Daily Positive Thoughts: April 24, 2017: Let Be

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 24, 2017: Let Be

Artist: Josephine Wall: Whispers

Let Be

Many of us spend most of our life trying to live someone else's life. We are great fixers, and as we watch others we can hear ourselves attempting to 'sort them out'. We hear it in our conversations with others and with ourselves. It sounds like, "They shouldn't...weren't they awful...did you hear about so and so...in my opinion they should".

In these moments we waste time trying to write the script of others and forget to write our own. We have no right to write another's script and any attempt to do so is futile, frustrating and doomed to failure.

So let be, and taste the freedom from the subtle tensions and anxieties about others by letting them write their own script. Don't miss your life by trying to live someone else's.

The Journey Of Purpose (Part 1)

Living a life with a purpose can at times make the journey extremely eventful, with different scenes which may be seen on the way. These scenes make the whole journey, not only challenging, but full of varying types of experiences. These experiences can at times not only provide learning, but also help in increasing various qualities and powers inside us. Every second on a journey of purpose should be given immense value, as it will help you take you to your destination in the shortest possible time. Every different test that comes your way is not a test, but a learning experience that will make you more and more powerful. This is because in overcoming that test you will use your mind in different ways and come to a positive solution.

Some of us have a lot of enthusiasm inside us and are always busy in thinking about how our life purpose will be reached. We even enjoy the journey as it takes us to different places and we also meet different people. It also makes our life full of different types of positive relationships, all of whom help us in achieving our life purpose. Different people will hold our hand at various times in our life and we will learn a lot from them. That would not be possible if life was a predictable and routine filled journey.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Opinions of Others

When someone brings their opinions to a conversation, armed and ready for battle, it's easy to react or get defensive.

How about taking a moment to:

1.   Think through how you can disarm the other person and voice your opinions tactfully.

2.   Decide if you want to continue with the conversation, redirect it or resume it at a later time.

Remember, you don't have to engage in the conversation.  You can always make a graceful exit from the conversation!

Message for the day

Self-respect creates inner peace and harmony.

Thought to Ponder: When I take pride in my own role and have value for the contribution I (can) make, there is self-respect. Self-respect helps me to let go of expecting to be understood, to be considered, to be recognized. It helps me understand that it is my mixed emotions that create dependence, taking away inner peace and harmony.

Point to Practice: Today I will tell myself that everything cannot always happen as I wish. When something unwanted happens, I know I have to deal with it and am also well equipped to do so. This helps me know what I can do to correct the situation, without losing hope, peace and harmony.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 23, 2017: Let God

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 23, 2017: Let God

Let God

Whether you believe in God or not is not important. Belief can be an obstacle to experience. The main thing is to keep an open mind, and be willing to start the conversation. The experience of so many people is that when they engage in a mental conversation, whether it's with a question or simply sharing what is in their heart, they get a reply. This is God as a personal experience, not just a voice in your head. Not your higher self, but the presence of the Source in your life. God is not a concept, or a belief. You cannot have a conversation with a concept. You cannot have a meaningful relationship with a belief. Worth a try? Dear God.....

The Power To Transform Emotions (Part 2)

Thoughts may be temporary. Feelings (either positive or negative), accompanying repeated thought-patterns, stay a bit longer inside us. But when a soul suffers a major setback, loss or failure in life that it is not able to deal with, it becomes emotionally damaged and the results of that can be extreme.

Suppose I lose a loved one all of a sudden. If the feelings that come to me because of this loss can be taken care of at that time, through any means like the remembrance of God, meditation, developing a positive hobby to divert my mind, spending more time in the positive company of other family members, etc.; I will deal with the feelings and move on. If however, I am unable to deal with my feelings through any of the means mentioned, the experience of loss I feel is going to cause a lot of deep damage on the emotional level. Then it will not just be a feeling of loss, but it will actually have wounded the soul emotionally. Until that wound has healed, I'll carry it with me long after the loss has suffered. The emotions linked to it will come to the surface repeatedly, though I may have no idea where my sorrow is coming from. Due to the emotional wound, I'll be unable to stay happy, no matter how positive my circumstances may be today.

Meditation does not require me to go into the subconscious roots of my pain. Instead, through thought, meditation enables me to take conscious control of my feelings and emotions, so as to displace the negative, which brings sorrow; with positive, which brings happiness.  It helps me experience pure, powerful emotions and loveful feelings to such an extent that the wounds left by past experiences are healed. Raja Yoga means royal union - it means having a loveful relationship with God. The experience of God’s love is a soothing balm for my emotions, and a remedy for the emotional pain the soul feels.

Trust life

No matter how it may seem, can you trust life? 

Trust that life knows your potential & it wants to nurture you. 

Start trusting life more & you'll recognize that everything that happens, happens for your growth.

Message for the day

Asking the right questions brings learning and progress. 

Thought to Ponder: When I am too focused on answers, I don't find them. I need to ask the right questions and also letting go of the dependency of wanting answers. Right questions are like brooms that sweep the mind clean. Once the mind is clean, answers flow. There is then, learning, growth and progress. 

Point to Practice: Today I will ask questions that help me progress rather than expressing doubt. There need to be more "hows" and "whats" rather than "whys". These questions will lead me a step forward, instead of getting stuck with difficult situations.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 22, 2017: Silence

 

Silence

There is a part of you that is perfect and pure. It is untouched by the less that perfect characteristics you've acquired by living in a less than perfect world.

It is filled with divine qualities, so is in a constant state of resourcefulness and well-being. Its total absence of conflict and negativity of any sort makes this part of you a Still-Point - a deep, enriching experience of Silence.

The Power To Transform Emotions (Part 1)

As with feelings, when emotions are aroused, there are physical changes inside the body in the form of chemical and electrical activity. In fact, strong emotions don’t just affect the body; they also have an impact on the soul.When the soul suffers emotional trauma, from which there is lasting impact, the emotional trauma brings about an immense strain on the brain and body. Brain chemical production is likely to be affected, and there may also be feelings of depression and tiredness. But the real trauma at the root of these physical effects is at a deeper level within the soul itself, and the resulting emotional sensitivity will also arise from the soul.

e.g. I suffer a series of losses or setbacks in my business that causes a lack of confidence and self-respect inside me. A sanskara of low self-esteem is created inside. As a result I become emotionally unstable and sensitive. I'll show a tendency to react emotionally with extreme sorrow (may be in the form of depression) or extreme anger (sometimes in the form of an outburst) whenever there is a similar setback that touches this sensitivity. A person who has not suffered similarly in the past and does not have a sanskara of low self-esteem, and as a result does not have this tendency, will not react in a similar fashion under similar circumstances.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Generous heart

The qualities of love, mercy and generosity are known as having a big heart. 

To have a big heart means to feel everyone belonging to you. A big heart flourishes with success in body, mind, wealth and relationships.

Those who have small hearts have to work hard and experience less success. 

Those with a big and generous hearts are loved by all.

Message for the day

To be alert is to constantly have an attention to check and change. 

Thought to Ponder: When someone is recording something, there is a constant attention to do the best. After a bit is recorded, they would recheck and see if everything is ok or if it can be better. In life too, we are trying to record the best. For each and everything that happens, when I have attention on myself, I can make it better each time. I just have to have the attention to check and then bring about the required change.

Point to Practice: Today I will pay special attention to the actions that I do. After the action, I will look back and see if I could have done it in a better way. Also, at the end of the day, before I go to sleep, I will look back at the day and review all that happened. This practice of checking and changing helps me to be prepared to face everything that comes my way. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 21, 2017: Circumstances are like objects

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 21, 2017: Circumstances are like objects

Circumstances are like objects. They are not alive; you bring life to them.

The positive is more powerful than the negative. The positive is innate. The negative indicates what is missing inside you. Light exists and its absence is darkness.

Never forget you are a human being who can decide the attitude you take in life. You have an enormous positive inner potential still to be discovered.

These thoughts will help you face any circumstance in life with a different perspective.

Serving Through Silence

In meditation you connect to the experience of silence in which both the mind and the heart are calmed. The mental chatter or noise stops. A gentle flow of slow, clear, transparent and peaceful thought is produced. The organs of the senses and the body are calmed and your emotions become peaceful. In this state you can listen to the voice of your conscience, the voice that guides you. That way you awaken the divine intuition. On listening to that voice, you are strengthened. In this way you start to align your life with your purpose, with what you really want. You begin to have more determination to carry out the things that you really want to do, without fear preventing it.

With meditation you learn to love the silence. A tender, beautiful and sweet silence. That way you value each word more, given that to not lose that experience of the sweet silence, you try to talk less, to speak with sweetness and gentleness. When you generate the love and pleasure in going to the silence, it helps you express the best of yourself. To help others, sometimes it is better not to speak, not to use words; to use the vibration of your thoughts and good feelings that emerge from that state of silence. That way you will enter the hearts that are trapped in darkness. Those hearts are in darkness, they have lost hope, and they are hurt, wounded, discouraged. From your silence you transmit to them the light with which they can find a way out. To receive it, they have to be willing. But if their time has not yet come, at least they will know that there are people willing to help from a silence that does not judge, does not complain. A silence that accepts, appreciates and loves, generating an atmosphere in which one can be oneself and feel free to change at their own speed, without feeling forced, but rather from understanding and love.

Creative energy

When you lose something that you've really worked hard on, do you get that sinking feeling?  

All that hard work, all that time - lost!  Even though the product of your efforts is no longer in your possession, your efforts are never lost.

If you have to redo the work, take a brief break: to recover your enthusiasm, recall that creative energy and refresh your memory.  

Just think: I get a chance to do this again.  This time I can give an even better performance, an encore.

Message for the day

A step of courage brings multifold help. 

Thought to Ponder: One step of courage is enough to pave the way for something better. If we get disheartened and stop, we will be worse than what we are. So, whatever the situation may be we need to take one thought of making the situation better. This one thought will help us see the hidden opportunities. Also, we find help coming from others and situations too. 

Point to Practice: Today I will take up something that I have given up on, and see where I can start once again. With renewed courage and enthusiasm, I will create a plan and work on it. With the faith that I am going to find a way, I will work on this plan. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 20, 2017: React Positively

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 20, 2017: React Positively

React Positively

Our first reaction to a difficult situation is often negative. There is a tendency to be carried away in a storm of negative thoughts. Such thoughts are of no use and lead us further from the solution.

Thinking one positive thought everyday helps me to maintain stability. Constant practice will help me remain stable even in the most difficult circumstances.

Carrying Forward Of Special Talents

Everything that an individual does i.e. a soul does using the medium of the physical body is registered in the soul as a sanskara.

Sanskaras, therefore, are the foundation of our present personalities and all our special talents and inclinations.  There have been many famous personalities including artists, musicians, engineers, sportsmen, etc. who, before attaining phenomenal success in their respective fields, displayed amazing talents related to their respective field at a very young age. When and where could they have mastered these talents so well? It's obvious that amazing masteries at a very young age are not inherited from our parents. These talents have been developed and brought into practice in previous births, as a result of which
sanskaras of the talents are created inside the soul.  These sanskaras are then carried into the next births, and are brought into actions in the new births.

A more common day-to-day example is the following: A child is born into a family of doctors where, from the beginning, all efforts are made to mould and prepare him to become a doctor, according to family tradition. However, from an early age, the child shows strong tendencies to become an actor, starts to take part extensively in theatre activities at school and the talent starts manifesting itself. This example demonstrates that the characteristics a soul carries from previous experiences of previous births will take it in a specific direction despite attempts made by the family on the contrary. So in short, genius is experience. Some think that it's a gift or talent, but it is the fruit of long experience of many lives. Some are older souls than others i.e. they have been present on the world stage since a longer period of time and have covered a journey of more number of births and so know more. This kind of unlimited, broad vision of life provides us answers to many questions.

Do not be an emotional sponge

Like a sponge, we absorb other people's negative emotions.  And then we feel emotionally wrung out.  

Rather than retaining negative emotions that don't belong to you, release them.

Strengthen your positive emotions and you'll enhance your ability to be empathetic yet at the same time not be an emotional sponge.

Message for the day

Mastery over mind is the ability to concentrate thoughts. 
Thought to Ponder:  The practice of concentrating the mind on one thought even whilst being busy is being truly victorious over the mind. This practice helps in using all powers and qualities that are in me. 

Point to Practice:  Today I will take a thought and remind myself of it from time to time. A simple thought like "I am the creator of my thoughts and so the master of my mind" or "I am powerful" or "I am special". Such thoughts, when reminded from time to time in my busy schedule, helps me practice mastery. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris