Sunday, February 26, 2012

Habits to Live by: Gratitude lists and Request for Blogger Submissions!


If you are grateful, I will surely give you more and more 
(14th Surah, verse 7)

Show Gratitude! There are a kijilliion and one resources that explain why showing gratitude is important, from psychological perspectives, mental and spiritual, and of course Islamic. One of the most powerful words Muslims can say is ALhamdoolilah which can mean All Praises and Thanks to Allah. When I used to live in Egypt I noticed how most of the time, whenever I asked other folks how they were, their first answer was always ALhamdoolilah. I usually was the type beforehand, to LITERALLY tell someone how I was feeling and then maybe throw in a alhamdoolilah in there somewhere. 


I started saying it more often whenever someone asked me and it occurred that even though I was going through crappy times, I felt better when I said it. Practicing saying that simple word made me look at the positive. For example, I instantly noticed that I was happy that I was meeting with a friend.

That’s nice.

Oh the sun was shining too.

That’s great.

Oh and it was a new day, I was excited about what’s to come

Who doesn’t like that feeling?

I think in the past year and a half, one habit I have been trying to work on is knowing how to relieve stress quickly. I found out that taking a long bath whenever I felt overwhelmed works really great for me. Also I found that making gratitude lists usually made me feel a lot better too. For now on inshallah, I will write gratitude lists for LFFM. Although a lot of them are deeply personal, I hope that by writing them I can encourage all of you to do the same or to express gratitude more daily.

Some more reasons for gratitude:

“One of Satan’s main aims is to keep people from being grateful. After God sent him out of the garden for his arrogance and disobedience, Satan vowed in response: ‘’I will lie in wait for them (human beings) on your straight way. Then I will assault them from in front of them and behind them, from their right and their left. Nor will you find, in most of them, gratitude (for your mercies)’’ (Quran 7:16-17). From this great e-read now posted in my tabs section! 

And He subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuous [in orbit], and subjected for you the night and the day. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor [i.e., blessings] of Allaah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.” (Quran, 14th Surah, verse 32.34)

50 Things I am Grateful for:
  1. That I am alive in this moment
  2. That I have an amazingly crazy and happy child
  3. That I have lots of delicious foods to eat in my fridge like bunny tracks ice cream!!
  4. Thank I can taste delicious foods like bunny tracks ice cream!
  5. That I am not in a worn torn country right now like those who are suffering in Syria may Allah protect them.
  6. That sou sou and I are no longer as sick as we were two weeks ago
  7. That my feet have healed and it doesn't hurt to walk in them
  8. That I have the ability to see
  9. That I learned how to read
  10. That I learned how to read arabic
  11. That I can learn quickly
  12. That I love to do (some) things that are good for me
  13. That all my limbs and muscles work
  14. For bright sunlight
  15. For amazingly good friends, one who is my sister, who I have known since I was in high school
  16. For all my books
  17. For a healthy digestive system
  18. For warm clothes
  19. For my glasses that help me to see
  20. For all my crazy life experiences 
  21. For the ability to experience life the way I had when I barely had any money
  22. For creativity
  23. For a nice clean home and a bed (floor haha!) to sleep on
  24. For my energy
  25. For loving people I get to meet on and offline
  26. For all healthy air to breath (kinda)
  27. For all the lovely blogs that get to read!
  28. For pretty things
  29. For not having any injuries at the moment
  30. For being able to have sou sou in my life
  31. For having a brother who loves me
  32. For my education
  33. For my experiences living in DC
  34. For the resources and ability to start my own business
  35. For being able to write this list
  36. For having the capacity to give to others
  37. For going on a once in a life time road trip across the US
  38. For seeing the most beautiful blue water anyone can see in Yukon.
  39. For answering my prayer for a safe place to sleep on the night along the mountain
  40. For going scuba diving 
  41. For kayaking and finding a friend that day that helped me to brave it for the first time
  42. For the ability to cook and make food others like
  43. For being able to run
  44. For my free copy of Insanity whoo whoo
  45. For a child who is healthy
  46. For the blessings I will receive today inshallah
  47. For the blessings I will receive when things feel crappy that I might overlook
  48. For this blog and finding joy in writing it
  49. For my supporters and followers 
  50. For Islam and being born a Muslim Allahu Akbar
 Thank you for those who have taken the time out of your day to read this post. Because I do not keep a blog roll I want to find other ways to promote other bloggers so if you would like to be featured on LFFM please contact me and send me a gratitude list that we can publish. All you have to do is sit down and continuously write the top 50 things you are thankful for no matter how deep or shallow they may seem because everything is a blessing no?  Send your submission to furiouslyfabmuslima@gmail.com, your name and your link and you will be featured in due time. Who wants to try it out?

