Daily Positive Thoughts: August 27, 2013: Power

Daily Positive Thoughts: August 27, 2013: Power

Alcazar Castle of Segovia, Spain

Power

Self-control is the ability to withdraw and still the mind at any time.

Learning and teaching

Learning and teaching are players in the same game. If either one
stops, everything becomes heavy and ceases to be fun. Learning is the
reward for respecting life and teaching is the fruit of experiencing
life.

Becoming Aware Of What Is Ego

All of us are familiar, to different extents, with the emotion of ego. All of us don't even define it in the same way. We are also aware to different extents, about the negative repercussions (effects) of the emotion of ego on us and on others. Depending on how aware we are about the effects, we work to eradicate the emotion from our daily lives, so that it neither disturbs us nor others. Some of us even consider it a positive emotion and feel it contributes positively to our personal and professional progress. To be aware completely of the negative effects of ego and to realize clearly whether it is a positive emotion or not in the first place, it is important to first become aware of what it is exactly. So, how can we define ego?

Ego is attachment, inside my consciousness, to an incorrect image of my 'self' which I then mistake for myself. When the attachment takes place, you lose your sense of identity in the image of the object of attachment which you create on the screen of your mind. That object can be something physical like your body, your physical personality, a relationship, a material possession, your status, money, a particular skill, respect from others, etc. or something non-physical like a belief; an opinion; a mindset, a memory, a particular virtue, specialty, power or a sanskar (positive or negative), etc. Therefore ego is the self attaching to and identifying with an image that is not the self. This process takes place entirely within our consciousness many times in the day, on the screen of the mind. E.g. When we say this is mysalary package (something physical) or my opinion (something non-physical), we are (without being aware about it) creating an image of the salary package or the opinion inside our consciousness and becoming attached to it, so that we lose our self identity in the salary package or the opinion, believing that 'I' am the salary package or the opinion. So at that time, the salary package or the opinion becomes an incorrect image of the self to which I am attached. This is ego. If while thinking, feeling or speaking about mysalary package or my opinion, we do not become attached to or do not lose our self identity in either of the two, then that is not ego.

Soul Sustenance

Self Transformation (Change) (Part 5)

Here are some practical reminders and steps we can take to grow spiritually and bring out transformation (change) in ourselves:

Meditate with others
Another great help in maintaining a stable base on the path of meditation is collective practice (practicing together). Through personal practice, I keep my sense of responsibility intact and remain independent. However, without losing these, I can also get together with others at the meditation centre, valuing and learning from their experiences and perceptions (ways of looking at situations) - the group energy brings us to another level of experience, a space of mutual (shared) experience and learning. We learn from everyone, everywhere, all the time; it depends on our willingness to accept certain realities.

Often we live too much in the past, or future, and so do not realize that the present is the bridge to moving away from the negativity of the past and to creating a confident future. We do not cross this bridge because we live by, or are too influenced by, the other two time zones (past and future).

Remember that NOW is the opportunity where newness on any level can be created and for that getting together regularly with people who are on the spiritual path is very important.

(To be continued tomorrow….)

Message for the day

To be free is to be free from the influence of time.

Projection: Usually we allow time to change us. We are time conscious and we normally wait for the time to bring about a change in our situation. Then we say only if a particular thing happens can we do something else that we need to do. To wait in this way for time is to set limits on ourselves.

Solution: We need to free ourselves from the influence of time. When we remind ourselves again and again that we are the creator and time our creation we will be able to change ourselves. This will automatically bring change in the situations too.