LESSON OF THE DAY 482

Ayahs of the Day:
Are those others waiting for anything but the angels to come to them, or the decree of your Lord to come? That is what before them did. And God did not wrong them; rather it was they who wronged themselves. So the evils of what they did came upon them, and what they had laughed at surrounded them. [16: 33,34]

Hadith of the Day:
Whoever would be pleased to have their sustenance and lifespan increased, let them maintain their ties of kinship. [Bukhari]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Know that it is with ilm (knowledge) that you must speak, and that it is with hilm (forbearance) that you must remain silent. [Omar radi Allah anhu]

Guidance of the Day:
Practice being in the "eye of the storm." The eye of the storm is that one spot in the center of a twister, hurricane, or tornado that is calm, almost isolated from the frenzy of activity. Everything around the center remains peaceful. How nice it would be if we too could be calm and serene in the midst of chaos--in the eye of the storm.

Surprisingly enough, it's much easier that you might imagine to be in the eye of a "human storm." What it takes is intention and practice. Suppose, for example, that you are going to a family gathering that is going to be chaotic. You can tell yourself that you are going to use the experience as an opportunity to remain calm. You can commit to being the one person in the room who is going to be an example of peace. You can practice breathing. You can practice listening. You can let others be right and enjoy the glory. The point is, you can do it if you set your mind to it.

By starting out with harmless scenarios like family gatherings, you can build a track record and enjoy some success. You'll notice that by being in the eye of the storm, you'll be more present-moment. You'll enjoy yourself more than ever before. Once you have mastered harmless circumstances like these, you can practice on more difficult areas of life--dealing with conflict, hardship or grief. If you start slowly, have some success, and keep practicing, pretty soon you'll know how to live in the eye of the storm. [Don't Sweat The Small Stuff]

Food for Thought:
To be wronged is nothing, unless you remember it.