Fatima Altwerki

WE all complain about our lives at some point; work, school and college work that does not seem to end, general stress and mostly how unhappy we feel all the time!

The process of finding peace is not easy — there are many ups and downs. The truth is, I am a big complainer myself. I don’t want to sound hypocritical by writing about how we should be more appreciative when I struggle to do so myself. So, we are all in in this together!

One question we must ask ourselves is: How do we expect our lives to improve if we can’t rid ourselves of the habit of complaining all the time? This reminds me of a verse in the Qur’an: “And remember! your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): If ye are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you; But if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed.” (Surah Ibrahim, Verse 7)

There are many things in life to be grateful for and if you simply cannot find one this indicates that you are suffering from a severe problem and you need to practice being appreciative more often. Here is a list of things to be thankful for: 1. You are still alive. 2. You are reading this article, which means that you are educated. 3. You are probably reading this to gain more knowledge about wanting to improve your life so good for you! 4. You have accomplished great things in life or you still have a chance to work on it! To continue this list, all you have to do is get a pen and piece of paper or write on your laptop or smartphone (See? You are lucky because you are connected to the world!) and write down the blessings in your life. The list is really long: “And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful”. (Surah Al- Nahl, Verse 18)

Alright, let’s keep this easy, here is a practical solution:

When waking up in the morning, before checking your phone, remember to recite this Dua’a. “All praise belongs to Allah Who has restored us back to life after causing us to die; and to Him shall we return”.

Try meditating in bed; it is an amazing and refreshing way to start the day!

Give a minute to appreciate this beautiful morning. Look outside your window at the sky. Take a deep breath and smile. This reminds you that there is a bigger world out there so don’t confine yourself in the place you are in!

When showering, try to enjoy the feeling of refreshing clean water over your body and imagine that all your worries are being washed away with the water. Close your eyes and breath. Time to get ready! Smile and remember to say this Dua’a when looking up in the mirror: “O Allah, just as you had perfected my creation, [also] perfect my [moral] character". This is also a great reminder that you are a beautiful person and that you look great today! I recommend giving yourself a pep talk out loud (not too loud though unless if you want to sound crazy!), all of this is a fun and positive way to start the day!

“Ugh! I have to go to school, college, or work!” We are all guilty of saying this as it is common to complain about the things we have to do. Has it ever occurred to you that you are blessed to have such a job or are able to get a proper education that will allow you to improve the quality of your life? Give it a minute, you will definitely appreciate these things!