"Assalamu alyekum warahmatullah wabarakatuh!
Wonderful tips, sis,Mashaallah la hawla wala quwata illa billah!!
..."
“Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful (rests on his will).”(Surah al-Insan 76:3)
How many things can you count that you are grateful for today? Just take a couple of seconds to think. What thoughts come to you off the top of your head? Even if you’re going through a tough spot, I’m sure that you can think of a few things that you could thank Allah for.
The Americans have a special day for Thanksgiving and the Christians will be getting ready to write their Thank-you letters for their Christmas presents soon, so when do you usually stop and thank Allah for all His gifts to you? Do you thank Him on a daily basis or do you take His gifts for granted? And what about those kindnesses done for you by your nearest and dearest, do you let them know how much you appreciate them?
If you don’t express your thanks, not only are you showing ingratitude to those who have given so much, you're also hurting yourself.
Perhaps I need to explain what I mean by this!
If you don't show your gratitude, you're hurting yourself both in terms of your relationships and your health, and you’re also hurting yourself more importantly in terms of your deen; your life in this world and in the Hereafter.
We all know that one of the reasons for our creation is to worship Allah, but Allah also tells us in the Qur’an that we were born to give thanks to Him and to show our gratitude:
“It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection: that you may give thanks.” (Surah an-Nahl, 16:78)
He also tells us of the consequences of our gratitude or lack of it. He says:
"And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.'" (Surah Ibrahim 14:7)
With a statement like that, how can you ignore the importance of showing gratitude to Allah? Shouldn’t you actually be showing gratitude to your Creator all the time? Not only will you be avoiding punishment, Allah will also be increasing His favours on you, unconditionally!
Showing gratitude was also encouraged by the Prophet (salAllahu `alayhi wassalam) when he said: “Whoever does not thank people, has not thanked Allah” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
I often hear sisters I’m coaching saying that they are tired of being taken for granted by their husbands and children. This can lead to resentment and tension in relationships and it certainly doesn’t enrich relationships or encourage the sisters to do more than necessary.
Although we don’t as a rule do things for our nearest and dearest, or in fact for anyone else, because we expect to be thanked for it. If we purify our intentions, we do things for others for the sake of Allah; to gain His Pleasure.
But I’m sure you know yourself what a difference it makes if someone shows appreciation for what you have done; it softens your heart. A kind word, acknowledgment or small reciprocation can be enough, can’t it? It doesn’t have to be something big, as long as it feels genuine and from the heart. If someone takes the time to make you feel appreciated, it spurs you on to do more for them, doesn’t it?
So it’s not surprising to learn that it’s been shown that people who express gratitude tend to have stronger relationships; they appreciate their loved ones, are comfortable showing it and their gratitude is reciprocated.
Long term stress can have severe negative effects on health; in particular it can lead to increased blood pressure, reduced immune system functioning and it can also have negative effects on thought processing, concentration and self-confidence.
A recent research at the Institute of HeartMath has shown that if people simply express sincere feelings of gratitude and appreciation this can synchronize their brain and heart rhythms. This in turn enables the bodily systems to function more efficiently, leading to a greater balance of emotions and increased mental clarity and brain function. Amazing isn’t it!
Expressing gratitude is not only an effective means of reducing stress and overcoming negative emotions in the moment. If practiced over a period of time, it can also lead to major longer term physical effects, such as improved hormonal balance, boosting the immune system and increased production of the anti-aging hormone – so it can make you appear younger for longer!
By consciously developing a sincere attitude of gratitude, you will start to counteract those negative thought patterns that may have been pulling you down into sadness or depression. It will help you to start developing more generalised patterns of positive thinking, which, once instilled into your psyche, will raise your self-esteem and confidence to go out there and face your challenges.
With all these positive benefits from cultivating an attitude of gratitude, it is one of the simpler routes to gaining greater emotional and psychological well-being, better relationships and the pleasure of Allah. So what are you waiting for? Off you go and show as much heartfelt gratitude as you can!
Next time I’ll be looking at some great ways to increase your gratitude quotient.
Related Posts:
How to Express Gratitude and Increase your SuperMuslimah Gratitude Quotient
Seeing the Silver Lining: A Taste of Optimism
4 Steps to 'Change What is in Yourself'
Review: Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway
Review: Finding Your Own North Star: How to Claim the Life You were meant to Live
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Reply #1 on : Mon January 30, 2012, 10:39:02