The Old Man & the Ships Engine

   Welcome to a new episode a smile of hope. There was once a great cruise ship and one of its engines were broken. The owner of the company gathered all his engineers and to try and fix the broken engine. They tried all they can to fix it but it was of no use. So they thought and pondered, and then remembered that there was an older man who specialized in engine maintenance. So they called him over. As the older man arrived he had with him an entire bag of tools. This man started inspecting the engine from top to bottom. The other engineers along with owners were flabbergasted by this old man and wanted to see what he was going to do. They old man than took out of his bag a little hummer and screwdriver and started to bang on the sides of the engine. All of a sudden the engine kick started. This took the old man about five minutes. The engine started working well.

  After a week the company received an invoice from the old man. The invoice was for about $10.000. The company was in shock due to the fact that all he did was bang on the engine. So the company owner sent a letter to this old man saying that he should clearly state the details of said invoice. So the old man sent a detailed letter of the invoice in which he stated: the banging on the engine costs $2, and to know where to bang with the hammer costs $9.998.

  The point of this story smile of hope is if you know where to bang and find a way to kick start your engine of life, you will achieve motion, and if you don’t know where or how to bang your engine of life you will remain motionless. I am afraid and worried for all you younger men that if you don’t know how to start your engines of life, life will pass you by. Please find ways to start your life, and if you are at a loss consult your father, your grandfather and ask them and brainstorm and find ways to start your life and smile of hope.

Smile of hope

Taking an initiative

   Welcome to a new episode a smile of hope. Smile of hope today is about taking an initiative. You may ask me “What do you mean by taking an initiative?” sometimes people have skills that will help them to successful in life. However, they are not courageous enough, they don’t take a step, and they don’t have a strong will, or they choose not to take the lead. There are many young men and women who are listening to me who have very high aptitude and can be very successful smile of hope…but unfortunately, they’re not courageous enough.

  Let me tell you smile of hope story from Morocco, told to me by a writer. He’s a writer with great aptitude, who seemed like he’ll be a famous writer on day. This story is of course, an old story. The first book he wrote, he couldn’t find a publisher to publish the book. He tried and submitted it to several publishers, and still no one wanted to publish it. Finally, after numerous tries, he found a publisher who decided to publish his book. By coincidence, his book got published right in time for the Moroccan Book Fair.

  At the Book Fair, the organizers setup a stage in front of the large crowd for the best writers to speak about their books, and autograph them. The writer had just published a new book, and he was watching while the best writers were all on the stage. The presentations began and people were entertained, but there was an empty seat on the stage. The person who was supposed to be sitting there didn’t show up. Out of respect, the writer thought to himself that the person should be arrived soon.10, 15, and 20 minutes passed and still no one showed up to fill the seat on the stage. The seat remained empty on the stage, with no name in front of it. The presentation began and people forgot that there’s an empty seat on the stage. The writer, however, did not forget about the empty seat. Do you know what this writer decided to do? The writer decided to go up on the stage and sit in the empty seat and present his first book. Although he never got an invitation, the seat on stage was empty. It would have been wrong and disrespectful that he gets on the stage, if the person who’s supposed to be sitting in the seat had arrived and he took his seat. However, he decided to take the initiative, because a third of the presentation had passed and no one showed up.

  This is a great example of taking an initiative and smile of hope. Many people in his shoes would be embarrassed or would be afraid of other people’s critique. However, what’s wrong with receiving other people critiques? Yet in fact, most of us learn and grow with constructive criticism. The writer took 10 books and sat on the empty seat. Can you imagine the courage? One of the organizers realized that he got on the stage. She went his way, to make sure that he had an invitation to be on stage. He took an initiative again, looked at her in confidence, and he apologized for being late. She asked him what he would like to drink and he asked for a cup of tea. When it was his turn to speak, he presented his book in eloquence.

  People were amused by his new and amazing idea. People came around him, while the media began recording what was happening. He autographed his book and many people got copies of it and took pictures with him. In the following year, Fear’s book was the first book being passed out in the Book Fair. He was also the first invitee to be on the stage. He said that had he not gone on the stage the first time and presented himself with great eloquence and confidence, he wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to go up the second time.

  Take an initiative, smile of hope and be courageous. Have self-confidence, be strong and be courageous. Definitely do not take someone else’s rights or positions. However, be courageous and self-confident. You will then be happy with a smile of happiness, which will be drawn on your face and on the faces of those who love you.

Smile of hope

Thank you.

Think before taking conclusion

   Welcome in a new smile of hope. This smile of hope of today speaks about an idea, if you adopt in your life, you will be smiling all your life. It is: “think before taking conclusion”, i.e. when you see something before you don’t act immediately, think firstly. 

  I will tell you a funny story. It is about a lady waiting for her train in the railway station. The story took place in England. The lady was hungry. She bought a sac of popcorn and sweet, but them near her in her seat and began to eat. A young woman came sat near her on the same bench. The young woman began to put her hand in the sac of the lady and eat from popcorn. The lady was angry and asked herself what was the bravery? For the lady such action was impertinence from the young woman. The young woman continued to enter her hand in the lady’s sac and eat from popcorn, while the angry lady’s face became red. The lady was about to hit the young woman or cry on her face for such impoliteness, while the later looked to her and smiled. The lady began to think that the new generation was impertinent and impolite. The young lady continued till finishing all the remaining popcorn, while the lady tried to push the sac away from the young woman’s hand when the train entered into the station.

  When the young woman entered into the wagon, the angry lady, who controlled herself and did not insult that young woman, opened her handbag and found that her popcorn sac was there. The lady realized that the popcorn sac from which she was eating was not her; it was the young woman’s.

  What do you think about this story? So please think before taking a conclusion, cool down before getting nervous, before quarrelling with others. What great the Quran is! When our Prophet Suleiman said: “why I didn’t see the hoopoe”; he then continued: “maybe it is among the absent”. Before you say what I have to do, think firstly. A good story, isn’t it? Believe me, you will live in smile and hope as far as you are thinking before acting, before getting nervous and quarrelling with other people. The popcorn sac shall be with you at the end while you are not paying attention. Think, be careful and Allah Almighty will render you happy and, thus, our life will be full of smile of hope.

Thank you.

Don't look only to the defeats and draw a positive picture

   Welcome to a new episode of A Smile of Hope. Can you depict persons without highlighting their deformities? Can you deal with people and overlook their deformities? How? I see these deformities very well? This is my problem I always observe deformities. It is your problem when you usually observe your wife deformities so you can't smile a smile of hope for her. The boy always forgets his parents support and remember only their demerits. It's really a serious problem.

I'll tell you a story

  One day there was a king. He was one-eyed because he had an accident when he was young. So he was covering this eye and there was a black line below his eye that made him ugly and sad although he was fair. His public was accustomed to look at his face and nail this deformity so he got annoyed although he was just his favorite hobby was fowling and this might be the reason for the accident.

He tried to beautify his face so he invited some portraitists who draw nice portraits and asked them to depict him a nice portrait without highlighting his deformities. We can't do that, if we do, we will get a portrait of another one not you, and we should draw this eye "they replied". So he didn’t agree with the first portraitist. He didn't agree with the second portraitist either. What did he do next?

  Finally he went to another portraitist. This portraitist promised him to draw a wonderful portrait and overlook his deformities (eye)."No problem" that is very easy, the portraitist said. He drew the king while he was hunting and shooting with a gun. So his eye was covered with the gun. It was a wonderful portrait. The king looked like a clever fowler cavalryman. The king liked and admired the portrait very much. He showed it to people. So they remembered his merits and that he was just but they forgot his demerits (one-eyed).

Why did I tell you this story?

 I told you this story because we always nail other's deformities and forget their merits and nice image. We usually focus on defects and their bad image in our mind. Can you cutaway people's deformities? Can you veil people's defects in your mind? Can you remove the bad vista you have for your wife or your parents and remember only their merits and good deeds?   

 Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing upon him) said this about the relationship with your wife:"Don't hate (mistreat) your wife. If you hate a character in her, you may like another". Can you balance merits and demerits? Can you delineate positive vista? Can you imagine positive vista at your unconscious? Do this for others and for yourself. Think positively and diminish negativity to beatify others and create a smile hope. A smile of hope is to think positively and delineate positive vista.

Thank you.

A Leader without soldiers

   welcome to a new smile of hope.The story of today is from Alsharqia which is one of Egypt’s governorates. This story is a symbolic one which requires concentration. There’s a man from Alsharqia called Hussein, and he has a niece named Dalia. One day he brought her a present which was a ball. He hid it behind his back, than he put his hand on his mouth, and told her “I ate your present”. She told him: “you ate it? I will call my other uncle. He then put his hand on his mouth and told her “I ate your other uncle”. She told him “I will call you my mother” , after which he replied “I will also eat your mother”. She then continued by saying “I will call my aunt”, to which off course he replied “I shall eat your aunt as well”. As he kept on joking with her, she kept on telling him that she will keep calling members of her family, to which he replied “I will eat them all”. She than finally told him that she would hit him with a stick. To which he replied that he would eat it as well. The girl than innocently said “If you keep doing this, you will end up alone”.

  What I want to say you, whoever keeps standing alone and keeps ignoring others around them, will inevitably be alone and they will not find anyone who will want to be around them. There is a type of culture of tending to show up alone, ahead of all others around you. To excel in life nobody has to decrease the importance, but to show up together and succeed together we can be strong. A question you should and would want to ask yourself is: why do we as humans always tend to shine alone, while hiding the shine of others? As I heard this I was very touched with the little girl’s innocence. Especially when she told him this, “But this way you will remain alone uncle. Will you be happy if you live alone?”

  Once, when I was young I read a book entitled “A Leader without soldiers” it tells a story of a leader who killed all of his soldiers and remained alone. The questions that came to mind where (what’s your value as a leader if you stay without soldiers?). A leader cannot call himself one if he doesn’t have men to lead and direct.

  My Lesson to you is that you should not neglect the value of others. It’s the total opposite, give the people around you an opportunity to shine, and don’t allow yourself to feel jealousy. If you stay alone without people you won’t feel happy. Let people guide you and in return you guide them.

  At the end of day, only the good will remain, and he who stands alone will perish. Let others shine so that you can shine with them, and when we all shine together, we will all have a smile of hope.  

Thank you.

Think about your mistakes before others

   Welcome in a new smile of hope. The smile of hope of today is about very funny story. The idea of this story is that, we sometimes think that others have a problem, but in fact the problem is ours. Sometimes we think others are rude or bad without looking into ourselves to realize our rudeness, our abnormality. You think that your son is miss-conducting, your wife is unsupportable and in fact it is you who have such problems. I dedicate this story to anyone who thinks that those who are around him have problem, forgetting that he is himself the problem; thus, he remains stressed, annoys people and himself.

  The story is about a man who felt that his wife did not hear well and she was about to lose her hearing. He decided to take her to a physician specialist in ear. He could not communicate with her because he thought that she didn't hear well. Before consulting a specialist, he went to one of his relative who was physician, searching an advice. His relative showed him how to measure the degree of hearing to apply it upon his wife before consulting a specialist and paying money. He told him to stay about 40 feet from his wife and speak to her with a normal tone, greeting her, showing her he cared about her, asking her if she heard him, inquiring about chickens she put in the oven, etc. He said to him if his wife heard him from 40 feet away there was no problem; if she didn't hear him he had to speak to her from 30 feet away, then 20 feet, then 10 feet and continued as such till his wife heard him.

  When that man returned home at night, he found his wife busy in preparing dinner inside the kitchen. He thought the opportunity was good to apply the advice of his relative. He stood in the hall about 40 feet away from her and said to her "My beloved, what have you prepared to us for dinner this night?" His wife didn't replay. He approached and spoke to her from about 30 feet, repeating the same words, then from 20 feet, then 10 feet in vain; finally he entered inside the kitchen, stood before her and said to her: "My dear, what have you prepared to us for dinner this night?" she said to him that she replied for the fifth times to tell him that the chickens were in the oven.

  Do you understand the idea? At the end it appeared that it is the husband who had a hearing problem, because he didn't realize that her wife was answering his question five times, repeating the same thing. So it is he who has the problem not her. Sometimes we think that others are mistaken, but it is us; often we think that others are bad but it is our problem; sometimes we quarrel with others and in the same time they were patient with us. You, boys and girls, sometimes you think that your father, your mother are mistaken, but in fact it is you who are in error.

  For drawing a smile of hope on you, your family, your wife and your children, think firstly in yourself in your errors before the mistakes of the rest of the family.

Thank you.

Being human

   Welcome everyone with a new episode from a smile of hope. Today episode is about being human, how to treat others when life is hard on them with huge kindness and humanity, especially the closest persons to you, your wife.

  I will tell you a story; this story happened a long time ago, it says that there was a man who got married to a very beautiful woman, and he lived with her for a very long time, she was treated him with tenderness and was always kind to him, for many years he enjoyed her kindness & beauty, but then he woman was infected with a disease in her face, unfortunately ugly pimples began to appear on her face, which made looking to this pretty face unpleasant any more. The woman began to feel huge pain as she thought her husband who used to love her & contemplate her beauty wouldn’t do this anymore. She began to be tough, hard in her nature, and anxious…as if she doesn’t want to live with him anymore out of her huge love for her husband. Surprisingly the husband got blind…you’d tell me “what a somber story!!” I’d tell you bear with me until the end.

  When the man got blind, the woman began to calm down…do you know why? It’s a psychological thing; she began to feel secure that her image in his bind will remain the same, when she began to calm down they continued their life together, for 10-15 years, and love was always there, at the end the wife died, and it was time to bury her, everyone was then surprised that the husband was burying her by himself. Oh God! Hadn’t you been blind? Haven’t you lost your sight? The big surprise was that he never lost his sight!! He only pretended in front of his wife so as not to make her feel embarrassed when her face began to change. She was an excellent wife, and he felt she would be highly embarrassed if she saw him, so he prevented to be blind for many years.

  You may tell me “This is one imaginary idealist story” you are true might be…but at least could you be kind with people you loved and were kind to you, can you revise you position, how many times were people kind to you & you ignored them afterwards? How many times were persons graceful to you and when life got hard on them you left them? How many times did you stop asking about a person just because their position was changed?

  By the way, I am not sure if the story is true or not…but this man is truly kind and human. Are you that kind generally? Are you that kind with your wife? Your agedly father? Your father began to change & his flexibility began to change, did you too change? Do you say “off the grown up man isn’t moving like before” alas! Did you reach the point? Are you that in human?

 Be kind and human

  This man that I told you his story is very kind. I swear to God my fellows the true smile of hope is being loyal to people who were kind to you no matter how their life changed, especially if these people were your wife, your father or your mother.

A smile of hope

Thank you.