Count Your Blessings!

Hey friends,

One thing my dad would always tell me is: Count Your Blessings. He has been saying this to me every time I would be down or depressed. Sometimes, he would tell this to me at times when things would be going well for him. When I was young, I would not grasp the meaning of these three words, but as I grow older, I realize how deep these words are.

My dad was born in India, and he was not even five years old when he and his family had to migrate to Pakistan because of the Partition. His family had to leave their house, and come into Pakistan. Then she started his work in Pakistan and eventually moved to Jeddah. He started small, and mashallah he has come a long way now.

While I won’t get into the intricate details of his life, his achievements and all, he has always lived with his motto of Count Your Blessings. He gives credit to God for all the things he has achieved in his life, and he tells people again and again that his success is because of God. He doesn’t take any credit for himself. I find that very humbling.

Even I give credit to God for any of my successes today. I give my thanks to God for all the wonderful blessings He has given me. Even in my times of depression, I choose to Count My Blessings, because things could be worse. Watching the Hurricane Katrina batter Louisiana, causing devastation and destruction in the people’s lives, one thing I noticed was that people were realizing how they had taken a lot of things for granted. For a natural disaster to hit the richest country in the world, creating refugees amongst its own population serves as a reminder to me that life is unpredictable. It’s the little things that I am thankful for: my life, food, water, air, my body, clothes, a place to live, education, and decent comforts in life.

Even though I wish I were born without any hearing loss, I still choose to Count My Blessings, for the blessings in my life far outweigh the sufferings. It’s very easy for me to start moaning and whining about my life that is going nowhere, but then, if I take the time out to Count My Blessings, I come to realize that my life is perfect the way it is.

So, I am going to pass on to you my father’s wisdom. Remember, whatever your situation you are in, good or bad, Count Your Blessings.

Counting-My-Blessings,

Mansur