6 Wonderful Lessons from 2012

Now that the year is closing down, I cannot help but reflect on the things that happened to me and around me. So, what lessons do I learn from 2012? Here goes:

1. The power of "doa". I always knew that doa is the muslims' all powerful weapon and the events of 2012 really made me realise its power and I am forever humbled and grateful for it.

2. Life is short. We all know this but always got carried away with worldy trivial issues. Since life is shorter than we know, we have to understand our role as "khalifah" and "hamba" Allah and carry out those roles to the best that we can whilst always asking Allah for guidance.

3. We must find our meaningful life. Worldly issues can make our lives very busy but quite meaningless. I have spent my share of nights wondering what on earth did I do with my time? I struggled to find and create meaning in my life. It is a continuous process but I am slowly realising that meaning in life comes from doing service to people---- 'hidup untuk buat kebajikan'.

4. Never take things for granted. Too many failed marriages and unhappy relationships were around in 2012. It made me realised that love has to be nurtured, everyday, every minute, every second. We must equip ourselves with knowledge about communication, family issues and responsibilities. We must be patient, tolerant and understanding.

5. Healthy eating and the power of exercise. Weight has always been an issue for me. This year I discovered that it is not about the weight but it is about a lifestyle choice. So, I decided to change my eating habits and become more active. Thanks to my daughter, we are now more aware about healthy foods, calories and exercise :-)

6. Life is full with 'small stuff'. I always get uptight over certain issues encountered in the office or elsewhere. Looking back I realize that they seemed overwhelming at the time, but not anymore. It made me realize that all my worries and anger were unnecessary. It was all 'small stuff' (for more of 'small stuff' visit one of my favourite authors at http://www.dontsweat.com/writings-from-richard-carlson).