Depending on the culture and beliefs you have grown up with, your view on marrying young can be a positive one or a negative one. I myself, grew up with cousins and friends who married at the age of 20-23 years. Thus, it was a norm in our family, and an expectation in my head.


When my husband and I got married young, our family and friends were excited for us, while those who were not familiar with this concept, became rather concerned. My peers and teachers saw me go from 'Single' to 'Engaged' and then 'Married' in a matter of 7 months, and automatically assumed the worst. For them, I was forced into a relationship with a stranger, and would now have to live as a housewife for the rest of my life, unable to finish my education or begin a career. Despite them knowing full well that I was always passionate about my education and career goals, I believe they felt this way due to the religious/cultural stereotypes they had heard of regarding Muslim girls that marry young. From day one, I felt the need to prove wrong all those who assumed that I had married a stranger, whom I didn't love; I wouldn't finish my undergraduate degree; I wouldn't start a career now; and I would be 'stuck' as a wife for the rest of my life. I'm not saying that you need to try and please the world, or that there's anything wrong with either of this. But I wanted to show these people that all the stereotypes they had heard were false, and that marriage would not make me fall behind in my goals, education, or career. Instead, I could accomplish even more now that I was married, Insha'Allah.

The other day, my friend came across my high school teacher, who asked my friend whether I had any kids yet. I know that if the answer had been 'yes' she would have assumed the worst, despite there being no fault in this, if it were my decision. Similarly, whenever I meet some of these classmates and teachers, and they realize that I graduated, began my career, and have accomplished so much more than many guys and girls my age have, despite being married, they are shocked. But I know full well that much of this was made possible due to the blessings of marriage. Islam has the teaching of getting married young for this reason - because there are so many blessings in it. Especially in today's age, when there is so much sin in the world, marriage is one way to safeguard against it. Although getting married young may not be for everybody, and definitely depends on a lot of variables, I know it was the best decision I could have made.

For anyone else who feels as though they are facing criticism for marrying young, the following are some tips that I believe can help you prove wrong all negative connotations associated with it.

1. The 'Other' Perspective
When you state that you are getting married young, you are automatically seen as crazy. There is this notion that the early 20's are meant to be the experimental years. Apparently, you are meant to 'find yourself', find your passions and hobbies, travel the world, experiment with your relationships and whatever else you wish to do before 'getting tied down in a permanent relationship'. But, if you and your husband are financially able to support yourselves, and have the maturity level that's required in accepting this huge responsibility, what is wrong with marrying young? Why do you have to wait for society to tell you what the 'ideal age' is to get married? Understanding the other perspective is a good first step in standing up for what your beliefs are, and knowing that you can have differences in your views but still respect one another.

2. People Assume the Worst
When you decide to tell the world your plans of marrying young, they automatically assume there's a different reason for this. Either you're pregnant, you're forced, and if it's neither of these, well, then you're altogether making a mistake. But it's important to remind the world that you only wish to marry this man/woman now, because you are excited to spend the rest of your lives together and live with them for the years ahead, Insh'Allah. Why waste more time, when you can start your adventure together NOW?

3. Remind the World that You Are Happy
Similar to my point above, those who look down upon your decision can oftentimes be projecting their own fears. They fear that you'll get a divorce, lose your freedom and live the rest of your life not happy with the man/woman you married. Being confident in your decision, and replying with this confidence is the way to go. Remind them of the many couples who get married young, and do not get a divorce or have a miserable marriage. And those who get married at an older age can also get a divorce or have a unhappy marriage - this is not dependent on age. Showing them that you're doing just well while married can help ease their anxieties and negative perspective on marrying young as well. Tell them of all the things you now get to enjoy with your life partner - travel, milestones, accomplishments, and so much more.

Unfortunately, arranged marriages while young are seen as even worse than relationships that go from dating to marriage. When I  got engaged I was often asked how I met my husband. I would then have to explain how the 'rishta' process goes in Islam. Remind the other person that Islam doesn't want you to get married to a stranger, but it also doesn't want you to marry someone whom you've gotten to know inside and out. Islam wishes for you  to know just as much as is required to know that you will get along with the person who is a potential life partner, and that you both have compatible personalities. It does not require years of dating and daily conversations to get to this level of understanding. The beauty in Islam is that you know your partner well enough upon getting engaged/married to know that you are making the correct decision (Insha'Allah), and then throughout your marriage you get to know each other further. Remind them that an arranged marriage is not the same as a forced marriage - and that forced marriages are not a part of Islam.

In the end, if you know you made the right decision by marrying at an age society deems 'young', don't let others change your mind. Hopefully your marriage sets an example for the world, and dispels the many negative stereotypes associated with marrying young.

As you grow older, you learn a lot about what truly matters in life. There are many things I wish I had known when I was younger, to develop a more positive mindset in my younger self. Although it's impossible to go back in time, I believe these little pieces of advice and things to keep in mind can truly help you or the young ones in your life, embark from childhood into adulthood more positively!




1. Nobody has the PERFECT life
Oftentimes as a child, it can feel as though everyone else's life is perfect.
"Why do I look the way I look?" "Why does everyone else have the best clothes?" "Why does everyone else get the best marks?" "Why does everyone else have all the money in the world?" "Why? Why? Why"

You need to realize that just as your life is not perfect, neither is the life of the person you compare yourself to. You don't know the struggles anyone else is going through. They may be dealing with things that you don't even know about. Just because you cannot see the trials and tribulations in the lives of your peers, does not mean that they have a better life than yours. So stop envying these people! Allah tries His servants in many different ways, to see if they can grow from these trials, and grow closer to Him. I am positive you have a better life than so many individuals around the world! Think about that for a minute. Thus, you must learn to appreciate and be grateful for the life you have!

2. There will never be a RIGHT TIME
You may have the desire to do something in your life, but may continue to wait for the right time.  Just remember, that there will never be a right time. If you desire to accomplish something, start now! Once you begin the journey you wish to begin, Allah will Insha'Allah guide your steps forward. Whether this be a dream to start a business, write a book, travel, etc., just take the first step forward. Imagine how much more you can accomplish when you begin early and put more time and years into your dream. If you continue to wait for the right time, either you will have too many other responsibilities, lack financially, or not have enough time altogether - meaning the right time will never come.

3. You have a lot of FREE TIME
As a child, you sometimes forget how much free time you have. I believe this is true for every stage in your life. Despite being married and studying, I can still say to my current self, "You have a lot of time right now, just wait until you have kids!". If you are still in elementary or middle school, or have just entered high school, be grateful for the time you have. Many children have no other obligations besides school. With good time management skills, you should have plenty of free time during the week. Use this time to build on yourself, nurture hobbies, read, and gain knowledge. The knowledge you gain during this point of your life will definitely benefit you throughout your life. Do not let technology, movies, television shows, YouTube, social media, and whatever other distractions are out there today, steal hours upon hours of your day!

4. Expand your knowledge and MEMORIZE all you can
Building off of the above point I will say, memorize all that you can! In terms of religious knowledge, memorize Surah's, Hadith, verses of the Qur'an, about the lives of the prophets and all that you possibly can. I assure you that what you memorize today, will remain with you for your entire life. I still to this day remember everything that I had fluently memorized as a child! So do not let those early years (when your brain is able to absorb every little thing) pass by without you benefitting from them.

5. PRAY, not because you have to, but because you want to
I'm sure your parents are constantly reminding you to pray. I'm also aware that there must be days in which you pray for the sake of pleasing your parents rather than pleasing Allah. But you must remember that by praying, you are following Allah's commandment to pray and worship Him. Try to understand the true meaning behind why you are asked to pray and then promise yourself to never miss your prayers - not because you have to, but because you want to! Becoming regular in your prayers as a child will not only be a sort of investment for the Hereafter, but will also grant you so much success in this world Insha'Allah!

6. Don't let your insecurities undermine your WORTH
Growing up, you can easily develop a lot of insecurities about the way you look. Trust me, we've all been there! Whether it be your weight, height, hair, glasses, acne, etc., just remember that it does not at all define who you are! Many times you don't realize how insecure you feel about something until someone picks on you for it. Just remember that these people who put you down do not deserve the key to your happiness. The majority of these people will not even be in your life a few years down the line. So try to be comfortable in the way you look and the way Allah created you, because we were all crafted perfectly!

Oh, and you will 'glow up' Insha'Allah ;)

7. The little things will be of no importance in the GREATER PICTURE
Sometimes, you may feel as though a small decision or obstacle in your life is going to change your life forever. Majority of the time, this is not the case. Many of the small obstacles you face as a child, will be of zero importance to you in the future. So if any decision or trial is every stressing you out, remind yourself that it is only for a short period of time and will pass by Insha'Allah!

8. Your FAMILY is always going to be your greatest support system
As a child, there seems to be a social pressure to have the largest group of friends. But you must remember that a few amazing friends are definitely more valuable than many 'friends' who you can barely relate to. Regardless of how many friends you have, you should always be very close to your family! I am not saying to substitute family for friends, because I know you need a social life outside of home.  However, a lot of the friends you make throughout your life will only be there for a short period of time. Later on, you both may move on and lose contact. Family on the other hand, will always be there for you! Thus, it is very important that you build a quality relationship with your siblings and parents. Spend time with them. Build memories with them. I promise, when you're older, get married, and move out, you will miss your family the most! Moreover, it is your family that you will want to share every little bit of happiness and excitement with.

9. Enjoy the PRESENT
At every stage in our lives, we look forward to a stage in the future. Many children are excited to grow up, get into middle school, then high school, get a job, go to University, etc., forgetting about the stage they are currently in. Enjoy the present by reminding yourself that this stage in your life will never return!

When in high school, you will miss the free time you had after each day in elementary school.
When in University, you will miss the simple schedule of going to, and coming back from middle school.
When working, you will miss the feeling of spending time at your University campus and cramming for exams with friends.
When married, you will miss coming home to a home-cooked meal by your mother.

You see what I mean? Every stage in your life is a blessing! There are many people in the world who passed away before experiencing the next stage in their lives. We too, do not know when Allah has planned our return from this world. What if you never reach that stage in your life that you are oh so excited for? This is why it is very important to appreciate today!

10. Life is SHORT
Despite being in my early 20's I am constantly thinking of how short life is. As a child, you feel as though you have an endless number of years ahead of you - Sadly, you do not! This means that you should constantly be investing good deeds for the Hereafter. Pray to Allah, give to the needy, be kind to your neighbours, respect your parents, and adopt in your life all of the positive and blessed teachings of Islam. Remind yourself that this life is a test, and like any test, you can either pass or fail. You do not know when your life will suddenly come to an end. You are not promised to reach old age. This is why it is very important to remind yourself from a young age, of the true purpose of life and the inevitability of death and the Hereafter.

1) MAKE A SCHEDULE

"How can you follow a strict schedule?"

4) PUT IN TIME FOR GOD

Sometimes it feels like we don't have enough hours in the day to study, and so it can be quite challenging to make time to pray. However, I assure you, success without prayer is not the right kind of success. Incorporate the prayers into your schedule, start your day off with Fajr and give yourself an early start to your studying. Finally end your day off with Ishaa, and go to sleep. This will really help you get 6-7 hours of sleep! Pray and ask Allah for help! This is not only the best stress reliever, but it's also a good way to force yourself to get up and move. I don't know about you, but when I'm studying, I feel like I sit for hours straight just trying to get information in my head. To prevent your body from getting soar, get up, move a little, and pray. And if you're worried about time still, 5-10 minutes will not harm your studying! Trust me :) 

Some little prayers that are helpful for exams are:

رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

Please share and leave your feedback below, Jazak'Allah!

Happiness - "The state of being happy".
Happy - "Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment". 

With this definition in mind, would you consider yourself happy and content?


I recently came across a video by Mohamed Zeyara, a humanitarian activist and public speaker.
In it, he talked about his interview of a young orphan. He asked the orphan, "What is the most difficult part of your day?" to which he replied, "Nothing". Confused Mohamed asked the question, "What is the most difficult part about living in an orphanage?" to which the boy replied "Nothing, I don't have any problems". Shocked, Mohamed continued the interview with, "If you had one wish and it would be granted, what would it be?" to which the boy replied, "I would like a Qur'an, the book of the Qur'an, because over here they don't have the physical book Qur'an".

ARE WE HAPPY?
This video got me thinking of the desires of the youth living in developed countries and seeking happiness. When we think about happiness, we constantly desire for more, "If I pass this exam, I will be happy. If I get these shoes, I will be happy. When I get married, I will be happy". But is this what happiness is?

With the definition above it is clear that happiness is current and not dependent on what you have. Are you happy despite what you have and don't have? Those objects shouldn't be your ladder for happiness, and trust me, they never will be! You can't expect to keep getting things and eventually reaching happiness. If this were at all the case, the richest people in the world and the celebrities we see on television would all be happy. They have the money to buy anything they desire, but are they happy?  The answer is clear the majority is not. This is why many rely on drugs and alcohol, cosmetic surgery and more, in order to reach a state of happiness. Despite all of this, a lot of them get trapped in a downward spiral and never truly reach a state of happiness. Now look at the less wealthy, those who have the bare minimum, are they happy? It's shocking to think, but many are. They don't have everything, and they barely have the basic necessities to get by, but they are happy. Now ask yourself, "Am I happy"?

HOW DO WE ACHIEVE HAPPINESS?
If no amount of things will make us happier, what will?

• Be Grateful: It is said in the Holy Qur'an, "Be grateful to Allah for whoso is grateful, is grateful for the good of his own soul" [31:3]. I remember my mother constantly saying the following phrase to me while growing up, "Stop comparing yourself to the people who have more than you, compare yourself to those who have less than you". It's amazing how such a simple reminder made me a more grateful person. The number of times I have heard, "Why can't I have _____, so-and-so has one?!" But when do we ever hear, "Maybe I don't need ______, there's people without it who are doing just fine". From this point on, promise yourself that you will no longer allow the materialistic possessions of others take away your happiness, because "Comparison is the thief of joy" - Theodore Roosevelt. 
  
• Spiritual Happiness: "It is they who follow guidance from their Lord, and it is they who shall prosper" [Holy Qur'an: 31:6]. Worldly satisfaction is nothing compared to spiritual happiness. The Holy Qur'an is full of instructions on living a life that will please Allah and ultimately grant us Heaven on Earth. Develop a relationship with Allah, only then will you be able to live to please Him and no one else. In a world where everything and everyone is constantly changing, we can never truly be happy.  There will always be new things to spend our money on, and we will always want them. That's the power of marketing and the electronic world we live in. But only with Allah can we find true happiness. 
• Self Purification: No one is perfect. But with this said, we should try to make ourselves better each and every day. We should get rid of all the negative thinking that leads to unhappiness: greed, jealousy, pride, arrogance, envy, and revenge. Instead, we should adapt the qualities of love, justice, patience, and sympathy. Read and understand the Qur'an, read Islamic books, and gain knowledge. Without knowing what is acceptable in Islam and what pleases God, it will be harder to adapt these good qualities and live by them.

1. Place Prayers Around Your House.
Sometimes, all it takes is the right reminder at the right time. Try printing little prayer cards out, and placing them around your house. For example, an entering and leaving the house prayer on your front door, a going to sleep and waking up prayer on your dresser, a before and after eating prayer in your dining room and so on. This is not only a great way to teach your kids these prayers, but also a great reminder for parents as well as older children to read these prayers despite already knowing them.

• Click Here for a set of 16 door knob dua cards ($4.95)
• Click Here for free printable dua cards

• If you want to go about it in a different format, you can download free printable pages of this Dua Book by clicking here.

2. Listen to the Audio of Knowledgeable Shows

Take a moment to think about your commute to work or school. How long is it? Maybe a 30 minute drive there and 30 minute drive back? Longer? If you think about this being a daily thing, that's a lot of time! Listening to something knowledgable and motivating during this time can really benefit you through the day and in the long the run. I suggest the following:

• Faith Matters
• Real Talk
• Khutba/Sermon

Simple download one in the morning, or stream it live and listen to it in your car, on the bus etc. It will really help you be more motivated throughout the day!

3. Read a Prayer When You Wake Up

Start your day with prayers. Read a prayer on success or good health. Whatever you please! This is a great way to start the day positively and with the remembrance of Allah. The Treasure House of Prayers in one of my favourite books with prayers for everything possible. You can buy it here.

4. Set a Prayer as Your Wallpaper 

We're all busy, I get it. It can be hard to take out the time to sit and memorize a prayer. A great way to go about doing this is by setting a prayer as the wallpaper on your phone or laptop. By doing this, you can read it whenever you come across it, and you'll have it memorized in no time!

5. Read Before You Sleep

We live in a time where we're all so obsessed with being connected to the world at all times. Trust me, I'm guilty of this as well! How many of us haven't turned off our laptop, only to go on our phone and spend another hour on that. Reading before we sleep is a great way to rest our eyes and put some good thoughts in our head before ending the day. If you haven't read my New Years Resolutions post, you can do that here. In it, I talk about reading a few pages of a book a day, in order to finish one book a month. I also give a list of great Islamic books to read!

1. Five Daily Prayers: Allah has given us timings that divide up our day so well. Fajr, (usually around 5AM or 6AM) is a great time to start our day. We can wake up, pray, and start the day by pleasing Allah and praying for a good day. Also, we can get done any homework assignment or task we have yet to do. Did you know that our brain cells are more alert at the break of dawn? Not only do we wake up with a fresh mind, but we also have minimal distractions at this time. Zuhr, is usually around 1:30PM, this being lunch time for students and working men/women, is ideal to pray and eat lunch. Asr, which is usually around 4-5PM is a time that most students and working men/women come home. This allows us to freshen up, and pray before starting homework or other tasks. Maghrib, falls around 6-7PM, which can be the time for us to take a break from studying or other tasks, and perhaps pray, and then eat dinner with the family. Then comes Ishaa at around 8-9PM, which can easily be read before going to sleep. By sleeping at this time, instead of studying till midnight, we can ensure that we wake up for Fajr, as well as get our work done in the morning. This is why, we should create our schedule around these prayers, they allow us to get more done, while accomplishing our purpose in life. 
   
   
   
2. Monthly Schedule: For the most part, we know the due dates of our assignments, exam dates, and Jamaat event dates far in advance. This is why, having a planner or organizer is a great way to ensure that we have all of these important dates marked down. This way, we can have assignments done in advance, if we know that the assignment date and an event date clash. This is a great way to attend Jamaat events to gain knowledge, yet not fall behind on assignments. 
   
   
   
3. Time Management: We must remember that most events at Masjid take around 2-3 hours. In these 2-3 hours, we not only get to learn something new, but we can also pray and socialize in order to keep our bond with the community. Now, if we make the excuse of not attending an event because we need this time to study and get other stuff done, we don't have our priorities straight. These 2-3 hours, when we are at home, can easily be spent watching TV or movies, talking to a friend, scrolling through social media etc. but we won't care. So why don't we give up these things that could easily add up to 2-3 hours and not benefit us, instead of the event that would add up to around the same time? Attending the Jamaat events is not only going to bring us closer to the Jamaat and Khilafat, but it will also help us build a stronger relationship with our Creator. So these 2-3 hours will in fact be an investment in the life to come, and not wasted at all.
4. MSA & AMSA: I remember when I was in highschool, I spent around 6-7 hours there, 5 days a week. I was blessed with a Muslim Students Association (MSA), that had many services offered during school, allowing me to continue building on my spiritual life at school. On Friday's, Jumaah would be offered, and teachers had to grant any student that wanted to go pray, the permission for this short time. I would attend the Jumaah, listen to the Khutba which was very informative, and then not read Jumaah (behind the non-Ahmadi Imam), instead offer Zuhr (and/or Asr prayer). Also, MSA held several fundraising events, allowing me to give back to the community, and this was a great way to earn blessings. Later, in University, I joined the Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association (AMSA), which is an amazing blessing at University. I not only got to meet many amazing Ahmadis from different Masjids, but now some of my closest friends are Lajna from other cities, which was a blessing when I started University not knowing many people who attended! Also, Jumaah is offered to the Lajna and Khuddam, enabling us to pray it, despite being at University at the time. Also, it has been a great platform for Tabligh, whether this be information tables or the organization of events, it has allowed me to gain so much valuable knowledge and share the teachings of Ahmadiyyat with others. I honestly believe that AMSA has been a blessing for me to keep a strong link with the Jamaat even while being at University. Moreover, the girls that I have met, don't bring me away from the Jamaat. Instead, when we're together, we go and pray together, and keep each other connected to Ahmadiyyat and on the right path. It's groups and opportunities like these that will help us in this life and the life to come.
   
   
   
5. Prayer Areas: Most schools and universities have an area assigned for praying. I know at my University, there are prayer areas set up in libraries and other buildings, with prayer rugs available at all times for Muslims to go and pray. This has been a blessing for me with my lengthy University hours. It allows me to pray whenever I have time, in between classes, and not miss any of these prayers despite being at school. One thing I've realized is that the peace I get when I pray at school is different than when I pray at home. I'm more focused, and more relaxed. Perhaps this is because I set aside all of my school-related worries momentarily, to worship my Creator. Whereas, at home, it's not always as quiet, and there are many distractions. 
   
   
   
6. Importance: I can give you many techniques, but the truth is, it all comes down to what we give more importance to. Remember, this life is a droplet, in the ocean that is the Hereafter. When we die, our education and careers won't be of any concern to Allah, instead it will be our prayers, our Tilawat, our good deeds etc. We must realize that, yes, an education and career can be important in a world that revolves around money. However, when we pray and develop a strong bond with Allah, our education and career will be blessed by Allah. As I've grown up, I've realized that my average in school has always been around the same, since the start of high school until now, and when I got closer to Allah, and started spending more time praying and attending/organizing Jamaat events, it reduced the time I was able to give to my education, however, my average didn't go down. Alhamdulillah! Meaning, Allah blessed my education, with marks that I may or may not have deserved.

• Boredom: Usually gossip starts up when you have nothing productive to do with your time.
•  Low Self Confidence: In order to make ourselves feel better about the way we look/act/talk etc. we feel the need to put others done and talk badly about them.
• Envy/Jealousy: Jealousy is a trait that we don’t want to show. However, when we gossip, our jealousy shows threw.

• Avoid People Who Backbite
• Ever hear the saying, “Bad company corrupts good character”? This is why it is so important to befriend people who have similar morals and values as yourself.
• Change the Bad to Good
• Instead of talking badly about someone, try to say something positive about the individual.
• The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever defends his brother’s honour, Allah will protect his face from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection” (Tirmidhi).
•   Avoid Places of Gossip
• At university, work, and even online, certain meeting places are used for gossip (i.e. lunchrooms, cafeterias etc.). If you tend to get involved in backbiting in these locations, find different places to unwind or eat lunch.
• Stop Asking Leading Questions
• Avoid the use of questions that can lead to backbiting.
• For example: “Have you seen so-and-so lately?” will most likely lead to “Did you hear that so-and-so…”.
• It’s None Of Your Business
•  Oftentimes we get involved in conversations that are of no concern to us, we’re merely involved to kill time.
• It can be very difficult, but saying something along the lines of, “It doesn’t concern us”, or anything that will stop the discussion from continuing with more backbiting, is a great way to end the gossip.
• Change The Topic
•  Sometimes the best thing to do is find something else to talk about.
• If someone’s talking about someone, bring it to something along the lines of:
• Students: “How are your classes/exams going?”
• Work: “Are you working tomorrow? When does your shift end today?”
•  Stay Silent
• Sometimes the best thing to do when you’re unsure of whether you’re backbiting or not is to remain silent. When someone is not present in the conversation, don’t talk about them.

Being grateful is an essential part of living a happy life. I believe that being grateful opens up so many new doors and opportunities for us to further be grateful for. Unfortunately, many of us have fallen into the trap of Satan, who said to Allah, "Then I will surely come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and Thou wilt not find most of them to be grateful" [Holy Qur'an Ch7:18]. Are we going to allow Satan to turn us away from Allah? We have gotten so busy with the material things of this world, that we forget to thank the Creator and Provider of these things. Look around you, I can tell you right now that there's plenty to be thankful for at this very moment. There's a roof over your head, food in your fridge, family around you, good health, a job to go to, and so much more! The mere fact that you were able to wake up this morning is in itself a complete blessing taken for granted. However, we should learn to show gratitude to Allah for blessing us with each of these gifts, and realize that these blessings are not a result of our efforts alone.

BE THANKFUL
"If I only..." a common phrase said to compensate for not having to show appreciation. "If I only had a better house, I would be more grateful", "If I only had a better job, I would be more grateful". But what is gratefulness, if we need something of better quality to show it? The Prophet [ﷺ] said:
"Look at those who are less fortunate than yourselves, not those who are better off than yourselves, so you will not belittle the graces of Allah" [Narrated Abu Hurairah, Saheeh al-Bukhari, No. 6509]. If you honestly believe that there's nothing in your life to be thankful for, you're not thinking hard enough. Having access to an electronic device to be reading this on, is in itself, a blessing. When you begin to recognize these blessings in your life, you will see that you have more to be thankful for than you think.
SEE THE GOOD IN EVERYTHING
We all go through obstacles in our lives that seem unfair, and never ending. However, you must realize that everyone experiences obstacles in their lives. Allah puts forth various different challenges for everyone. Your challenge may seem more difficult than someone else's, however you don't know the strength of the other person. With every obstacle you face, there's something to learn. "And He gives you all that you ask for. But if you count the favours of Allah, never will you be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude" [Holy Qur'an Ch14:35]. Just remember that everything happens for a reason. Allah may have brought you through an obstacle to make you realize something that you wouldn't have realized any other way.

APPRECIATE MOMENTS IN LIFE
Oftentimes, we take life for granted. We think of moments with our families, friends, etc. as a right, and not a privilege. Allah has blessed us with every second of this day for a reason. He believed that we deserved to live an additional second; an additional day. So why should we waste it? I grew up hearing, 'Live every moment as if it's your last', and believed it to be a complete cliche. But when you hear of tragic incidences of young people losing their lives, you realize that this moment can easily be your last. You don't know when your life will come to an end, so appreciate these moments and live them to the fullest. When we become thankful, only then will our hearts be free from envy, greed and jealousy. Being thankful to Him, will be a constant reminder of His Mercy towards us, allowing us to be more humble.