Economic Resurrection. Halim Quddus
time went on, I started reflecting on my life and came to the conclusion that I had to develop habits that would support my growth. I had to make a choice. Do I remain who I was and sink deeper into the painful world I had created, or do I go into a cocoon like a caterpillar and emerge as a transformed person, awakened to my true self?
It was time for me to reclaim my power. Yes, I gave my power away to forces that I really had the power to resist. I had to make this decision, because these destructive habits landed me in jail and in rehabilitation several times. The most enlightening experience was a short stay in rehabilitation at Union Memorial Hospital in Union, New Jersey. The time I spent in rehab impacted my life in a big way. I had never been more determined in my life, simply because I wanted to be free from the addiction of drugs, so I could live a dignified and productive life.
I was tired of trying to be slick and conning people out of their belongings. I wanted to serve people instead of using them for my own selfish reasons. These thoughts were going through my mind as I was getting those mind numbing and slave making drugs out of my system. I was determined to rid myself of the soul-murdering drugs that were killing me slowly. I wanted to get back to the real me. It was time for the real Halim to stand up.
So the question was, "How can I get back to the real me? " I believe that question is answered in the words of Imam W.D. Mohammed:
"Most of us are not respecting the human person in our own bodies. And we wonder how come we have so much trouble and we wonder how come we are suffering so much. We wonder why so many people are taking drugs.
Its because those bodies are only flesh. The human being is gone. If you bring the human being back into those bodies, you will see a difference in the way they behave before the temptation of drugs. When the human being is in the human body, the way that he or she is supposed to be in the human body, we can handle the temptation of drugs. "
By definition the human being is a rational being . It's the ability to think that distinguishes man from animals. It was time for me to start doing some serious thinking about my life and my future.
As you can see, I wasn't doing much rational thinking, I was moving on instinct just like an animal. It was now time for me to look at myself as a human being with expressions of care, love, cooperation, forgiveness and rational thinking. These are the qualities that helped awaken me to my real power.
DISCIPLINING YOURSELF FOR PROSPERITY
While I was at the rehabilitation center, there was a counselor who reminded me of something about myself. One day during a counseling session, he said, "I see something in you and it's spiritual." I said, "I know, but I'm afraid of the responsibility that comes with it." His reply was, "It's good and you should use it." At that moment I started reflecting on the principles that had been instilled in me by my mother and the people who helped to shape my thinking before I went off course. The short stay in rehab was a turning point for me. Since that time , I've never had a desire to put any type of drugs into my body.
Upon leaving rehab , I went to work on myself. My desire was to become stronger in mind and spirit. In spite of the greatness of this nation and all the material and technological advances we have at our disposal, most people lack the discipline it requires to live a prosperous life. Prospering in good and tough times requires discipline . Without discipline, you may be lulled to sleep by those who profit more from you being asleep than from you being awake. I had to form some new habits -habits that would take me where I wanted to go.
KEEP YOUR WORD
First of all, I had to start keeping my word. When you keep your word, you'll start achieving more. Imagine the relationships you can establish and the money you can make, when you keep your word. It's called keeping an agreement with your self and is the basis for establishing trust.
When you keep your word, you'll unleash a great source of power that will keep you going, because you'll be in a determined state. A state that in essence says: be truthful with yourself, don 't make any excuses and don't give up. Have you ever heard the expression?
"My Word Is My Bond"
Your word is important and will ultimately determine how much progress you'll make and how much trust people will put in you. So, what's a bond? It's an agreement that unites or ties things together. If you keep your word, you' 11 achieve your goals at a rapid pace. When you keep your word, you're actually keeping the agreement you've made with yourself.
A word is more than letters joined together. It's a force that has the power to create. When you keep your word you become capable of discovering more about yourself while connecting with your family, friends and associates. Keeping your word will allow you to witness major changes taking place in your life.
As you make your journey through these tough times, it's best that you live the truth, because truth heals and is a liberating force. Resurrection is a process that deals with living the truth. We have to die to the lie, so we can wake-up and prosper.
The word "prosper" means to flourish or thrive. You are destined to prosper, whether it's in your mind, in your soul, at home, in your business, in your career or even at school. Once you wake up to your potential and accept that you deserve to prosper, you'll be unstoppable.
WHY YOU "NEED" TO STAY AWAKE
To get more from yourself, you have to wake up to the great power that's in and around you. Dr. Martin Luther King, had these words to say about being awake:
"One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. But today our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and face the challenge of change. "
This reminds me of the story of Rip Van Winkle, the man in the children's fairy tale who went to sleep for twenty years and woke up to a very different world. While he was sleep, major changes were taking place all around him. Like Rip Van Winkle, many of us are sleeping while social, technological, scientific and financial changes are rapidly taking place in America and throughout the world.
Do you know that people are still sleeping on the power of the Internet? I'm talking about in its ability to generate money. The Internet is a tool that can be used to put money in your pocket. If you're still sleeping on the Internet, it's time for you to wake up to its power.
When we wake up, we can help each other. Once we wake up and see the opportunities that are around us, it will be hard for us to fall back to sleep. The potential for a "rebirth" lies within all of us. No matter who you are, or where you've been, you can create the life you want for yourself. I've seen so many examples of people who have overcome incredible challenges to create an extraordinary life for themselves and their family.
You will learn about people throughout this book who have inspired me to rise up and improve my life. I hope that with the message contained in this book, I can inspire you to breakthrough what's been holding you back from living the life you want to live.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE
With all of her problems, America is still the greatest country in the world. People from all over the world are struggling to get here. Why? It's because America offers its citizens the opportunity to compete. You and I have the opportunity to become almost anyone we want to be. Unfortunately, most people limit and chain themselves to bad habits, bad jobs and bad relationships. You can release yourself from the chains that bind you and move into a new world of freedom and prosperity.
President Barak Obama showed what's possible for a person who is willing to compete. He showed that we can break through the limitations that have been set on us by other people. Times in America have truly changed. I've lived to witness several American Americans run for president, but I wasn't sure if I would see the time when an African American would be called the president of the United States. This is a great sign of what can happen when a person is ready to compete.
TOGETHER