Daily Positive Thoughts: October 15, 2016: Just to give

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 15, 2016: Just to give

 

Just to give

With habits, never give in or we lose our dignity. With the self, never give up or we lose our destiny. With others never give your worst or you will never develop your best. The saying, "What we give is what we receive". The lesson: Just to give.

The Invisible Impressions That Shape Me

While the mind and intellect are two faculties of the soul which play their role on the surface of our consciousness; at a deeper level, hidden beneath these two faculties, there lies a third faculty commonly called the sanskaras. The sanskaras is not only a store house of personality traits, as we commonly know it to be, but a store house of millions and millions of impressions or imprints. Such a large number of impressions are created by millions of experiences that I go through my sense organs not only in this life but in all my lifetimes. Everything that I hear, see, touch, taste, etc. I process or analyze or summarize in my own unique way; basically I give the experiences a unique form depending on my personality, before this form gets stored in the form of impressions inside me. I even process my subtle experiences, which are in the form of thoughts and feelings.

This process of experiencing and processing takes place during each and every second of my life including the time I sleep, when my mind may not be experiencing a lot but it is busy processing the physical and subtle experiences of the day that has gone by and storing the processed information in the form of impressions. From this, one can get an idea of the magnitude of the database of impressions stored within me, the being. These imprints which are unique to me, make up my sanskaras, and shape up my unique personality in acyclic process. My personality shapes what type of impressions are created out of my experiences and the impressions in turn shape my personality, my thoughts, words and actions e.g. if I constantly keep the company of people who gossip, a large number of respective impressions based on the experience of gossiping keep getting stored inside me, which in turn influence my personality, the personality characteristic gets stronger and over a period of time I do not find anything wrong with it and indulge in it more and more. As a result more such impressions get stored. Thus it is a cyclic process.

The bigger Picture

Often when we react, it's as if we grab 'a tiny scrap of life' and fill it with our own meaning. 

The meaning we project is usually based on our past experiences, and it may not still apply. 

We then miss the opportunity to understand the other and experience something new.

Before reacting, consider the bigger picture. 

Understand that there are many layers and dimensions that make up each moment. And then respond meaningfully.

Message for the day

To have self-respect is to get respect from all. 
Expression: Anything that is full will remain stable. When I am in my stage of self-respect, I will be humble. I then need not ask for or demand respect. I will become worthy of receiving respect. People will then automatically give good wishes and respect. 

Experience: Today I will take one point that acts like a practice of self-respect. I will take a simple thought reminding of it from time to time. A thought like "I have the right to success" or "I am special and unique" or any other thought of practice helps. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 14, 2016: Tirelessly Working To Bring About Change

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 14, 2016: Tirelessly Working To Bring About Change

The Appennine Colossus, just north of Florence, Italy

Tirelessly Working To Bring About Change

The one who is tireless works quietly to make changes in themselves and others. When things go wrong, tirelessness enables me to work toward bringing about a change without complaining. Like when we add bricks to build a foundation no one notices the actual work, but the result speaks for itself. Sometimes it can be difficult to adjust, especially when the adjustment required is due to someone else's mistake. When this happens I have to have faith that this is my contribution to bring about a change. When I adjust and adapt to the situation without feelings of negativity, I will find things changing for the better.

Shedding Off The Attachment To A Positive Past (Part 2)

Excessive attachment to a glorious past is a subtle shade of the negative emotion of ego which colors my present perception of external events and which affects my present actions and responses, as a result of which not only present but my future is also affected.  As I hold on to it, my creativity is reduced and I do everything with a limited perspective, not letting myself grow and shape up a glorious present and future. There are some people whose goal is to achieve something so great in their lives so as to ensure they will gain recognition and respect by others in time to come. This is again a subtle shade of attachment and ego.

But shedding off this type of attachment is not easy and first requires the realization that this attachment is incorrect and damaging. The next step is sitting in silence and becoming aware of how you lose your identity in a story of past thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitudes and actions and then disassociating or detaching yourself from that story. You do not need to suppress or deny or fight with this story; otherwise its memory gets stronger and more overpowering. You just need to simply see and realize deeply that your past is just a record of a particular set of actions, which you committed at a particular point of time, it is a series of images of previous events that you witnessed and that you were a part of, all of which have left a record in your memory, and in the memories of others, but they are not what you are. This type of practice of disassociation with spiritual understanding fades the excessive memory of the story in your consciousness over a short period of time and these actions then cease to influence you in any way in the present. Here we are talking about an influence, which we have for long deceived ourselves into believing to be a positive one, but which in reality is not.

Getting Respect

Do you want people to respect you? If you want respect, respect yourself first. How do you expect others to respect you, if you don't respect yourself?

Acknowledge your value, your talents & all the goodness that is within. At the same time, practice humility & be respectful to others. Respect yourself & others will most likely respect you.

Message for the day

To say yes is to have access to the best of qualities. 

Expression: Whenever life offers something challenging, it is important to just say yes without worrying. Automatically, this new challenge brings out new qualities that I may not be aware of before. If I say yes and yet have worry or tension, I cannot use my qualities. I will also not be able to use others' help. 

Experience: Today I will accept one challenge which I have been avoiding. I will take it up with the firm faith that I can succeed in it surely. I will then use all my resources to achieve what I set out to achieve. I would then find that others too would start cooperating and other resources will be available to me. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 13, 2016: Count Your Blessings

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 13, 2016: Count Your Blessings

Pouring a Thermos of Hot Tea at -40°C near the Arctic Circle - Photographer Michael Davies

 

Count Your Blessings

 

Even when you feel as though things aren't going well in your life, you have reasons to be grateful. Today, take time to appreciate the gift of life and all its wonders. Count your blessings and cherish what you have.

Shedding Off The Attachment To A Positive Past (Part 1)

A very powerful mis-identification (incorrect identification) that each one of us indulges in, to different extents, is identifying with our positive or glorious actions of the past. This identification is so strong that almost every day it comes to the surface of our consciousness when we switch on the movie of this story of these actions on the screen of our minds. By rehearsing this story repeatedly we love experiencing the same emotions and feelings that we felt at that time, emotions that we had enjoyed very much. We not only re-experience that pleasure but we also love to share the pleasure by persuading others to see that movie by broadcasting that movie in front of whoever we come across. This is normally done in the form of words by speaking about our professional or personal achievements, our educational qualifications, our experiences, actions for which we gained recognition, our history, etc., all a thing of the past. But this is not talking about the real self, this is just a story, thus it is a false identification with something we are not. Every time we indulge in this type of identification, we strengthen the incorrect belief that we are talking about our self. We believe the past is us. This is the incorrect identification.

If someone were to ask us to describe ourselves in a few words, instead of talking with humility about our spiritual self, our virtues, powers, strengths, etc., which is the real self, we quickly mention all of the above features of our past, thinking this will give the other an impression of our credibility. Even when we communicate with people over email or some other mediums, we are quick to mention all these things in our signature, etc. believing this is our story and portraying that we are in love with it and other people should identify us with this story as we do and love us for the same. To remember and identify with any memory of action that we created yesterday is to identify with what we do. And we are not what we do.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Opinionated?

Most of us are quick to form opinions about others

Of course you have a right to think whatever you want. 

But you might want to add compassion to your opinions; whether it's your friends, family, colleagues or even strangers.

You can never fully comprehend people's choices or motivations. So just assume that they are doing the best they can in completely different circumstances to yours. 

Today, catch yourself as you start to form opinions, and be more compassionate.

Message for the day

To use resources well is to increase them.

Expression: If I put to use whatever resources I have, I will be able to increase them. Firstly, whatever I use, I become aware of them more and more. They become more and more available to me. Secondly, for having used them, they get sharpened and much better. It also brings back return from others in some way or the other.

Experience: Today I will recognize at least one special resource which I have not been putting to use. It could be the resource of a skill that I have; some specialty or even something more subtle, like the resource of my thoughts or time. I will start using it consciously, so that I use it more and more, thus increasing it. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 12, 2016: Admiration not Envy

Admiration not Envy

Very fortunate is the one who has learned to admire, but not to envy. To envy others neither  diminishes their good fortune nor increases your own.

On A Spiritual Joyride (Part 6)

When we begin our spiritual journey, we should ensure that we don’t work on ourselves strictly. On the other hand, we should change ourselves with ease and lightness which gives us an experience of joy and does not let us get tired while making effort to change ourselves. While looking at your weaknesses, do not feel disheartened that why they exist and why I am not able to bring about the required amount of change in myself. Bringing about changes in your behavior and thinking is important but not at the cost of losing your happiness while doing that. Happiness is lost when there is sometimes loss of hope and doubts whether we will be able to succeed in changing ourselves or not exist. Also, when we see others around us who are perfect in many ways, we could experience an inferiority complex and our self-esteem is reduced. In such cases, it is wise to be extremely patient and keep traveling on the path of self-change with determination and happiness, without getting tired.

Also, a spiritual path is one in which there are different types of side-scenes or distracting scenes in the form of difficult and surprising situations which tend to prevent us from experiencing fulfillment and even prevent us from fulfilling our life’s aim of making ourselves perfect. Even in such cases, a spiritual joyride is one we have to experience because we have to accept that spirituality does not mean that there will be no difficult problems on our path. Only the power to cross the problems will be inside us that will make it easier for us as compared to before. Also, stress which is a common response to a difficult situation will be changed to contentment and life will no longer seem as difficult as before inspite of all the negative scenes of disturbance. This in short is a description of how living a spiritual life is the easiest and most enjoyable type of journey one could undertake for shaping up a new you and giving a similar shape to others.

Try again

When you don't get the desired results, do you get that sinking feeling? 

It's as if all that effort and hard work was a waste of time!

Don't be disheartened. Making effort and putting in hard work is similar to planting seeds. 

Some seeds germinate right away and some take a little bit longer. Just wait and see.

If you still don't get any results, try again. Maybe you've got the results, just not what you desired! Or maybe you need to do something differently.

Message for the day

To connect to others' specialties is to get cooperation. 

Expression: The one who sees specialties has faith in others. Whatever the person's present action or response may be, when we remain connected to the specialties, we are able to use these specialties with faith. This also makes us have good wishes for them. This automatically makes us easily give and get cooperation. 

Experience: Today I will see only specialties in others. I will think of one person whom I have more interaction with. I will specially focus on the strengths of this person. As far as possible, I will also remind him too of these specialties. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 11, 2016: First Change

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 11, 2016: First Change

Prime Minister at the International Yoga Day, June 21, 2015, Rajpath, New Delhi

First Change

There is no greater teacher than one's own practical example. To be really benevolent therefore means that I must first change, then I have the power, the knowledge and the experience of thinking and doing for the ultimate benefit of all.

On A Spiritual Joyride (Part 5)

Life without the love of the Father of humanity or God is like a tree without leaves. Love fills our life with enthusiasm and a lot of energy and we feel motivated to achieve in every sphere of life whether personal, professional or in the field of spirituality. Spirituality is itself an independent segment of life with its own challenges both in the field of self progress and in the field of donating all that you possess to others, which we call spiritual service at the Brahma Kumaris. So, everything you do from the morning to night is filled with love and you do it with lot of power and dedication and without getting bored. So, enjoyment while working in an office or while dealing with people in the family becomes extremely easy, as easy as going for a drive or cooking a meal.

Also, the way of loving each one in a pure manner and without any expectations comes in every relationship, whether personal, professional or spiritual. There are people in the world who are experts at dealing with people with a lot of love and are well known for this specialty in their social relationships. Such people, when asked about their secret of success, will commonly tell you that they are very good at thinking correctly and manage their thinking smoothly. Such people can deal with people of different personalities and even manage them, not necessarily control them. This is something that becomes easy to do after taking a spiritual birth or being a student of spirituality. Spirituality fills you with the power to think only what is necessary and as per the requirements of a particular situation, which can be difficult at times.
(To be continued tomorrow …)

Air, Fire, Water, Earth & Ether; we can be like the 5 elements. 

Be light like air, free from worry & fear. 

Like fire, positively transform your habits.

Like water, keep flowing & never stagnate.

Like the earth, be stable in the face of challenges.

Be expansive, like the ether. Give space to yourself & others.

Message for the day

The one who serves others is the richest.

 
Expression: To be in a position to serve others means to be aware of the resources and treasures within. When all the powers that are within are used for the benefit of the self and others they tend to multiply and increase. So the one who continues to serve others continues to become richer. 

Experience: When I serve, not only do I become richer with what I use, but for having served unselfishly I also become richer with the blessings and good wishes that emerge from the hearts of others. I am able to experience the real richness and beauty of life as there is a lot of love, happiness and joy in my life. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris