Daily Positive Thoughts: July 05, 2016: Let Go

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 05, 2016: Let Go

Beautiful Macaws in full flight

Let Go

Just as the bird has to find the courage to let go of the branch in order to fly, so we also must let go of our branches if we are to know the exhilaration of soaring to the highest potential of our life. The branches we hold to are our inner attachments - our beliefs, ideas and memories. And then there are the outer attachments - people, possessions, positions and privileges are a few. But as long as we hold on to them we will live in fear (of letting go and loss) and we will never be free. And just watch those birds, by letting go of one branch they are able to spend the rest of their life alighting on a million other branches, and they enjoy the view from each. Are you flying and soaring in your life, or are you stuck on one branch, cursing others as they fly past. Go on, try it ...let go!

8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 5)

In yesterday's message, we had explained the importance of the first step of the day as a step of determination and the effect it has on the entire day after that. But it is important to note that along with determination we also need spiritual strength and wisdom to bring the eight powers into practice. Strength is the inner ability of the soul to emerge and bring these powers into action. Wisdom on the other hand is to know which power is required and when and is the key to making the strength work i.e. bringing the power into actual action. Both wisdom and strength are of equal importance.

Wisdom is learnt through the medium of spirituality. It includes the complete knowledge of the soul and how it works. Along with that the knowledge of karma which in short is the law of action and reaction which means every good or bad karma causes a similar result, which the soul has to experience in the form of joy and sorrow. Also, a relationship with God and the knowledge of that as well as the knowledge of who is God and how we can connect with Him and fill ourselves with the eight powers. Along with that the knowledge of the world drama and how we come into the cycle of birth and rebirth and lose our eight powers and how we can regain them. Of course, lastly the knowledge of the eight powers and their practical use in day-to-day life. All these aspects of spirituality and their complete knowledge is spiritual wisdom. To attain wisdom, you do not need to leave your day-to-day life routine or your homes. It can be done while being a professional. On the other hand, the wisdom is required more if you are living a life in which you meet different types of people with different natures, which is only possible if you are living a life full of different relationships at the personal and professional levels. So, live in a family, go to office, run a business but do not forget to listen or read spiritual knowledge along with that because without wisdom, you will not know how to use the eight powers and will not know how to be emotionally successful.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

To watch with detachment is to give the best performance. 

Any actor would like to portray his best on stage. He would have utmost attention to every small action or expression. When I become an audience to my own act, I would be able to give my best performance too. Then, I also need to watch my act as the audience. Then, I can applaud my best performance and improve upon what is not good. Today I will imagine being photographed at every step. I will see myself as a camera would see me. This detached perspective will give me a clear indication of what my behavior, actions and expressions are and what I would like them to be. 

Message for the day

To be free from weakness means to have the power to mould. 

Expression: When there is a weakness, it becomes difficult to mould according to the needs of the situation. Weakness creates hardness and rigidity not allowing the situations to create internal beauty. So the one who is constantly working with one's own weakness finds it difficult to stop the negativity from being expressed immediately. The weakness is revealed inspite of making effort not to and there is unpleasantness created.

Experience: To have the ability to mould means to become real gold. I become as flexible and beautiful as pure gold, which is ready to take beautiful shapes when it comes under the influence of the heat of the situation. So I have no hard feelings for having to adjust, but I am able to enjoy the beauty I create and the joy I spread. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 04, 2016: Doing the Right Thing

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 04, 2016: Doing the Right Thing

Dublin High School Production of “The Matchmaker”

Doing the Right Thing

The world is a stage and we are all actors. Each actor plays a unique part and is responsible for his/her own actions. Responsibility means doing the right thing no matter how big or small the task may be. Each one of us has a special role to play in the making the world a better place.

8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 4)

When starting a day, talk to yourself that from the first moment till the end of the day I will remain stable and not be lacking any of the 8 powers - the power to tolerate, power to accommodate, power to face, power to pack up, power to discriminate, power to judge, power to withdraw and power to co-operate. Then, step into the day on a determined note and see what difference this first powerful thought brings to the day. It’s like getting up and saying Good Morning to everyone around you. They say by doing that, not only the morning but the complete day is spent in a positive way. In the same manner, a morning thought of determination to succeed on an emotional level is a great start of the day which goes a long way in making us immune to the effects of the different types of problems that come our way throughout the day. It can be called a morning mantra which keeps us strong till the night.

A determined start of the day is half the work done and is the foundation of a day filled with success in keeping the mind under control, relationships successful, role in the family and at the workplace running smoothly, stability while handling wealth and lastly freedom from the sorrow experienced due to physical illnesses, if any. So, don’t ever be in a hurry to start the day. A hurried start to the day is a sure method of bringing about confusion and powerlessness in the complete day and is the main cause of experiencing failure repeatedly. The power to succeed does not only mean success on a physical level but also the ability to stay happy, content, peaceful and light while doing anything. So, enjoy the day on a physical level but do not forget that without the experiences of lightness and power you will not feel satisfied from inside and will not be able to enjoy life to its fullest. And for that, a morning pledge of power and determination is of utmost importance. 

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Imbibe Good Qualities

We tend to admire people who have qualities we would like to have or do things we would like to do.

Think of the people you admire - they could be a character from a book, a movie or someone very real. What is it that you admire about these people?

Which of their qualities would you like to develop yourself? 
Now all that's needed is to go out and start expressing these qualities in your life.

Message for the day

The sweetness of the mind brings sweetness in words and interactions. 

Expression: There is an understanding of the need for being sweet in words and interactions. But this sweetness can be expressed only when there is sweetness in the mind. Sweetness of the mind means there is not even a trace of negativity. Such a mind is further open to all that is nice and beautiful and expresses its own freshness and beauty in interactions.

Experience: When I am able to keep my mind sweet, i.e., free from any kind of bitterness or ill-feelings, I am able to experience the beauty of life. There is no feeling of sorrow or negativity but the mind is nurtured to further positivity with everything that comes its way. I am then able to experience constant growth and progress. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 03, 2016: The Best Language for Communication

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 03, 2016: The Best Language for Communication

 

The Best Language for Communication

 

Silence is the best language for communication. It helps us understand and realize the eternal truths about the self, God and the world. In silence we are able to comprehend and express sincerely and powerfully the true values of the soul such as peace, love and joy. Silence is not the absence of thoughts but it is a state in which the mind is engaged in pure elevated thoughts that nurture these values within. The power of silence develops all mental and spiritual powers that are needed to tackle various situations successfully.

8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 3)

The list of different situations that we go through in the entire day is endless. Of course, the powers required in all the different situations are different. Sometimes not just one or two but all the eight powers, to different extents, are required to experience success. We have to bring the power into action. There are three stages of bringing a power into action. The first step is realizing that in a particular situation I need a particular spiritual power and being sure as to which that power is or powers are. For this, I need a calm mind and a pure intellect and also an experience of the past of having gone through different types of situations of the mind, body, role and relationships. E.g. if someone’s behavior is not very positive towards me, in such a situation, to experience success, I need the power to tolerate and accommodate. At the same time, in such situations, it is not wise to use the power to face i.e. being bold and trying to face the other person. I need to know that I have to face the situation, not the person, which could spoil the situation. So, I need to be clear about my choices and need to be sure as to which of the eight powers I should use. A wrong choice of power can mean a negative situation becoming more negative and a right choice can lead to a solution to a problem.

Then, the second step is to emerge that power inside my consciousness. This depends on how my sanskaras have been filled with these eight powers over a long period of time. Of course, all people have all eight powers to a little extent at least, but some people’s sanskaras of the powers are deeper than the others and so they are able to emerge the powers more easily. Also, after that, the last step is implementing the power and bringing it into action. This means that the power does not only emerge in my mind, but it shows through my thoughts, words and actions also.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

To calm the mind is to have the ability to correct situations. 

When we become anxious about something, it is but natural to get caught up in it. At such times, we find our mind racing and the speed of actions increasing too. We try desperately to do things that mostly are not right. It is important for me to calm my mind, before I try to correct the situation that is causing me anxiety. Today I will move slowly. I will reduce the pace of my actions and also of my thoughts. The best things are always discovered in silence. So, even if things go wrong, I will not let them make my mind race. Today I will discover the beauty of situations in silence.

Message for the day

Feelings change intentions, thus changing actions too. 
Expression: When there are negative feelings like jealousy or hatred towards another person, those feelings naturally create misunderstanding. Even if the other person has a good feeling while doing something, a negative intention is attributed and this naturally changes one's own behaviour or response making it negative too. 

Experience: When there is the slightest bit of negative feeling within me for someone, it naturally creates further negativity from others too. I find everything I come across to be negative, like the one who wears coloured glasses sees everything to be of that particular colour. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 02, 2016: Gentleness

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 02, 2016: Gentleness

 

 Elephant Tree Arch, Thailand

Gentleness

If trees had souls, the quality most attributable to them would be gentleness. Gentleness is not a lack of strength but a quality which doesn't disturb, doesn't push, yet knows its power and can provide shelter.

8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 2)

Whenever you start the day and you have work to do, remind yourself that I have to use the eight spiritual powers in overcoming situations of various types and experience success. Take for e.g. today I have to meet a group of executives in a company meeting and we have to take a few decisions based on everyone’s feedback. For such a situation, I need to use the power to discriminate the different opinions of people and also the power to judge and reach a final decision based on the different opinions. For this I need a clean intellect and a stable mind and also as mentioned in yesterday’s message the sanskaras of these two powers especially. Also, suddenly my close associate in the office develops a cold war with me i.e. he starts keeping a distance from me. In such a situation, to get him back on good terms with me, I need the power to co-operate and accommodate along with the other powers to a lesser extent. These are examples of two different situations at the workplace.

Then there are situations involved with the body becoming ill at times and the mind feels burdened by that and the smile on the face is replaced by discontentment and indifference for many people when faced with such physical body related problems. In such a situation the primary power required is the power to face and the power to accommodate. The other six powers also reduce when faced with an illness. There are some people who lose their temper or get angry very easily when they are not physically well i.e. their power to tolerate and power to co-operate reduces. Also, some people will find it hard to discriminate right from wrong and judge correctly when are not well, which are two important powers required to be successful in real life situations. And again, because in all illness, negative thoughts can increase, there are people who will find it extremely difficult to get sleep and remain focused i.e. their power to pack up and withdraw gets affected in such a situation.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Get a Boost

When we're tired, it's all too easy to give in to the tiredness and get cranky. 

Resist the urge; tired and cranky is not a good combination, you're likely to say or do something you regret later.

Here are a few tips to release the tiredness: 
adjust the air-conditioner setting, open the window, 
step outdoors and grab some fresh air, listen to an energizing song or drink water.

Give yourself a boost and get back on track.

Message for the day

To be free from worry means to have the power to change negative into positive. 

Thought to ponder: The ones who are free from worry change that which is bad into something good, because the state of mind is calm. The one with a calm state of mind is able to think creatively and see very clearly even beyond the situation. So there is the ability to transform the seemingly negative situation into something very positive. So there is clear decision-making and quick action. There is also no time wasted. 

Point to practice: When I am free from worry, I constantly remain satisfied for having seen the positive and finding the solutions immediately instead of looking at the problem and worrying over it. This internal silence gives the feeling of power, which naturally enables transformation in a second and only the goodness is absorbed. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 01, 2016: Live Inside Hope

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 01, 2016: Live Inside Hope

Chateau de Langeais, France

Live Inside Hope

The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.

8 Powers To Experience Success (Part 1)

A very important measuring meter of life which we forget to use in our daily routine is the spiritual power meter which means that in any difficult situation of life, how good I was in using a spiritual power in overcoming that situation. The eight main spiritual powers are the power to tolerate, power to accommodate, power to face, power to pack up, power to discriminate, power to judge, power to withdraw and power to co-operate.

E.g. I am driving my car on a crowded road and all of a sudden my car is banged by another driver from behind leaving a big dent on my car. Very often and a lot of people in such situations, as we see in big cities, will get out of the car and confront the opposite car driver. Then they will demand a few thousand rupees from him. Sometimes, there can be a war of words and even a fight and sometimes when the anger is at its highest, it overflows and results in an injury or even death. Another person in a similar situation, on the other hand, will remain calm and instead of becoming angry, will forgive the other driver and instead of fighting, will quietly drive away. Which power does the first person lack and the other person has because of which the reactions are so different? In this situation, the power to tolerate and the power to accommodate the other person’s actions are the two main powers out of the above mentioned eight powers, which are required. Of course, the other six powers are also required but the two mentioned are required more than the rest. This is an example of a common situation, where anger and ego are the two main negative forces over which these two spiritual powers – the power to tolerate and the power to accommodate have to gain victory. Also, a very important point to note that all four of them - the two powers as well as the two negative forces are sanskaras inside the soul which can be changed i.e. the power can be filled or increased and the negative force can be removed or reduced.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

We are like a Tree

Our branches represent work, family, friends, health, dreams, ambitions.... 

Our life-force pulses through each branch to every single leaf. So, extend your branches in a joyful gesture and celebrate life.

The seed is the essence of who you are; your life-force.
If you feel overwhelmed by it all, concentrate on the seed and you'll be revitalised. When the seed is vibrant and vitalised, the tree, the branches, the leaves, everything will be good.

Message for the day

To sow the seeds of pure feelings constantly is to experience positive fruit. 

Expression: When one's feelings are constantly positive and pure, there is no expectation of the fruit to emerge immediately. Even if others are not able to respond to the positivity or if situations are not according to my expectations, there is still the feeling of giving. So there is this positivity expressed through the vibrations spread around and in every word and action. 

Experience: The more I am able to have pure feelings for those around me, the more is the positivity that emerges from within. Because of having discovered the positivity within, I am able to give unconditionally. So I experience the immediate fruit of what I have given and also accumulate for the future, and continue to enjoy multi fold fruit of what I give. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 30, 2016: Developing Good Habits

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 30, 2016: Developing Good Habits

Developing Good Habits

Develop the habit of getting up early and sitting in silence. Read a peaceful thought and reflect on it. Write down some ideas about this thought. Return to silence, allowing these ideas to take root inside you. Share your ideas with a person close to you. This practice will help you accept and cope with conflicts and difficult situations. It will help you stay happy and peaceful for the rest of the day.

Creating Positive Circumstances

Why do we find it so hard to create positive circumstances, a positive future in our life? One reason is we all have the tendency to spend most of our time in the past, reliving and replaying our memories. Look back on your average day and you may find that more than 3/4ths of your time is spent in the past (a lot of times without you realizing it). Not only do we try to relive the past, but we also attempt to change it! We attempt the impossible and, in so doing, we live in very small cycles where tomorrow tends to turn out similar to yesterday, and then we wonder why we do not have the power to change our lives. It feels like we do not have the will-power, we do not have the ability to change the circumstances in our lives, our destiny.

The past cannot be relived; it cannot be changed. The past is like a cupboard of old files.  When you arrive at work every day, do you step into such a cupboard and spend the day there?  The past is a great resource for learning and sometimes, a resource for useful information, but it is not a place to live.  We can build on the old, but we cannot rewrite it. The future is the result of what we think, feel and do today. If today is the same as yesterday (because of constantly thinking about yesterday) then tomorrow will look and feel like yesterday and in this way we feel we are stuck in a web and we get frustrated. We need to let go of the past if we want the future to shape up positively, different from yesterday, which is negative at times! The past is past. Drop it and keep dropping it.

To be peaceful you have to see yourself as a peaceful being. 

It means to think about being peaceful.

It means that you have to be able to be able to describe it in words.

You must be capable of experiencing the feelings you would have if you reached that peaceful state. 

Now believe in it. If you feel it, it's real. Simply work on it and keep it uppermost in your mind. Make it yours and it will become your natural behaviour.

Message for the day

The ones with faith in the self will be able to make their thoughts and actions equal. 

Contemplation: When you have faith in yourself you will be able to have a high aim and you will be able to put into action all the thoughts that you have according to your aim. Your plans will then not be limited to thoughts only. 

Application: With the firm faith that you are special and unique, start putting into practice all the special thoughts that you get without postponing them. Slowly you will find yourself doing all the things that you think you should be doing. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 29, 2016: Communication

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 29, 2016: Communication

Communication

In prayer you communicate with God, in meditation God communicates with you.

Cleaning Up The Cupboards Of Your Mind (Part 2)

The first thing that meditation teaches us is to cleanse (clean up) the mind of the useless thoughts that it creates in the present moment. While your mind identifies with these kinds of thoughts and sees them as absolutely normal, it will not be able to concentrate. And if it cannot concentrate, it will not be able to cleanse in depth. Meditation helps you to live through that inner process without pain.

From a space of love, experienced in meditation, you feel secure in order to open up the cupboards of your subconscious mind. Do not open them before commencing (beginning) the practice of meditation, because the accumulated pain can be overwhelming and the loneliness experienced, when you see what you find inside, can terrify you. Because you are alone, with yourself, with your past and with your present and you are alone here, with your inner cupboards and your files. In the silence of contemplative meditation you feel a divine energy accompanying you which helps you overcome this fear of loneliness. You feel embraced by the energy and the presence of unconditional love, which it showers on you - it accepts you as you are, which makes the cleaning up process easier.

The Power To Pack Up      (...continued)

As I progress on my spiritual journey, even thoughts that waste the precious resources of the mind come to be seen as a barrier. Turning a scene over in my mind repeatedly is an example of waste, that will rob me of the mental concentration and emotional stability I need to keep moving forward. Sometimes we do get stuck, like a broken record, in such mental grooves, without realizing what we are doing. 

The power of pack up means I recognize the damage caused by such waste, and put an end to it. As I renew the awareness of myself as a soul, in relationship with the Supreme Soul, the needle of my attention is lifted above the groove, letting me come fully into the present. 

I also learn to be selective in what I choose to remember or forget from the past. This is not dishonest; in fact, it is being honest to my task. Human beings in any case have highly selective memories. We not only see and understand differently, according to our individual interests and agendas, but our attitudes and perception also determine the memories we choose to store. 

Meditation enables me to exercise this option quite deliberately, picking up those scenes from the past that nourish me and help me move forward, and rejecting memories that pollute my mind and slow me down.

Message for the day

When you are always truthful, you'll have nothing to fear. 

Contemplation: True courage comes when there is the power of truth within you. When you are constantly truthful, you will have nothing to fear. In all the challenges you face everyday you will be able to maintain your courage because of your power of truth. 

Application: Make sure your actions are based on truth and when things go wrong, you will still be able to maintain your courage. Keep reminding yourself that you have the power of truth with you and you will be victorious, whatever the challenges that come your way. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris