Practice and Pursuit of Ihsan-Lecture6

Practice of pausing (cont.)

• Recognize the trigger.
• Press pause for at least 6 seconds.
• Take a deep breath.
• Consider your reaction in a situation from a place of Ihsan.
• Remember the tools Allah has provided you- self-awareness, power of choice, guidance and ability to consult with others.
• Develop a mantra or an affirmation.
• Press play again to continue in a better way.

Practices to develop self-control over time:

• Practice doing one thing at one time.
• Reduce inputs- news, social media, lectures.
• Spending time in silence as it allows our spirit to grow.

Three keys to living a life of Ihsan:

1. Spend when you have plenty and spend in challenging times.
2. Restrain your anger.
3. Pardon and forgive.

Key 1: Spending in good and bad times:

• Do good to others as Allah has done good to you.
• It keeps the flow of blessings going.
• Remind yourself that Allah has provided you with these blessings.
• If you bring good, Allah will provide multifold blessings.
• Charity begins at home. 

Research on the connection between money and happiness:

• Having more does not make you more generous.
• Paradox of generosity- when you give more you are happier.
• Give because of good intentions.
• Making a practice of giving makes you more open-hearted.

Effects of materialism:

• It is highly correlated with being dissatisfied with one’s life.
• Results in low self- esteem and less integration in the community. 
• Find less meaning in life.
• Less concerned about the welfare of others.
• Less satisfied with family lives.
• Less fun and enjoyment in what they experience.
• More likely to be depressed and envious.

LINKS:

Ghurar al-Hikam: comprehensive collection of short quotations and aphorisms by Ali ibn Abi Talib. 

SURAH ALI IMRAN [3:134]

SURAH AL-QASAS [28:76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84]

To access lots of free resources on relationships and personal growth, please sign up for #DailyWisdom at www.marziahassan.org/dailywisdom