Contemplation: Optimism
Optimism
Optimism and a clear conscience
are signs of a well balanced life.
Carelessness
Very often I find myself leaving things to
chance or to people. I tend
to take care of big things and become careless in little things. When I
leave things for others to take care and if they don't do it, I become
disappointed - even if I have not delegated the task to be done. When I
recognise the fact that I am fully responsible for the task at hand,
both the big things and the little ones to be done, I'll never be
careless. I'll make it a point to take care of every little aspect to
the end. This is what will bring accuracy in my tasks and also enables
me to delegate the work well.
to take care of big things and become careless in little things. When I
leave things for others to take care and if they don't do it, I become
disappointed - even if I have not delegated the task to be done. When I
recognise the fact that I am fully responsible for the task at hand,
both the big things and the little ones to be done, I'll never be
careless. I'll make it a point to take care of every little aspect to
the end. This is what will bring accuracy in my tasks and also enables
me to delegate the work well.
Motivation
The example of an iceberg shows the need to see under people's surface behaviour; the need of a deeper insight.
Only 10% of an iceberg is visible on the surface, 90% is under the waterline, invisible, but yet prominent. If there is a wind coming from left to right, just by seeing the visible mass, we think it will move the iceberg to towards the right. If, against all expectations, the iceberg moves in the opposite direction (left), it is because, under the waterline, there is a strong current running towards the left.
Sometimes you, as a leader, try to move people in a certain direction by giving them orders, instructions, explanations and encouragement, but you do it on the basis of what you see above the surface. The visible part represents what is at the surface such as appearance, behaviour, manners etc. You do not see what moves them under the surface so you become surprised and maybe frustrated seeing them move in the opposite direction. The main part, which is the 90% not visible, is within the subconscious. Under the surface (subconscious) you will find emotions, fears, attitudes, deeply held values etc.
If you want to move people, if you want to motivate others for a project or even just to reach others, you need to be aware of these kinds of things that you find under the surface. The key to understanding others better is to be more aware of your own feelings and under-currents, because, at a deep level, we are very much alike. If you understand your own fears and strong motivators, you will understand others much better.
Soul Sustenance
Injustices
And Suffering In The World – Applying The Law of Karma (Part 1)
We are presently living in a closely connected world where everyone knows what everyone else is doing, as they are doing it. Each day brings scenes and images, through the media, in front of us, of many apparent injustices and suffering of individuals or groups of individuals. Whether it's in the office, or in the market or on the television news, we hear and see reports of people suffering tremendous pain and sorrow at the hands of others. At these moments, our sense of injustice is stimulated and it becomes easy to rise in outrage against the sinners. In the process we ourselves suffer from our own self-created anger and perhaps hate. This process then becomes a habit and an inner pattern we begin to repeat, not only when we encounter scenes of global peacelessness, but the moment someone in the family or at office does something similar. A panic button is pressed and we react with the same pattern.
What we forget in both global and local contexts, is the history and geography of karma. Every scene and situation has a variety of related causes in both time (history) and space (geography) e.g. emotions of hatred and revenge amongst various countries and religions (in different parts of the world) and the actions connected with these emotions has underlying hidden causes, related to the Law of Karma (Law of Cause and Effect) which go back sometimes to hundreds of years – X is doing something with Y because Y had done something similar with X sometime in the past, but in different physical costumes, sometimes quite some time back in history – this is the reason, we often fail to take these causes into consideration when viewing these negative scenes and situations, because we see the situations with a limited perspective of present physical costumes and circumstances.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
We are presently living in a closely connected world where everyone knows what everyone else is doing, as they are doing it. Each day brings scenes and images, through the media, in front of us, of many apparent injustices and suffering of individuals or groups of individuals. Whether it's in the office, or in the market or on the television news, we hear and see reports of people suffering tremendous pain and sorrow at the hands of others. At these moments, our sense of injustice is stimulated and it becomes easy to rise in outrage against the sinners. In the process we ourselves suffer from our own self-created anger and perhaps hate. This process then becomes a habit and an inner pattern we begin to repeat, not only when we encounter scenes of global peacelessness, but the moment someone in the family or at office does something similar. A panic button is pressed and we react with the same pattern.
What we forget in both global and local contexts, is the history and geography of karma. Every scene and situation has a variety of related causes in both time (history) and space (geography) e.g. emotions of hatred and revenge amongst various countries and religions (in different parts of the world) and the actions connected with these emotions has underlying hidden causes, related to the Law of Karma (Law of Cause and Effect) which go back sometimes to hundreds of years – X is doing something with Y because Y had done something similar with X sometime in the past, but in different physical costumes, sometimes quite some time back in history – this is the reason, we often fail to take these causes into consideration when viewing these negative scenes and situations, because we see the situations with a limited perspective of present physical costumes and circumstances.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
Message for the day
With humility and love, flexibility
becomes natural.
Expression: In order to be flexible we need to have the virtue of humility. With humility we will be willing to understand the people around and their behaviour. Then we will also be able to have love for them. This automatically brings flexibility within us.
Experience: When we come across people who are not being cooperative, we need to become humble and try to understand what they are communicating, if not through words at least through their actions. When we are able to listen with love and understanding, we will no more be rigid but can easily adapt ourselves.
Expression: In order to be flexible we need to have the virtue of humility. With humility we will be willing to understand the people around and their behaviour. Then we will also be able to have love for them. This automatically brings flexibility within us.
Experience: When we come across people who are not being cooperative, we need to become humble and try to understand what they are communicating, if not through words at least through their actions. When we are able to listen with love and understanding, we will no more be rigid but can easily adapt ourselves.
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
Brahma Kumaris
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