POSITIVE THINKING
POSITIVE THINKING
Once upon a time a king of a country had a smart minister. Whatever happens, the minister would always say ‘it is for the better’. One day the king decided to go on a hunting trip taking his minister with him. Everything was ready for the outing. Before embarking on the tour, the king wanted to test his bows and arrows. He drew an arrow from the quiver hastily and in that process, he cut his hand with the sharp point of the arrow. The wound started bleeding profusely and the kind was in great pain. The minister who had witnessed all these said, as usual, ‘it could be for better’, but the king was very angry with his remark. He shouted to his bodyguards: “Take this idiot away and throw him in the dungeon”. They took him away and locked him behind the bars.
The king set out for the hunting as decided taking another person with him. Once they reached the thick of the forest, and while chasing animals, the king and his companion lost their ways and separated themselves. The king who became exhausted from aimlessly walking for long time, finally reached the dwelling of a primitive tribe. During their festival time, they used to sacrifice a human to please their deity and they were looking for someone to sacrifice and it was this time that the king had accidentally reached their midst. They caught the king and tied him and the sacrificial ground was readied. Before the rituals began, the head of the tribe ordered a close scrutiny of the to-be-sacrificed person for any defects. When they inspected him, they found the wound in the king’s hand and therefore they set him free deciding that he was not fit to be sacrificed. While walking back from the tribal village, the king remembered that how true was what the minister had said when he cut his hand. However, he lamented that the minister was not that lucky (as he was jailed).
Back in the palace, the king ordered to produce the minister before him. He asked him: “ What you said was true as far as I was concerned. But, I put threw you in the prison for telling that. I can’t apprehend what was the good in that for you.” Smilingly the minister replied politely: “Supposing that we had reached the tribal village together, and because of your wound, they would have spared you and definitely they would have sacrificed me instead as I had no wounds. I escaped the horrible fate because I was put inside.” The king bowed his head appreciating the minister’s wisdom.
Optimism is inevitable for healthy existence and development of the human beings. A person living with over anxiety and fear might develop various physical and mental disorders. Some studies reveal that over sixty percent of physical ailments are caused by these behaviours. It is indeed a rare blessing to be able to find good in every matter. The holy Quran and the teachings of the holy Prophet (pbuh) advise us to be like that. The Prophet once said: “The faithful is a wonderful lot. Should a good befall on him, he will praise the Lord; thus gaining more good. On the other hand, if he is struck with a misfortune, he will bear it, pondering about God’s wisdom and knowledge. That also will bring him good.”
The holy Quran reminds us that nothing will afflict us save what Allah has ordained for us. What appears to be bad for man could turn to be good later. The Prophet has taught that all setbacks such as fatigue, disease and loss and even the pain caused by the prick of thorn are all rewarding as far as a believer is concerned. Such a conviction will give a believer the spiritual strength needed to face and overcome any unfavourable situation in life.
