Month: March 2014

19/03/2014

To be a creative person means to create or invent something or an idea that has never actually existed. Consequently, creativity is always associated with linking two or more elements or ideas as part of a relationship that has not been established by anyone before.

Creativity is not restricted to a particular area or a particular science; in our daily life, any touch of beauty that we see or feel is a creative work because it generates a feeling of fascination and admiration in the minds of onlookers.

Creativity is regarded as a significant indicator that contributes to a large extent to inferring how much efforts have been exerted by the person and how far he/she is able to develop his/her ideas towards implementing such ideas for the sake of benefiting people and improving their living conditions.

The concept of creativity is associated with certain criteria which are summarized as follows:

• Creativity is not linked with academic attainment but means in the first place that the creative person’s knowledge has jumped from the level of remembrance to that of understanding, application, analysis and the desire for change.
• Creativity is a product of self-reliance and the result of streamlining self-learning for acquiring knowledge. Thus, a creative person will not be satisfied with files, references and textbooks but will go beyond this to research, reading, visiting libraries and asking for more information.

Here, a question comes to the mind of each of us: Are you a creative person?

The answer to this question depends on the willingness of each one of us to achieve creativity; every person has got potential creative capabilities but only few people seek to explore and employ these capabilities, develop themselves and publish their creative works. Hence, creativity is not limited to certain people and those who believe that achieving creativity is dependent on the existence of genes or the like have a wrong way of looking at things and must remind themselves of this fact whenever they feel desperate or fail to achieve a creative work.

(To be creative is to add something new to life). Come on; let’s fly together in a new creative life full of achievements!

16/03/2014

Many people seek to gain the friendliness and respect of others while they may sometimes behave in a way that does not reflect self-respect. Examples on this include causing inconvenience to other people around them by words or actions, paying no attention to conversation etiquette and uttering abrasive terms.

Respect is acquired when an individual lives honestly with others and treats them politely and respectfully, because one’s respect for oneself is the basis for one’s respect for others. Those who respect and trust themselves will be able to have high self-esteem and this will reflect on their behavior  towards others by dealing with people the same way they like to be treated.

It is emphasized by psychologists that one’s respect for oneself  is the mainstay that one needs for facing life’s challenges and that most of one’s decisions and actions are based on such respect, which leads to  psychological balance through which one can deal with others and gain their respect.

People  who are able to respect themselves are known for their diplomatic skills; they avoid getting into conflicts with others, particularly in the event of conflicting views, because this will add to the severity of the problem and threatens the continuity of relations. They are also known for their ability to evaluate their actions and to hold themselves accountable for their mistakes one by one in case they have caused any offence.

Good listening to others is also a fundamental pillar of self-esteem because listening to different viewpoints makes a debate useful and successful as it eliminates all forms of intolerance and non-acceptance of others’ opinions.

People who respect themselves usually have a great deal of responsibility; they do not even hesitate to admit their mistakes and do not force those around them to change themselves, considering that they are responsible for their actions. They also avoid hating others and feel no malice against them when they commit mistakes that are often unintended.

This is a call to all of us to show self-respect and concern for upgrading our morals and behaviors and to accept each other so that we can all contribute to serving our country and developing our society.

12/03/2014

The words that a human being utters and the way they deal with others are evidence on how far they are cultivated, elegant and intellectually developed. This is because it is such standards as cultivation, elegance and intellectual development that measure the human speech and behavior rather than the number of books a human being reads or the types of degrees they are awarded, though these two elements are highly important.

In this short essay I would like to present to my colleagues in the Emirates Identity Authority and to all those who read this section some ideas that may contribute to helping all of us develop ourselves and improve our positive thinking based on the concept of exchanging ideas and thoughts for the benefit of all of us:

The 1^st idea is a call for research and reading about any problem we face in life with the aim of educating ourselves and gaining more information. Here, I would like to say: You may experience bad feelings due to the lack of understanding or otherwise you may find a solution or a way to adapt.

The 2^nd idea: We can say bad words properly and good words badly; so before you think about what you are going to say, think of how you are going to say it.

The 3^rd idea: If you want to stop worrying and need a fresh start, here is the rule: Count the graces that Allah bestowed on you rather than your troubles.

The 4^th idea: It is smart to feel optimistic when you fail, while self-confidence in times of despair means you are strong and perseverance despite obstacles means success in itself.

The 5^th idea: Make reasonable and viable goals because if you start something that you cannot finish, you will be disappointed and frustrated and you may be accuses by others of being a man of a fluctuating mind.

The 6^th idea: Teach your child the skill of thinking for himself. So, when your child asks you how to solve a problem, ask him about the proper way to solve it and give him the opportunity to do so. By this, your child will learn to keep trying to overcome impasses.

 

11/03/2014

Our lives are full of situations, some of which are repeated but leave no effect on us while others are rare and are never forgotten but remain in our memory as a beautiful spectrum wished to return.

In this article of mine, I am going to tell you about a situation that I passed through while working in the Emirates Identity Authority’s  customer service, a situation that I could not forget though it took place two years ago.

One morning, I prepared myself well and came to work as a new employee under training. I was assigned to work in the reception section, which is the front section of the center where customers have to stop by to ensure that their required documents are complete and are told where to go for completing their transactions.

In that morning and while more customers were heard coming into the center, I was surprised at an angry customer standing in front of me and nervously posing a question: “What is your name?” “Raya”, I answered. “Shame on you!”, he replied back.

Although he exceeded all acceptable limits, I tried hard to hide my anger and control my reaction so as to know why he was angry. It was found that he did not receive the ID card of his daughter although a long time elapsed since her transaction was completed. I asked him to accompany me to the official, who would help him in resolving the issue.

At first, I had a challenge with the internal conflict that left me with two choices: either to help him and absorb his anger or to file a complaint because he offended me. I, however, opted for the first choice and the day was over just like other days with the issue being entirely forgotten.

Two days later, I moved for help desk training where an employee would be required to try hard to respond to all the inquiries of callers. I received a call which surprised me as it was from somebody asking for an employee named Raya. “Speaking, what can I do for you?”, I replied. He  said: “I want to apologize for what I said two days ago. God knows that you were very kind and generous as you will always be. I offended you and treated you harshly but you did not respond in the same way. I wish to express my thanks and gratitude to you for your positive response to my offence.”

I replied: “I forgot the whole issue as if nothing happened.” He thanked me again. His call had a great effect on me as it healed the wounds that I sustained two days ago.

Those who read about the life of prophets and God-fearing people will find that they were close to perfection in terms of knowledge and faith thanks only to their truthfulness and forgiveness. It was one of their morals to forgive those who offended them in word or in deed, giving the humanity lessons about the true meaning of morality. An example on this is Prophet Yusuf (PBUH) who repelled his brothers’ envy, slander and conspiracy by forgiving them at a time he was in power and could impose the toughest punishments on them.

 

03/03/2014

Beautiful are those words which are uttered the moment people meet together; those words, though few, bear a lot of love, amity, cordiality and peace connotations. They are so great that they are mentioned in the Holy Quran where Allah urged that they be used by people and be the salute of the Paradise inhabitants: “Their call therein is, “Glory be to You, our God.” And their greeting therein is, “Peace.” And the last of their call is, “Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.” (Yunus, Verse 10).

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also urged people to spread peace and love as a way to enter the Paradise when he said to his companions: “You will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love each other. Shall I show you something that, if you did, you would love each other? Spread peace between yourselves.” (Sahih Muslim). This approach was adopted by the entire UAE society, which was built on the virtue of spreading peace through exchanging the greeting of Islam.

As soon as he is born, a citizen hears the word “peace” several times a day, whether within the family, among neighbors or on the way to school.  He used to say “Al Salamu Alaikum” to those he knows or those he does not know. So, he grows up, and so does this virtue, which he uses wherever he goes: in his work, among his friends and colleagues and anywhere else.

Regretfully, less people are nowadays committed to this virtue. Nowadays, we say “Al Salam Alaikum” only to those we know, missing the great connotations of the words of peace, which give us peace of mind and a feeling of serenity. Imagine a world of no amity and love because of the absence of peace: How will it be, how will people live in it and what is the law that will govern their relations? There is no doubt that the law of the jungle will then prevail where the strong devours the weak.

This is a call for each colleague in the Emirates Identity Authority and those who read these words: We should all be keen to maintain the commandment of our Prophet by spreading love and peace anywhere and anytime.