REAL SUCCESS

I believe that to succeed, a person needs only four things.  You can remember them by thinking of the word REAL.

Relationships:  The greatest skill needed for success is the ability to get along with other people.  It impacts every aspect of a person's life.  Your relationships make you or break you.

Equipping:  One of the greatest lessons that I've learned in life is that those closest to you determine the level of your success.  If your dreams are great, you achieve them only with a team.

Attitude:  People's attitude determine how they approach life day-to-day.  Your attitude, more than your aptitude, will determine your altitude.

Leadership:  Everything rises and falls on leadership.  If you desire to "lift the lid" on your personal effectiveness, the only way to do it is to increase your leadership skills.

If you dedicate yourself to growing in these four areas, then it doesn't matter what kind of work you do.  You will become successful. 

A CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

TEN TRADE-OFFS WORTH MAKING....

1.  Trade the first half for the second half.  Much of the first half of life is spent paying the price for later success.  The greater dues you pay now, the more the compound, and the greater potential for a successful second half.   

2. Trade affirmation for accomplishment.  Accolades fade quickly but your accomplishments have the potential to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

3.  Trade financial gain for future potential.  The temptation is almost always to go for the "big bucks."  But seeking to have greater potential almost always leads to a higher return - including financially.

4.  Trade immediate pleasure for personal growth.  It takes an oak tree decades to grow, but it takes a squash only weeks. Which do you want to be?

5.  Trade exploration for focus.  The younger you are, the more experimenting you should do.  But once you've found what you created to do, stick with it.

6.  Trade quantity of life for quality of life.  Your life is not a dress rehearsal.  Give it your best because you won't get another chance.

7. Trade security for significance.  The great men and women of history were great not because of what they owned or earned, but because they gave their lives o accomplish greatness.

8.  Trade acceptable for excellence.  If something is worth doing, either give it your best or don't do it at all.

9.  Trade addition for multiplication. When you invest in others, you multiply your effort - every person you assist becomes a fellow workmate.

10. Trade ambition for gratitude.  Anyone who succeeds does so because of the help and grace of others.  Be grateful for everything you have, and share it with others.

SIFAT RAHMAT

Sifat rahmat atau belas kasihan adalah amat penting sekali oleh kita jika ingin disebarkan ajaran Islam kepada seluruh manusia.  Begitu juga bagi yang ingin mendidik masyarakat kepada jalan kebaikan, seperti guru-guru, ibubapa dan yang utama adalah para pendakwah kerana dengan sifat ini dakwah dan usaha mereka akan lebih berkesan and menjadikan orang awam lebih mempercayai tentang perjuangan mereka.

Mereka inilah yang sepatutnya sentiasa menghulurkan salam serta senyuman walaupun mereka kadangkala dikata dan dituduh dengan perkara yang tidak benar.  Perhatikan firman Allah Subhanahu Wataala dalam menerangkan sifat orang yang beriman:

"Dan apabila orang-orang jahil berbicara kepada mereka (dengan bahasa yang tidak baik) mereka (orang beriman akan menjawab kepada mereka dengan ucapan

SELAMAT (SALAM)."

Memang benarlah kata-kata nasihat yang pernah disampaikan oleh seorang pendakwah terkenal dari Mesir, iaitu Sheikh Hasan Al-Banna:  "Jadilah kamu (sebagai orang beriman) seperti pohon yang sentiasa memberikan buah-buahan (kebaikan) kepada manusia, walaupun kadangkala pohon itu dilontar dengan batu (dihina) oleh manusia!"

Kita hendaklah sentiasa bersifat kasih sayang dan belas kasihan sesama manusia, walaupun kadangkala kita dikata dengan yang tidak baik dan bukan-bukan.

SUNSET...BEAUTIFUL

SUNSET IN KOTA KINABALU - MALAYSIA -  THE HUES - AMAZING!

CONTRIBUTED BY A LONG TIME FRIEND AND EX-COLLEAGUE IN KOTA KINABALU, SABAH, MALAYSIA

7 SYAWAL 1434H

Dear Friends and Relatives,

Wishing All Happy Eid Mubarak!

Sincerely yours, 
Aishah Said 

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLES BY FACEBOOK FRIENDS...

,

ALHAMDULILLAH:  ALL PRAISE TO ALLAH

80 percent images you see in this website is culled from "facebook friends."  I would like to say: "Thanks a million friends, for making my life easy."

AISHAH SAID

SALAM RAMADHAN....EID MUBARAK

ASSALAMUALAIKUM FRIENDS AND RELATIVES,

WISHING ALL, THE VERY BEST IN THE MONTH OF RAMADHAN AND COMING MONTH OF SYAWAL, 1434 HIJRAH.

WASSALAM,
AISHAH SAID

IT'S FRIDAY...

WILL BE BACK SOON!   SALAM....

RUJUK KEPADA AL-QURAN

ALLAH yang mencipta manusia dan Al-Qur'an memberitahu semua manusia penyelesaian yang terbaik dan segala bentuk maklumat yang diperlukan untuk hidup sejahtera.  Oleh itu bila berhadapan dengan masalah, menjadi sesuatu yang penting bagi orang-orang beriman untuk merujuk kepada ayat-ayat Al-Qur'an dan maksud yang tersirat daripadanya. Tidak mengira apa latarbelakang pengetahuan seseorang atau apakah pengetahuannya masih cetek, kerana hanya Allah yang menguasai segala pengetahuan.

Sehubungan ini, sesiapa yang inginkan sebuah kehidupan yang bahagia di dunia hendaklah patuh kepada prinsip-prinsip Al-Qur'an.  Apabila berbuat demikian orang itu akan memperolehi "hikmah kebijaksanaan",  satu nilai yang hanya dimiliki oleh mereka yang ingat dan takut kepada Allah.  Kebijaksanaan ini membawa mereka kepada hidup yang mulia, rasa gembira, tenang dan paling penting ialah dapat melaksanakan matlamat suci kewujudan mereka.  Apa yang mesti mereka lakukan ialah menyembah Allah dan berpegang dengan Al-Qur'an; meneliti, mengkaji perintah dan suruhan ayat, serta kehalusan maksud yang disampaikan dan seterusnya melaksanakan kitab suci tersebut.

IT'S RIGHT TO BE WRONG.

START being wrong and suddenly anything is possible.

You're in the unknown.  There's no way or knowing what can happen, but there's more chance of it being amazing than if you try to be right.

Of course, being wrong is a risk.

People worry about suggesting stupid ideas because of what others will think.

You will have been in meetings where new thinking has been called for, at your original suggestion.

Instead of saying, "That's the kind of suggestion that leads us to a novel solution", the room goes quiet, they look up to the ceiling, roll their eyes and return to the discussion.

Risks are a measure of people.  People  who won't take them are trying to preserve what they have.

People who do take them often end up  having more.

Some risks have a future, and some people call them wrong.  But being right may be like walking backwards proving where you've been.

Being wrong isn't in the future, or in the past.

Being wrong isn't anywhere but being here.

Best place to be, eh?

IT'S WRONG TO BE RIGHT.

BEING right is based upon knowledge and experience and is often provable.

Knowledge comes from the past, so it's safe. It is also out of date.  It's the opposite for originality.

Experience is built from solutions to old situations and problems.  The old situations are probably different from the present ones, so that old solutions will have to be bent to fit new problems (and possibly fit badly).  Also the likelihood is that, if you've got the experience, you'll probably use it.

This is lazy.

Experience is the opposite of being creative.

If you can prove you're right, you're set in concrete.  You cannot move with the times or with other people.

Being right is also being boring.  Your mind is closed.  You are not open to new ideas.  You are rooted in your own rightness, which is arrogant.   Arrogance is a valuable tool, but only if used very sparingly.

Worst of all, being right has a tone of morality about it.  To be anything else sounds weak or fallible, and people who are right would hate to be thought fallible.

So: it's wrong to be right, because people who are right are rooted in the past, rigid-minded, dull and smug.

There's no talking to them.  

SUCCESS...

Success is waking up 

in the morning, whoever you are,

wherever you are,

how old or young,

and bounding out of bed because 

there's  something out there that

you love to do, that you believe in, 

that you're good at -

something that's bigger than you are,

and you can hardly wait to 

get at it again today.

   - Whit Robbs -

SALAM JUMAAH

AMEEN

O ALLAH FORGIVE US AND HAVE MERCY ON US AND PROTECT OUR NECKS  FROM THE FIRE! AMEEN

READ AL-QURAN: QURAN IS AN ANTIDOTE FOR ALL ILLNESSES 

Dear Friends, 

Many thanks for your contribution to grace my personal website:  Thank you Allah:  Allah brought me good friends.

Sincerely yours
AISHAH SAID
 

CHILDREN

The tasks set for children should be moderate.  Over-exertion is hurtful both physically and intellectually, and even morally.  But it is of the utmost importance that they should be made to fulfil their tasks correctly and punctually.  This will train them for an exact and conscientious discharge of their duties in after life. - Hare   

Educators should constantly emphasise the process  - the hard work, the effort, the enjoyment of the journey, the importance of failures as learning opportunities - rather than the raw achievement and the outcome. Telling children how smart they are leads to a short-term high (for the child, as well as for the parent or teacher!), while in the long term it hurts the child's motivation, performance and well-being.  Parents and teachers should constantly be asking children what they learned - from others, from books, from their own mistakes and successes - and in what ways they have improved , and not what prizes and grades they received what the competition was like.

Children also have to understand that they don't have to be the best in everything and that just having fun is a legitimate reason for doing something.  At the same time, if they do want to excel, then effort is necessary - which does not preclude the possibility of having fun all the way.

MIND SET

A fixed mind-set is the belief that our abilities - our intelligence, physical competence personality, and interpersonal skills - are essentially set in stone and cannot really change.  We are either gifted and talented in which case we'll succeed  in school, at work, in sports, and our relationships, or we are permanently deficient and consequently doomed to failure.  In  contrast, a *growth-mindset is the belief that our abilities are malleable - that they can, and do change throughout our lives; we are born with certain abilities, but these provide a mere starting point, and to succeed we have to apply ourselves, dedicate time, invest a great deal of effort.

P.S.  Writer go for the *Growth-Mindset

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY...

The love of a mother is always severely felt: even though her health may incapacitate her from taking any active part in the care of her family, still she is a sweet rallying-point around which affection and obedience, and thousand tender endeavours to please, concentrate; and dreary is the blank when such a point is withdrawn. - Lamartine

NURTURE YOUR "CHILDREN"

Do you take care of your "children"?  You may never have thought of your dreams as children, but that's what they are.  They are your offfspring - the joy of your today and the hope of your future.  Protect them. Feed them.  Nurture them. Encourage them to grow.  Care for them. For someday they may take care of you.  - Napoleon Hill

THE QUR'AN: THE BLESSED BOOK

When you recite the Qur'an and contemplate its meanings, you take a positive step toward achieving happiness.  Allah described the Qur'an as being guidance, light, and a cure for what is in the breasts of men.  He also described it as being a Mercy.

Dear Friends and Relatives,

I had set up another website: www.banyuemas2qss.blogspot.com specifically on the Al-Quran: A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an, in English and Bahasa Malaysia.  Welcome to view.

Yours sincerely, 

AISHAH SAID

DEPEND UPON ALLAH ALONE

There are two points we should bear in mind when we think about the issues of hardship and relief:

First when one can no longer bear a hardship, he will lose all hope in human beings and as a result, his will depend upon Allah Alone. 

Second, whenever the true believer feels that relief is slow in coming, and whenever he feels that his prayers are not answered, he will blame no one save his own self.  He will say to hiself, "I am in this situation only because of you. Had you been worth anything your prayers would have been answered."  Such self-reproach is more beloved to Allah than many good deeds.  When a slave of Allah goes through this process of introspection and self-reproach, he breaks down before his Lord and admits his shortcomings and confesses that he deserves the calamity that befell him and that he doesn't deserve to have his prayers answered.  At this point, the answer for his prayers comes quickly and the black cloud above him dissipates.

MOTHER....

A mother's love is indeed the golden link that binds youth to age; and he is still but a child, however time may furrowed his cheek or silvered his brow, who can yet recall, with a softened heart, the fond devotion or the gentle chidings, of the best friend that God ever gives us. - Bovee 

PERFECT COMFORT AND REST ARE IN PARADISE

 

Imam Ahmad was asked: "When is there rest?"  He answered:  "When you put your foot in Paradise you will find rest." 

There is neither rest nor comfort of a lasting nature until one enters Paradise.  This life is full of problems, trials, ordeals, sickness and worries. 

PROSTRATE TO ALLAH TO A JOURNEY TO PARADISE!

REPEL BOREDOM FROM YOUR LIFE

One who lives a life of repetition and routine will almost inevitably become a victim of boredom, especially since man by his very nature tires from a lack of change.

You should contemplate the many forms of worship that are legislated in Islam. There are deeds of the heart, of the tongue, of the limbs and of wealth  by spending it for a good cause.  The prayer, alms giving, fasting, pilgrimages to Makkah, fighting in the way of Allah - these are only some examples of worship.  The prayer involves standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting.  If you desire relaxation, vitality  and continued productivity, then bring diversity into your work, your reading, and your daily life. In terms of reading for example, read a broad range of topics: the Qur'an, its explanation, the biography of the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) and his Companions, hadith, Islamic jurisprudence, history, literature, books of general knowledge and so forth.  Distribute  your time between worship and enjoying what is lawful, from visiting friends, entertaining guests, playing sports, or going on excursions: you will find yourself to  be a lively and bright person,  because the soul delights in variety and things that are new.

WORD EXPRESSION - WHAT I HEAR

"Sticks and stones may break my bones
but names will never hurt me"

Don't you believe that.  In fact, after the bruises have disappeared and the physical pain is gone, the inward  pain of hurtful words remain.

Words are powerful... yet meaningless until they are attached to a context.  The same words coming from two people are very seldom received in the same way. The same words phrased differently seldom have the same impact.  The same words coming from the same person will usually be interpreted in light of the speaker's attitude. Words can encourage either the stretching or shrinking of our lives.  If most of our conversation contain a negative bent, it is better to say nothing.

DOING GOOD TO OTHERS GIVES COMFORT TO THE HEART

The first person who benefits from an act of charity is the benefactor himself, by seeing changes in himself and in his manners, by finding peace, by watching a smile form on the lips of another person.

If you find yourself to be in difficulty or distress, show kindness to others, and you will be the first to find solace and comfort  Give to the needy, defend the oppressed, help those in distress, and visit the sick: you will find that happiness surrounds you from all directions.

An act of charity is like perfume - it benefits the user, the seller, and the buyer.  Furthermore, the psychological benefits that one receives from helping others are indeed great.  If you suffer from depression an act of charity will have a more potent effect on your sickness than will be the best available medicine.    

Even when you smile upon meeting others, you are giving charity.   

INSTILLING THE RIGHT ATTITUDES

A child's formative years are the most important for instilling the right attitudes:

Child specialists generally agree that early development in a positive setting is a main reason for the child's future successes. Attitudes we accept as children are usually the attitudes we embrace as adults.  It is hard to get away from our early training.  Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. Because the feeling and attitudes we form early in life become a part of it.  We feel comfortable with them even though they may be wrong.

Our attitudes are formed by our experiences and how we choose to react to them.  Therefore, as long as we live we are forming, changing or reinforcing attitudes.  There is no such thing as an unalterable attitude.     

A contributed article

ALLAH, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE..

PINNED IN OUR HEARTS 'KALIMAT ALLAH'

ISOLATION AND ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS

If applied with a correct understanding, isolation can be most beneficial. In times of seclusion, one's thoughts may roam in that which is beneficial, in that which contains wisdom....

Only God knows the full benefits of seclusion, for in seclusion, one's mind develops, views are ripened, the  heart finds repose, and one finds himself to be in an ideal atmosphere for worship.  By remaining isolated at times, one distances himself from trials, from flattering the person who deserves no praise, and from the eyes of jealous and envious persons.  One is saved from the haughtiness of the proud and the follies of the idiot.  In isolation, one's faults, deeds, and sayings are all secluded behind a veil.

During periods of isolation, one is able to delve deep into a sea of ideas and concepts.  In such a state, the mind is free to form its opinions.

REPEL BOREDOM WITH WORK!     

SIMPLE LUXURIES ...

SAVOUR -  BE BACK SOON!

PAUSE TO REFLECT....

The Messenger of Allah (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:  

"Acquaint yourself with Allah in good times and He will know you in bad times."

If a person fears Allah and observes His commands in times of ease, he has acquainted himself with Allah.  In addition, a special link or relation will develop between him and Allah.  Allah will then know him during bad times, meaning that He will help him because of his obedience in Him during good times.  "Acquaint yourself", and, "He will know you", suggest a special kind of knowledge, one that points to closeness between Allah and His believing slave and to love of Allah for that slave. 

Patience, when truly applied, has the effect of changing misfortune into a blessing.  It is all a matter of one's perspective and frame of mind.  For Allah does not test us in order to destroy us, but rather to assess our patience and degree of faith.  This is because Allah has a right to be worshiped in bad times just as He has the right to be worshiped during  times of ease and well-being.  Most people are faithful in their duties and responsive to command when things are going well and in accordance to their inclinations.  A crucial point to understand is that the true test is often to worship and follow commandments that are contrary to one's liking.  And in this regard people differ in their faith.  How they perform in those situations will determine their ranking with Allah. 

      

KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY TO SERENITY AND EASE

Knowledge and an easy-going nature are like two inseparable companions:  if the first is present,  the other can be counted upon to accompany it.  If you study lives of  Islam's greatest scholars, you will find that they led simple live and that they were easy to deal with.  They understood the purpose of life and knew which issues were paramount and which were less important.  Meanwhile, you will find that the most obstinate of people are those who, without having knowledge, are ascetics. They understand revealed texts and are ignorant of religious issues. The calamity of the Khawarij (a deviant sect) stemmed  from a paucity of knowledge and understanding.  They were not guided to understand that there are issues which are paramount in our religion, and which take precedence over other issues.  And so they excelled in insignificant matters while failing miserably in lofty matters not to mention the mere basics. 

YOU ARE ABOVE JEALOUSY

The most blessed of people is the one who desires the Hereafter and is not jealous of other people for what Allah has given them.  He is someone who carries with him a message of higher principles and he wishes to impart that message to others.  If he is unable to help others, then at least he brings them no harm.  For example, Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), he managed, through his lofty manners and his generous soul to transform enemies  (Banu 'Ummayyah, Banu Marwan, and their supporters) into friends.  As a consequence, more people were able to benefit from his knowledge and understanding.  He filled gatherings with knowledge and the remembrance of Allah.  He forgot the days of Al-Jamal and As-Siffeen, and he left behind what came before and after those battles.  He proceeded to build and to unite and to repair differences. Everybody came to love him and he became the "Eminent Scholar" of the Islamic nation.  On the other hand there is Ibn Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the epitome of nobleness, generosity, and sincere worship.  He, however, preferred to confront rather than to give up personal rights, so much so, that he became preoccupied in this pursuit and consequently many Muslims were lost.  Then the worst of it happened.  The Ka'bah became a place of fighting, because his enemies found him, in its precincts and many were slaughtered.  Finally, he himself was killed and then crucified.  May Allah be pleased with him and with all of the Prophet's noble Companions.

I do not mean to disparage some and to praise others; I am merely attempting to study history with an eye for seeing out morals and lessons.  Gentleness, compromise, and forgiveness - these qualities are present only in a minority of people.  This is because, to achieve them and to incorporate them into one's character, one must repress and even subjugate one's self, forgetting lofty desires and ambitions.

A CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

I agree with the  Writer's last paragraph: "Gentleness, compromise and forgiveness - these qualities are present only in a minority of people." (blogger)

'A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME'.....

Murphy's Law - "Nothing is as easy as it looks, everything takes longer than you expect; and if anything can go wrong, it will and at the worst possible moment."

Maxwell's Law - "Nothing is as hard as it looks, everything is more rewarding than you expect; and if anything can go right, it will and at the best possible moment."

EMBRACE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

Andre Moro said:

"Everything that is in harmony with our personal inclinations, appears to us as a truth, and everything else only serves to provoke our anger."

A prime example of this is when we are given advice or criticism.  For the most part, we adore praise and our spirits are lifted when we are the objects of attentions, even if we praised  for the wrong reasons.  On the other hand we hate criticism and disparagement, even if it is said about us happens to be true.

George Bernard Shaw said:

"Perhaps the secret of depression is to allowing yourself to have time for superfluous thought, especially in whether you are happy or not.  Don't allow such thoughts to creep into your mind; rather, you should remain steadfast in working.  When you apply yourself to a serious task, your blood will begin to circulate and your mind will be spurred into action.   Your will find that your new life has quickly been removed of anxiety and worrisome thoughts. Work, and do so on a continual basis; for this is the most inexpensive remedy available on the face of the earth and the most effective."