« Pick up in The Rain The China Farmer »

A cab driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer
satisfaction andexpectation. Motivationalspeakers charge thousands of
dollars to impart his kind of training to corporate executives and
staff. It cost me a $12 taxi ride.
I had flown into Dallas for the sole purpose of calling on a client.
Time was of the essence and my plan included a quick turnaround trip
from andback to the airport. A spotless cab pulled up.
The driver rushed to open the passenger doorfor me and made sure I was
comfortably seated before he closed the door. As he got in the
driver's seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal
next to me for myuse. He then showed me several tapes and asked me
what type of music I would enjoy.
Well! I looked around for a "Candid Camera!" Wouldn't you? I could
notbelieve the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to
say,"Obviously you take great pride in your work.You must have a story
to tell."
"You bet," he replied, "I used to be in Corporate America. But I got
tired of thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to
findmy niche in life where I could feel proud of beingthe best I could
be.
I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars,
being of service and feeling like I have done a full day's work and
done it well. I evaluate my personal assets and... wham! I became a
cab driver.
One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply
just meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my
business , I have to EXCEED the customer's expectations! I like both
the sound and the return of being 'great' better than just getting by
on 'average'"
Did I tip him big time? You bet! Corporate America's loss is the
traveling folk's friend!

Inspirational Story - A Mothers Love

A little boy came up to hismother in the kitchen one evening while she
was fixing supper, and handed her a piece of paper that he had been
writing on. After his Momdried her hands on an apron, she read it, and
this is what it said:
For cutting the grass: $5.00
For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00
For going to the store foryou: $.50
Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: $.25
Taking out the garbage: $1.00
For getting a good reportcard: $5.00
For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00
Total owed: $14.75
Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see
the memories flashing through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned
over the paper he'd written on, and this is what she wrote:
For the nine months I carried you while you were growing inside me:
No Charge
For all the nights that I've sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you:
No Charge
For all the trying times, and all the tears that you've caused
through the years:
No Charge
For all the nights that were filled with dread, and for the worries I
knew were ahead:
No Charge
For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose:
No Charge
Son, when you add it up, the cost of my love is: No Charge. When the
boy finished reading what his mother had written, there were big tears
in his eyes, and he looked straight at his mother and said, "Mom, I
sure dolove you." And then he took the pen and in great big letters he
wrote: "PAID IN FULL".
Lessons:
You will never how muchyour parents worth till you become a parent
Be a giver not an asker, especially with your parents. there is a
lot to give, besides money.
Advice: IF your mom is alive and close to you, give her a big kiss and
ask her for forgiveness. Ifshe is far away, call her. if she passed
away, pray for her.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Represent Your Faith, Come What May

Some people worry about appearing Muslim because they don't want to
attract negative attention from non-Muslims. They want to be liked and
accepted. So they hide their deen. At work or on a journey they worry
about doing salat in public and may actually miss prayers. They are
reluctant to wear hijab. They don't even like to greet their fellow
Muslims with salam in public.
I say that it's better to be hated for what you are, than loved for
what you are not.
When you appear before Allah, do you want to say,"I hid my religion
and thenon-Muslims accepted me."
Or do you want to say, "People harassed me anddespised me, because I
represented Islam."
Be proud of who you are – not the pride of arrogance but the pride of
self-respect. Be grateful for Allah's greatest favor to you, Islam.
Represent your faith, no matter how people respond. I think you'll
find that most people will respect you for it. In fact I have noticed
that practicing, representing Muslims are sometimes treated like sages
or priests. But if you are mocked for being Muslim, that's an honor
and a barakah for you on Yawm Al-Qiyamah.
Stand up straight and smile. Speak your truth without preaching.
Perform your salat wherever you are, without ostentation. Greet your
fellow Muslimswith enthusiasm, wish people a happy Eid (even
non-Muslims!), wear yourIslamic garments, have no fear, and be
yourself, a believer.

Live the Moment – It’s All You Have

Try to appreciate the present moment and truly live it, rather than
using it up by feeling guilty about the past, or fretting about the
future.Regret for the past is a waste of spirit, and worrying about
the future is pointless.
Hanan Bilal, a communityactivist and motivator from Florida, asks,
"Whenwill we stop living in the past and longing for our future? All
we really have is this moment. The question is what are we going to do
right now? Our time is now!"
The Past
That's not to say that contemplation of past and future is verboten.
The Quran tells stories of the past in order to educate us. The
Messenger of Allah (sws) told us many stories of past Prophets and the
Bani Israa'il, for the samereason. We study world history, we study
the seerah of our Prophet and the lives of the Sahabah, because it
inspires and informs.
I taught a martial arts class several hours ago and I'm still
reviewing it in my mind, examining what I could do better next time.
That's part of the learning process for me.
I have a sweet young daughter named Salma and I often think about my
time with her, something funny that shesaid, or the small gifts that
she likes to make forme. Yesterday she made me a card that says "I
love Baba." A few days ago we had a poetry reading at our local Muslim
community center, and in between readings our host told jokes. For
some reason Salma positioned herself in the front row, and every time
our host told ajoke I heard Salma laughing loudly, even though I'm
sure she did not understand the jokes ("do vegetarians eat animal
crackers?"). Crazy kid, ha ha. So yeah, I think about past moments.
But I'm not stuck in the past. I think about those moments because
they educate meor make me smile, so they become a part of mypresent
and future.
On the other hand, I occasionally think about my former marriage, and
those are usually not good thoughts, because Itend to dwell on the
mistakes I made, and I feel sadness or guilt. I've already
contemplated deeply on that period in my life, and I've learned my
lessons. I don't need to keep returning there in my mind, punishing
myself. If I did, then I would indeed be stuck inthe past, unable to
move forward. That is the kind of pointless regret that weighs people
down andburdens their spirits.
The Future
We plan for the future byhaving goals, getting an education, working
hard,saving money, always learning and improving ourselves. We plan
for our aakhirah by dedicating ourselves to Allah, worshiping, giving
our money to the poor and orphans, and humbling ourselves. We build
our futures step by step. But it's not productive to sit around biting
our nails and thinking, "What if I fail my exam, oh, when will I get
married, what's going to happen if I lose my job, how will I pay
mybills…" You make yourselfsick and it doesn't help.
Don't worry, plan . There'sa huge difference! Then acknowledge that
you don't control the future. That's Allah's province. Trust in Him,
let him be your guide, find your security in Him.
The security of the dunyais false security. Sufferingis the lot of all
Adam's children, in one way or another, and death comes when we're
ready or not. The security of Allah is real and transcends this world.
The Moment
This moment is all we have, my friend. The past is gone, and the
future never comes, because when we get there, we're still in the
present.
If you take this moment to breathe deeply and say, "SubhanAllah wa
bihamdihi" – glory to Allah and all praise to Him – and then thank
Allah for the blessings in your life, or sit down andplay a game with
your child, go for a walk in thesunshine, maybe take a few nature
photos, call an old friend, write your spouse a love note, read a
verse from the Quran and contemplate it – thenyou have lived! You have
turned that moment into a precious gem, something to smile aboutand
feel good about.
Let's live the moment, be conscious of it, feel it, and give Allah the
credit, and in doing so let's turn the moment into a circle of
sunshine and barakah.
P.S. Isn't that the most amazing photo above? I absolutely love it. I
want to roll around in that grass, bathe in that river, call the
adhaan to the sky, and build a small house among those
trees.SubhanAllah.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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