What I learn from 'the World Cup, 2010' - 90'+

Spain and Netherlands will have a limited time tonight to prove to the world that they are the Champion of the World. They will just have 90 minutes and a few extra to spare, that's it. The unlucky team will have to wait another 4 years for another chance, if they're lucky enough, if they're still alive. 

The same goes for us. We have a limited time in the world to be the best we can be. To be the best daughter, wife, mother, friend, student, employer, supervisor; the best of everything and truly, the best follower of Prophet Muhammad and ultimately, the best servant of Allah.

Back to Vicente del Bosque and Bert van Marwijk's teams who are fighting for glory tonight. I am sure by this time, these coaches have been working hard on strategies and tactics, vigorously making sure that the players understand them and more importantly, will implement them tonight. Making sure that they'll score early to keep the spirit high. From my observations, most teams who scored early in the game would ended up winning the match. There were a few comebacks, though, but I must say that the teams who were behind would have to struggle to catch-up.

What I learn from this is firstly in life, you need strategies and tactics to help you win. You need a plan to win, a plan to succeed. Yes, the 'master plan' is written by Him, but you can always change your destiny with own efforts and du'as.

Secondly, the need to score early. It is still fresh in my mind when late Gillies Haughton, my student advisor in the University of Edinburgh, urged me to do well in all papers, beginning from Term One of my Bachelor of Education (Hons) Teaching English for Speaker of Other Languages (TESOL). 

 

'It counts in your overall grade, and don't take simple things for granted'. And I trusted him. And I'm thankful to him because I did well in my undergraduate years, even though there were hiccups at the end of my degree when my scholarship was denied, I did not need to suffer academically since I had accumulated good grades from the very beginning.  And in the end, alhamdulillah, I received an award from Edinburgh University for my patience and hard-work. (And I pray and hope that Allah will grant me an 'award' and reward me too, for 'the' experience.)

 

Three things learned here. 1) You don't know what 'tests' that Allah will offer you in the future, (2) So, start preparing early, and (3) Learn from and listen to the experienced.

 

Another beauty of scoring early is that you can recover or improve from your mistakes. If you are just starting to attack during the second-half period, you have wasted much of your precious time. But at least, you have learned from your mistakes, rather than just giving up and surrender.

Last but not least, what I learn from this is that I need to mold my children as early as I can. I need to accentuate their strengths and reduce their weaknesses (by not highlighting them). It is not an easy task, so Ya Allah, please ease my journey to educate my children. Aamin Ya Sami' Ya Basir.

Through the World Cup 2010, the kids are interested with the countries of the world. So, we use books and encyclopedias to introduce them to maps, flags and how the children look like at the other parts of the world.

 

Though I know that I have limited time, I do slack-off and do not optimise my potentials @ gifts from Him. Astaghfirullah-al 'Azim. I'm sorry Ya Rabb.