Contemplation: Think Big
Burj Khalifa, Dubai-The tallest skyscraper in the world. Height: 2,717' (828 m), 2,722' (830 m) to tip
Think
Big
Rise above little things.
Be a big thinker. You are what you think. So just think big, believe big, act
big, dream big, work big, give big, forgive big, laugh big, image big, love
big, live big. Carry that list and you'll start feeling big. Be a believer and
you'll be an achiever.
The Art of Listening
When I hear something negative
about someone, I usually get influenced
by it. In spite of the fact that I may not have had any negative
experience myself, I still tend to get influenced negatively. This
brings about a change in my attitude and behaviour towards that person.
I need to learn the art of listening which enables me to respond in the
right way. When someone describes something, which involves the
negativity of another person, instead of getting influenced by it, I
need to understand his feelings and emotions at that time. When I do
this I will be able to provide support to him without adding my own
negativity to it.
by it. In spite of the fact that I may not have had any negative
experience myself, I still tend to get influenced negatively. This
brings about a change in my attitude and behaviour towards that person.
I need to learn the art of listening which enables me to respond in the
right way. When someone describes something, which involves the
negativity of another person, instead of getting influenced by it, I
need to understand his feelings and emotions at that time. When I do
this I will be able to provide support to him without adding my own
negativity to it.
The Negative Shade Of Respect In
Relationships (cont.)
In yesterday's message, we had looked at the incorrect and negative side of respect (the energy of fear) in relationships. Today we look at this kind of relationship from that person's perspective from whom respect is demanded. When the boss or the parent or the spouse (please refer to yesterday's message) tries to induce respect inside you for him or her, in return you fear him or her, most of the time thinking it is respect. But, at that point, you need to remember it is impossible to give respect to another if we, at the back of our own minds, fear them. If you are scared of someone or something, it means there is an absence of self-respect, there is a lack of a true realization of your own value, your specialties, your skills and the virtues and powers that you possess. And if you do not respect yourself, you cannot truly respect another. It is only when you are firmly established in your own self-respect that you have no fear of others and are then capable of giving genuine respect to others. Sometimes we are not comfortable with being seen as fearful, because our image will take a beating, so we try to avoid admitting we fear someone by saying we respect them, but internally we are in awe of that person and being in awe is not respecting him or her.
Many a times, two prominent people e.g. two actors or politicians or sportsmen are not on good terms. They accuse and bring down each other publicly and are known enemies in the press. While they do that, they also carry a subtle fear of each other, a fear that the other will outperform them; the other will be more popular, the other will be more powerful etc. This normally happens because of a lack of self-respect. They both will probably hide that and will pretend that they are confident and established in their self-respect. But if their self-respect were genuine, they would not be scared of each other, and they would have the courage and the patience to talk and work with each other and listen to and offer the hand of friendship to each other, whom they perceive to be an enemy. But when they don't have the strength of their own self-respect and when they are unaware of their lack of self-respect, subtle fear for the other creeps in, which they don't realize and if they realize, they do not admit the same. And that's why the restoration of self-respect is only possible when the ego is recognized and no longer nourished. Because, fear always comes from the ego and ego is nothing but an excessive attachment to one's false image.
Soul Sustenance
Self
Responsibility (cont.)
Because we have forgotten the principle of karmic returns (discussed yesterday), we have learned to avoid taking responsibility for many of our actions. We fail to see the impact of our actions upon others and we fail to see that the real meaning of responsibility is 'responding correctly'. Life can be seen as a series of responses which we each create in our interactions with other people and events. As is the quality of our ability to respond (energy given), so will be the quality of the return (energy received). The Laws of Karma also serve to remind us that the situations in our life, the quality of our body, wealth, relationships etc. and the type of person we are today are the result of what we thought and did yesterday, last month, last year, perhaps in our last birth. Many people do not like this idea or find it difficult to accept because most of us have been taught that our destiny lies in someone else's hands or in the hands of fate or luck, about which we can do nothing. The Law of Karma or the Law of Reciprocity teaches us that there is no such thing as luck and that whatever happens to us today is the result of our positive or negative actions in the past. If you spend a few moments reflecting on events in your life, without being judgmental, you will begin to see connections between actions and results, causes and effects. When you see how all effects have their causes, you will then be convinced that this universal law is at work in your life at all times.
Because we have forgotten the principle of karmic returns (discussed yesterday), we have learned to avoid taking responsibility for many of our actions. We fail to see the impact of our actions upon others and we fail to see that the real meaning of responsibility is 'responding correctly'. Life can be seen as a series of responses which we each create in our interactions with other people and events. As is the quality of our ability to respond (energy given), so will be the quality of the return (energy received). The Laws of Karma also serve to remind us that the situations in our life, the quality of our body, wealth, relationships etc. and the type of person we are today are the result of what we thought and did yesterday, last month, last year, perhaps in our last birth. Many people do not like this idea or find it difficult to accept because most of us have been taught that our destiny lies in someone else's hands or in the hands of fate or luck, about which we can do nothing. The Law of Karma or the Law of Reciprocity teaches us that there is no such thing as luck and that whatever happens to us today is the result of our positive or negative actions in the past. If you spend a few moments reflecting on events in your life, without being judgmental, you will begin to see connections between actions and results, causes and effects. When you see how all effects have their causes, you will then be convinced that this universal law is at work in your life at all times.
Message for the day
To be a donor means to give at each step and increase one's own stock.
Projection: Usually it seems very difficult to be a donor - to give from whatever resources we have. The thought often arises in the mind that we cannot give because we are ourselves not complete or full. We find ourselves constantly trying to fill ourselves and we then have no time or thought for giving to those around us.
Solution: We have a lot of treasures within us which we can give to those around us, our virtues, our specialities etc. Even if we have just a little and give to the others, we will find ourselves benefitting. For having given from whatever we have, we find that these treasures begin to increase within ourselves too.
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
No comments:
Post a Comment