Daily Positive Thoughts: November 22, 2015: Labelling People

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 22, 2015: Labelling People

 

Labelling People

When we put labels on people, we're categorising them with a single word, without considering complex factors.  Labels get in the way of reality.  In reality, people are so much more than a label.

Remove the labels.  Take a peek below the surface to see, understand and accept others as they are.  And keep the labels where they belong, on cans and jars, not people.

Understanding

 

Often, misunderstandings happen because we're not willing to take time to understand. We get too impatient and don't listen properly.
And because we simply haven't taken the time to understand, we start making assumptions. So, make time to understand people better.

 

 

Awakening Your Intuition (cont.)

Meditation purifies and sharpens our intellect which makes it broader and far-sighted and also makes it free from waste and negativity; very clean and clear, like a mirror. As a result the intellect is able to subconsciously look into the hidden aspects of any situation, sense the underlying thoughts, emotions and feelings of people involved without any of them being visible, also look into the future without it having evolved as yet and sense the right solution. Nothing can remain hidden from a mirror. Even though a mirror is not consciously aware, somehow or the other it will decide correctly. This is only the intuitive capability, the capability of becoming a 'situation doctor', hearing the mental pulse of the situation and coming up with the right cure for it, which is awakened by meditation immensely.  If the intellect contains negativity or waste and is not clear, sometimes one or more than one of the many influences which we had mentioned in yesterday's message might be perceived to be the intuition and then we might fail in a particular situation. Its important to note that the intuition, if heard correctly, which is only the case when the intellect is clean, can never be wrong and will always take you in the right direction. 

In the above context, for the completely analytical minded, it's significant to understand that the intuitive perception was favoured more by old spiritual traditions and the intellectual perception, is being favoured more by modern science and medicine. Relying only on the intellectual perception is not wise. It alone cannot give us a complete idea of reality. A balance needs to be created between the two different types of perception. People with a balance will be more successful in life and victorious in difficult situations.

 

Soul Sustenance

 

Mental Clarity Or Focus

To strengthen yourself you need to have mental clarity or focus. That is possible if there is not so much of excessive thought, so as to generate clouds of unhappiness, suffering, grief, indecision, doubts and negativity - thoughts that your mind produces, thoughts that are weak, useless or wasteful. All of these thoughts cloud your own clarity. Mental focus means to think less, think concretely, concentrate, think in an elevated way, and your thought will have an energy of clarity and inner strength that will help you to put it into practice with greater success. You should strengthen yourself to achieve a state of self-control. For this, you need to study yourself, know yourself and understand yourself. You need inner silence, for there not to be so much mental chatter (noise) from thinking, thinking, thinking and thinking.

On top of that, other people influence you and so you generate even more thoughts. There are so many influences and inner voices that speak to you. With all of that there cannot be clarity. There is the voice of your fears, of your ego, that of desires and greed, there are influences of the past, thoughts emerging from your values, influences of your neighbors, your children, your husband or wife, your mother or father, the influence of your office colleague's opinion, or your best friend, your doctor, your guru, etc. You can listen to many inner and outer voices and, if you are not strong, your mind weakens under so many influences, which has negative effects on your clarity of mind. Because of all of this you have to strengthen your mind, which means, think less; think slower, concentrated and clear thought; with sense and meaning; of quality, based on a healthy and positive motivation. These thoughts are then like arrows, which have positive strength and clarity.

 

Message for the day

To be experienced means never to be deceived by anything.

Expression: It is normally understood that to be experienced means to gain expertise in something, or to become a master in a particular field. Such a person, who is an expert in one field might find himself totally impractical in daily situations.

Experience: Life has so many things to teach me through the various situations. I need to keep learning from all that happens. Then I'll never be surprised or cheated by any unexpected events, but will be prepared because of being experienced.


In Spiritual Service,

Brahma Kumaris

 

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 21, 2015: See Heaven

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 21, 2015: See Heaven

See Heaven

"Hell is other people," so said Sartre. What a way to start the day! If this is our perception of others, even if it is just one other, then we can expect both the people and the day to be hell. We all know how fast expectations can become self-fulfilling prophecies. We seem to forget that other people are always in two places at once - out there and in our heads. And if we decide others are hell we therefore create hell for ourselves in our own heads. So let's do a little work, not too much, and transform our own vision. What do you prefer hell or heaven? When heaven is other people we will know our transformation is complete. Remember, everyone has a little piece of heaven inside their heart. Have you found yours? If not then start in your head, practice perceiving heaven in other people and let the day be heavenly. You will be amazed what comes out of your heart when you make this little effort with your head.

relax7

To keep the mind calm and clear is to find solutions to problems. 

The more my mind is calm and peaceful, the more there is a chance to find solutions. But, when faced with a problem, our mind which is like a plain paper is filled with unnecessary things, so much so that we cannot even see the solution that is right in front of us. Today I will be silent when faced with a problem. I will calm my mind too, before I even attempt to think of a solution for the problem. This will help me find solutions quickly. Also there would be accuracy in the decisions that I take.

Awakening Your Intuition

In real life, we are faced with many situations when important decisions have to be taken, a particular path to move ahead has to chosen. At such times, our mind is filled with various different voices or influences like the influence of people surrounding us, who give their different opinions regarding the particular situation; they say something, our mental logic along with knowledge of people and things, says something else, then there is the influence or memory of our past experiences which colour our perception of the present situation differently. Also there is the influence of the outside world in general - all that we see, hear and read. There are also our attachments, selfish desires, fears, mental biases towards a particular person or situation, emotions like jealousy and hatred, beliefs etc. which influence our perception. Our mind is full of all these influences, many of them even conflicting each other, and we experience complete turmoil or indecisiveness inside ourselves, we don't know what to do.

In such cases it is sometimes extremely wise to keep all these influences aside, sit in silence and listen to what our intuition is saying to us. There are many situations, in which after the situation is over, we realize that all the influences mentioned above would have taken us on the wrong path, but it was our intuition, our inner voice of wisdom, alone which gave us the right solution and took us safely to our destination.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Positive Consciousness While Performing Actions

1. The seeds, the inspirations, planted in sitting meditation should be carried into action. Powerful thoughts carried straight away into action always yield powerful results.

2. The remembrance should be that the soul is the child and student of the Supreme Being (Supreme Soul) and should reflect the father and teacher through its actions.

3. The remembrance of the Supreme Soul as a constant companion sustains an internal relationship with Him whilst performing actions.

4. Churn (think deeply) over points of spiritual knowledge by relating them to your immediate karmas (actions).

5. Practice going beyond sound in one second. At different times during the day, stop, pack up all worldly thoughts and spend a few minutes in meditation. This is a really powerful way to strengthen the intellect. After a few minutes, return to the world of sound with the reinforced awareness of being an actor.

6. Practice seeing all those who come into contact with you as souls, tiny points of conscient (living energy) light situated at the centre of the forehead. In this way we will not be pulled into body consciousness, and will avoid negative interactions with others.

Message for the day

Determination is the best companion.

Expression: When things go wrong, the first reaction is of fear. Because of this, I can't put in any effort to better the situation. I start looking for a companion, a support who can provide me help. But I rarely get help from outside.

Experience: When I have to look for something to rely on, the only support I get is from my own determined thought. I need to make it my companion, not letting go of it till I succeed. This will help me overcome my fear and move towards success.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 20, 2015: Imagine

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 20, 2015: Imagine

Imagine

Imagine throwing a pebble into the Pacific Ocean knowing that the ripples will reach the shores of Japan.

In the same way, imagine sending out one powerful thought into the world knowing that the vibes from that thought will touch someone, somewhere.

Thoughts can travel.  They move at great speed and can have a considerable impact.

Enjoy the Journey

It is a sign of wisdom to be able to set goals and then, having done so, to let them go. 

All that is required for success is a vision of the destination. The journey itself will reveal the means to take you there.

Transforming Reaction To Response

In its original form, anger was not anger, not a negative reaction; rather it was the energy of a positive response to people and situations, but the response gradually changed to reaction. When we return to our spiritual identity, we begin to rediscover that capacity to be still, stable or centred, and we are they able to respond positively even to negative situations, or people. With spiritual consciousness, the energy of this negative reaction is transformed into being able to accept, understand and deal wisely and peacefully with whoever, or whatever, is encountered.

In order to extinguish (overcome) anger, one has to use peace and silence, to understand that peace is the original state of one's being; to remember that 'I am a peaceful being' means to emerge the consciousness of non-violence.

Silence, that is learning to put a brake on the mind and tongue, helps us to think before speaking and, as a result, saves us from many confrontations with others.

Soul Sustenance

Meditation - A Process Of Cleansing, Dialogue And Joining (Part 4)

Meditation can be defined as a process of cleansing, a process of dialogue and a process of joining. Yesterday we had explained it as a process of joining. Today we throw more light on the same:

Joining (cont.)

The Supreme Power is the eternal reference point for all creation, whose task is to recharge and cleanse everything. Being eternally pure and untouched by any trait of selfishness or violence, the Supreme Being is totally benevolent (kind), and through the eternal energies of love and truth is capable of recharging and filling the human soul with all the powers. Of course, each person chooses their own level of cleanliness, recharging or fullness. That personal choice will determine the resulting powers of love, peace, happiness and truth to be found in the individual.

The Supreme Being is like an eternal point of pure Light that resides in the world of eternal silence, beyond time and matter. Through concentrated thought we can reach this source of love and purity. When our mind is synchronized it takes just a second to establish communication. When we reach this place of eternal silence, the world of silent light, we focus our loving attention on the Supreme Being. If our focus is deeply concentrated we can feel the self is filled with the purest peace and love, something we have never felt before in our lives. This is yoga: rejoining the self with the Supreme Being and, in this union, we once again recall all the things of value that had been hidden. So yoga means remembering: remembering the original self, the original and eternal relationship with the Supreme Being and remembering, through experience, the true meaning of love, peace and happiness (as a result of the connection with the Supreme).

Message for the day

Become the ones who make efforts continuously and experience constant self-progress.

Checking: Check if there is any doubt within you whether you'll succeed or not. If there is any such doubt it means that your effort is not continuous. Where there is constant effort you experience constant progress.

Practice: Each day remind yourself of at least one thing that you have achieved for the day. When you make a habit in this way, you will be able to notice and experience the fruit of the effort that you put in.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 19, 2015: Character

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 19, 2015: Character

Character

To forgive and forget is to reflect love. Situations pass, they cease to exist, but they continue to be alive in the mind. Open your heart and be generous, free yourself from that sorrow, forgive and forget and you will live every moment in peace.

To be free from past is to take the gifts of the present. 

When my mind is continuously dwelling on the past, I miss out on the opportunities and gifts of the present. I need to remember that if my past has helped in shaping up the present, then this moment would be the past of tomorrow. So, I need to use the present moment well, so that I can make both my present and future beautiful. Today I will do something that will make me happy. It could be a simple thing like resuming with a hobby or saying hi to an old friend or even spending time with nature. This will enable me to spend time fruitfully with the present moment. By making it a practice to use of all these moments in the right way, I will be enriching myself each day.

 Spiritual Roses Of The Supreme Gardener

The main features of physical flowers are their colour, form and fragrance, by which we judge their beauty. All these characteristics have their own unique importance. Introducing oneself to spirituality is like giving oneself into the hands of the Supreme Spiritual Gardener or the Supreme Being (God). Like a physical gardener who possesses qualities of patience, tirelessness, love, far-sightedness, faith etc. on a limited level, the Supreme Gardener possesses these qualities on an unlimited level, which he uses to bring us up. As we remain under his sustenance and care, over a period of time, we blossom and are transformed into beautiful spiritual flowers, and our thorns fall away. When we look at ourselves as spiritual flowers, our colour symbolizes spiritual knowledge. Depending on how we imbibe the wisdom shared by the Spiritual Gardener and bring it in our day-to-day functioning; in our thoughts, words, actions and relationships; the more beautiful a colour we take. Our form is shaped depending on the quality of our connection with the Supreme Being, the Gardener. The deeper and stronger the connection, the more beautiful the form. Lastly, our fragrance refers to divine qualities like sweetness, humility, tolerance, carefreeness, purity and many more, which we develop. Physical flowers with a good colour, form and fragrance, attract everyone around them. Seeing and coming close to them, gives one an experience of joy. The same holds true for spiritual flowers.   

Roses are considered the king of all flowers, with the best possible colour, form and fragrance. Spiritual roses are those souls which continuously remain in a spiritual consciousness and spread the fragrance of that consciousness to others. Their thoughts, words and actions get shaped according to this consciousness. They have a deep relationship with the Spiritual Gardener and are always eager to ensure that others also experience that relationship and become spiritual roses; which is a deep wish of the Supreme Gardener, for every spiritual being. They help him in fulfilling that wish.

Soul Sustenance

Meditation - A Process Of Cleansing, Dialogue And Joining (Part 3)

Meditation can be defined as a process of cleansing, a process of dialogue and a process of joining. Today we take up:

Joining

We can take the third meaning of meditation from the Sanskrit word yoga. By understanding this word, we learn how to get divine cooperation, or put in another way, a certain external spiritual power that can liberate us and help us to dialogue positively with the self (explained yesterday). The word yoga means bringing together or joining again. Joining again with what or with whom? Firstly, with our original and eternal self: the soul, and secondly, with the eternal Supreme Source of all positive power and energy; this Source helps us to recharge ourselves with energy and to know ourselves.

At this time in the history of humanity, humans have lost the mastery and control over themselves. They do not have continual peace or a sense of purpose, happiness or fullness. The human soul needs to be recharged. Although the soul has great potential in its inner self, it needs a source of external energy for the latent (hidden) powers and virtues to emerge, just as occurs with seeds in nature. The seeds of plants and trees have their own source of inner energy. However, this energy cannot be released without the actions of an external energy source, in this case the energy of the sun. Through the power of sunlight, the seeds in the earth will sprout and flourish. The human body has its own energy, but needs external sources of energy on a daily basis: air, sunlight, water and food. Without these external sources, the human body would die. The external source of power that helps the latent virtues emerge in the human being is not physical, since the human soul is not physical either. This source of power has traditionally been called God or the Supreme Being: in fact it has been given many names.

(To be continued tomorrow….) 

Message for the day

To be flexible is to enjoy everything that life brings.

Expression: When I plan perfectly for the day ahead, I sometimes find that I am not able to implement all that I had planned for. Things seem to be coming up unexpectedly spoiling everything for me. I am then not able to be happy with what is happening and so find it difficult to do my best in the particular situation.

Experience: It is as important to be flexible in my thoughts as it is to be particular about my daily schdule. Flexibility allows me to accommodate the unforeseen situations that come up my way and enables me to make the best use of everything. And so I enjoy everything that comes my way.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 18, 2015: "Help Yourself"

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 18, 2015: "Help Yourself"

"Help Yourself"

Unfortunately these two words tend to describe the generally selfish
and materialistic culture in which most of us live. They result not in
self-help but in dependency. Our education and our role models do not  
encourage us to help ourselves to grow, change and expand our
capacities as human beings. Real self-help means recognising that no
one else is responsible for our thoughts and feelings, and that we are
only ever victims because we choose to be. Our destiny is always and
only in our own hands - despite all apparent evidence which may
indicate otherwise. Learning to help ourselves is also a prerequisite
to extending a hand of assistance to others. We all need a leg up from
time to time, but once there, we are always on our own.

-relax7

Be Enthusiastic

We often use 'complaining' as a social tool to share experiences or as a method to take action.

But when we turn the complaining into positive comments,
it becomes a lot easier for people to listen to us.
And we might just be surprised by how much better life is!

If you're tired and have to go to work, reframe your complaints: "Even though I'm tired, I'm going to accomplish a lot of today."

Replace: "Oh no- I have to cook again!!!" to
"I'm really looking forward to trying out this new recipe."

Rediscover The Essence Of Happiness (cont.)

When you feel stuck in a hard time, jump-start a pro-change attitude by letting go or shedding off your attachment to possessions and people (external attachments) and habits (internal attachments) that no longer work for you. When you get rid of your attachment to physical things and people and emotional habits that 'weigh you down', and start to feel lighter -- you'll witness how by letting go, you're making room for new things, new values to enter your life. As a result, your subconscious will be relieved by letting go of emotional burdens or bondages.

To achieve the above purpose, try the short meditation below. Think as well as visualize alongside the following thoughts:

I become aware of myself as a tiny sparkling star of light, an energy, situated just above the eyebrows - a soul... In soul consciousness, I experience the beauty of the many qualities like peace, love and joy; of the spiritual being that I am... Now, with the medium of visualization, I, the soul, travel beyond the world of 5 elements to the soul world, a non-physical dimension of the subtle light of golden red hue (shade)... Over there, I visualize, in front of me - a sparkling Sun of golden light - God, the Father and Mother of me, the Supreme Soul, the ocean of peace, love and joy, which is His eternal nature... He radiates the immense spiritual energy of peace, love and joy...  I turn my mind and intellect to His light... I feel the warmth of His presence and the light of His love for me gently healing the wounds of the past that are buried deep inside me, the soul... wounds left by ego, fear, sorrow, jealousy, hatred, anger that have reduced my happiness all this while... I feel a deep feeling of emotional freedom inside me, I feel light and my happiness is restored...

Fortunately, being happy is a cakewalk but it is not something that can be demanded from life, and if you are not happy you better stop worrying about it and see what treasures (whether your internal ones or the external ones i.e. from the Supreme and others) you can tap into.

Soul Sustenance

Meditation - A Process Of Cleansing, Dialogue And Joining (Part 2)

Meditation can be defined as a process of cleansing, a process of dialogue and a process of joining. Today we take up:

Dialogue

In Greek, the word meditation is translated as dialogismos, from which comes the English word dialogue. Meditation is a dialogue with oneself, with the true self; a very necessary process for developing self-knowledge and accumulating inner strength.

The basis of spiritual dialogue with oneself is introspection. Introspection is the ability to examine and change oneself, as one wants to or should do. Without a consistent re-evaluation of our attitudes and thought models, negative habits easily dominate our consciousness. A healthy dialogue with our inner selves means that we interact positively with others, without being trapped or lost in ourselves. Introspection involves being an observer: observing and not reacting to situations or people with negative emotions such as anger, hate, fear, resentment and jealousy. Being detached observers helps us conserve our inner energy and keeps us spiritually, mentally and emotionally healthy.

(To be continued tomorrow….)

Message for the day

To be free from the burden of responsibility is to fulfill the responsibility well.

Expression: When I am responsile for something or people expect me to be answerable for something, I tend to feel heavy because of these responsibilities. With the such a feeling of having a burden, I'm not able to fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my ability.

Experience: Whatever responsibilities are given to me are according to my capabilities. When I remind myself of this I'll be able to be light and give my best to fulfill all my responsibilities.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris