Some decisions are tough to make, even though to others it may seem simple and obvious. The right choice isn't necessarily the easiest. You cannot please everyone, but you can please those who have priority in your life; God, parents, family and yourself. I know someone who is at crossroads in her life right now, and I hope she makes the right choice. Good luck!
Long road ahead: Photo taken at Ohakune, base of Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand in July 2008.
But sometimes, the right choice isn't necessarily the opposite of the wrong one. The key is, as far as I am concerned, to ascertain where one's conviction stands with regards to the choices one faces, with which all else do not matter, and without which that which matters would - believe me - seem and be invariably insurmountable. Boy, don't I know that! =)
ReplyDeletePs. Good luck, indeed, to that friend of yours, and us all =)
ReplyDeleteThat's true. Choices aren't necessarily between the "right" and "wrong". In fact, those choices are spontaneous and hardly require thought, let alone be considered tough. Decisions like keeping promises, helping other people, etc.
ReplyDeleteThe hard ones are between "good" and "better" or between "better" and "best", especially when your eyes and ears are clouded by worldly matters such as what other people want. Case in point, helping people out was the easy choice, but who to help out first is the hard one.
I believe that you, Rafie, have the wisdom to see with eyes and ears unclouded. (:
But that's just it Lutfi, at the risk of sounding like a snob, many, if not most, people seem to see many, if not most, things through a pair of clouded, binary lenses. They, more often than not, knowingly or unknowingly, subscribe and succumb to the ubiquitous, simplistic, prejudiced dogma that there are only "right" and "wrong."
ReplyDeleteAnd don't even get me started on how these people define "right" and "wrong" simply because anything that is built on a false premise cannot possibly end up with any sense or semblance of truth in it, which is why you have never ceased to amaze me, Lutfi.
In philosophy and practice, you always love to duly acknowledge the reality that chances are, there are more to things than what meets the eyes. In concordance, you've always chosen to think good of something or someone, even when they appear to be a far cry from being good, which is more than I can say about the average Joe or Jane out there.
You know, Lutfi, I hardly ever feel intimidated, overwhelmed, or dwarfed by anyone, but I always, always feel all of the above whenever I'm around you, out there and in here alike.
Whenever I think of why I take pride in proclaiming and personifying myself as a "humble" student of Theology, and to a more general sense, a "humble" person, you, my brother, are one of the very few reasons that never fail to ground me in humility, even and especially when I'm soaring sky high, feeling proud of what I've just accomplished at a particular moment in my life.
I am yet to find someone who in all honesty would tell me that I am an inspiration to him or her. Rest assured, my brother, that you'll always have me as one of your someone-s.
"Where do I go from here?" Many, many wonderful places, I hope, one of which is a place where I'll finally be at your level of self-awareness, virtue, and piety.
With humility and respect,
Rafie =)
All praises be to Allah, thank you Rafie. You can quote me on that.
ReplyDeleteThere is no feeling more deeply gratifying than to be respected by respectable people.
Blessed be the one who has learned to admire, and not to envy. May we Glorify God with the knowledge and understanding He has granted us.
:D <-- this emoticon is an understatement