Daily Positive Thoughts: October 20, 2016: Unlimited Happiness

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 20, 2016: Unlimited Happiness

Unlimited Happiness

Constantly have a happy face and remain healthy with the nourishment of happiness and full of the treasures of happiness. What more does one need? Your treasures of happiness are unlimited. The more you spend, the more they increase. No matter what happens, whether it is through the state of one's own mind, through other souls or through the elements or atmosphere, I must not lose my happiness. Even if someone insults you or tries to bring you down, remember this, I must remain happy.

God And I – The Task We Share (Part 2)

Service of others is something which we have been taught right from the time when we were small children and our parents used to take us to the temple and teach us to put a few rupees from our pocket money into the temple money box. Do you remember the time when your mother gave you five rupees to donate to the school fund for the blind or for the deaf and also when your father bought you a bag full of coins to give each day to the nearby store which was collecting funds for little children with polio or those who were orphans. All this was taught to us when we were small. But, as we grew up, and became busy in our studies and grew into adults, these good giving habits were forgotten and we thought this was not something very important and we have the rest of our lives to do the same. Do you know that in our previous births, in traditional India, as a part of bhakti, we all have in total donated lakhs of rupees and ornaments (jewelry) in temples in the name of God, which used to be a fixed tradition and a part of our worship. Of course, we were not equally rich in each birth, but the traditional India in which remembrance of God started, saw kings and queens belonging to different states performing punya karma like donation to please God and also to make their own good destiny. That was the old India. And we are talking about a few thousands of years from now as per the knowledge of the world drama.

The India now and the world in general today have forgotten those old traditions because we became materialistic. As we all know, the remembrance of God today through different types of worship and the reading of religious books or shastras is no longer as popular as it used to be, especially in the modern world. These traditions were followed by our ancestors who were not people different from us but it was us, in our older physical bodies i.e. we as souls, in our previous births.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

What are you choosing?

You know the quote:

"Sow an intention and reap a thought
Sow a thought and reap an action
Sow an action and reap a habit
Sow a habit and reap a DESTINY"

By understanding the process, you realize how the choices you make influence your destiny. 

The power lies in the realization, that you have a choice.

Message for the day

To have courage is to receive multi-fold help. 

Thought to Ponder: When I have courage to take a step forward in the right direction, I would find that I receive help. My mind opens up to the various possibilities and opportunities that are available. Also, I start receiving help from people and God too.

Point to Practice: Today I will take a step towards the right direction. Once I set my mind on it, I will make a list of all those things that will be a help to me get that. I will also take a thought that I will surely achieve what I set out to achieve. This practice helps me move forward, in spite of the difficulties I might face. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 19, 2016: All We Need Is Love

Artist: Ronnie Biccard

All We Need Is Love

Everyone looks outside for everything, including love. Love is all that everyone wants. Their purpose in life is love; to love someone, to be loved, to love their car, to love their dog, to love their garden etc. But all these types of love are perishable and are destined to fade away. The love we really want is within us all the time. When we feel love, where is the love coming from? It is within us, that’s because we are love. So I need to sit in silence and get to know myself again, because when I get to know my true self I will find out that I am love. I don’t need to look for it outside. I have an imperishable supply of the sweetest love possible within me.

God And I – The Task We Share (Part 1)

Crossing barriers like a difficult exam or a challenge at work with a positive state of mind is something we have all got used to doing in our busy lifestyles but what we need to remember is that that these passing scenes of life keep coming and going. It’s as if challenges in life have a birthright to keeping coming in our lives and we have to cross them with determination and will-power. But along with the ability to be able to cross different situations, it is our duty to look outside our personal lives and see the world around us and see how people our suffering and what we can do for them on each day and get them out of their sorrows. The world is in need of people who are ready to take time out of their busy schedules and live their lives in changing others into happier and more content human beings. When asked whether you would like to live a life of service, we normally say that’s for those who do not have a regular time table of personal and professional work. But at the same time, it is our duty that every day we spend a few minutes in the service of others and in making people happier and free from the pressures of facing difficult situations of the mind, body, work and relationships.

In this message series, we shall explain the importance of service which we can include in our regular life and become humble leaders in the field of service. This type of leadership in spirituality means taking a humble pledge each morning that I will touch the lives of others in different ways and make a difference to them. This does not mean that I do not take care of people who are close to me either at home or at the workplace and I don’t live a busy lifestyle. But those few minutes of service of people, whom I come across everyday at different times, will fill my life with their blessings, full of love and happiness, which in turn will make my personal as well as professional life full of success.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Are you critical?

How do you handle other people's mistakes?

The next time you notice someone making mistakes, steer away from being critical. 

If it's appropriate, then offer constructive feedback. Remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes.

Be more understanding and supportive of others in your attitude and words.

Message for the day

The art of getting along well with others is to create harmony. 

Expression: To be good to people who are good to us is very easy. But the real beauty of life lies in knowing how to get along well with one and all. That means, I need to know how to empower my interactions so that I am able to get along well even with someone who is not so good to us. Just like notes of music which are different, I need to understand that everyone is different and I need to create beautiful music even in the worst conditions. 

Experience: Today I will see what I can do to get along well with one person whom I wasn't comfortable with. It could be some quality that I need to work on. It could be assertiveness or love or any other quality which will help me get along well with the person.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 18, 2016: Generosity

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 18, 2016: Generosity

 

Cherries in Hunza Valley, Pakistan

Generosity

Generosity can be defined in many ways but respect, kindness, benefit and accessibility are its key characteristics. Generosity is like a fruit tree in season. All its fruit is available to anyone for the picking. When I am full, complete, when I have conquered selfish needs then I can be naturally generous. My being is open to others to share the best without any obligation.

Empty Handed We Come And Go Away (Part 2)

Continuing from yesterday's message, a soul who does not cling, is easy natured, who wears the clothes of its roles and responsibilities, but not very tightly, experiences constant happiness and serenity and connects with everyone or everything, but yet can disconnect whenever required. This is true inner freedom.  Such a soul always smiles and coming in contact with such a soul is soothing. Such a soul is a liberated carefree emperor and gives a comfortable feeling of liberation to everyone and everything it touches or comes in contact with. On a lighter note, if you are still not convinced about living a life of detachment, you can start with asking yourself, do you enjoy interacting with someone who likes to possess or cling or control or someone who does not? What is a more empowering and comfortable experience for you? The answer is obvious.

Once we get convinced about the idea, we will be courageous enough to challenge internal pressures like old thought patterns, habits, beliefs, past experiences and external pressures in the form of real life challenging situations, the information that we receive from outside and of course our friends and loved ones who will try and convince us to take the opposite path of attachment in subtle or non-subtle ways.  Along with inner conviction, becoming aware of ourselves as spiritual beings through meditation, which will help us rediscover our real and authentic being, will also assist us immensely in this process and will provide us the power for the same. Meditation helps us empty ourselves of all that is unnecessary or excess waste inside us and discover the essential, which is precious, as a result we feel full and complete inside, and we no longer desire to possess or hold on to anything physical or non-physical. Hence, we very naturally, without much effort, start living our day-day life without depending on the crutches of attachment.

Holding a grudge at the moment? 

Still thinking about that comment someone made? 

Well, rather than letting things stew, let it go.

If you're not good at letting things go, then here's a simple method: 

Write down the issues on different pieces of paper. Read them, crumple them up and as you throw each one away, choose to let it go. 

Let go and free up your resources to focus on the important things.

Message for the day

Situations are a reminder to bring out positive qualities. 
Expression: Every situation is an excuse to bring out qualities from us, good or bad. It is up to us what we want to use. If we continue to blame situations to bring out anger, ego or any other negative trait, it will continue to increase. On the other hand, if we use the positive qualities, we find them increasing. So, in any situation it is important for us to remind what positive traits we have and use them. 

Experience: Today I will learn from one situation. I will check if I am able to maintain a positive state of mind or not. I will create a thought, based on a learning from the situation, making my mind positive. I will then be able to add power to the situation, instead of losing my own power. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 17, 2016: Happiness

 Happiness

I open my eyes to the wonder of being. Delighted in the way things turn out, amazed at the beauty of it all. 

I am happy.

Empty Handed We Come And Go Away (Part 1)

There is an old saying that we came empty-handed not only when we entered this particular life but when seen from a broader perspective, also when we entered the world. The same is the case when we leave this life or the world as a whole. Every birth for the soul is a fresh chapter or innings in its journey of life.

Everything that has come to us will definitely go away from us one day. While some may perceive this basic fact of humanity to be unrealistic and not in tune with practical life, but the fact is that attachment or the tendency to possess or cling is a defiance of this law, which leads to a form of fear filled spiritual suicide because the joy and contentment that seems to come from this tendency is only temporary and artificial and between these moments of happiness, there is fear of the loss of the physical or non-physical object that you try and possess, embedded in between and this fear causes the object to start controlling you and you feel suppressed and in bondage. As a result, your inner potential and creativity remains untapped and even starts reducing, without you realizing it consciously. In such a state, you fail to see and accept new ideas, opportunities and people in your life. You inner world becomes closed and chaotic and very difficult to manage and your internal self is weakened and harmed, leading to an internal self suicide. When someone stops clinging to anything, physical or non-physical, they don't become indifferent or cold, but their consciousness just starts becoming broader and functions without any limits, barriers or boundaries.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Our inner orchestra is made up of different musical instruments.

These instruments are our memories, desires, tendencies, mind, beliefs, emotions, feelings, fears, intuition, judgements, creativity, our imagination... 

Who is the director of this orchestra? You.

Who are you? You – the consciousness, you - the soul, you – the being.

When you direct your inner orchestra well, you can remain unaffected by external influences. If you, the director of the orchestra, close your eyes for a few moments and cover up your ears, what happens to the orchestra?

The music is not very harmonious or sweet; it is noisy and you suffer. To make the orchestra play according to the inner voice of your being, according to your purest intentions and values, you simply have to be awake, alert and attentive, and listen with your heart, not with your physical heart but with the heart of your being.

Message for the day

To be unaffected in the mind is true detachment. 

Thought to Ponder: Sometimes due to situations, we tend to move away physically from someone or something. We tend to avoid that person or situation. But that is not the solution. Because, the aspect that is being challenged continues to be there in my mind. It is more important to find a solution to it by understanding it fully. Only then can I do away with that thought. 

Point to Practice: Today I will analyze one situation that went wrong and take a learning from it. I will then tell myself that everything happens for the best and I am richer because of this experience. This attitude would make me detached from that particular situation. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 16, 2016: Remain Cheerful Within

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 16, 2016: Remain Cheerful Within

Remain Cheerful Within

When faced with problems it can seem difficult to maintain inner cheer, the mind gets caught up with more and more negativity, fear or worry. Because of this, the problem seems bigger than it is and we lose the ability to find solutions and work constructively. The first step I need to take when I recognise a problem is to smile to myself. When I make sure I am happy within, I know that every situation will pass and has something to teach me. Then I will find solutions come more quickly and easily.

Frozen Perceptions

Like water, which over a period of time freezes and takes the form of frozen ice cubes, when kept in an ice tray; perceptions of different things, people and events, inside our consciousness, which come onto the surface of our consciousness regularly i.e. we shape our thoughts, words and actions based on them, regularly, take the form of rigid perceptions over a period of time. These rigid or frozen perceptions, which sometimes never liquefy in our entire lifetime, are commonly called our beliefs, which can stick in our consciousness like ice cubes and be difficult to uproot at times. One of the greatest harms that holding to a set of beliefs does is, that it doesn't let us see from other peoples' point of view.

Let's say two people look at the same painting from two different points in a room. One describes what she sees and how the painting looks to her. Then the other describes how the painting looks to him. Both perceptions are bound to be different to some extent. They are different because they look from different angles, different points (places) of viewing in the same room. So who has the right view? Neither. But what both of them see is right from their point of view. Another e.g. is, there is Mrs. A at my workplace, whom over a period of time, I have been seeing from a certain point of view and have started perceiving to be inefficient. Bringing this perception into my consciousness repeatedly has frozen this perception inside my consciousness and it has taken the form of a belief, which may be incorrect or correct, partially or completely. Now even if three different people who have all seen Mrs. A from three different points of view i.e. in three different set of circumstances, and have seen three different shades of the same virtue i.e. efficiency in her; come and share their different, but all positive and right perceptions with me, depending on their respective circumstantial view, I will not agree with them and not respect their perception because a person with unfrozen perceptions would at least give a hearing to others' perceptions, but someone with frozen perceptions, i.e. with fixed beliefs, is not able to that and is not able to empathize with or see from others’ point of view.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" 

Well, now that you've grown up, what do you want to be?

Adaptable, energetic, calm, effective, generous, happy.... there are endless qualities and abilities that we can still develop.

Each day is a new day to decide what you want to be. 

And then just be it.

Message for the day

Introversion brings out the positivity within.

Thought to Ponder: Every human being has an innate positive nature because of the inherent qualities of love, peace, happiness etc. that are within. Introversion, the practice of looking within, enables one to be in constant touch with oneself and one's true nature. It helps express these qualities in everything that is done. Because of having practiced for a long time with them, these qualities emerge very naturally at the time of need.

Point to Practice: The practice of being introverted helps me in experiencing those qualities within me, which otherwise remain hidden during difficult situations. Thus it makes me have true self-respect and enables me to finish my ego. It also gives me the power to recognise and accept my mistakes, thus giving me the courage to work on them successfully. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris