Unleashing Your Potential

MAJLIS 5

Hasnain Walji

Value Proposition of Insaan

Series – Muharram1. Karbala – an instrument of reform 2. Power of Intentional Living3. The power of Critical Thinking4. Time is life’s capital\5. Value Proposition of insaan6. Emotional Intelligence – EQ v/s IQ 7. Living a purposeful life –8. Nurturing the Next Generation9. Concept of the Society of Believers10. Life is a Journey – Islam is the vehicle

Tears : Prescription for Reform.

“…represents a brief flight that our spirit makes along with Husayn's spirit……”

– Ayatollah Mutahhari

Power of Intentional Living

Power of Critical Thinking

Time is Life’s Capital

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Value Proposition of insaan

نسان في أحسن تقویم • لقد خلقنا اإل– Al-Tin 95:4

Every human being is valuable. Because Allah created all of them and He created in the best mold and shape

Status of a Human Being

• Every human being is valuable.

• Higher than Angels

• Because Allah created all of them and He created in the best mold and shape

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You are what you are because…

• Natural and physical make up – Traits you are born with

• Habit - continual repetition of certain acts – leads to the emergence of a certain

disposition.

• Practice and conscious effort:– If continued long enough will eventually lead

to the formation of a disposition.

Human Traits

• Perfectionist– if it is not perfect, do not do it.

• Dreamer – great ideas, but no action.

• Worrier– fears that change may spoil everything.

• Crisis-Maker– finds problem with everything

• Over-Doer – taking on too many tasks and thus not being

able to do anything well.

You Can be What you want to be • No Impact• Always Negative Impact• Always Positive • Both Negative and Positive

• Imam Ali (AS) a man with a mission

Knowing Your Self

• Self consciousness is one of the most profitable assets of a person

–Imam Ali AS Ghurar al-Hikam

• How You See Yourself ?

•

The Dust was on my face and I kept cleaning the Mirror.

Know yourself.

• Self knowledge is the most beneficial knowledge of all.

• Imam Ali (Mizanul Hikmah)

• Know your strong points and thank God for them. Be happy about them and work on enhancing them and using them in the way of God.

• Also know your weak points and work on improving them.

Self Esteem / Self Worth

• Your perception of others view you.

• Self-esteem may go up or down • Get an "A" on a test and you feel great, but if

you fail you feel terrible. • FICO – Credit Score

Wat to lower your high self esteem

• How Abid became Fasiq and VV• Imam Sajjad (AS) to Zuhri

– Older– Younger– Peer

Self-worth

• What you are born with. • As one of the HIS creations you are

worthwhile and have value, which cannot be taken from you.

• You can’t lose it, but you can lose sight of it. • You can forget your value.

• Nasruddin & Pen

Self Worth

• The ability to see yourself as Allah sees you

• I am more than my mind, body, emotions, behaviors,

Self-worth

• more sensitive morally and ethically.• more successful in their personal

relationships.• more productive in their jobs.• Involve themselves in the social and

community affairs.• Show generosity towards charitable

works and institutions.•

University of Michigan study

• College students who base their self-esteem on external sources (including academic performance, appearance and approval from others) reported more stress, anger, academic problems and relationship conflicts.

Self Worth

• The same study found that students who based their self-worth on internal sources, not only felt better, they also received higher grades and were less likely to use drugs and alcohol or to develop eating disorders

Building Self-worth

• Stop comparing yourself to others• Add meaningful activities to your life –

– Helping Others– Generosity– Humanitarian Cause

• Studies now show that volunteering has a very positive affect on how people feel about themselves.

Do not wait …..

• "He who waits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything."

» Samuel Johnson

• "If you wait until you can do everything for everybody instead of something for somebody, you'll end up not doing anything for anybody

» Malcom Bane

Do it Now !!!

• Do whatever you can, even if it may seem little

“the best of deeds are those that are done consistently, though little by

little", – The Holy Prophet (pbuh)

• Lizard and Fire of Ibrahim • Starfish Story

Self Worth

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Strength of character and self-respect• Imam al-Baqir (A) • God has bestowed on the believer

three qualities: – honor in this world and the Hereafter– salvation in both the worlds, – Fear of him in the hearts of the

oppressors.

Six Wishes

• Imam Ali [a] "A man came to the Prophet [s] and asked him to teach him an action so that both Allah, the Exalted, and people:

• would love him, • his wealth would increase, • his body would be healthy, • his life time would last long • he would be raised with him (the Prophet). • Then, he [s] said: 'These are six traits which need

six qualities:

Six Solutions

• If you want Allah to love you, be afraid of Him and guard yourself against sin.

•• If you want people to love you, be

benevolent to them and decline what they have in their hands.

Six Solutions

• If you want Allah to make your body healthy, pay charity more frequently.

• If you want Allah to increase your wealth, then give alms.

• If you want Allah to prolong your lifetime, then have regard for your kinship.

• And, if you want Allah to raise you with me, then do prolong your prostrations before Allah, the One, the Dominator.'"

• Safinat-uI-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 599