Mind: Mazloom Strives For Courtesy

FACT:
مَظـلوُم "Mazloom" is an arabic meaning "Wronged One"
Courtesy is a virtue

BACKGROUND:
This morning, I was engaging in some daily reading and reflection -- seeking encouragement to neither offend nor be offended as I start off my day. I came across the below and it has really help to set a great tone for the day.

QUOTES:

Bahá’u’lláh says:—

O people of God! I exhort you to courtesy. Courtesy is indeed … the lord of all virtues. Blessed is he who is adorned with the mantle of Uprightness and illumined with the light of Courtesy. He who is endowed with Courtesy (or Reverence) is endowed with a great station. It is hoped that this Wronged One, and all, will attain to it, hold unto it and observe it. This is the Irrefutable Command which hath flowed from the pen of the Greatest Name.—Tablet of the World.

Again and again He repeats:—“Let all the nations of the world consort with each other with joy and fragrance. Consort ye, O people, with the people of all religions with joy and fragrance.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá says in a letter to the Bahá’ís of America:—

Beware! Beware! Lest ye offend any heart!
Beware! Beware! Lest ye hurt any soul!
Beware! Beware! Lest ye deal unkindly toward any person!
Beware! Beware! Lest ye be the cause of hopelessness to any creature!

Should one become the cause of grief to any one heart, or of despondency to any one soul, it were better to hide oneself in the lowest depths of the earth than to walk upon the earth.
He teaches that as the flower is hidden in the bud, so a spirit from God dwells in the heart of every man, no matter how hard and unlovely his exterior. The true Bahá’í will treat every man, therefore, as the gardener tends a rare and beautiful plant. He knows that no impatient interference on his part can open the bud into a blossom; only God’s sunshine can do that, therefore his aim is to bring that life-giving sunshine into all darkened hearts and homes.

Again, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:—

Among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is one requiring man, under all conditions and circumstances, to be forgiving, to love his enemy and to consider an ill-wisher as a well-wisher. Not that one should consider another as an enemy and then put up with him … and be forbearing toward him. This is hypocrisy and not real love. Nay, rather, you must see your enemies as friends, your ill-wishers as well-wishers and treat them accordingly. Your love and kindness must be real … not merely forbearance, for forbearance, if not of the heart, is hypocrisy.

Such counsel appears unintelligible and self-contradictory until we realize that while the outer carnal man may be a hater and ill-wisher, there is in everyone an inner, spiritual nature which is the real man, from whom only love and goodwill can proceed. It is to this real, inner man in each of our neighbors that we must direct our thought and love. When he awakens into activity, the outer man will be transformed and renewed.

REFLECTION:

Running deep, a sincere love for humanity

Person to person, our differences, true beauty

Differently, we appear, we act, we believe, we seek

But I honestly believe we are climbing to the same peak

Each one finding their own direction

Along winding pathways, a massive collection

Of differing perspectives and beliefs

Choosing to soar in the sky or swim in ocean reefs

Whether of the school of fish or the flock of birds

May feel much different than the cows that run in herds

But at the end of the day, we're one in the same

Witnessing His Glory through perhaps a different name

In order to love one another, having faith and trust

In God as well as each other is quite a must

Courteous ways, an open mind, and a kind heart

Striving. Perhaps one can bring together that which is apart

Body: Hip Set

Stride by stride, we took our run
Dips and squats, we lifted for fun
Kettle bell squats, down, up, and thrust
In my body, I placed a whole lot of trust

Grieving the potential break in my workout routine
Training causes my mind to be both clear and serene
Wanting to leap forward, increase my pace, and sustain
Very difficult to see how this pain will cause me any gain

Hips set in place, shoulders down and back
Tail bone tucked in, Chest popping out the rack
Have prided myself in perfecting posture and stance
Feeling like a ballerina who can no longer leap or prance

Forcing me to relax, to center, to take a break
Forward fold, deep breaths and stretches by the lake
Praying these hips will heal soon
So I can sing to my usual tune

Soul: Family is a Human Unit

According to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh the family, being a human unit, must be educated according to the rules of sanctity. All the virtues must be taught the family. The integrity of the family bond must be constantly considered, and the rights of the individual members must not be transgressed. The rights of the son, the father, the mother—none of them must be transgressed, none of them must be arbitrary. Just as the son has certain obligations to his father, the father, likewise, has certain obligations to his son. The mother, the sister and other members of the household have their certain prerogatives. All these rights and prerogatives must be conserved, yet the unity of the family must be sustained. The injury of one shall be considered the injury of all; the comfort of each, the comfort of all; the honor of one, the honor of all.

(“The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912”, p. 168) [61]

Mind: Thought Cloud

Below is a random thought cloud from today's perspective:

Powerless?
"When powerless, regnerate and source energy from an alternate source.
If powerless, productivity is not possible" -- Dominique Mazloom (pun fully intended when feeling powerless to resolve issues resulting from literal power outages)

Workaholic?
Nope, because the drive for efficiency would actually prefer to not work all the time. Aiming to succeed and taking any means necessary? Perhaps, because consider that one may be a "Dedicated, Determined, and Efficient" in his/her somewhat-obligatory pursuits of servitude.

Tensity?
The body's reaction to the mind's exhausted efforts often causees tensity in certain areas of the body and may even cause pain at times.

Pessimistic?
Not at all. Optimist? Not quite. Realistic? Spot on!

Body: Shoulders Down and Back

Release the pressure from your shoulders
And lift
Shoulders down and back
And reach

Whether lifting or practicing yoga, I find it very important to release the tension from your shoulders and set up good form by rolling you shoulders back and down -- this simple exercise centers your gravity and aligns your spine, hips, back, shoulders ready for lifting or stretching.

Whether preparing to clean and press, shoulder press, dead lift, or find crescent lunge or Tāḍāsana... please remember to find set position by ensuring your shoulders are rolled down and back.

Now that you're ready, work it! :p

Soul: Who is 'Abdu'l-Bahá?

To read an official/well-written answer, please visit: http://info.bahai.org/abdulbaha-center-of-covenant.html

OR...

For your amusement and consideration of a four-year-old's perspective, I have provided Jamilah's current understanding below

During our weekly prayer gathering yesterday evening, Jamilah identified a photo of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in one of the books, and pointed to it and said "God." Not quite Jamilah, since we were in the middle of a prayer, I just simply shook my head.

After prayers, I decided to teach Jamilah a song about 'Abdu'l-Bahá -- I taught her "Look at me, Follow me" and explained that 'Abdu'l-Bahá is someone we should look to and follow -- he is a good example of how we should behave.

When Jamilah was asked this week on numerous occasions what does 'Abdu'l-Bahá want us to do, her responses included:
Do nice things
Listen to our Moms and Dads and the teachers
Say prayers and be nice to the trees
Be nice to the plants
Don't hit, and don't scratch, and don't kick, and don't pinch, and don't punch their nose
Play at the park
Don't throw sand

I personally think she comprehends his being and purpose quite well for only four years of being acquainted with his words, stories, photos, and spirit.

Mind: Spanish Immersion

Since several of her preschool friends will be going to Kindergarten in the Fall, Jamilah has recently been talking a lot about 5 yr olds going to Kindergarten and how she will go to Kindergarten when she turns 5. We have also been talking about how we will go see a few schools and decide which one she will attend before she goes to Kindergarten.

On the way home from school today, we were driving by the Spanish Immersion School in our neighborhood. Jamilah asked what the school was and I told her it was the Spanish Immersion School. Impressing me with her ridiculous memory yet again, she asked if that was Violette's school -- yes, indeed it is. She asked if she could go to that school when she turns 5 and I explained to her that at that school the children speak in Spanish.

She so gracefully replied, "I speak Spanish" and began singing the following song:

She proudly concluded by explaining that her teacher knows Spanish and taught her that song.

Can someone please verify for me that my child does indeed already know how to sing this song in Spanish?

Body: When Lethargic Run

Was practically falling asleep, eyes were closing, body was lethargic, mind was blank -- I could have easily curled up and taken the opportunity to take a nap.

Instead, I strapped up the laces, plugged in the ear buds, lunged left then right, and took off -- took off running.

Step by step, stride by stride.
Heart beat steadily rising
Eyes opened and  became aware
Mind became busy and alert

My body, it ran.
My mind, it ran.
My energy, it soared!

Grounded by gravity, my head held high by the spirit, I was encouraged to run the distance.

Soul: Education, Equality, and Justice

Some quotes on Education, Equality, and Divine Justice for pondering and reflecting upon:

"...it is incumbent upon the father and mother to train their children both in good conduct and the study of books; study, that is, to the degree required, so that no child, whether girl or boy, will remain illiterate..."²¹

---

 "Know ye that in God's sight, the best of all ways to worship Him is to educate the children and train them in all the perfections of humankind; and no nobler deed than this can be imagined."⁶

---

 

"Divine Justice demands that the rights of both sexes should be equally respected since neither is superior to the other in the eyes of Heaven. Dignity before God depends, not on sex, but on purity and luminosity of heart. Human virtues belong equally to all!"⁹

---

I pray that such words of wisdom continue to spread like wild fire and that the souls of mankind will feel the warmth as the Glory of God shines and continues to light up the world.

Mind: A Mother's Thoughts

Work.As.Worship
"Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship" -- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Divine Philosophy

Reflect.Blog.Read.Repeat
Just when you think that 'perfect' mom never loses her patience and always acts rationally, responds calmly, floats through life like a feather with a smile on her face... you read that 'perfect' mom's blog. Reality check -- being a Mom is hard -- it's all in the striving!

"Strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers! Turn towards God and seek always to do that which is right and noble..." -- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Walk.With.Vision
Clearly reflected in the lenses through which ye view that which lies ahead, is both the source and final destination of the path ye tread.