What Makes Us Tick?
If we wish to understand someone, we need to understand what motivates them. The cause of motivation is generally either deprivation or altruism. Whereas those motivated by deprivation tend to develop a scarcity mindset, those who are motivated by altruism tend to develop an abundant mindset.
If we desire self-improvement, we need to re-examine our motivations. “Indeed, actions are judged by their intentions,” said Prophet Muhammad (SWAS). Hence, to develop an abundant mindset, we can try to develop worthy altruistic intentions.
There is a difference in the paradigm of Reality that a believer experiences from what others see with their naked eyes. A believer sees from the perspective of the value system that God has intended for them. Their definition of success might seem like that of failure to others. To them, apparent success without sincerity is a failure and apparent failure is in fact success if they are indeed sincere.
At work, one can never achieve true success without sincerity, no matter how many signs of apparent success are displayed. One’s work is a divine trust and one must do one’s utmost to never betray that trust, but rather to fulfill it in the most excellent of manners.
One’s motivation is to please one’s Lord and one constantly fears His punishment. This is the primary driver for a believer, rather than to meet the KPIs, get a good performance rating, get a promotion, get an award and essentially look good in the eyes of anyone other than God. In many ways, if one is more motivated by these other factors, one’s sincerity is in doubt. Showing off is a kind of sin. It does not matter if their manager, VP, SVP, and CEO change, their Lord will always be the same. Their true expectation will always come from Him. If one is sincere, then one will consciously hold himself accountable to God, even before one is held accountable by any man-made system, which can never be perfectly fair, no matter how much it is attempted.
If we desire self-improvement, we need to re-examine our motivations. “Indeed, actions are judged by their intentions,” said Prophet Muhammad (SWAS). Hence, to develop an abundant mindset, we can try to develop worthy altruistic intentions.
There is a difference in the paradigm of Reality that a believer experiences from what others see with their naked eyes. A believer sees from the perspective of the value system that God has intended for them. Their definition of success might seem like that of failure to others. To them, apparent success without sincerity is a failure and apparent failure is in fact success if they are indeed sincere.
At work, one can never achieve true success without sincerity, no matter how many signs of apparent success are displayed. One’s work is a divine trust and one must do one’s utmost to never betray that trust, but rather to fulfill it in the most excellent of manners.
One’s motivation is to please one’s Lord and one constantly fears His punishment. This is the primary driver for a believer, rather than to meet the KPIs, get a good performance rating, get a promotion, get an award and essentially look good in the eyes of anyone other than God. In many ways, if one is more motivated by these other factors, one’s sincerity is in doubt. Showing off is a kind of sin. It does not matter if their manager, VP, SVP, and CEO change, their Lord will always be the same. Their true expectation will always come from Him. If one is sincere, then one will consciously hold himself accountable to God, even before one is held accountable by any man-made system, which can never be perfectly fair, no matter how much it is attempted.
