Daily Positive Thoughts: February 08, 2017: Happiness

Happiness

It is the art of living, the purpose of our existence. Happiness is the true index of quality of life. Without happiness, life is dry and meaningless. With happiness, life immediately becomes fulfilling and wonderful. Happiness is an infectious feeling that immediately lifts the sagging spirits of people. Happy people keep themselves happy because they know the little ways to appreciate themselves and to see the humour and magic in each moment.

Living A Life Rich With Relationships (Part 3)

Loving everyone for their specialties is the best way to create beautiful relationships. They say see one specialty in everyone you come across and interact with each day. Suppose your parent has a virtue of loving everyone at home with complete trust and remaining quiet amongst little issues at home, that is the virtue of tolerance. Learn from him or her and become like that. This is the art of imbibing or picking up virtues. It is not only seeing others’ qualities which is also a sign of love, but making that quality yours. Also, suppose your brother or sister is good at dealing with people, make that quality yours and become like him or her. This is not bowing down in front of the other person. But, on the other hand, it is remaining in your self-respect and giving respect to the other person. The other person will do the same in return. This is called true love and it is what brings people together in a beautiful bond of togetherness. It’s not about copying people but making people feel valuable by making their qualities yours. It is commonly said – give blessings and take blessings. But another and similar act is - give qualities and take qualities. It binds people together and it creates an energy of trust wherever there are groups of people, whether in the family or at the workplace or in friend circles.

Also, whenever you meet someone, it is important to greet people with a warm smile and beautiful gestures so that people experience happiness not only from our words but also through our actions. They say your beautiful smile can make another person’s day. Also, remembering each one’s specialties and telling them to others is a beautiful way of gaining love and respect from the other.  So make it a point to praise everyone with a deep heart and with a pure intention and not just artificially. You will see how people will respond by offering you their co-operation and help at every step.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

The Wandering Mind

Our minds are constantly wandering off to different locations. Some are over visited & some are just not good for us. It could be a sulking corner, a complaining cushion, or somewhere that's become a bit industrial or polluted.

Where we are in our mind really makes a difference. So why not visit a location that entertains, enlivens & energizes your mind.

Just be more aware of where, when & for how long you let your mind wander. When necessary, make sure you pay attention & engage fully with the world around you.

Message for the day

To have a positive consciousness is to make action elevated too. 

Thought to Ponder: To think that I am ordinary is to make actions ordinary too. To think that I am special is to bring that specialty into every action that I do. As is my consciousness, so are my actions. So it is important to have a positive approach which acts as a powerful base for creating elevated actions. 

Point to Practice: Today I will take one good thought like "I am happy and will give happiness to all I meet" or "Every task that I do is important and I have a contribution to make through this task". When I start my day with such a foundation, I find that my actions are elevated too. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 07, 2017: Unconditionally Accept

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 07, 2017: Unconditionally Accept

Unconditionally Accept

We all find occasion to reject and resist another person. We all like to put up a fight against anything we dislike on the evening news as we spectate the world. But we forget that when we decide we will resist something or somebody, either mentally or physically, we only empower the object of our resistance, either in reality or in our own minds. If you want to enjoy the ability to influence, always start with acceptance. If you want to disarm another begin with acceptance. If you want to encourage and empower another to change, start with acceptance. Don't make it conditional. Otherwise it's just resistance disguised as acceptance, and you are still trying to control them. And we can all smell a controller...can't you?

Living A Life Rich With Relationships (Part 2)

Relationships are made of gold, one could say i.e. they are extremely valuable. They can be stolen easily if we do not take adequate care of them. Remember it is the child’s relationship with its mother in the womb which nourishes the child and brings it into this world. Later it grows up and comes into different relationships like ones with its father, brothers and sisters, friends, life partner, children, office colleagues and many more. So life is all about building the right relationships at the right time and taking forward one step at a time. It’s not about living alone and at the same time to make relationships work, a good relationship with oneself is extremely important. They say that a good ruler of the self is able to achieve success in handling relationships well. What that means is that techniques like meditation and mind relaxation make you better equipped to handle relationships with others properly. People whose minds are relaxed and focused because of these techniques, are able to concentrate their mental energies on improving their relationships and make them full of love and happiness and free from obstacles.

Loving others is only possible when we love ourselves and loving ourselves means that since we are our own best friend first, we take care that our thoughts, words and actions are not only right but extremely perfect, which can only happen when we truly love ourselves. Such people then naturally tend to love each one in their personal and professional groups. Don’t forget that God is loved so much by everyone universally all around the world because He has such a beautiful personality and a nature full of love for others. So perfect people will automatically attract love from others. They will easily and absolutely naturally make others comfortable and content with their way of talking and performing actions. Live well and love well is the slogan of their beautiful lives, which is just like God’s personality.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Being defensive has its place but being overly defensive does not.

So the next time you're responding disproportionately to something, get clear about what you're defending & justifying; what's pushing your buttons?

Learn to accept other people's point of view or the fact that you may not be right. 

With a strong sense of self-worth, relax confidently & replace the over-defensiveness with constructive interaction.

Message for the day

The best way to teach is to become an example.

Thought to Ponder: People are ready to learn, but they need to see an example which they would follow. So, instead of just telling what to do, the better way of teaching is to lead by example. Not only will I be better off because of this, I will also be able to contribute positively to those around me. Added to this, there would be no negative feelings involved.

Point to Practice: Today I will think of one change that I want to bring in others. I will check if I need to bring into my life first. I will then work on bringing that change first and only then inspire or tell others to do it too. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 06, 2017: Self - Sovereignty

Self - Sovereignty

Subservience to my negativity is a very precarious existence as I can never be sure how well I will handle a difficult situation. With practice it is possible to create appreciative and compassionate thoughts; then I no longer need to indulge in resentment, bitterness or dislike. Training myself to react calmly and wisely offers enormous dividends. Let me talk to myself silently with love and encouragement, balanced with firmness, and like the wise old sovereigns of fairy stories, let me rule the inner kingdom of my mind with benevolence.

Living A Life Rich With Relationships (Part 1)

We all live a life full of relationships of different types. Starting from the morning till the night, relationships are a constant support system for us and almost like a lifeline. Imagine for once that you were alone in this world and you would have to spend 75-80 years living alone and taking care of yourself through food and also live alone with no one to share your love and joy with. How would such a life be and how does it sound? Interesting? Not at all. So relationships are like life’s oxygen. You know man is trying to make a manned mission to the planet Mars within the next few years. So, a life without relationships would be like staying alone on Mars. We would need to make our own meals, generate our own electricity, filter our own water to drink and there would be no need to earn money because our basic needs would be taken care of and there would be no one to take care of and bring up. That is an imagination not reality. But what is reality is that relationships are a source of strength for us and of course a source of so much love that a life without them cannot be imagined.  

Love is the primary virtue of the world and it is the most liked emotion of the world. Even God brings change in us on the basis of love. The soul changes itself because of love for God. Even power in the soul is filled by God, because He loves us immensely. All the work that God does on us and helps us become better human beings is because of His love for us. We are indebted to Him for that and then in return for all the love He showers on us, we become further determined to bring change in ourselves. So love with God works both ways and is the basis of a beautiful relationship with Him. Also, people whom we come in contact with in our relationships come close to us primarily because of the virtue of love and love is the foundation of strong and stable relationships.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Inner silence doesn't mean no thoughts or an empty void.

Often we can be verbally silent but we're not experiencing inner silence. 

To experience inner silence, turn your attention away from the rush of conversations, lists & obligations, & bring your mental & emotional energy to a point of concentration, where you can be still

In this stillness your original blueprint of love, bliss & peace emerge; & flows through your being, harmonizing & rectifying any imbalance.

Message for the day

Good intentions need to be brought into quick action. 

Thought to Ponder:  When we get a thought to do something good, it is better to do it immediately. If we don't, the intention tends to fade and it becomes more and more difficult as days pass by. Also, after a while, we will not be able to find the necessary resources to bring it into action.

Point to Practice: Today I will take up something that I have wanted to do. I will list out a few points when and what I am going to do to fulfill that thought. I will immediately start doing it. This will bring about a positive change in my life. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 05, 2017: Smile Incessantly

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 05, 2017: Smile Incessantly

Smile Incessantly

We all know and remember a smiley person - someone whose heart seems to radiate through their teeth. And when they do, notice how it's almost impossible not to smile back...unless you are feeling very, very grumpy! So if you don't feel a smile coming on - why not do it anyway. Not only does it transform your inner chemical production and create 'happy hormones', but when people are on the end of your smile, they smile back (well most do). And if you really don't genuinely feel like smiling at life, the universe and everybody - fake it until you make it!

The Umbilical Cord Of Meditation (Part 3)

Practical meditation is something which you can do while being in your daily routine and not just at a fixed time like in the morning, before starting your day or in the night, before going off to sleep. It is a constant union. In fact, it is the foundation of positive action. After all, you need to fill yourself with the spiritual nutrition of the different qualities from your spiritual mother or the mother of the soul or God through the divine umbilical cord of positive thinking and meditation. Only then will you radiate the same to others. Often, our negative actions in the day are performed because this divine and sacred connection is not strong enough. In other words, the umbilical cord that we share with God i.e. meditation is cut off and we are so busy in our work that God is forgotten. On the other hand, when we are occupied with the daily work and are performing negative actions, the connection that we have made in the morning is weakened. So if people are to receive goodness from us and love us in return, remaining in the womb of a spiritual consciousness and absorbing its benefits from God or the Supreme Being of the world is a necessity.

Also, this beautiful and pure womb of God will grow us spiritually and we will, as time passes, become beautiful human beings by meditating and focusing our consciousness on Him. We all love Him as a Father but He is also a Mother of humanity and is full of love and power, just like a physical mother, whom we all have been brought up by and experienced. They say the most beautiful and purest relationship in the world is that between a small child and his or her mother. So God is our spiritual mother, the mother of the soul. And His love for me, the spiritual baby, is the Highest in the world. So, enjoy the company of this most beautiful and loving Mother of the Universe. Meditate a lot. That means remember Him and give that love to the whole Universe.

Making a complaint doesn't always have to be negative;

It’s good to express your opinions & suggestions. 

But if you're not gaining anything positive by complaining, then you might want to 

1) reduce the whining & grumbling; or

2) turn your complaint into a compliment.

Stop the unnecessary complaints & your necessary complaints will be more effective.

Message for the day

To recognize what is negative and waste is to have the ability to overcome them. 

Thought to Ponder: When something negative or waste comes up, I need to recognize it immediately. If I am not able to do that, I actually invite it into my life, make it my guest, give it attention and encourage it further. So, it is important to recognize immediately and change anything negative or waste that comes my way. 

Point to Practice: Today I will keep a check on my thoughts from time to time. As soon as I find something waste or negative coming up, I will not encourage it further. I will immediately either create another thought or move away from the situation temporarily till I change my thoughts. Such attention over a period of time, will help me recognize quickly and overcome what is negative and waste. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 04, 2017: Manners

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 04, 2017: Manners

Namaste:  This gesture is called Anjali Mudra or Pranamasana.

In Hinduism it means "I bow to the divine in you"

Manners

When we encounter good manners, we feel that some deeper part of 

us has been   honoured. Truly, none of us deserves anything less.

The Umbilical Cord Of Meditation (Part 2)

Meditation is the creation of positive thoughts in the mind in such a way that the mind starts getting oriented in a positive direction above the routine thinking of day-to-day life. It is not making the mind blank or completely free of thoughts. In fact, it is making the full of positivity, in the form of positive thoughts and visual images of the spiritual self or the soul and the Supreme Soul, who is the Higher parent of the soul. We all know our physical self, who we are, what our name is, what work do we do, where do we stay, what is our nationality and how we look, but this is are our physical identity and is different from our spiritual identity.

The spiritual identity is simple – I am a non-physical being of energy, which is not made up of the five elements and I have seven original virtues – peace, joy, love, bliss, purity, power and knowledge, which is my original nature. I have come into this world from the soul world, also called paramdham or shantidham, to play my part through the physical body, which is like the vehicle which I control. Also, my Father, the Supreme Father and the Father of all souls is an ocean of all these seven virtues. This is my spiritual introduction and so is this the introduction of all the human beings of the world. Now, to link or connect with God, the Ocean of all virtues, I have to remember my spiritual form and emerge my qualities through the power of thought and visualization. This is the first step of meditation. After that, I travel with the eye of my mind to the soul world and visualize my Supreme Parent as a luminous (bright) being of pure light over there and stay connected with Him for a few minutes and absorb His energy inside myself, which is the spiritual umbilical cord. This is meditation, a spiritual union between the soul and the Supreme Soul. Also, the soul empowers itself in this way with a powerful connection and after that performs its actions in the world, full of all these qualities. Those actions will then become pure actions and will inspire others also. This is the magic of meditation.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Let's go from "doesn’t be a lemon" to "be a lemon"!

Have you noticed how a 'lemon' has such a negative connotation?

A lemon looks beautiful, smells wonderful and is incredibly versatile. It can be used as an antiseptic, a disinfectant, a cleanser, a de-scaler. They can be the star of the show, or a supporter; appearing in salads, drinks, desserts.

Be just as versatile as a lemon and make everything delightful!

Message for the day

The key to all treasures is "happiness".

Thought to Ponder: There are a lot of gifts that are hidden in my life, in each day. When I have happiness, and am able to happily move along through the day and am able to get an access to these treasures. This will also make me more aware of the inner treasures that I have within me, like my values, powers, skill and abilities. 

Point to Practice: Today I will make a list of all those things that I am thankful for in my life. This list will only be of what I have and appreciate. Making such a list will make me happy and keep me prepared to recognize and appreciate all other gifts that are coming my way. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris