Contemplation: May 31, 2019: Scattered Thoughts

Contemplation: May 31, 2019: Scattered Thoughts

7 Mile Bridge, Key West, Florida

Scattered Thoughts

Uncontrolled, scattered thoughts are like a speeding car. Unless you brake you'll crash. We need to put on the brakes if our minds are to work naturally. A natural mind is peaceful and a peaceful mind brings clarity.

Respect

Respect is to recognize and appreciate the unique role of each and
everyone. Each one is unique with his own specialties. When we
recognize the role of each one, we can understand that he is playing
his part accurately. Then we can acknowledge even the smallest
contribution and we will then be free from expectations. When we find
ourselves having negative thoughts towards anyone, we need to make
the practice of looking at one specialty in that person and learn to
relate to it. Also, we need to tell myself that without the role of
this particular person the drama of life would not be complete.

False Attachments

Are you aware that whenever you lose your true self-awareness (soul-consciousness), you will identify with and get attached to something that is not you?   It could be another person, your work, or some material possession.   Let's say you are attached to your job and one day, due to rising costs, your company decides to downsize and starts laying off thousands of its employees - all of a sudden you are asked to leave.  The attachment to and identification with your position in the company, which has become a habit (sanskara), causes the creation of fearful and angry thoughts (e.g., * I'm going to lose my job (fear related to the future) or * How dare they downsize the company and damage my position (anger towards the company and its leadership)).  The destructive energy of these thoughts becomes emotion (energy in motion) which then invades your entire mind so you cannot have clear and calm thoughts (the prime requirement of that moment).   It hijacks your intellect so you cannot make correct, wise decisions and choices (also the prime requirement of that moment) for the future.  Any connection you had with your inner peace is broken.   All this happens because you forgot who you really are and had begun to think you are what you do.   When seen from the point of view of this example it sounds ridiculous that we should identify with what we do or what we have, but this is currently how the world and its people work.  So, never forget who you truly are!

Soul Sustenance

Positive Thinking

What Stops You from Being Positive?

There are many reasons that make it difficult to produce and hold on to positivity in your mind and attitude. The external information we receive is mainly negative, and our thoughts and conversations are based on this information. Other causes include:

* Other people's negativity rubbing off on you; Other people's criticisms influencing you;
* Self-doubt;
* Lacking clear objectives in life;
* Not having recognized your true qualities, virtues and values;
* Lacking self-confidence;
* Not believing you are a positive person;
* Keeping the past in your mind;
* Being egoistic;
* Comparing yourself with others;
* Having low self-esteem;
* Being frustrated or irritated;
* Lacking flexibility or tolerance with people or situations, etc.

Message for the day

With the balance of love and discipline, energy can be saved while speaking.

Expression: Throughout the day we find ourselves having to give explanations or corrections to so many people. When we do this we find that we have to spend a lot of words. In the process we tend to lose a lot of our energy and find ourselves tired.

Experience: In order to save our energy and to use fewer words we need to have the balance of love and discipline. Discipline will enable us to give the right directions while love will make our directions effective. So we find that just a few words would be enough to get our message across.