that group of males, which tragically has led to three of those men losing their lives”.

This wanton destruction up and down the country, caused by sections of our youth and aided by social media (such as Blackberry messenger, Twitter, etc), is a new phase in our social malaise. All sections of our society, from police to politicians to ordinary citizens, have unequivocally condemned this mind-boggling anarchy and nihilism. There is a genuine revulsion at this mindless criminality. There is also a soul searching going on: one columnist suggests that the moral decay at the top of society is as bad as at the bottom in our country.

While the dark side of these fateful few days was maddening, other inspirational things were happening. Local residents in some places fought back against the looters and vigilantes (or concerned citizens, depending upon your definition) joined police forces to help protect their property and streets. Much like the Tahrir Square Clean-up in Egypt, ordinary Londoners were seen cleaning their streets after a major disturbance. Some minority communities played inspirational roles in this national crisis: Muslims tackling looters and bigots whilst Turkish shopkeepers in north London were demonstrating exemplary community responsibility in protecting their stores. Britain’s largest Muslim umbrella body, the Muslim Council of Britain, urged us all to clean up our cities. In the midst of the riot-led pessimism, one writer reminded us that faith-based youth work can give hope in this generation. Faith indeed played an important role for Muslims, as in the month of fasting (Ramadan, taking place across August) Muslims are reminded to restrain themselves from evil and criminal activities. In a powerful article in The Daily Mail 14 August, Legacy of a society that believes in nothing, one columnist eulogised the father of two dead young sons for his “solemn, peaceful message that will make everyone who stereotypes Muslims as terrorists and fanatics feel ashamed of themselves“.

Amid all this mayhem in our cities and tough talk by politicians, the question remains; what is it that caused this sheer criminality and nihilism in certain sections of our youth? The issues are complex and deep, and opinions widely divided. We cannot look for a simple answer to a complex problem. Many causes have been thrust forward: the widening of social and economic inequality, the decline of trust in established authority (such as politicians), the gradual waning of a moral compass with a ‘me-first‘ philosophy of life, the influence of unrestricted commercialisation of our lives and the weakening of family structure giving rise to a lack of basic discipline at home, in schools and our streets – all are relevant.

However, a skin-deep analysis and playing the blame game do not help us in solving this crisis of ours. Tough talking and robust policing are certainly necessary in the short term. We have the Olympics when the world is coming to London next year and the media will be focused on our small island. Imagine if a fraction of this chaos happens during the next summer – disaster!

We need to go deep into this social issue in order to find a long-term solution. Youth are the makers or breakers of any society. A society where family structure is robust, will more likely turn youthful energy to nation building. Where it is weak, however, that is a recipe for the kind of disorder we have seen on our streets so recently.

Children are by nature inquisitive, adventurous and prone to rebellion. They are idealist, impressionable and often vulnerable. Without a strong moral ‘mooring’ and an anchor in the community – anchors which come from family and community, from those also at the top of society – they may enter the world without a moral compass. The tendency to rebel against the status quo is embedded in their nature, and without strong discipline (there is a fine balance between freedom and discipline in childhood), young people may turn towards antisocial activities. Schools are often at the sharp end of this indiscipline and delinquency. With rising family problems, such as domestic violence, and mixed messages on parental rights, parents are often at a loss what to do. A blame game amongst parents, schools and society makes the situation worse.

According to some studies, Britain’s young people are not faring well in their behaviour compared to other developed countries. The UN’s first ever report on the state of childhood in the industrialised West also tells us how Britain is eating its young. This seems to be in line with the UNICEF Report on Children’s happiness of 2007, where Britain came last among industrialised countries. This does not bode well for our country.

As a behaviour support teacher and community activist for several decades, I believe that the root cause of our young people’s delinquency and criminality lies in our homes. It then spreads:community and society consists of families first and foremost. But this is not about pointing fingers at parents; they are not solely responsible. By talking to any parent who is struggling with their ‘behaviour-problem’ child, you will find that the finger would point back to the society.

The only way we can build our society is to build our homes. Home is a place where a child starts life. A warm and caring stable family environment is essential for the healthy growth of a child. Call me old-fashioned, traditional or even judgemental, but a society cannot sustain itself by weakening its family structure. Human society stands on the shoulder of families. Strong families create strong moral values, such as love, respect, loyalty, care, patience, sacrifice, fairness, integrity, compromise and openness. They also nurture an ethos which is open to consultation and problem solving. All this depends on assertive, proactive and positive parenting, from the early stage of a child’s life. According to a survey by YouGov for Channel 4/ITN, ‘Poor parenting’ to blame for UK riots, British people think poor parenting, criminal behaviour and gang culture is causing unrest in cities across the UK.

