My 5 Best Self Improvement Quotes
We all have certain behaviours that if not attended to can lead us away from being good humans or becoming someone that we do not wish to be and a person that family and friends prefer to stay away from. It is therefore important to at least devote some time to improving one’s self through contemplation and by acquiring knowledge of qualities that characterises a good person, the attributes that people prefer to see in a good human being and work towards improving those traits in ourselves.
There are many different types of Self-Improvement and it depends on which context you are approaching it from. For example if you work in an office as a typist, you may consider Self-Improvement from the perspective of a typist who is looking to improve his or her ability to type faster and be good at spelling.
So we can say that improving the self has different meanings and depends on which quality or attribute a person is looking to improve. In this hub I want to share with you 5 of my favourite self-improvement quotes. These quotes act as a guiding light to improve one’s soul rather than a physical quality or skill.
Self-Improvement Guides
1 – Gentleness: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said - “He who is deprived of gentleness is deprived of good.”
What we take from the above is that being gentle is important and a good person should also adopt a gentle characteristic. Being gentle in this case does not stop at you adopting that conduct towards those that a being good to you, but it also includes those that may not be in your list of favourite people.
2 – Deeds: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - “What is Faith When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin When a thing
Too many of us in society spend time doing things that may only benefit just ‘Me’, what we should try and do is spend a little time if possible doing things that also benefit others. Those deeds are the ones that benefit us most, as we get contentment and satisfaction out of helping others, we also be rewarded for those good actions in the hereafter.
Watch the Mind your own business video below - this lecture by a renowned scholar discuss the importance of minding your own business. This goes hand-in-hand with how we conduct ourselves and what deeds we gather in our conduct with others.
Mind Your Own Business
Want to overcome Envy?
3 –Envy: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - “Avoid envy, for envy devours good deeds just as fire devours fuel.”
My neighbour has everything, a nice car, a beautiful wife, a big house, allot of money and more material possessions than I. So I cultivate a feeling of bitterness towards him. That is the starting of a downward spiral which leads to only you hurting your own self and those attached to you. It will lead you to unfulfilled desires, increased greed and anger at your inability to live a lifestyle like your neighbour. Resulting in discontentment of the heart and a feeling of constant failure, even when you have achieved success, your mind will lead you to think you have failed.
Watch the video below in which a lecture is given on Envy,What is it? and How you can control it.
Envy (hasad) - what is it and how to control it.
Read more on this topic - Anger.
- How to deal with anger and ways to manage stress
Anger is a destructive emotion we all feel this emotion, as a fire which destroys our well-being, consumes our good actions, it works can repel our friends and family, in anger we often frighten our children and forces the angels to report bad action - 10 Anger Management Tips
It's so easy to get angry. It's difficult to repair the damages our anger has caused, especially when we let it out on loved ones who will no doubt forgive you but will forever remember your fury. Before unleashing your anger, bring your attention an
4 – Anger Management: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - “The strong man is not the good wrestler the strong man is only the one who controls himself when he is angry.”
Anger is an emotion which we all have sometimes a level of anger can be a good thing. But in most situations it has a negative result. If left uncontrolled it can lead to emotional, physical, mental and social consequences that in most cases are not a desired outcome.
The triggers which cause anger to grow are self-conceit, self-adoration, banters and derision, argument, deceitfulness, too much greed for abundant wealth and name and fame. If these evils are amalgamated in a person, his or her conduct becomes corrupt and he or she cannot escape anger.
So these fixations should be removed by their opposites. Self-adoration is to be eliminated by modesty. Pride is to be removed by one's own origin and birth. Greediness is to be removed by remaining satisfied with essential things and miserliness by charity.
Thinking Clearly in the Face of Anger
5 – Meditation: Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - “There is a polish for everything that takes away rust; and the polish for the heart is the remembrance of Allah.”
Being ungrateful is not a good characteristic for a decent human being in any society. In the same way being unmindful of the wealth of bounties that the Creator (Allah) has bestowed on you is no good either. Take some time out from your busy daily schedule and meditate for a few minutes, ponder on the thoughts of how life would have been if you had not been given that good health or wealth and so on.
If you could spend those few minutes thinking about God (repeat ‘La illaha ilallah’) with your eyes closed when, breath in when you say ‘La illaha’ and breath out when you say ‘ilallah. Make a habit of this and soon you will feel less stressed and more focused in your daily chores.
Is there a best time of day to meditate? How much time do you need to meditate each day? Watch the video below to get answers your most burning meditation FAQs.
Using Islamic Meditation to Stop Suffering
No matter how many self-improvement classes we attend or read the best self-improvement books, until you apply the basics in your life you will not be able to improve yourself.
There is no point improving the exterior (as in tangible skills) when you neglect the inner self which is your sole.
