The news on Wednesday, December 25

They say that the leap from production to consumption is nothing but a marketing lie. So, join us to understand what the supply chain is and who makes vast amounts of money in this chain, with the hope that you too will become part of this chain and become wealthy.

Download the podcast: What is the Supply Chain?

7. What Makes a Person Great?

You say in your family that someone is the head of the family.

In football, you say someone is great.

In art, you say someone is great.

In politics, you say someone is great.

The question is, what makes a person considered great?

Isn’t it true that they must have something to say or something to do in the field they are active in?

A person is great to the extent that they have something to offer.

And interestingly, a great person does not interfere in matters that do not concern them.

Look at any great person who has entered a field outside of their expertise – their greatness diminishes.

A football player shows their greatness through the games they play in football.

Now, if this player gets involved in something unrelated to football and gives an opinion, they may attract some short-term attention, but eventually, they will be forgotten.

An important point about greatness is that everyone wants to be under their flag because they are great.

Even if they are enemies, they try not to engage with them.

8. Greatness in Business Compared to Marriage

If we compare trade to marriage, what girl wouldn’t want to become the wife of a great man?

Women can testify better than anyone how important it is for them, when they are about to get married, to boast about their husband to their family and friends, showing off how classy and high-level their husband is.

Likewise, a customer feels excited to do business with a great trader. Seeing the trader as great, they lower their pride and follow after them.

When a young man proposes to a young woman, after the proposal, is it the boy’s family that calls to ask about the result, or does the girl’s family call and inform them?

You see that it is the boy’s family that calls.

Here, you notice that the follow-up is from the boy, just as in trade, it should be from the trader.

Now imagine that this boy is great or from a prestigious family, and this follow-up is delayed a few days. Then, the girl and her family start to worry, wondering why they haven’t called.

And if the delay continues, they will call themselves.

In business, if you don’t follow up and the other party also doesn’t follow up, be sure that they do not see you as great.

9. Greatness in Business Compared to Battle

If we compare business to a battle (Qatal), it’s a fight against the false beliefs and outdated thoughts of your customers to earn their trust and prove that you are not a fraud or a liar.

In a battle, does anyone willingly approach a great warrior, or do they always try to flee from him?

And if by chance they face him, wouldn’t they surrender immediately?

I admire Amir al-Mu'minin, Ali (Peace Be Upon Him), about whom it is narrated that when he approached the great warriors of Arabia, many of them would tremble with such fear that they could not maintain their composure.

It is well known that when Amr ibn al-As saw his death near at the hands of Imam Ali (Peace Be Upon Him), he disrobed, and out of modesty, the Imam turned his gaze away.

Thereafter, among the enemies of Imam Ali (Peace Be Upon Him), it became a practice and a common saying: "Before he approaches you, disrobe, for Ali will spare your life."

Similarly, in business, if you are great, false ideas and outdated thoughts flee from your customers’ minds, leaving no room for confrontation.

For example, a customer may want to make a deal worth 500 million toman but worries about losing their money.

When they see you as a great trader, they think, "This trader is too great to ruin their reputation over 500 million toman."

They wouldn’t even consider bringing up such concerns, feeling it would be inappropriate.

Think about yourself.

Has anyone who has seen Arad’s Telegram channel ever worried about their payment for promotion being taken without receiving the promised service?

In all these years of work, no one has had such a concern.

People’s main worry about entering business is whether they can profit from the promotion they invest in.

No one fears that Arad might take their money and not deliver the promotion.

When you are great, all false thoughts and worries in your customers’ minds vanish.

10. Greatness That Remains Hidden Has No Impact.

Now imagine a person of greatness who truly has much to offer, but no one knows about it.

Picture a football player who is better than all other players in the world, yet no one has ever seen him play.

What value does such greatness hold?

Or think of a warrior stronger than all others, yet he has never fought in a battle, and his strength has never been witnessed.

What difference does it make if this man is the greatest warrior?

Greatness lies in being seen and recognized.

I have often heard people claim they are great, but when asked about the evidence of their greatness, they respond, "It’s a hidden talent," or, "My greatness is internal; others must discover it, not me showing it."

Honestly, doesn’t this make you want to knock some sense into them? 😁

Even God, the only true Great, has demonstrated His greatness by creating this universe and showcasing it.

He has provided us with a book that speaks to us, His creation, about His majesty.

He created the heavens and the earth, declared Himself as the source of life and light, and said:

"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth." Surah An-Nur, Verse 35

If your Lord has displayed His greatness and spoken of it repeatedly, why, as a trader, should you not showcase your greatness and talk about it?

11. WhatsApp Restrictions Have Been Lifted.

As you are all aware, yesterday, based on the decision of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, WhatsApp restrictions were lifted.

Many people have downplayed this and started making excuses.

However, we at Arad do not think this way.

We believe that if we give thanks, God will increase His blessings.

So, we thank God for this blessing, hoping that, God willing, other platforms will also be unblocked soon.

But the question is, what does it mean to be thankful for the lifting of these restrictions?

Certainly, one meaning is to say praise be to God and also to thank the authorities who made this decision.

But the true meaning of thankfulness, as Imam Sadiq (PBUH) has stated, is to use the blessings that God has given you in the right way, and this is the true meaning of thankfulness.

The example I’m about to give, I hope, will not apply to any of you, but I say it for better understanding.

Imagine you buy a car for your son, and he thanks you a hundred times. But from the next day, he starts chasing after the women on the streets.

How valuable is his thanks to you?

Now, imagine if he only thanks you once and starts using that car in the right way the next day. How much more valuable would that be to you?

Here, if you have the money, in some time you will buy a better car for him.

This is exactly what the authorities want to see from the people.

If the people use WhatsApp correctly and are grateful, rest assured, Telegram and Instagram will also be gradually made available.

If people do not use it properly, it is only natural that WhatsApp will again be restricted.

We warn you that those selling VPNs are greatly disturbed, and it is possible that they may create an atmosphere of insecurity on WhatsApp to protect their business.

This means that groups may be created against the system, and when you trace the origins of these groups, you will find that they are run by VPN sellers.

They do not want the restrictions to be lifted, so they secretly create turmoil to ensure that filtering remains in place.

So be cautious not to fall into their trap, because they won’t explicitly tell you this; instead, they will mislead you under the guise of goodwill, leading people toward rebellion.

We at Arad, thank God, are traders, and as Imam Ali (PBUH) mentioned in his letter to Malik al-Ashtar, traders are peace-loving people. We have never sought rebellion, nor have we instigated any unrest.

For us Aradis, peace and security are the most important pillars of trade.

12. Greatness in Trade and the Proper Use of WhatsApp

Let's summarize our point.

We said that greatness is about having something to say, and one must showcase this greatness.

WhatsApp has been unblocked, and if we show gratitude, meaning using it properly, God will inspire the authorities to unblock Telegram and Instagram as well.

Now, let's combine these two points.

What capacity does WhatsApp offer to showcase our greatness?

One of the important features of WhatsApp is the status feature.

If you really want to make good profits in business, you must post a business-related status every day.

And on the other hand, never post anything unrelated to your business.

As we mentioned, if a great person enters a field that isn't their specialty, their greatness diminishes.

If you use this feature, you win; if you don't, you lose.

Display your shipments.

Post your business meetings, whether in-person or virtual.

With the promotions we have in Arad, you have an entire world of content to post in your status, each of which will leave your customers speechless.

All you need to do is use them.

The guest posts you receive at the trade house of Arad can be posted.

You can share updates from your websites in your status.

You can post your catalog and company profile.

You can post the chat page you have with a foreign representative.

You can post your presentation meetings with foreign representatives.

The in-person meetings with foreign representatives, ambassadors, and economic leaders that are arranged for you can be posted.

You can post your meetings with suppliers and factory visits.

Of course, these are just examples of statuses you can have, and not all of them apply to every promotion; they are included in various promotions.

The capabilities that Arad has provided for you to create status updates may not be accessible to its American counterparts.

It’s just that because Arad has made these easily available to you, you don't realize it.

I wish you had traveled on a few international business trips and had the opportunity to meet and interact with global leaders. You would then realize how much Arad has given you in terms of opportunities to showcase your greatness, and how you have been overlooking and not utilizing them.

13. What should I do if I’m not really great?

The answer is simple.

Attach yourself to greatness.

Haven’t you heard the story of the turtle that clung to a bird, and by doing so, it soared to the skies?

And you probably also know the continuation of the story: when the turtle opened its mouth and detached from the bird, it fell and hit the ground.

The first situation describes the condition of everyone who knew nothing about business before Arad and rose to great heights through their connection with Arad.

The second situation describes those who reached the top but forgot that it was their attachment to Arad that helped them get there, and when they detached from Arad, they fell.

You should take the first path.

If you truly have nothing to share for your status updates, post Arad’s videos and photos, and present yourself as part of this great enterprise.

If anyone wants to complain in this situation, it’s us. And we not only won’t complain, but we will take pleasure in knowing that you truly consider yourself one of us.

So, share these videos and, with sincerity, see yourself as one of us.

And how beautiful is the saying of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (peace be upon him) who said:

"Whoever associates themselves with a group, even if they have no resemblance to them, will soon become one of them."