When we fail to value the importance of family and positive parenting, they will come back to haunt us. And, dare I say, in my view marriage-based family life is the answer to raising our children as better human beings. To say marriage is problem-free will be arrogant, but marriage teaches us to be less selfish with the spirit of compromise and a sense of responsibility that no alternative system, in my opinion, can provide.

Violence, neglect or abuse in a family has always had adverse effects on children. Sadly, over many decades, the institution of family has been undermined by the pressures of extreme materialism, alongside increasing numbers of domestic violence cases resulting in parental separation. With a more dominant and unrestricted consumerism and the arrival of modern technologies, such as mobile phones, computers, TVs and other gadgets decreasing the need for physical communication, people are being kept apart. The loss of childhood innocence and loneliness is becoming the norm. Its impact in schools, in terms of discipline and poor performance, is causing concern in the world of education. With the weakening of family values and discipline and lack of proper direction from society, drugs, sex and criminality are becoming prominent. The cost to the nation in terms of NHS, police and social services is enormous.

As children grow and their formal education starts, schools and neighbourhoods should gradually play a vital role. But by that time their home education and environment has given them a good anchor to withstand any social challenge: schools, community and society can build upon this.

We have been overwhelmed with scandals involving corporate greed in the banking systems, MPs’ expenses and phone hacking over the past few years. But, to me, these mindless August 2011 riots on our streets are worse and a wake up call for us as a nation.

*Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari is a parenting consultant. He is a founding member of The East London Communities Organisation (TELCO), Chairman of the East London Mosque Trust, and former Secretary General Muslim Council of Britain (2006-10). www.amanaparenting.com

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Hi,

I know its been a while since I posted an article here on the Ark2Ark Blog site, and not nearly as regularly as pre-2011, but hey, ‘better there’s some than none’, just as we like to say ‘better late than never,’ unless you’ve been invited to the Queen’s birthday party!

As in one of my current roles I serve as the Secretary of the Inter Faith Relations Committee (IFRC) for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), I thought it worthwhile to share with you some insights into it, particularly in terms of definition and understanding. Most of the following has been drafted by Imam Abdul Jalil Sajid, Vice Chair of IFRC, with some editions by Dr Ramzy, the Treasurer of IFRC.

To begin, the present definition of Inter Faith dialogue according to Wikipedia is:

“The terms interfaith or interfaith dialogue refer to cooperative and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e., “faiths”) and spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional level with the aim of deriving a common ground in belief through a concentration on similarities between faiths, understanding of values, and commitment to the world. It is distinct from syncretism or alternative religion, in that dialogue often involves promoting understanding between different religions to increase acceptance of others, rather than to synthesize new beliefs.”

There are those on the peripheries of every faith who lay claim to the instigation of the interfaith movement, as well as those on the other end of the spectrum who argue that interfaith activities are inadvisable as they promote the dilution of cardinal principles in an attempt to reach amicable compromises. Each group often cites verses from their scripture in an attempt to support their relative stances. Between these two positions, however lies the fertile ground for the evolving nature of the interfaith movement, which works to promote a better understanding and mutual respect between those of different faiths, encouraging a desire to work alongside each other for the common good.

Interfaith is a relatively new movement. There is no single agreed definition or direction of this movement. It is still in its evolutionary stages. To some it means exchange of ideas, to others it means working together on some of the common issues. Still, others define it as an attempt in cultural exchange. How should we Muslim define it and why should we get involved in it? These are some of the pertinent questions that many Muslims are faced with in their daily dealings with those of other faiths, given that Muslims hold their religion to be the Divine Truth.

Interfaith activities are founded on a fundamental human reality that humans have often ignored. “Don’t judge others based on assumptions - learn about others directly from the original sources”. It may sound simple, but assumptions have been the major source of misinformation about others throughout the human history and caused discord and dissent.

Interfaith activities enable people of all faiths to know about each other directly from the practitioners and experts of each faith. It provides them the basic uncontaminated information about the other. It helps them to overcome some of the assumptions they have held without verification. Moreover, it opens up the channels of communications among practitioners of different faith on issues of common concerns.

Faith is a matter of personal choice. It can neither be imposed nor dictated upon others. It has to be acquired through one’s own efforts. Thus, interfaith is not and cannot be an attempt to force others to accept the truth as perceived by each faith traditions. It is also not an exercise in proving one’s superiority over the other.

Islam, via the Holy Qur’an and Prophetic tradition, as well as throughout its growth and historical development, has offered ample evidence to support the practice of acquiring knowledge concerning all aspects of life, including the faiths and traditions of others. Islam acknowledges the diversity of faiths and practices the world over, and demands from its followers a belief in the principle that throughout history, mankind has received guidance from the Creator. The Qur’an states that God sent a prophet with His guidance to every nation, speaking to the people in their language (Qur’an 14:4). Islam holds that the last of these revelations from Almighty God was through His last prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The purpose of this final revelation was to verify and clarify all that had come before it, and reinforce the commandment of belief in One God, reaffirming the original message of all previous prophets and scriptures.

There is another dimension of the interfaith related activities. People belonging to different faith traditions share the same planet and same resources. Due to the mismanagement of these resources and defective distributional systems, people often find themselves deprived of God’s resources. God does not discriminate among people when it comes to his justice and his bounties. He does not close the doors of his bounties on anyone. Hence, inter- faith activities give people an opportunity to ensure that God’s bounties are restored to people regardless of what they believe in.

There is one other aspect of interfaith is to ensure that opinions and perspectives do not lead people to condemn each other or to resort to violence to settle them. It enables them to understand other’s perspective so that people can live with diversity of opinion without passing judgment on each other’s level of understanding. Islam promotes the idea that no one carries the burden of others and each is responsible for one’s action. Hence, interfaith offers Muslims to practice this maxim in their relations with others.

In the United Kingdom, as in the US, people from different faith and ethnic backgrounds have found a unique opportunity to understand each other and learn from each other. There is no forum other than interfaith related activities that opens the door for this learning. Thus, interfaith activities are useful for those who understand their faith properly and are confident about its authenticity. Those who have superficial knowledge of their faith can certainly not contribute to the interfaith related activities. They may add to the confusion that already exists among faith circles.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) Committee for Interfaith Relations is an effort to prepare Muslims to participate fully in the emerging interfaith movement. It invites Muslims to join its ranks so that they may become part of this effort for peace, harmony, and mutual understanding at their levels of interfaith activities. The previous IFRC’s have in the past agreed to the following:

1.Interfaith is rooted in Islamic traditions.

2. Interfaith work does not mean giving legitimacy to all ideas. Rather, it means the acknowledgement of the existence of all.

3. Interfaith from an Islamic traditions means that everyone deserves the respect and the right to express one’s viewpoint without any fear.

4. Interfaith does not mean that Muslims are negating the foundation of their faith.

5. A distinction must be maintained between interfaith work and interfaith dialogue.

6. Interfaith dialogue is more an intellectual exercise to understand the divergence that exists among people of faiths, while interfaith work means devoting the resources for the betterment of the condition of people of all faiths.

7. Those involved in interfaith must have knowledge of their own faith traditions.

8. The interfaith practitioners must follow the Quranic methodology to practice it.

9. Interfaith dialogue or work does not mean that people should have a unified approach.

Imam Sajid also asserts “There is no alternative to Inter Faith Dialogue”:

In my humble opinion, Faith brings joy and hope to millions of people in the world. Religion is a social force that can be harnessed to build bridges or manipulated to erect walls. Living and working together in today’s multicultural, multi-religious and multi-faith society is not always easy. Faith communities have huge human and financial recourses. Faith motivates its followers for doing good deeds such as raising funds for good causes, helping elderly and needy people in our communities and motivating their followers to tackle many social issues in our society. Religion harnesses deep emotions, which can sometimes take destructive forms. Where this happens, we must draw on our faith to bring about reconciliation and understanding. The truest fruits of our faith are healing the wounds of the past and being positive to construct trust and fellowship between different people. We have a great deal to learn from one another, which enriches us without undermining our own identities. Together, listening and responding with openness and respect, we can move forward to work in ways that acknowledge genuine differences but build on shared hopes and values.

In my faith tradition the Holy Qur’an commands believers for interfaith co-operation “to come to common grounds” (3:64). As a Muslim I have been ordered to build good relations with all people of the world (49:13 & (16:40); work for peace everywhere and whenever possible with others (2:208) & 8:61); cooperate with others in furthering virtue and God–consciousness (5:2); seek and secure human welfare, promote justice and peace (4:114); do good to others (28:77) and not to break promises made to others (16:91). The Holy Qur’an tells believers that those who do good deeds and help others are the best creation (98:6). The Holy Prophet of Islam made it clear that “Religion is man’s treatment of other fellow-beings” (Bukhari & Muslim); and “the best among you is he who does good deeds in serving other people” (Ahmad & Tabrani).

The noble Prophet of Islam (May the peace and Blessings of God Almighty be upon him) practiced this ideal for interfaith dialogue himself while talking to Jews, Christians and other faith traditions, as well as people with no faith on issues concerning life, death and relevant matters. The Prophet of Islam confirmed this in writing explicitly in the Charter of Medina in 622 CE. The Holy Qur’an not only recognized religious pluralism as accepting other groups as legitimate socio-religious communities but also accepting their spirituality. The preservation of the sanctity of the places of worship of other faiths is paramount in Islamic tradition (22:40).

The Holy Qur’an says: “And abuse not those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest exceeding the limits, they abuse Allah through ignorance. Thus to every people have We made their deeds fair-seeming; then to their Lord is their return so he will inform them of what they did” (6:109). It also instructs: “Allah loves the doer of good (to others)” (3: 133)

In 628 C.E. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) granted a Charter of Privileges to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mount Sinai. It consisted of several clauses covering all aspects of human rights including such topics as the protection of Christians, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war. I do not have ready references of these letters but in Dr Muhammed Hadidullah’s excellent book “Wasaiq of Muhammad” these are mentioned in Arabic. An English translation of that document is presented here:

Letter to the Monks of St. Catherine Monastery

“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.

Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).”

As ever, for Success and Contentment,

Asad Khan

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Hi,

I thought I’d make the audio transcript available here on the blog so that it’s more accessible to others.

Welcome to Ark2Ark! Let me begin by thanking you for taking a moment to listen to this introduction.

Ark2Ark is the place where you can feel at ease and be assured in the knowledge that you are coming into contact with valuable insights to help you move further, grow bigger, act better, get clarity and feel more centred and certain about the situations facing you and those around you.

Hi, my name is Asad Khan - and you know throughout my academic, professional, business and community life, I have dealt with a wide variety of people who talk about a range of issues that they are confronted with: be that in their organisations, their teams, their businesses, their study or work place, social circles, community and faith groups or even their families.

And I often wonder how the people seek to resolve their issues and move forward. After 12 years of being at the forefront of many diverse projects in an array of settings, my primary interests now are:

a) To understand the coping mechanisms of people who wish to excel in their field of ambition; and
b) To identify the critical features that distinguishes the ones who really make a mark for themselves - from those who just pass through time without really paying attention to their self-worth, destiny or legacy.

As you aware, we are now living in a global economy where the exchange of ideas, news, trade, people and culture are moving at rapid speeds and more than ever before, it seems clear to me that those who are keen to make significant progress in our times are the ones who get ahead of the rest by structuring key strategies into their mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual patterns.

I think you will agree, that we are all facing challenges at multiple levels of our everyday lives – whether that be dealing with customers & clients; patients & colleagues; relatives or spouses; friends & neighbours; public authorities or others…right through to the other side, where one needs to get clear their own career aspirations & promotion; finances & health fitness; lifestyle habits; relationships & companionship; learning & contribution; and sense of purpose.

This I think is the dilemma of our times – and we are, as the Chinese saying goes, “living in interesting times”. I mean take a look around you and you’ll see we’re making great advances in areas such as science & technology, media, transport and construction, yet at the same time so many of us seem to lack the recognition of vital factors such as higher purpose, values and judgements.

This makes me want to strive to understand not only human needs and motivation, but also the prominent features that stifle progress and harmony in all areas of our lives.

The reasons for this is as you can see: that for some their material resources far outweighs their spiritual resourcefulness, so they begin to feel a sense of urgency to get clear on what their actual aims of life are, and how they can make meaningful contributions back to others; this way they aim to feel truly fulfilled.

Yet with others, their emotional wellness seems to be far greater than their material bank, but then they may find it hard to manifest their inner yearnings into the practical world.

I’d like you to understand that at any given moment in time a person is in one of two conditions: (a) fortunate; or (b) unfortunate. From my personal experiences, it isn’t always clear as to which category one may actually be in – however they may appear to be otherwise on the outside.

Take myself for example: I had everything going for me – career wise, social status, finances, professional credibility and a track record of achievement - till life dealt me another hand – and I ended-up losing a significant portion of those advantages that I took for granted.

In retrospection, life was teaching me major lessons - far greater than I had expected – and I am actually grateful for the opportunity to have been afforded the time for serious self-reflection and the space necessary to study my own value system.

This was a chance for me to really take stock of my experiences and begin to consider more carefully the full direction of my life and the features that are most important to me – such as

•    Time – Health – Family;
•    Skills Set – Goals – Abilities;
•    Opportunity to Give Back to Others;
•    Authentic Values & Overall Purpose.

What transpired as a result was Ark2Ark – and what it really is about is helping people - at every level of society - to get their personal balance right - so not only do they get on track to achieve their ambitions – but also feel complete whilst doing so.

Now I know the challenges are great - and so they require equally great solutions, and I believe this can only happen through a dialogue – an opening if you like.

We aim to help create the environment where you are given both the time and space to open-up to the challenges and face them authentically. The greater the scope of challenge around you, the deeper the moments of reflection that are required to muster-up the strategies to help solve and overcome them.

This is where you will be engaging your whole existence – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual centres to become focussed on achieving outstanding results.

That’s why we aim to help you get full alignment of your mind, body and soul so that you feel confident and comfortable with taking vital decisions that will affect any areas of concern, and also have a lasting positive impact on your future.

Remember, it was not long ago when Nelson Mandela was sitting in his prison looking out of the small cracks in the walls of his cell - having spent 26 harsh years for wanting to bring about a change in the condition of his people. But it wasn’t just the sunlight or air he was seeking through those gaps, he was envisioning his plans for materialising the dreams that he had incubated for several decades.

He is one living example of the power a person gets when living on purpose and with passion – and it is this inner world that I wish to demonstrate to you as the most potent and meaningful – because this is the place where the greatest and most profound transformation takes place first – and be sure to know that every human soul has the gift of choice in using it for their benefit.

So allow me to ask you this:– despite what you may have achieved so far; where you have been; whom you’ve interacted with; what you have done; or what you may acquired or amassed; what you may cherish, value or believe in – tell me in all truth and sincerity – is this all there is, or do you think there is more?

I, for one, would like you to think that there is more and to not have to settle with accepting anything less.

So really, my team and I help you to uncover the fundamentals of your being through asking searching questions in an attempt to help you to discern the reality around you.

And let me also add this: it doesn’t matter to me whether you are:-

•    the janitor of the building or the CEO of the blue chip company housed within it;
•    the student attending a place of learning or the specialist delivering the material;
•    the social entrepreneur wanting to make things happen or a national politician working to bring to the people what you claimed;
•    the home maker, professional, executive or anyone else –

In fact it doesn’t matter to me whether you’re tall or small; thin or large; dark or light; single or partnered; wealthy or impoverished; male or female or whatever -

For what truly matters to me is the place you are at right now – deep inside of you – and even more, the processes that you are undertaking to understand

• Which side of the fence you wish to be & which way you wish to evaluate things?
• What you are trying to achieve & what factors are your true callings?
• How you wish to feel & how do you desire to be remembered?

It is this sense of meaning and interpretation of your surroundings that Ark2Ark offers individuals, teams, organisations and communities - at every level - unparalleled service and insights.

Combining time-tested skills from both eastern and western best practices, we are helping people to bridge the gap between the levels of mere sensory inputs and that of higher cognitive processing. We are here to help people come together on a shared platform of progress and harmony.

So, go ahead and get your workbook now - which details some key ideas for you to digest and raise awareness about the beauty and power of your uniqueness. Look around the site and when you are ready, join our online community where there are great conversations taking place from people around the world -  who have a chance to raise their voice and share their thoughts on 3 principal areas of:

• Leadership and management;
• Personal and social effectiveness; &
• Health and Well-being

Once you have signed-up, be on the look-out for updates revealing information on forthcoming live events – as well as providing top tips aimed at bringing higher perspectives straight to you –equipping you with essential knowledge to help you advance further in the game of life with the,

Science of Success and the Art of Contentment!

Asad

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