straight from the heart life notes of a reflecting mind wan ahmad najib wan ahmad lotfi

495 Pages·2016·3.07 MB·English

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART
LIFE NOTES OF A REFLECTING MIND

WAN AHMAD NAJIB WAN AHMAD LOTFI

“Convey from me, be it even one verse"
Bukhari
Copyright © Wan Ahmad Najib Wan Ahmad Lotfi 2016
Second Edition 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the author or publisher,
except for the quotations and excerpts of brief passages for book review and educational purposes,
which is permitted with acknowledgement of origin.

Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Cataloguing-in-Publication
Data
Wan Ahmad Najib Wan Ahmad Lotfi, 1981-
Straight from the Heart: Life Notes of a Reflecting Mind / Wan Ahmad Najib Wan Ahmad Lotfi
ISBN 978-967-14182-0-8
1. Motivation (Psychology) 2. Inspiration 3. Self-Actualization (Psychology I. Title
158.1

“Straight from the Heart: Life Notes of a Reflecting Mind” is a compilation of various topics on life,
primarily based on the author’s life experiences. It takes the approach of sharing rather than academic,
hence the readers are to free to form their opinions on the practicality and applicability of concepts
shared throughout this compilation to the lives of the readers. In any case, efforts have been made to
give credit to the original authors of quotations, citations and stories in the compilation. However, the
author admits that he might not have been able to properly acknowledge the original authors in the
best and fair ways, which in all sincerity is done unintentionally. The author seeks forgiveness for his
shortcomings in this particular area. The original authors’ contribution to the society should never be
undermined due to the author’s weaknesses.

Self-Published by Wan Ahmad Najib Wan Ahmad Lotfi
[email protected]

Editor Roseleen Abdul Rahman

Shariah Editor Mohd Hafizal Elias
Bachelor’s Degree (Hons) Shariah,
Al-Azhar University, Egypt

Ahmad Fadhil Hamdi Mohd Ali
Bachelor’s Degree Shariah & Islamic Studies,
Yarmouk University, Jordan

Cover Designed by Hudhayfah Zulkifli (Zek)

Printed by Percetakan Cipta Camar Sdn Bhd (867158-X)
No. 29, 1st Floor Jalan PBS 14/3,
Kawasan Perindustrian Bukit Serdang,
43300 Seri Kembangan
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel.: [phone]
This compilation is none but for the pleasure of Allah and by His Majestic will,
be of the benefit to the Ummah.

“Indeed actions are according to their intentions
and every person will have what he intended.”
Bukhari

Dedicated to my family and friends – especially for my son, Ruzain.

LIFE NOTES

THANK YOU 1
DISCLAIMERS 4
STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART 8
THE “TYPE-WRITER” 14
DEFINING SUCCESS 20
I AM A REVERT 25
LIVING ON A PURPOSE 97
THE OUTLIERS’ SECRET – THE CORE TRAITS 117
GOOD VS. GREAT – THE DIFFERENTIATOR 150
LIFE IS A JOURNEY 171
SECRET TO HAPPINESS 202
WE ARE FAMILY 222
IQ, EQ – VQ? 239
GAMES OF MINDSETS 260
WORK IN PROGRESS: THE “TO DO LIST” 285
BLACK AND WHITE REGISTER 313
BASIC RULE OF DECISION-MAKING 320
DIFFERENT FOLKS, DIFFERENT STROKES 335
SMALL IMPROVEMENTS, BIG DIFFERENCE 352
SPREAD LOVE 372
PAY IT FORWARD 409
GREAT POWERS, GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES 426
BEYOND WORDS 467

THANK YOU

All praise is due to Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of all things:

And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He
knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register.
Hud 11: 6

Nothing would have been possible without His blessing and guidance. All
thanks are to Allah for allowing this compilation to be completed. May this
compilation meet its purpose – to benefit others and to act as a reminder to
myself. Ultimately, however, everything is for Him.
Peace and blessings upon our beloved Messenger, Prophet Muhammad
( ), the comfort to the eyes of the monotheists and the one raised for the
ﷺ
entire humankind, and also upon his household and companions and those who
follow the righteous path.
This compilation would also not have been possible without the
inspiration, guidance and support of so many individuals in my life – my family,
my mentors, my teachers, and my friends whom I call my brothers and sisters –
there are just too many to mention.

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STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART: LIFE NOTES OF A REFLECTING MIND
I would, nevertheless, like to take this opportunity to thank some of the
most important individuals in my life. They are the ones who had made a big
impact and had, directly or indirectly, helped me complete this compilation –
 My parents, who have instilled the right values in me, which made me the
person that I am today. Thank you for your patience in bringing me up despite
the many challenges I have brought into your lives.
 My beloved wife and better half, Gee – thank you for accepting me when I
had nothing and staying by my side in spite of everything. You have been my
strength for many years and I am forever grateful to Allah for bringing you
into my life.
 My beloved son, Ruzain, our special gift from Allah. You have taught us the
true meaning of unconditional love. Truth be told, you are the main reason I
decided to put together this compilation in the first place. Hopefully, one day,
when you are able to understand better, you would be able to benefit from
the lessons of this compilation and get to know your daddy better.
 My small nucleus and immediate family – my brother, nanny, nephews,
nieces – and not forgetting my extended family – my in laws. Each of you has
played an important part in my life, and has inspired me through joyful and
happy moments.
 My remarkable sister in law, Roseleen, who out of the blue was asked to
become my editor but gladly accepted the unpaid task with open arms. I can’t
thank you enough for sparing your time reviewing and editing the whole
compilation. Because of you, some of the worst structured sentences turned
out okay.
 My brothers, Hafizal (Seroja) and Murshidi (Tanjung), who have been by my
side throughout my reverting journey. They are my teachers who had helped
me return to Allah, and who guided me when I was unsure. Both of you have
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THANK YOU

played a significant role in my life and I pray that this will continue to the end
of time.
 My brother and mentor, Mohamad Salihuddin Ahmad, who played a major
role in the early years of my career, and who accepted me as his student
when I knew nuts. His sincere knowledge sharing has influenced and formed
a significant part of who I am today. I thank you from the bottom of my heart
for all that you have given me throughout the years.
 My protégé, Wan Intan, who (un)willingly became the very first proof reader.
I truly appreciate the honest feedbacks given throughout the writing process.
More importantly, thank you for inspiring and motivating me to pursue my
passion of sharing.
 My brother, Zek, also fondly known as my dad’s adopted son, thank you for
the beautifully designed book cover. Also, my brother Farid, who gave me a
good deal, which made printing the first batch of this compilation possible.
 My “blood” brothers (as well as sisters) and “homies”, who have always been
by my side, for better or for worse – Ucoi, Abbas, Kechik, Cimok (who also
helped verify the hadiths and Quran verses in the compilation), Ejai, Sid, Ajuk,
Apol, Mirul, Beego, Tomok, Chemet, Ariff, Sheefa, Ita, Pini, Sue – the list goes
on and on, there are just too many of you to mention. Thank you everyone,
for being part of my life and for teaching me about life and friendship.

My sincere apologies if I missed your name in this appreciation note but
do know that each one of you matters to me. I have no doubt whatsoever that
each of you who have entered my life have given me, in one way or another,
valuable life lessons, and for that, I am eternally grateful. May Allah bless all of
you for all the wonderful things you have done for me.
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