10 comments:

  1. cant say how much i love this idea! mA. you always post such useful things! i also made a gratitude list recently but i might post it on my own blog because i am going to take a slightly different approach to it. but i love your idea of working with other bloggers :)

    http://sarahriaz.blogspot.com

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    1. THanks Sarah. I appreciate the positive feedback. I am so glad and excited about you doing something similar on your blog and I will be glad to read it. I find that reading others lists makes me realize even more of the blessings I forgot to count :)Inshallah whether other bloggers want to participate on here or do their own thing, i don't care just as long as its inspiring to them :)

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  2. I love your list! So important to look at every little thing we take for granted. Alhamdulillah.

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    1. Thank you so much Mona, I got stuck in the middle because I was worried about the ideas I had but I just plowed through and I am really proud of it :)

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  3. I will give it a try :)

    Your post is great.

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    1. Hey sis! THank you so much! I can't wait to see your list inshallah :)

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  4. Love the list girlie.. we realli do have so many things to be thankful for :) xxx
    Soso@ hiddeninstyle.blogspot.com

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  5. 1. That I have access to the internet so that I can get inspired by you.
    2. That God has protected me thus far and kept my matters private.
    3. That I can breathe.
    4. I have food, running water, heat, clothing, and basic neccasities.
    5. That I am not exposed to anything traumatizing, especially not on a daily basis.
    6. For Allah SWT's help in helping me establish the habit of referring to his Quraan every day.
    7. For a mother and father who love me and have raised me as well as they can.
    8. For a supportive and religious family who has principles and values.
    9. For the many privileges I have above others that I don't even always utilize.
    10. For the opportunity to be involved in the social justice movement.
    11. For people who have opened my mind and heart to reality.
    12. For my sewing machine, that I love so dearly.
    13. For my room, which is beautiful and comfortable and a luxury that SO many cannot afford.
    14. For the ability to read, write, and process information.
    15. For the ability to communicate.
    16. For God's mercy and continuous lutf he has bestowed on me.
    17. For having a laptop.
    18. For owning a home.
    19. For the ability to be close enough to God to pour out my vulnerabilities to Him.
    20. For books that I can lose myself in.
    21. For access to scholarship money for college.
    22. For having options.
    23. For living in a community of Muslims.
    24. For siblings who care and especially ones who care to share experiences, clothes, love, etc.
    25. For a food processor and good set of knives that make the tedious task of cooking much easier.
    26. For having influential and inspiring people in my life.
    27. For the space I have to be creative and create.
    28. For a beautiful body.
    29. For a strong sound understanding of Islam.
    30. For the ability to grow this foundation.
    31. For the hardships that have made me stronger (this one is SO hard to appreciate for me, especially right now, but it is vital).
    32. For shoes that cover my feet.
    33. For the ability, time, and motivation to exercise.
    34. For the privilege of being able to eat healthy.
    35. That I can see. And hear, and feel.
    36. That I am not made of stone.
    37. That I realize my self-worth.
    38. That I have control of my emotions, most of the time.
    39. That I have had the opportunity to meet different people and visit different places.
    40. That I have extra money to donate and spend on myself for added luxury that others can't afford.
    41. For living in a country where Hijab is not banned.
    42. For having an attitude that embraces differences.
    43. For being able to find God in watching the clouds or the moon.
    44. For people who push me, sometimes by force, into doing good for Allah's sake.
    45. For makeup and paint and pretty things that let me stream my creativity fixes.
    46. For the fact that nothing in this world last forever.
    47. For ice cream.
    48. For people who have less than me and in turn force me to realize how blessed I am.
    49. For a functioning heart, even if it has black in many areas.
    50. For the chance to start over and over and over again. Thank you ya Rabbi.

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