24 January 2008

9 Steps to Happiness in 2008

Author: Danette Hibberd

What was your new year's resolution?
- to lose weight?
- to get healthy?
- to get a new job?
- to make more money?

Will any of the above make you happy? Perhaps for a few weeks, but soon you will more than likely be caught in the same rut as before.

It is ironic that in today's society, we are healthier, wealthier and live longer than any previous generation, yet are we happier? Unfortunately the answer is a resounding NO.

Following are 9 steps to happiness in 2008.

1. Be Grateful
It is necessary to focus on the positive. By showing our gratitude for all things great and small that appear in our day, we allow ourselves to focus on all the good events. Noting that you are grateful to see the sunshine, to smell the roses, to make a fantastic sale, to complete a small task - whatever you achieve, show your thanks. Spend just a few minutes each day and think about what you should be grateful for.

2. Simplify Your Life
Our lives seem to be so cluttered with needless people, things and chores that we seem to have no time to get on top of. So spend a little time and declutter. Turn off the mobile phone for an hour or so. Don't constantly check your e-mails.

3. Avoid Shopping
Why do we spend so much time worrying about what we don't have - the ipod, the gps system, that car, that holiday or that plasma television that we can't afford? Think what you DO have. Don't waste time and money fighting the crowds at all the New Year Sales. Go for a walk or do some exercise instead.

4. Exercise
In the world today, obesity and idleness is rife. Performing just half an hour of exercise each day is enough to elevate your moods and lift your spirit. There is no need to sweat it out at the gym. Exercise not only makes us fitter and feel good about ourselves, but it releases hormones and other feel good chemicals.

5. Take Pleasure in the Simple Tasks
We all get amazing satisfaction from performing simple tasks extremely well. What about completing a crossword? Or playing a game of tennis really well? Or cooking a delicious meal?

6. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Much more happiness and satisfaction is achieved when you reach realistic goals, rather than shooting for the moon, or having no goals at all. Put your energies into achieving something you know you are capable of, even if your goal is aimed a little higher and you need to take tiny steps to get there.

7. Don't Try Too Hard
Don't try too hard to find your happiness. It will turn up when you least expect it. You never know, if you stop looking for happiness, it may just come looking for you.

8. Avoid Commuting
It is a well known fact that spending many hours each day commuting to and from the office is stressful and correlates strongly, and negatively with happiness. Life becomes miserable. If you must commute, use the time wisely. Read or listen to personal development books or tapes, or music that keeps your spirits up. However, if you want to find happiness, get a job closer to home, or work from home.

9. Smile and Add Humour
The only way you'll ever feel great inside your own skin is to smile. Look around you. What can you smile at right now? Try to find humour in each situation - look at the good side. Practise smiling at people and notice how they smile back.

"Make one person happy each day, and in forty years you will have made 14.600 human beings happy for a little time, at least." - Charley Willey

By following the above 9 Steps to Happiness, you will allow yourself to enjoy and achieve happiness in 2008 and beyond.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/stress-management-articles/9-steps-to-happiness-in-2008-295567.html

About the Author:
Danette HibberdWellness CoachNLP PractitionerAuthor - From Flutter to Fly, Inspirational Quotes to transform you.
Transform your Life and Create Happiness and Success in 2008. 7 Simple Steps FR^EE e-course.
fabat40.com Total wellness for women 40 yrs plus

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23 January 2008

Seven Steps for Saving Time (by Organizing Your Life)

Author: Jamie Jefferson

We all wish we had more time to do the things we enjoy. But the list of things to do seems to never end. Here are seven simple organizing techniques that can save you a few minutes every single day or week, and that's time you can spend doing absolutely anything you like.

1. Get a portable file box (which you can generally purchase for $10 or so) as well as a box of letter size hanging file folders. Create a separate file for monthly bills, bank statements, medical bills, a "To Do" file, and so on. Then hang these files in your file box so you can move your "file cabinet" to the area where you pay your bills. This type of box is easily stowed out of the way when you are not using it, too.

2. Stand in front of the shredder, recycling box, and file box when you go through the day's mail. Make a point to touch each item only once. Each piece of mail gets recycled, shredded, or filed in the "To Do" file of your file box. (You can save yourself even more time by reducing the amount of junk mail you receive. Simply send your full name and address, along with a $1 check or money order, payable to DMA to: Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 282, Carmel, NY 10512). You will also want to place in the "To Do" file any documents that need your attention in the short term, such as rebate offers and newsletters from the church or children's school.

3. Designate a particular day each week to handle the items in your "To Do" file. Pay the bills, catch up on your filing, and write down deadlines in your calendar for bills you aren't going to pay right away. For credit card bills, for example, I write down the payment deadline, and I also make a notation in my calendar ten days before the deadline (to make sure that I send it off in plenty of time for it to arrive by the deadline.) Store everything you need for paying bills in a separate file of your file box so you don't waste any time looking for the essentials: stamps, address labels, envelopes, calculator, and pen.

4. Organize items that you will need to reference occasionally, such as warranties and instruction manuals, in a three ring binder with clear plastic covers (which will let you slide papers inside). This will allow you to easily flip through the binder to find the one you need.

5. Set up a Chore Chart to help your kids learn the value of being organized. Assign each child's chores on an age appropriate level. You may even want to ask your kids how they would like to divvy up the chores. (Kids love to give their input.) Make a table in your word processing program for each child, so they can put a checkmark when they have completed each task on each day. We have our chore chart posted on the refrigerator, and I'm always amazed by how excited the kids get to check off their chores (even though they are earning nothing but a checkmark).

6. Keep a grocery list and a pen on the fridge. Don't use a dry erase board for grocery lists because you want to be able to rip off the list and take it to the store.

7. Make sure you have a good appointment book and write all of your commitments and deadlines on one calendar: work engagements, important things to do with the kids, carpool schedules, birthdays, due dates for bills and library books, etc. Schedule your daily workout, too.

Now take a break and enjoy the extra time you have saved by being organized.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/time-management-articles/seven-steps-for-saving-time-by-organizing-your-life-307905.html

About the Author:
Jamie Jefferson writes for Susies-Coupons.com where you can save on office supplies with the latest Office Depot Coupons and Quill Coupons.

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22 January 2008

PERTAINING TO ONE WHO INTRODUCED SOMETHING GOOD OR EVIL, OR HE WHO CALLED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS OR TO THE PATH OF ERROR


Jarir b. Abdullah reported that some desert Arabs clad in woollen clothes
came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). He saw them in sad plight as
they had been hard pressed by need. He (the Holy Prophet) exhorted people to give
charity, but they showed some reluctance until (signs) of anger could be seen on his
face. Then a person from the Ansar came with a purse containing silver. Then came
another person and then other persons followed them in succession until signs of
happiness could be seen on his (sacred) face.
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him
) said: He who introduced some good practice in Islam which was followed
after him (by people) he would be assured of reward like one who followed it, without
their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who introduced some evil
practice in Islam which had been followed subsequently (by others), he would be
required to bear the burden like that of one who followed this (evil practice) without
their's being diminished in any respect.

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15 June 2007

Hadits Qudsi: Muhammad is the One Who will Guide Us

On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:



The believers will gather together on the Day of Resurrection and will say: Should we not ask [someone] to intercede for us with our Lord?

So they will come to Adam and will say: You are the Father of mankind; Allah created you with His hand He made His angels bow down to you and He taught you the names of everything, so intercede for us with you Lord so that He may give us relief form this place where we are.

And he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his wrongdoing and will feel ashamed and will say: Go to Noah, for he is the first messenger that Allah sent to the inhabitants of the earth.

So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his having requested something of his Lord about which he had no [proper] knowledge (Quran Chapter 11 Verses 45-46),

and he will feel ashamed and will say: Go to the Friend of the Merciful (Abraham). So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Moses, a servant to whom Allah talked and to whom He gave the Torah.

So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention the talking of a life other that for a life (Quran Chapter 28 Verses 15-16),

and he will fell ashamed in the sight of his Lord and will say: Go to Jesus, Allah's servant and messenger, Allah's word and spirit.

So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a servant to whom Allah has forgiven all his wrongdoing, past and future.

So they will come to me and I shall set forth to ask permission to come to my Lord, and permission will be given, and when I shall see my Lord I shall prostrate myself.

He will leave me thus for such time as it pleases Him, and then it will be said [to me]: Raise your head. Ask and it will be granted. Speak and it will be heard. Intercede and your intercession will be accepted. So I shall raise my head and praise Him with a form of praise that He will teach me. Then I shall intercede and HE will set me a limit [as to the number of people], so I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return to Him, and when I shall see my Lord [I shall bow down] as before. Then I shall intercede and He will set me a limit [as to the number of people]. So I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return for a third time, then a fourth, and I shall say: There remains in Hell-fire only those whom the Quran has confined and who must be there for eternity.

There shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a barley-corn; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a grain of wheat; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing an atom.



It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah).

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10 June 2007

Hadits Qudsi Number 14

On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:



Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in which Allah's name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, fillin that which is between them and between the lowest heaven. When [the people in the gathering] depart, [the angels] ascend and rise up to heaven. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h.) said: Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - [though] He is most knowing about them: From where have you come? And they say: We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (Subhana llah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favours] of You. He says: And what do they ask of Me? They say: They ask of You Your Paradise. He says: And have they seen My Paradise? They say: No, O Lord. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise! They say: And they ask protection of You. He says: From what do they ask protection of Me? They say: From Your Hell-fire, O Lord. He says: And have they seen My Hell-fire? They say: NO. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire: They say: And they ask for Your forgiveness. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: Then He says: I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for,and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: They say: O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: And He says: And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.



It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i).

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09 June 2007

Hadits Qudsi : Reciting the Essence of the Quran in Shalat

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:

A prayer performed by someone who has not recited the Essence of the Quran (1) during it is deficient (and he repeated the word three times), incomplete. Someone said to Abu Hurayrah: [Even though] we are behind the imam? (2) He said: Recite it to yourself, for I have heard the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be up on him) say: Allah (mighty and sublime be He), had said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says: Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-alamin (3), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has praised Me. And when he says: Ar-rahmani r-rahim (4), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has extolled Me, and when he says: Maliki yawmi d-din (5), Allah says: My servant has glorified Me - and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power. And when he says: Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka nasta in (6), He says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. And when he says: Ihdina s-sirata l- mustaqim, siratal ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa la d-dallin (7), He says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.

  1. Surat al-Fatihah, the first surah (chapter) of the Qur'an.
  2. i.e. standing behind the imam (leader) listening to him reciting al-Fatihah.
  3. "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds."
  4. "The Merciful, the Compassionate".
  5. "Master of the Day of Judgement".
  6. "It is You we worship and it is You we ask for help".
  7. "Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favors, not of those against whom You are angry, nor of those who are astray".
It was related by Muslim (also by Malik, at-Tirmidhi, Abu-Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

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Hadits Qudsi : Queue on the Day of Resurrection

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:

The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [ The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i).

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11 May 2007

The Dower - One of the Pillar of Marriage in Islam

Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sa'idi (Allah be pleased with him) reported: A woman came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, I have come to you to entrust myself to you (you may contract my marriage with anyone at your discretion). Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saw her and cast a glance at her from head to foot. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) then lowered his head. When the woman saw that he had made no decision in regard to her, she sat down. There stood up a person from amongst his companions and said: Messenger of Allah, marry her to me if you have no need of her. He (the Holy Prophet) said: is there anything with you (which you con give as a dower) ? He said: No, Messenger of Allah, by Allah I have nothing. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Go to your people (family) and see if you can find something. He returned and said: I have found nothing. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: See even if it is an Iron ring. He went and returned and said : No, by God, not even an iron ring, but only this lower garment of mine (Sahl said that he had no upper garment), half of which (I am prepared to part with) for her. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: How can your lower garment serve your purpose, for it you wear it, she would not be able to make any use of it and if she wears it there would not be anything on you ? The man sat down and as the sitting prolonged he stood up (in disappointment) and as he was going back Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded (him) to be called back, and as he came, he said to him: Do you know any part of the Qur'an? He said: I know such and such surahs (and he counted them). Whereupon he said: Can you recite them from heart (from your memory)? He said: Yes, whereupon he (Allah's Messenger) said: Go, I have given her to you in marriage for the part of the Qur'an which you know.



(Shahih Muslim, Book 8, Number 3316)

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When you hear Adhan

'Umar b. al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: When the Mu'adhdhin says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and one of you should make this response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest; (and when the Mu'adhdhin) says: I testify that there is no god but Allah, one should respond: I testify that there is no god but Allah, and when he says: I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, one should make a response: I testify that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger.When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Come to prayer, one should make a response: There is no might and no power except with Allah.When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Come to salvation, one should respond: There is no might and no power except with Allah, and when he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, then make a response: Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. When he (the Mu'adhdhin) says: There is no god but Allah, and he who makes a response from the heart: There is no god but Allah, he will enter Paradise.





(Shahih Muslim, Book 4, Number 0748)

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