Winter in summer

Minna, please have a look at my painting. Onegaishimasu!

I name this as.....'Summer in Malaysia'??

Yeah! I know. Just stop there, OK. 
It's not that I can stand you 
admiring my fine art masterpiece. 
But thanks anyway!  I really 
appreciate your praises that 
come from the pure heart of yours.

Lately I have this song keep playing 
inside my mind. Hurm...not so new, 
just a few years back. Even so since 
I've just discovered it, so it's new for me!

'Fuyu no uta' sang by Kiroro. If translated into English, 'Winter song'.

Oh please, VO!

What are you balderdash about? Winter?? Man, we are facing summer!

And the best thing is, summer in Egypt! Definitely, worth it!

All right, but may be if Kiroro sing 'Natsu no uta' then it would be a different story. And still, I want to talk about 'fuyu'.

OK! Let's not beating around the bush and get to the point.

I don't know what others think about summer. As for me, starting of summer is the starting of struggle. Why? Because being in summer is like being in a combat field. Summer means I have to pass through up to 40* C of heat outside my apartment. Summer means that I must fight my desire to watch my favorite anime series which I usually watch over and over again. 

 

Summer too, I need to strive and 

excel in my study in order to reach 

my ultimate dream to be a successful 

Muslim Doctor.  I also need to combat 

the feeling to be with my loved ones 

since we are parted by seas 

n continents. How are they doing? 

Is there anything bad happening? Have they eaten? Are they enjoying their day well? It indeed really a struggle!

Honestly, among those things I have to win through my struggle, is my study (Final Examination specifically). I must say that it is the most challenging part of my struggle. I need not to talk much about that, my dear friends surely knew this fact the best.

The call of 'imtihan'. The call of trials.  Pretty much a seasonal call. During this particular season, you declare 'war' to yourself and tug to have high scores. Wedging your eyes onto written theories and facts. A season that embolden thou to care on studies, although before, you never even bother studying. And some, keep confining yourself inside your imaginary cave, never give a a damn matter about people around. 

Particularly in this season, we feel 
the depression, the stress, the heat!
Therefore, we become good servants 
to Allah. We ask for His helps and guides. 
We ask Him for easiness. We ask 
for our success. Ah, human! Searching 
for Him only whenever they are on 
their edge of breaking down. 
On the other hand, you are very lucky 
that you have time to spread out for Him!

I used to fail...countless time of 
failing. Failure made me feel miserable. 
Drop dead miserable. It made me feel 
heart broken. It was like the whole world 
was laughing at you when you 
were crying. Friends care for you, but you 
feel ignored. They speak to you, but 
you feel alone. It was empty. 
Anyhow, I guess it's true that the two 
hardest things to handle in life are failure and success. 

Everybody dream for success. Well, obviously 'dreaming' doesn't mean sleeping. Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. It doesn't matter if you are not a genius. But of course everyone hopes that they were born as 'genius'. Hey, you! Wake up! Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% hard work! 99% of day dreaming and 1% of soft work? Yet you want to be called 'tensai'? OoOo....JOKE!

Once a motivator told me, "In order to succeed, you must first be willing to fail." Why? Because we learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do. I was told about Luqman al-Hakim. How did he manipulate failure into success?

Luqman al-Hakim said, "I learn from the morons. Things they do, then I don't do." 

Friends, we all know that 

success is not permanent. So, 

the same goes to failure. 

Neither success nor 

failure is ever final! 

Just that the thing is, 

we can't just sit back and 

watch the 'Wheel of Fortune' 

takes turns before our eyes. 

It is all right to feel sad. 

It's OK to feel down. 

It's fine to experience losing. 

But don't let it takes you down. 

You can't give it up, never! 

Go back a little, then leap further! I know, it's hard to fail. I know. But....it is worse never to have tried to succeed. All we need is some effort. Aha..may be not 'some'- many many many effort! For the only real failure in life, is the failure to try. Just think about it, pal!

Muslim is one who preserves despite setbacks. Muslim is one who has the capacity to face disappointment and adversity without becoming bitter. Muslim is one who accepts his mistakes and who doesn't complain that the rose bush has thorns but rejoices that it bears roses. Muslim is one who makes JIHAD (struggle) to change things which he can, and who lives in peace with things that he cannot change!

When one door closes another door opens; 

but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, 

that we do not see the ones which open for us. 

Alexander Graham Bell

Frankly speaking, if you can pass all these things, VO, it is definitely 
'fuyu' in 'natsu'!

Oh, by the way, how many stars do I get for my painting??