Daily Positive Thoughts: November 01, 2016: Useful Things

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 01, 2016: Useful Things

Useful Things

Remember only useful things and there will be no need to even think about forgetting anything painful.

Rising Above Limits And Mental Barriers (Part 1)

Rising above mental limitations, which are obstacles in our life journey and slow our progress towards our life goals, is an important spiritual skill that we need to be trained in. A limitation or a barrier is a self created thought which reduces our power of determination and power to succeed in any life sphere. Suppose I have a broken relationship with a loved one, like a parent or a sibling (brother or sister) or a life partner and that causes a belief to set inside my mind that I have been unsuccessful in handling a relationship well. The belief can result in a negative perception that all relationships are sorrow giving and that perception then starts flowing in our actions and people whom we are close to do not receive the positive energy from us which they should, the energy which will make that particular relationship work.

Also, sometimes we do not know why a particular person is distancing himself from us when our words and actions towards the person are what they are expecting? In these cases, our mind has been imprisoned by an incorrect belief like the one shared above and that has affected our perception of the other person negatively. The energy of that perception constantly travels to the other person and hits him or her which causes the other person to respond to us in a manner which is different from what we would like them to.  So, the mental limit is in the background in these cases. It is a self-limiting thought or series of thoughts which we constantly create either consciously or sub-consciously. Suppose, I have fared badly in a school exam in one year. As a result, I have formed a series of mental barriers in our mind like – I am not so sharp or competitive or I am a nervous exam giver or I am not so intelligent or I cannot succeed. Such barriers are strong mental forces which are like hammers hitting on our mind and personality and causing a negative impact on future events of the same nature, in this case the giving of another school exam.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Don't engage yourself in thinking about others because of jealousy. 

If anyone tells you wrong things about others, then hear but don't hear. 

Don't speak about such things and spoil the hearts of others. 

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, and think no evil.

Message for the day

To pass with honor is to enjoy the journey of life. 

Thought to Ponder:  Just passing through a situation is nothing great. Even the most difficult situation has to end some day. But the one who makes effort and is prepared beforehand, passes through the situation with his head held high. It is like traveling in air conditioned class, that means I am comfortable. The journey is as important as the destination.

Point to Practice: Today I will sail through the day with the right consciousness. In all that happens through the day, I will keep my mind happy and comfortable. Even if things go wrong, I will not let anything go wrong inside. I will resolve what comes my way and if I can't, just for today I will make sure I'll postpone worrying about it for tomorrow. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 31, 2016: Purity

Purity

A powerful, yet often misunderstood, aim of spiritual study is purity. Purity of the soul means to return to its original divine qualities. The soul has become so polluted with less than divine qualities, it can hardly enjoy being alive. Purifying the soul puts the higher self back in charge - useless and negative thoughts are removed and annoying habits finish. A pure soul cannot be touched by sorrow; indeed the power of purity is such, it serves to remove the sorrow of the whole world. Purity restores happiness - even bliss. All you need to do, in order to re-establish your purity, is want it. But you need to want it intensely, to the exclusion of everything else. The one thought, "I must become completely pure" sparks a fire of love between you and God. This fire melts away all the pollution, and your purity becomes such a power that it frees you from all battles for ever.

Negative Control And Positive Influence

The power of influence in relationships is extraordinary, but it practically disappears when we try to exercise control and force.

You can influence anyone positively in many ways:

- encouraging,

- sharing,

- listening,

- communicating in the right way.  

In negative control we generate stress, frustration and anger. In positive influence the energy flows in a relaxed way with harmony and is not threatening, respecting each one for their specialty and allowing each one to be as they are.

In order to influence positively we need the power of discrimination and judgement in relation to what to say and what to do e.g. when you believe that the other person is the problem; generally the problem is not what others say or do, but rather how you perceive them. The way  that you judge is what creates your negative feelings about them. We have the choice to perceive others as a threat, as a problem, or as an opportunity; an opportunity for learning, for change, for dialogue and understanding. We can choose to have compassion (kindness); to feel that the other is a problem indicates a lack of compassion.

Irrelevant thoughts come in abundance. 

They take your attention away from the present moment, into the past or the future, as you imagine problems, create doubts and confusions. 

And before you know it, you're caught in a spider's web of thoughts.

The next time you find yourself stuck in a web of your own creation, untangle yourself from irrelevant thoughts, and be free.

Message for the day

Faith in God gives you power to face the different challenges that come your way.

Contemplation: In the difficult situations that come in your life when you have faith in God, the power within you is brought out. With the faith that God is with you, you can transform negative to positive, and impossible becomes possible. 

Application: When any task demands strength beyond your capacity, make the all-powerful God your companion. With the power of His companionship you will find things a lot easier to handle. Because of your faith help automatically comes. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 30, 2016: Comparing

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 30, 2016: Comparing

Comparing

If I am always comparing myself with others, I will either suffer from ego or jealousy.

Tapping Guidance From The Supreme Intellect (Part 2)

In yesterday’s message, we had discussed how no human entity can fulfill all the necessary requirements of someone who can guide us correctly in any difficult situation. Thus to proceed in such a situation, it’s good to take the guidance from the intellect of someone who fulfills all these criteria. That someone is no one except the Supreme Being or God, who is the entity possessing the most powerful intellect, and intellect with the most perfect judgment power. Sometimes my mind and intellect is absolutely clean and clear and I am 100% sure about my right course of action for the future, but even in those times its good to verify the course of action from a higher authority. So, in those times, it is very important to connect for a few minutes with the Supreme, who is an Energy of Unlimited Truth. Then, the question to ask myself at that time is not what do I want, or what do others want, but most importantly: What does the Supreme want, what is his wish, what is his perception of the situation? The deeper my connection with Him in meditation, the clearer the answer will come.

When it becomes a regular practice, it will be as simple as taking guidance from my physical parent or spouse or friend. I'll know without wasting time and energy, the right course of action. Sometimes it may happen that the answer may not come to me immediately, but by connecting my intellect with the Supreme’s intellect my intellect will become clear, which will help me take the right decision. Also, in some cases the Supreme may not respond immediately but may guide me through some other medium, whether living or non-living after some time or even after a day or two.

Do something! 

Every now and then, thoughts pop into your mind. Concerns, reminders of things you need to do or even a little bit of anxiety.

These thoughts are often warning signs that signal us to do something! 

If you can't give it time at that precise moment, note it down, set a date for later, and make a commitment to follow it through.

Message for the day

The ability to bring out strength is to be constantly powerful. 

Thought to Ponder: We normally get to a state of mind, according to the situation. But, we can take inspiration from examples like the incense stick which is full of fragrance, and spreads only that. Also is the example of the candle/lamp. It is fully of light so that is what it radiates. So it is important to connect to my strengths at all times, so that I can give what I have at all times. 

Point to Practice: Today I will remember a positive quality that I have. I will remind myself of this at least 10 times or as many times as I can. And while I do that, whatever the challenge may be I'll believe in my own strengths and continue to use them. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 29, 2016: Independent Observer

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 29, 2016: Independent Observer

Independent Observer

Peace ends when you are emotionally involved in a situation. The practice of being an independent observer helps you stay stable and calm. It is the best way to approach a decision in any circumstance.

Tapping Guidance From The Supreme Intellect (Part 1)

There are many occasions in my day-to-day life when I am not sure as to what my next course of action should be in that particular situation. The intellect is the faculty inside the soul which normally takes all decisions for the soul. But sometimes the intellect is clouded by my own or others’ sanskaras, beliefs, opinions, inclinations, assumptions, thoughts, actions, past experiences, etc.

In such a situation, I require the guidance of an entity who:

- is above the whole situation and is seeing it as a spectator or observer and is not a player in the situation,
- is the knower of the three aspects of time (the past, present and the future),
- can see the situation from all dimensions or perspectives,
- is beyond all influences and is impartial,
- is extremely pure and clear,
- knows me more than I know myself,
- knows my benefit and harm more than I know it myself,
- someone who is selfless and is concerned for my well being the most, etc.

No human entity can fulfill all these requirements.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Smile all day and see what happens.

Today, challenge yourself to smile, all day. Scan for the positives and smile sincerely, both at yourself and to the world.

If you don't feel like smiling then simply relax your facial muscles and see if a natural smile appears.

If you're in situations where it's not appropriate to smile fully then have a small smile.

Message for the day

The biggest service is to show others the right path. 

Thought to Ponder: When someone is going wrong, it is very easy to get influenced and go wrong too. For example, others' negativity brings anger, fear or sadness, which is negative too. Then, I lose the ability to show others the right path. When someone is negative, it is all the more reason to have a positive state of mind so that I can guide them towards the right path. 

Point to Practice: Today I will take a few minutes before I react. Whenever there is a negative situation I am faced with, I'll wait for a minute or two before I give any reaction. this will help me finish negativity and I will be able to respond with positive. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 28, 2016: Patience

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 28, 2016: Patience

Mumbai Traffic

Patience

Patience is a virtue and a power too. Patience tells us that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and that we get over there one step at a time. Patience teaches us not to rush. Knowing that there is a reason and a season for everything it enables us to smile at the challenges, realizing that there is an answer to every problem. And, even though we cannot see it, yet there is awareness that within every crisis lies an opportunity.

Reaching The Destination Of Peace On Time (Part 2)

In yesterday’s message, we had mentioned the main type of distractions that you might face in your journey to the destination of peace. The secret of not getting affected by each of these distractions is very simple – do not interact with any of them on a subtle level by giving them your mental energy of attention, but avoid them, detach yourself from them, just observe them and let them go, remaining completely focused on reaching your destination.

Imagine you are driving to your office on the highway and you are very late. There are a large number of different vehicles which you pass, either travelling in the same direction as you are or coming at you from the opposite side. You are even familiar with a lot of these people sitting inside these vehicles, because you see them every day, but you don’t even spare a second to glance at them because if you did you would lose your focus and be delayed, you would fail to reach your destination, your office in this case, on time. Meditation is exactly like this. Just as you cannot empty the highway full of vehicles, because you are in a hurry to reach office, you cannot empty the highway of your consciousness of all thoughts, emotions, beliefs, worries, opinions, desires, and memories etc. some of which are even very familiar to you, just because you want to get to the destination of your inner peace.  Let all of these, like the vehicles, come and go, but all you have to do is avoid them and focus on reaching your destination on time. It's as if, by the way you are driving, your body language, in this case the subtle energy of your determined thought, word has spread through the highway of your consciousness that you will not be sparing a second to even glance at any one of these on your way. If with a momentary loss of self-awareness, you do start giving attention to them, and you get lost in one of them, remind yourself subconsciously, I am on my way back to the destination of peace, peace that I am. This will help you regain your focus and before you know it, you will realize you have arrived; you will experience your destination i.e. the peace within, and will completely believe that you are that. And it will be the most blissful experience that you have felt in a very long time.

Identifying Pain

Some people don't know how to identify pain. They have been in pain for so long they have come to think of it as normal, even beneficial. Some even become addicted to their pain. 

All these emotions (anger, irritation, frustration, rage, anxiety, tension, fear, terror, sadness, depression, hopelessness, powerlessness, worry) are different forms of pain, and each one is telling us there is something we need to learn in order to make changes in the way we create our life experiences. 

Our belief systems have taught us that they are a natural part of life, but they are not. They require healing. We also need to know how not to create them in the first place.

Message for the day

Let there be a positive record of always talking with regard. 

Contemplation: When I have regard for others, there are good wishes expressed through my words. Such words are totally free from the slightest bit of negativity and bring a very positive result. When words are positive, they are few but essenceful. So they have a lot of impact on others. 

Application: When I have regard for others, I will be able to keep myself free from negative and waste words. So I'll naturally find every word of mine being used in a positive and powerful way. So I find only accumulation and no waste through my words. My energy is saved and others too would have only good wishes for me. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris