Saturday, 21 February 2015

Negative filters and lightbulb moments


In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.
 
 
21 Feb 2015.

Subhanallah, yesterday, Youmil Jumuah was filled with barakah, a gift for us all. Even those of us who despair and are just feeling a bit down, a bit sick, stressed and a bit overwhelmed with much work.
Life is filled with uncertainty sometimes – am I going to pass this essay, find a house soon, make new friends, enjoy this class, get rid of this cough and so and so forth. The one thing that guides us is our steadfastness. And in that we gain support from friends and colleagues who stand firmly next to us. And so we should also be thankful for those whom Allah SWT puts in our way and us in the way of others.

This morning I was feeling a bit despondent but one look at the students sommer cheered me up. As for good friends, somehow Allah puts the right words on their tongues that we need to hear at that given moment and one knows it’s OK. Someone related a lecture on patience/sabr that when one feels it ebbing and hard to find that patience after what one thinks patience was what you had – that is actually the time when a beautiful Sabr is needed. That is the time when one lets go of circumstance and develop a quietness knowing that you have done the best you can and you keep on doing but to trust in Allah. To trust Allah has a plan for you, to trust that this test will only make you stronger and to trust that Allah will not bestow more on you that you can bear. Allah hu Akbar.

So with those words in mind I came home, cleared up, walked into the garden and gathered aubergine, curry leaves, chili, lettuce, tomatoes, danya. I started a pot of a chicken curry with wedges of aubergine, some fluffy white basmati, chucked salad greens in a bowl and added olives and feta. We had two gentlemen come to fix our bakkie to share the table with us.
I also managed to find Salwa of the beautiful scarves and bought a bright green scarf, she's on the left. So when I see her this weekend I will take some pics and have you know where to find her at different times, at different markets, inshaAllah.

We look forward to the month ahead what with graduation of last year’s students at IPSA; exciting happenings with new students possibly a weekend hike; the IHYA programme planning their Al Ghazzali day for March and with Allah’s grace unpacking boxes at a new home.
This morning we had a wonderful class at the MJC Boardroom, while some of us were early we watched the 90 10 principle by Stephen Covey, which we did just to pass time. It ended up as a much discussed point throughout our class today - Personal learning and Critical, thinking particularly the part on negative filters.

 I promised to post the link, this is it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6402QJp52M 

Plant food and enjoy a stress free rest of weekend.

Yasmine

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