"Wisdom does not appear out of thin air, it can take time and experience and for that, one has to be patient. While being patient; one has to be optimistic as well because without positive vibes everything is rendered bleak. Islam preaches optimism and patience for this very reason. No person ever ascended to the status of a hero without first suffering from the past and then learning from it."
So wrote Hala Bader al-Humaidhi in an article in the Gulf Times entitled, "Lighten up, forgive yourself!"
That reminded me of what Arfa Sarfaraz Khan, President of the United Muslim Sisters of Latrobe Valley, told me, "I believe optimism is the strength for survival, so I try to stay optimistic. And my faith, Islam sees optimism as a strength and pessimism as a sin."