Life Balance The Sufi Way: 1 by Azim Jamal & Nido Qubein

Author:Azim Jamal & Nido Qubein [Jamal, Azim & Qubein, Nido]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mobilism
Publisher: Jaico Books
Published: 2013-02-04T00:00:00+00:00

WHY CONTRIBUTING IS IMPORTANT TO LIFE BALANCE

Life Balance comes from feeling worthy of yourself. This self- worth comes through the contributions you make. The benefits of giving run both ways. The more you help others, the more you help yourself. The more you give, the more you have, the more you find, and the more you receive.

“Give when the season of giving is here so that your coffer is not empty when you die,” wrote Kahlil Gibran. Giving is an effective way of filling your spiritual coffers.

Having a sense of giving brings meaning and fulfillment. It creates positive energy, allowing you not only to handle other challenges but also to move proactively toward Life Balance. You come home from work satisfied, having made a difference. You’re eager to go back to work the next day. It’s a great feeling.

Contributing creates significance, value, happiness, and balance. When you are making a contribution you feel valuable. People want to be around you. You have better relationships at home and at work, and you are more energetic. You waste less time and energy on things that matter least. You tap into your creativity and potential because you do things for the right reasons. Having a sense of giving makes you feel and act worthy. You thus end up doing worthwhile things at work, in your family, in your community, and in society. You tap into genius by working on your calling and giving to worthwhile causes, thereby cultivating excellent habits. You experience the power of giving.

Some professional careers, by their very natures, allow you to make contributions to society. Physicians, teachers, and nurses benefit humanity directly just by doing their jobs. But you can make a difference to others while pursuing any career. Every career offers opportunities to show genuine concern and compassion toward those you come in contact with. Every career allows you to earn a living without taking advantage of others.

As the Dalai Lama put it: “If in day-to-day life you lead a good life, w ith honesty, with love, with compassion, with less selfishness …, automatically it will lead to Nirvana.” And to the Buddhist, Nirvana is bliss.

Japan’s economic growth following World War II was a major

20thcentur y success stor y. The growth was not based on competition. Its fundamental element is expressed in the Japanese word kyosei, which means a spirit of cooperation. When you follow a sense of contributing, you think in terms of cooperation, not competition. All great leaders are givers who contribute not only to their own richness but also to that of the people they lead. If you apply this philosophy of kyosei in your life, it will help you attain Life Balance.

In the state of Gujarat in northwestern India, the Aga Khan Rural Support Program provides a vivid example of the spirit of co-operation. Farmers in each village are taught to combine their efforts and strengths for the common good of the village. They have collectively created waterways and provided irrigation for their respective villages.

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