How Gratitude Saved My Life

Asalam Alaekum Waramatullahi Wabarakatu,

Trust you are doing well striving and thriving.

Sunday was a great day for one of us and no, I am not talking about the nerve wrecking, heart pumping, over stimulating and entertaining World Cup final! I was so hooked that it got me meal prepping late into the night.. To be honest, I am more than relieved that I will not have to do this again anytime soon, football is not for the faint hearted.

What I am talking about that brought me true joy and an immense feeling of gratitude was hanging with my faves at AA PLUS ! We are doing this recap and with every memory recalled , it has reminded me of what an incredibly beautiful year 2022 has been. Did it have its ups and downs? Yes! Did it take me out? Absolutely not! What does this mean? I am alive, striving and thriving and for me that is enough. (You guys, really need to start appreciating my rhymes!).

عَجَبًا لِأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ

Wondrous is the affair of the believer for there is good for him in every matter and this is not the case with anyone except the believer. If he is happy, then he thanks Allah and thus there is good for him, and if he is harmed, then he shows patience and thus there is good for him.

Source: Sahih Muslim 2999, Grade: Sahih

I truly believe that there is good in every situation, I believe that there is always ease. Even when things seem dark and gloomy and there are complaints at every turn, I try my very best to find the ease and gratitude within. What has helped me on this gratitude journey?

The first thing has to be the idea of Going on a fact-finding ease finding mission. This is a concept I learnt from Tuesday Love letters by my dear Sister Aida, she calls it the Find Your Ease Challenge.

‘The main objective is to go on a treasure hunt and find all of the eases that Allah SWT is blessing me with, together with the difficulty. This forces me to switch my mindset from "struggle-stricken" to "solution-driven" and it has helped me tremendously in staying afloat during difficult situations.’

It is a simple yet deeply impactful game that really helped me get through extremely difficult situations this year. I also LOVE how it helps you see that things are not as bad as you think.

The second thing is gratitude notes , something I also learnt from my sisters at AA Plus! Also very simple, it really is just listing things that you are grateful for every day. Get a book and just keep writing all the things you are grateful for and remember to start with Alhamdullilahi at the beginning of each sentence. For consistency, it may also be great to get accountability buddies.

The third thing is a double combo of two statements my coach says pretty often. Every time I reach out to her with good news, her response always is Alhamdullilahi, have you done Sujud Al Shukr’? When I then hit her with bad news her response is Khair, Insha Allah’ Good luck convincing her any situation is only bad, she is convinced that Allah will not abandon you. She has said these statements so many times , they are stuck in my head.

As we round up 2022, I know there is a great possibility of feeling bummed when people roll out the many achievements, wins, lists, awards and everything in between. I don’t want this to leave you feeling horrible at all, instead I want you to end the year with a deep sense of gratitude.

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This week’s resources are focused on helping you strengthen your gratitude muscle, I want you to review this year with a gratitude lens and treat yourself with compassion. Ready ? Bismillah!

This is an AMAZING resource by Yaqeen! It contains gratitude building activities, A compilation of Qur’anic verses and hadiths on gratitude and space journal! Does it get better than that? I think not!

Then there is this amazing free image from Aida , that can help you in the ease-finding mission. Please feel free to download it and whip it out when things are starting to look gloomy.

This Sunday, is a special day because we will learn about the stories of very special women who faced trials with firm conviction, put their trust in Allah and showed us what it means to believe. What better way to solidify our gratitude and conviction but with the stories of the greatest women who have been through it all. Registered for our Watch party yet?

Before I leave , I want you to ask yourself What am I grateful for today?

We leave you in Allah’s Care,

One Of Us at IbadahPlug.