Daily Positive Thoughts: May 31, 2016: Forgetting and Remembering

Forgetting and Remembering

Life is a game of forgetting and remembering. You are losing the game when you ... forget who you are and what you are doing here, remember the false things of the past and what they did to you.

Overcoming The Fear Of Interaction Or Socializing 

There are various activities that you are perhaps afraid of doing, but that you know they are very useful activities to indulge in e.g. if you are afraid of socializing or interacting with people, either on a one-to-one basis or in a group. In a party or a situation where lots are people are enjoying the company of each other or in a meeting with your boss for e.g., you feel out of place and uncomfortable. The problem might lie in a negative image of the self or low self-esteem, lack of confidence, fear of the other’s opinion about you, lack of spiritual strength, past failure in having done so, being influenced by the other person’s role or position etc.  How do you overcome this fear? By interacting with more and more people. The more you interact and mix up with them and express your viewpoint fearlessly, you realize that it is not a problem. Even if you make a mistake or you feel unsure, with practice you will see that there is no problem.

Most of our fears are overcome with the practice of doing what you are afraid of. If you do not make a brave step forward in order to overcome the fear of expressing yourself, you will continue to be the victim of this fear. This fear is then a negative energy that paralyses your intellect as a result of which your concentration and your decision-making power reduces. It also disorganizes your ideas, and confuses you whenever you express yourself in front of a person or people. What is more, fear produces clumsiness in your words, body movements and actions and makes you lose your image of credibility. It gives an impression of nervousness and low self-respect to the other. You have to overcome it, and you will manage to do it with practice and by changing the vision that you have of others: they are not a threat, they are not judges who are going to pass a judgment against you, they are offering you the opportunity to express yourself. If you value yourself, you will not be afraid of not being appreciated by them and others will finally appreciate you. If you do not value yourself, the opposite will happen.

To be in a state of self-respect is to use my specialties. 

It's during challenging situations that I need to use my specialties. Although I do have a lot of qualities that I could use, I find that it is during such challenging times that I am not able to have access to them. A long time practice of remembering and using these qualities will make me access them and use them during such times of need. Today I will remember my specialty. I will remember what my strengths are, what specialties others see in me and rely on me. I will use them throughout the day in whatever I do. This will help me remember and use my specialties and will make me have access to them at the time of need.

Message for the day

To do the internal dance of happiness at the time of tiredness is to bring an instant change in our mood. 

Thought to ponder: When I am tired, it is easy to give in to the tiredness and feel low, irritable or vulnerable. At such a time, I need to do something that my mind can dance with happiness. When I have the aim of being happy and do this little exercise of being happy, I will be able to be free from tiredness of the body and mind. 

Point to practice: Today I will do something nice to recharge myself. It could be something as simple as listening to a nice song or taking a peaceful walk or painting something. This little effort of mine would give me happiness and bring enthusiasm in all I do.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 30, 2016: Doing Your Best

Doing Your Best

As you do, so you become. Every action that you perform is recorded in you, the soul. These imprints ultimately mould your character and destiny. When you understand this principle, you will pay more attention to bringing your best to everything you do.

Uprooting The Emotion Of Worry From The Consciousness (Part 2)

In yesterday’s message, we had explained how worry is the wrong use of the imaginative capacity of the mind and intellect. On the other hand, imagining possible positive outcomes or results will have a double effect of not only keeping the negative outcomes away from us (even if there is a possibility of them occurring), but will also attract the positive results towards us. But to ensure that both these processes happen, it’s important not to attach possible negative results to the same, even to the minutest extent, otherwise the probability of positive futures becoming a reality reduces.  Worrying is another word for this attachment process.

Worry is a type of mental habit, which arises from the belief that it’s good to worry. This belief gets acquired during our childhood. And then it keeps getting strengthened from our life experiences. We start from this belief. That attracts negative circumstances; as a result the belief gets strengthened further, because you think that with life full of so many negative circumstances, it’s important to think of negative outcomes beforehand. You don’t realize that these negative situations occurred in the first place largely due to this belief. When we are faced with a negative situation, again we worry because we hold that belief. Again it’s the same result. In this way, we are caught in a vicious cycle. How do we come out of this cycle? By changing this belief to – it’s not good to worry. Once we do that, there is no guarantee that negative situations will completely stop arising in our life, because we have performed negative actions in the past (either in this birth or past births), which need to be settled in our present, but the extent of negative situations will be minimized. And even if they do come, they will bid goodbye sooner, if we have a worry-free consciousness.

A Magnanimous Heart

Follow your spontaneous instinct to give. The heart gives and is full of grace. So, don't just limit your good feelings to just one or two people.

With an open heart, greet everyone with sincerity and love. Make your heart big and silently give good wishes to everyone you meet.

The festive season gives us opportunities to meet up with many more people. If you find that you have negative feelings towards certain people, than take a moment to transform your feelings.

Message for the day

To be an example is to inspire people to change. 

Thought to ponder: It is not always necessary to correct people through words. When my own actions don't reflect the words that I speak, it will not have any effect on people. They would want to see the change that I talk about in my own actions. Since actions speak louder than words, they are inspired to bring about a change in themselves too. 

Point to practice: Today I will be an example for others in whatever I do. I will check myself when I find the need to correct someone. I will bring about a change in that particular aspect. Then, whether I see the desired change in the other person or not, at least I am richer for whatever effort I make. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 29, 2016: Mind & Heart

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 29, 2016: Mind & Heart

Mind & Heart

A mind filled with peace creates

a heart filled with contentment.

Uprooting The Emotion Of Worry From The Consciousness - 1

What is a good definition of worry? Worry is a process of imagining the worst possible outcome or result or future in a particular situation and creating a living and active image of it in front of the eye of your mind, and then using the energy of that negative image to flow inside your consciousness so as to completely overpower or weaken your spiritual and as a result your physical self to evoke fear in the self.

When people are asked about this process, a person who is attached to this process and is involved in the process very regularly the whole day in different types of situations, one who is a habitual worrier, responds - But it’s important to worry, it’s good to worry. If we don’t think of different possible negative outcomes, how will we prepare for them? It’s important to realize that the belief, that by worrying, we prepare for the worst in the future is a false one. This belief causes us not to realize the truth that all worry is simply an incorrect and fruitless creation. It is a wrong use of the positive, constructive and imaginative capacity of our mind and intellect which, instead of empowering the mind and intellect, weakens it. Preparing for the future is important and necessary, but very often while doing that, we enter the territory of worry, which leaves us, defeated or weakened. There is an extremely fine line between proactive preparation (necessary preparation in advance) on the one hand and worry on the other. The preparation can be done without creating an excessive number of possible negative outcomes in the mind.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

To appreciate is to use the treasures of life well. 

There can be hundred reasons to complain and there can be of course hundreds of reasons to appreciate. It is up to me whether I want to complain or appreciate. If I continue to find reasons to complain, I will never be happy. In such a state, I cannot use any of the treasures that I have. Today I will not complain. Whatever happens throughout the day, I will find excuses to appreciate rather than complaining. Because when I complain, I will only make myself more and more sorrowful and less and less positive and enthusiastic. So, just for today let me be the one who uplifts the atmosphere rather than just being a victim to it.

Message for the day

To be free from blame and excuses is to get others' help too. 

Thought to ponder: When I blame others for whatever has happened to me, I lose the chance for improvement. On the other hand, when I make effort to bring about a change, using that situation as a learning point for myself, I find others helping too. There is no negativity involved, but only a move towards a positive change. 

Point to practice: Today I will not blame anyone for whatever happened to me. I will find a way to deal with the situation, without blaming others or trying to escape by giving excuses. I would be able to courageously take on any situation that I would be faced with. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 28, 2016: Banish Worry

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 28, 2016: Banish Worry

Banish Worry

Worry is otherwise known as 'fantasized catastrophizing' where we create an image of the future and use it to frighten ourselves! Be aware that you are doing it, then stop doing it, otherwise the image will become a self-fulfilling prophesy. Imagine only the brightest future, and so it will be. Besides there is nothing to worry about... unless you are under the illusion that your well-being and security are dependent on material things. If they are, then you will have many ways in which you can create worry. Possible loss, damage, separation, uncertainty are but a few. Look, you're killing yourself with worry, all because of the misuse of your imagination. Don't do it. 

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Limiting Influences On Your Decision Making Ability (Part 2)

With whom does the choice to make your decisions lie? Are you going to be dominated by your fears and others’ negatively powerful influences, which paralyze your judgment power and confuse you sometimes or are you going to exercise your choice? When someone dominates you, they control you and make you feel irritated, frustrated and weak; they satisfy their own ego like that by controlling you and bringing you under their influence. You need to decide if you are comfortable being a victim of the other by being the one who satisfies the egos of others. It is not a very healthy attitude, on their part, but it happens in many relationships and we fall prey to that, because of a lack of spiritual power. Get back your personal ruling and controlling power and do not be afraid to be free and responsible for your choices. From today on, promise yourself that you will not allow your husband or wife, or children, or your friend, or mother-in-law, or your office colleague, anybody for that matter, influence the power of choice, the power to decide, that you possess. In the end, that way they will be happier; perhaps not at first, because a power game is created. Your personal freedom will lead to a healthier relationship, in the long run. Its fine to take an opinion or a viewpoint or support from someone, but there is a fine line between that and being controlled by someone, which we, many a times cross, and become a victim.

You are free when you take responsibility for what you are and how you feel. In meditation you can realize everything that has influenced you and know how to clear it, so that only the highest, the most positive influence you. This depends on each one of us. In our present society, there are many influencing factors, from the most negative, violent, corrupt and mediocre, to the purest, highest and most spiritual. It depends on each one what you want to consume and allow to be influenced by.

Bring your Heart Close

When we're annoyed with each other, our hearts become distanced. And as the distance between our hearts increases, our tone gets louder. We say words that widen the distance between us.

Next time you find yourself getting louder because you're annoyed; bring your heart a little closer. Cover that distance by opening your heart to understand another better.

When our hearts are closer, our tone is softer. And as a result, we're able to hear each other better.

Message for the day

To finish the burden of the past is to move forward with lightness and speed. 

Thought to ponder: Throughout the day, I may not have that much attention on myself. I may not be able to sustain a thought that I had taken for myself. But before I go to sleep, I need to check myself how I was throughout the day and hand clear out all my fears, feelings etc and go to sleep. This practice will make my sleep peaceful and the next day will be beautiful too, because there is no burden of the baggage of the previous day. 

Point to practice: Today I will talk to myself and God before I go to sleep. I will write down all my doubts, fears and feelings to Him. I will become light in my mind and go to sleep peacefully. Because I will, then, look forward to a brighter tomorrow. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 27, 2016: Let Go of Emotions

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 27, 2016: Let Go of Emotions

Let Go of Emotions

Emotions can feel uncontrollable - we have no choice but to experience them. But to live by our emotions is to live under a tyrant's rule. Acknowledge emotions for what they are, without shame or guilt, and then allow them to pass through you like wind moving through the leaves of a tree. Remember that it is only with your permission that feelings can change the way you behave.

Limiting Influences On Your Decision Making Ability (Part 1)

It is extremely important to realize that, in any situation, you have the power to choose whether your response in that situation will be passive or pro-active, positive or negative, indifferent or attentive etc. You choose what action you take and how you feel. But do you exercise your power of choice all the time? You need to check which factors influence your decision making and push you either in one direction or the other?There are many factors that control and limit your power to make the right, and more importantly, free choices. These factors primarily include influences of people that dominate your ways of thinking, your beliefs, your attitudes, even your complete personalities, etc. You are also limited by the influence of your own fears, attachments, desires, biases or other negative and waste thoughts, which result in a lack of focus.

There are  a lot of people who are not used to thinking for themselves or even prefer being a yes man going along with what others think and say, without having an opinion of their own. Also as you pass through your childhood and teenage life and enter adulthood, you acquire many preconceived ideas or beliefs from your family and social and cultural environment; that is why you assume inside that some things or people are always positive and others are always negative when, in fact, that’s not necessarily true. This directly affects the type of decisions you make, each time there is a requirement for one. In any particular situation, courage, wisdom, high self-esteem and focus is required to sit down calmly and make an assessment about the possible choices before you, and then finally make the right decision. The more you practice relaxation, positive thinking and meditation, the more you rise above all the negatively influencing factors mentioned above , the more you experience the positive qualities and powers mentioned above and exercise your power of choice accurately and with confidence.

(To be continued tomorrow ….)

The biggest service is to become the one who removes sorrow and gives happiness. 

There can be no greater service than becoming instrumental in giving happiness to someone and removing their sorrow. When I see someone's pain, I need to see what I can do for making them happy. I need to pay attention that I don't experience pain seeing their sorrow. A person who is unhappy, cannot give happiness to others. Today I will lend a helping hand to one person and do something that truly helps him. To help also means to empathise, to give good wishes, to listen non-judgmentally or even to be a support to them in some way without making them dependent on you.

Message for the day

To start the day with positivity is to ensure success throughout the day. 

Expression: When I am a journey, I choose and decide my way - where I have to go. My choice leads me on further in that way. In the same way, the first thought that I have as soon as I wake up decides the quality of my day. If I start the day with a positive thought, I will be able to pick out the best from all that the day has to offer and move ahead towards success. 

Experience: Today I will check what the first thought was that I had when I woke up from bed. I will then take an aim to start the day with a positive thought. Instead of thinking "Oh God, I am late", let me think "I am going to have a great day". I will also create a positive thought before starting any new task.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 26, 2016: Living in Peace

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 26, 2016: Living in Peace

Living in Peace

In order to live in peace, try not depend on anyone and at the same time try to help others not to depend on you. Help them become independent, free and responsible for their lives. In the same way, ensure you do not cause anyone sorrow, and do not allow others to be a source of hurt for you.

Reliving The Memories Of The Past (Part 3)

Can someone without spiritual power accept the negative happenings of the past easily is a good question to ask? Of course, without the help of spirituality, there are some who easily move on and look at the present and future with a positive vision after an uncomfortable event has passed in their life, but that is only temporary and only a few are gifted with the natural ability and power to do that. Perhaps their sanskaras or personality traits which may be their own ones or received from their parents are one of strength and stability but such souls are few. But let us talk about the majority of us who do tend to become sorrowful sometimes when past events which have hurt us or brought down our happiness levels are mentioned by our family members or are remembered by us or their memories are triggered in our minds on seeing certain negative present events in our lives when without us consciously deciding, our thoughts and feelings tend to drift into a negative mindset.

Attachment is the seed of all negative emotions. If you see some of the vices or the main enemies of the soul – lust, anger, greed, ego, jealousy, hatred, even fear – all have their origins in one single negative emotion of attachment. Obviously, past memories surface inside some people’s minds more than others because of a mind that is not able to let go of what it has faced or what negative experience it went through however long ago. The ability to let go or forget easily is brought about by sanskaras of the practice of soul consciousness and Supreme Soul consciousness or the remembrance of the Supreme Soul. Do you know that when we souls were completely pure in our initial births, we were in a state of such strong detachment that even when we left the body and took another body, we used to not experience sorrow? This is an external detachment from the physical body. Not remembering a negative past at all and a positive past excessively requires internal detachment. So, becoming a pure soul by visualizing oneself as a sparkling being or soul of light just above the eyebrows separate from this body throughout the day and even keeping an hourly chart for noting the amount of time I have remained in that experience in every hour while performing actions as well as in the midst of actions, every 2 hours for at least 3 minutes i.e. atleast 5-6 times a day, seeing oneself as a sparkling soul in the Supreme Soul’s presence in the soul world and absorbing His pure energy within oneself is the long term method of becoming internally detached from what has already happened in my life – either pleasant or not so pleasant.

To be light is to touch hearts without leaving a mark. 

There are certain moments where there is bound to be conflict or discord. Yet, when I am connected with the positive side of the relationship, I am able to give unconditionally and touch hearts. Thus, I am able to be free from such words, thoughts or even attitude that leaves a negative impact. Today I will say something good and touching to people around me. I will take as many chances I can to touch the hearts of those around me. This will make me appreciate and value the contribution that people in my life make for my own growth and progress. Every relationship has, in fact, some unique contribution to make.

Message for the day

To be focused on the goal is to use our potential well. 

Expression: When I am focused on my goal, I will not be caught up with the side scenes that come my way. Distractions need not necessarily be positive; it can also be in the form of my own weaknesses or challenges from others. When I understand that I am on a journey and I have to move forward to my goal, I will not be distracted by any good or bad scene that comes my way. 

Experience: Today I will clarify my goal and focus my energies towards it. I will do at least one thing that will make me move towards that goal. And if anything happens that disturbs me, I will remind myself that getting stuck there would not help me move forward in my journey. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 25, 2016: Give Time

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 25, 2016: Give Time

Spring in Holland

Give Time

Whatever or whoever you give time to, you give your attention to. Whatever gets your attention gets your energy. Whatever gets your energy must grow. So what will you give your time to today - who will get your attention? What or who needs your attention? Is it a task, a process or a relationship? Or are you waiting for these things to give you time and attention? How long have you been waiting? Why are you waiting? Are you a leader or a follower, a master or a slave? Mmmm...all questions today!

Reliving The Memories Of The Past (Part 2)

When advised by a spiritual teacher whom you might encounter (as spiritualism makes its inroads at a very fast pace into the mainstream of society) that remaining in the present is the ideal way of living, some might suggest to the spiritual wisdom carrying teacher that perhaps it is easy for you’ll since you’ll have the company of the Supreme Being and meditation is a practice which you’ll have been doing since a very long period of time, even in some cases since early years. But how do we, as corporate professionals and housewives, live a life without the past influencing our present life situations and our perceptions or our way of looking at the same.

Also, some people say its fine not to think about the failures of the past but it is unrealistic to not ponder about past successes, because they are positive events and attainments. Some people are so tied up with past success stories of their lives and are so attached to it that it slowly takes the form of a type of ego which then starts reflecting negatively in their present behaviour and relationships. Suppose, I have been very good at my studies and I was one of the best in school and college, in excelling in my education. So, do I forget that or remember it because doing that gives me joy? When a joy out of a positive past event exceeds the sphere of necessary feelings and enters the sphere of unnecessary and waste feelings, the joy turns into a negative emotion of impure pride or ego after violating the limits of pure pride or self-esteem. Speaking about past successes to each one we meet can easily be seen by others as an exaggeration or unnecessary utterance and some people don’t prefer listening to success events of others beyond a certain point as it’s very clear in these cases that the other person does not have an intention of informing only. Ask any person off-handedly about how they felt after having listened to others’ success stories repeatedly and they will give you a frank opinion that it was more of a boast. People will always like people who are authoritative in mentioning their successes but at the same time they are humble and remain incognito in not mentioning them repeatedly. That is for speaking about past events of a positive nature. The same applies to thinking about them.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Say Goodbye to the Past

The most powerful anchor on our potential to soar high in life is the past. The past contains the dead weight of experience, learned beliefs and all our mistakes. Life cannot truly begin until we are able to say goodbye to the legacies of yesterday at will. Like a filing cabinet, the past is a resource of information for learning, but it is not a place to live. When you go to work do you spend your day in the filing cabinet? How often will you/did you live in the past today? Say goodbye and make it final. Saying farewell to yesterday, last month and last year is the sign of a person who wants to live for today and is truly alive to all the possibilities of 'the moment', while fully aware that all they think, say and do right now, creates tomorrow.

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Message for the day

To understand the significance of the role that I have to play is to make it special. 

Expression: When I compare myself with others, I either feel superior or inferior to them. There is also a chance that I feel jealous. This negativity doesn't help me do the best in what I have to do. In fact, it is true that each and every actor has a special part to play and so do I. When I remember the special role that I have to play in my life and understand its significance, I will be able to give my best to it. 

Experience: Today I will remember that I am the hero actor in this drama of life. Each and everything that happens to me has a meaning and is making me better in this role. I have to excel in this role that I am playing at present. I will then be able to be free from wasteful comparisons. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris