Daily Positive Thoughts: December 01, 2016: Perseverance

Daily Positive Thoughts: December 01, 2016: Perseverance

 

Perseverance

Learning to enjoy the present moment and give my best, no matter what the situation, protects me from becoming jaded by life.

If when my stamina begins to diminish I remind myself to enjoy whatever I do and pour love into every task, then my energy will be replenished.

God And I - The Relationship We Share (Part 4)

A relationship with God is incomplete without His remembrance in the right way. Of course, there are millions of people in the world who love God and keep Him in His heart in different ways. But as a student of the Brahma Kumaris, we have learnt a lot about God and as many people all over the world share their experience that what they learnt here was a complete description of who they are and also about God and His spiritual form, His qualities and extremely importantly His role of the present time.

You might say that we already know God in some way or the other but don’t forget that there is always room for more to learn, which should not be ignored. So keep your minds and hearts open to new knowledge of the world and the world Father and Mother, whom we call God. God has opened many secrets about Himself, which many people all over the world have learned and made a part of their life by being a part of our introductory course that we offer here at the Brahma Kumaris, which is held for one hour every day and lasts for a week. After that, it is upto you to make a choice whether you continue inculcating more knowledge or you do not but this course will open your mind and give your inner thinking a different point of view and for some it can be a life changing experience. We invite you to any centre of the Brahma Kumaris, which are present in 115 countries of the world and all over India. The course is conducted free of charge and the Brahma Kumaris offer this course to people from all the different religions and irrespective of age, gender and occupation. What that means is that anyone and everyone can take up the course and a time can be fixed up as per your convenience and the convenience of the centre and the teachers at the centre. This will give you an idea of God’s personality and also His present task of world change which is known to a few people only and is something which is being learnt at a fast pace by a large number of people who have taken this first step.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Plan Downtime

We all need a bit of downtime, and if it's getting relegated to the sidelines, here’s a reminder to reserve time for downtime.

How you use your downtime depends on what you need at that time.  Nap, read, sketch or just sit and do nothing, but do give yourself the space to recover and recharge your batteries.

Carve out some time daily, weekly or monthly, perhaps plan for some downtime when you come out of a busy period or finish a big project.  

Just remember, downtime isn’t wasting time, so enjoy it, guilt free - you deserve it!

Message for the day

To end waste means to be free from defeat. 
Expression: The one with faith in the intellect always remains at a distance from waste, whether it is waste thoughts, waste words or waste actions. To move away from waste means to be victorious. The one who is free from waste is busy with the positive and useful. Such a person is constantly searching for solutions and trying to make the best out of the situation. 

Experience: It is because of waste that I sometimes experience defeat and sometimes victory. If I am able to finish waste, I am able to finish defeat. Because whatever the situation may be, however challenging it may be, if I am able to finish waste I am able to recognise the benefit that is merged within it and so I am able to experience being constantly victorious. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 30, 2016: Touch the Stillness

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 30, 2016: Touch the Stillness

Touch the Stillness

Every action has its seed in a thought and every thought is a creation of the thinker, the soul. I choose what thoughts I want to create and as is my thinking so are my actions and also my experience in life. Going within, I touch the stillness and pure love that lie at the core of my being and every thought that I create is of benefit to me and of benefit to humanity.

God And I - The Relationship We Share (Part 3)

A beautiful relationship with God does not mean that we stop having beautiful relationships with everyone else because the love experienced from God is used to give to others without which life would be without any meaning. People who have tried to connect to God alone and forgot the beautiful people in their lives which make life a joyful journey did not reach the destination of peace, love and joy successfully. A loner or someone who disconnects with people will never feel as satisfied as one who connects with people and their specialties. God is to be included into your life and given the highest status but not at the cost of relationships which you share with others. Love God a lot but love others too. In fact, it is God’s love which will fill our relationships with others full of love. This is the triangle of spirituality. Take from God and give to others and also love others to bring them closer to God. This is the objective of true spirituality. Spirituality does not mean only remembering God to purify oneself but to serve others with that pure love which you receive from God. Service, as stated in all religions, is one of the primary objectives of a beautiful spiritual life and service is nothing but purifying others with the help of a love filled connection with God.

Loving God with a pure heart is another aspect of spirituality. Remember it’s the humble and the sweet who will win God’s love and closeness. The egoistic and the critical lose God’s love and as a result are not able to fill their relationships with it. A loveful bond with God means being happy in His company and sharing that happiness with your eyes, face and your words and actions with others. A remembrance of God at the Brahma Kumaris in meditation is often done in a gathering to share the vibrations of peace, love and joy with others sitting with you through your eyes or vision. That is why we at the Brahma Kumaris meditate with open eyes. So taking and giving go side by side, remembrance of God and serving others go side by side.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Be Happy!

Being overly critical of ourselves & others robs us of our happiness. It can be so quiet that we don't even realize we're doing it.

But if your aim is to be happy at all times, then consciously notice your inner & outer criticisms. Inwardly smile at them & let them go. Notice how freeing this is.

Let go of your inner & outer criticisms, & you're free to think supportive, uplifting & affirming things about yourself & others.

Message for the day

To be in the unlimited is to be free from getting trapped in the limited. 

Thought to Ponder: In any situation, I need to go beyond what is visible. If I see that I will be able to see the larger picture instead of getting caught up in the triviality of the situation. Everything becomes clear and meaningful when I have the consciousness of seeing it in the context of the larger picture. 

Point to Practice: Today I will make an effort to understand the context of the situation rather than getting caught up with the situation itself. For example, if someone is shouting at me, I will try and understand why he got upset and try to give him what he wants or at least the feeling that I understand. Also, I will try and understand that the anger is temporary, but the person as a friend is permanent. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 29, 2016: Self-confidence

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 29, 2016: Self-confidence

Self-confidence

Self-confidence is to know your way around yourself so instinctively that you always have a strength to draw on. Somewhere inside, from the stillness, you always find something that can meet your need.

God And I - The Relationship We Share (Part 2)

Taking God with you to your office, having Him with you while having lunch, sleeping in His lap, talking to Him when faced with a challenge, putting your head on His shoulder when in trouble and taking support, are some of the common experiences of God and His children here at the Brahma Kumaris. These are the same experiences which you might also have gone through even if you are not attached to a particular spiritual organization. But the one important thing that we would like to share with you is that even we, in our journey with the Brahma Kumaris, define being with God in a different way as we spend more and more time with Him. So say 5-6 years ago, we used the same words – we love God and enjoy being with Him throughout the day, but the same words mean a lot more now than what they meant 5-6 years ago. Today we experience God much closely than we did say a few years ago, even though we were with a spiritual organization like this one at that time also. God keeps revealing Himself more and more as we become cleaner and purer even at the most subtle level of the consciousness.

So it’s the same God and it’s the same me but our consciousness has changed in say 5 years because of which God is inspired to fill us more and more with His divine experiences and a walk with God with His hand in our hand today means something much more beautiful than what it meant at that time. Also don’t forget the same experience will be much more deeper after the next 3-4 years. So God does not change but because He reveals different characteristics of His personality from time to time we grow closer and closer to Him and a companionship with God at all levels of thought, word and action takes a newer meaning every day. Based on this type of spiritual life which keeps becoming more and more beautiful every day, we welcome you to the centers of the Brahma Kumaris to learn meditation and join us in these life changing experiences of seeing God as closely as what you might ever be able to imagine.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Tired?

Tiredness can often be like a cloud of feelings that we just need to push & move through. 

Disperse the clouds of tiredness with rejuvenating thoughts. 

Let the current of your rejuvenating thoughts pass through your mind, like a rocket; leaving you feeling revived & alert.

But if you're feeling tired all the time, then you might want to examine your current lifestyle. Catch the culprit & make easy changes to improve your energy levels.

Message for the day

To fill the ones who are hopeless with hope is the greatest service. 

Expression: To have faith by seeing the positive qualities even in the most negative person is to fill them with hope. Also to fill hope means to encourage others to move forward in the most negative situation. When this is done they are able to use their potentials for a positive purpose and slowly bring about a change for the better.

Experience: When I am able to see positivity under all circumstances, I am able to have the courage and enthusiasm to make the best out of every situation. This also naturally makes me an inspiration for those around me too and makes me an image of support for those who want to make effort. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 28, 2016: Talking to the Self

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 28, 2016: Talking to the Self

Talking to the Self

When you talk to yourself in your mind, which self do you address? And how? Usually people do not talk to their divinity, but to the most superficial aspects of their everyday personality. And often it’s a stream of fears, complaints and mindless repetition of old things. If we talked that way to another human being, we would have to apologize. Learning to talk properly to the self is a spiritual endeavour. Thoughts from the past and worries about the future do not create good conversation. Instead learn to talk to your mind as if it were a child. Talk to it with love. If you just force a child to sit down, he won't. A good mother knows how to prompt her child into doing what she wants. Be a good mother to your mind, teach it good, positive thoughts so that when you tell it to sit quietly, it will. Love your mind. Stay happy.

God And I - The Relationship We Share (Part 1)

A beautiful lesson which we learn at the Brahma Kumaris is to keep God with us in every action throughout the day. The type of remembrance varies according to the action we are performing and also changes depending on the setting we are in, like whom we are talking to, whether we are silent or our mind is busy in something. Also whether the action we are performing at that time is something we have to give a lot of mental attention to like driving a car or is it an action like taking a walk in the park which allows us time to give ourselves mentally to. The energies of our mind and intellect are used in remembrance and we have to keep that in mind and decide how we will invest that particular time wisely and also how we will keep God as a companion with us. There are various different methods of keeping a positive consciousness through the direct or indirect remembrance of God. They say God resides in clean temples only – that means if our mind is absolutely clean, we can experience God extremely closely. Do you know that there are some people in the world, amongst us, for whom God is an extremely close friend who will tell them everything that is required to experience success in every sphere of life? A sweet conversation with God in which He can give clear and absolutely true instructions for the required moment based on the scenes which He can see from above, of which we are completely unaware since they are hidden from our physical eyes.

Very often we are so busy in performing actions, that our subtle connection with the Supreme or God is cut off and we do not realize it. What is the right type of positive type of mindset with a pure connection with God, our spiritual Father and Mother, throughout the day, in different actions, is something that God has shared with us at the Brahma Kumaris. This has made us rich with His power filled company. Our every action needs to be filled with the love filled company of the Highest of Highest and the most beautiful being that exists, whom we have given the name – God.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Transform the word:

- Pickle to Pick. Instead of feeling stuck, empower yourself by remembering that you can pick and choose how you want to feel.

- Harm to Harmony. When there's a disagreement, rather than holding onto hurt feelings, explore how you can create more harmony.

- Tar to Star. When you stumble, trip up or fall, instead of looking down at the tar on the road, look up and reach for the stars.

Just add or remove a couple of letters and transform the meaning of a word. Today, play with words and discover what a difference it makes!

Message for the day

To have power means to enjoy the variety of life. 

Expression: When there is the inner strength there is enthusiasm to give the best and also to learn and improve with every obstacle. To work with inner power is to be like a skilled player whose focus is on enjoying the match too rather than just on winning.

Experience: When I have learned the art of focusing on my strengths, I am able to enjoy the variety scenes that life brings for me. I would enjoy dealing with all these different scenes in a natural and easy way, and also be naturally victorious. And so I have the benefit of double enjoyment. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 27, 2016: Shake Hands

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 27, 2016: Shake Hands

 

Shake Hands

In the moment of shaking the hand of another, not only are we participating in a universal greeting, but we are acknowledging we are all connected in the game of life together. For what is life but a series of meetings, a gentle sequence of connectings! The touch of hands is a reminder of our unity, the squeeze of a hand says we care, and the shaking of hands says we are celebrating being together. What are we saying when our touch is too cold, our squeeze too firm or too soft, or our shake too limp? Sometimes words are inadequate, or just too difficult. Which is why we can always say with our hand what is in our heart. If you are not ready to look directly into your heart, but you'd like an idea of what's there, be aware of your hand when you next put it forward for a shake!

Try this experiment today. Enter the office with a straight face (not too straight). As you meet others who have a similar kind of straightness on their face, force yourself to smile. Then watch the other person return the smile - perhaps not to the same extent or for so long, or absolutely immediately - but it will return. This is the absolute and often instant proof of the 'ripple and reflect effect'. You get back whatever you put out. We know this, but we forget, and then wonder why everyone seems to give us a straight face, even a grumpy face, on a regular basis. Now learn to make the smile more real, deeper, smilier! Where does a real smile begin? From the heart. Can you smile at will from the heart? Why not? You need to find out soon, because you will live an unsmiling life if you don't find out what is stopping your heart reaching your face! No one else is responsible - there's only you in there! So don't go blaming others if you are not radiating from head and heart. What's blocking it? Take your time. Look in, listen in and see. You'll be surprised. You'll probably laugh, and say "How silly!"

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Making The Journey With The Right Realization

It’s so easy to become caught up in my physical role - my name, physical personality and looks; the social setup or  family I’ve been born into, my friend circle, the school I went to, the person I married, the organization in which I work, the various material objects I own or possess. I forget my true identity, the spiritual being, and that it is me, the spirit or soul, who is experiencing life through this physical body and surrounding circumstances. The physical, human side is essential, but it’s the spirit, the being, the energy, which makes the journey. The physical body is the vehicle through which the journey is made. The people who exist in my life are also energies making their journeys through their respective vehicles. Looking at myself and others, when I realize who is making the journey and I remember this and maintain this spiritual consciousness throughout the day, I'm able to access spiritual treasures of peace, of power, of love and joy and see the same in others. It is because of not remaining in this remembrance; I remember and identify with the vehicle and experience my false identity. That is why we find ourselves empty of these treasures today. As a result there is a tremendous increase in interest in meditation throughout the world. Unlike in the past when this interest was seen primarily in the East, today relaxation and meditation is a blooming industry in the Western countries.

The more I become trapped by a materialistic consciousness, and the more I lose contact with my inner self, the less freedom I experience. The search of happiness through the physical senses brings temporary, short-lived gains. My life lacks depth when the only things I know, realize and feel are related to the loads of information I receive from the physical sense organs, and I become disconnected from the spiritual dimension.

Relationship with the Unconditional Source 

There is one point of being in the universe who is not conditioned by any need, want or desire. Since He does not want anything, everything belongs t0 Him, but not in the sense of owning and controlling. Rather, all things naturally are attracted to the Unconditional Source (God) simply because pure love is given freely to all who come close. They feel that He selflessly serves, sharing all that He is, all that He has. Like a radiant Magnet beyond the limits of time and matter, beyond give and take and beyond measurement and calculation, the Source attracts all because nothing is desired and all is given. 

The love of the Unconditional Source is like spiritual sunlight. It is selfless, complete in itself: it always adds and never subtracts. What is unconditional is always cherished to the point of worship, which is why the entity God is respected and idolized in all parts of the world. Spiritual light from the Source reveals to us our forgotten realities, our hidden potential and our original goodness. It reveals our true selves. Then, if we wish, we can nourish and develop that awareness, but only if we maintain an open channel of communication with the Source. Otherwise, the current either short circuits, cuts, blocks, or discharges in other directions and, after a while, there is a blackout!

Message for the day

To see only problems is to become the one who only takes service. 

Expression: When there is the practice of seeing only problems in all situations there is the inability to find solutions and act effectively. All the resources that could be used for the benefit of the self and others remain hidden. Such a person becomes dependent on others for finding solutions and a source of pity. 

Experience: When I am caught up with problems and not able to see anything else, I am unable to experience progress. I find myself moving backward losing a lot of things I have. I would not be able to retain my self-confidence and would become dependent on others.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris