Contemplation: Humility Is Greatness

Contemplation: Humility Is Greatness

 

Humility Is Greatness

Just as a tree that is full of fruit bows down for others to take the fruit, one who is humble will always live in self respect and treat others with respect.

Inner Stability

The normal reaction for anyone in a situation where there is chaos and
confusion is to react with inner confusion too. This confusion actually
further magnifies the negativity of the situation due to which I am not
able to take the right decisions. When I am in a chaotic situation, the
first thing I need to do is to check my own inner stability. Even if
there is negativity in the situation I need to keep my mind free from
any kind of fear, tension or confusion and I will be able to give my
best in the situation.

The Search For Happiness And A Beautiful Relationship

Throughout history, human beings have desired and searched for two things, happiness and a perfect loveful and beautiful relationship. It is interesting to realize that you cannot search for what, you have not already had or known. In other words, we search for these two things because inside us we have a deep subconscious memory of the original, perfect and eternal relationship with our Friend, Guide and Parent, the One remembered as God, Allah, Ishwar, etc. It is only when we restore our relationship with this Being is that we can experience true happiness or bliss. Bliss is the highest form of spiritual happiness we can experience. It is experienced only when we are free of all attachment, when we no longer identify wrongly with anything physical and when our inner mental state is not dependent on anything or anyone.

At its highest level and in its purest state, our relationship with God is non-dependent and unconditional, and therefore blissful. Deep within the soul, there is a memory of the bliss of this perfect union and it is this memory that inspires us to search for the perfect relationship, for the perfect happiness. However, instead of seeking it at the spiritual level, we seek at the level of personality and body. We search in those around us for the perfect partner - our soul mate. It is not incorrect to have worldly relationships, but there needs to be a deep realization inside each one of us that our true soul mate, is the One with whom we can have an ever-lasting, eternal relationship, the One with whom we have the deepest eternal bond (over a period of many births), the One from whom we will experience everlasting, eternal, unconditional attainments.

Soul Sustenance

Understanding and Overcoming Ego (cont.)

To conquer ego, humility and honesty are required. We need the courage to look into the self honestly and acknowledge that the characteristics of I know and I control exist and have to be removed, if there is to be truth and happiness inside. We need to remember the original - I am e.g. * I am a child of the Supreme Soul, similar to him in qualities and powers, * I am the soul which is seated on the Supreme Being’s (God’s) heart throne, * I am a knowledgeful soul, * I am a blissful soul who gifts everyone with the treasure of happiness etc.

Through meditation and remembering the true - I am (shared above), the pollution of the selfish ego is gradually replaced by the remembrance and the experience of the pure self: the I that is not attached to anything, or anyone, but is completely whole within itself. The expression of this pure entity is not selfish but selfless and the person begins to share with others, everything that he/she possesses – knowledge, specialties, talents, virtues etc. where necessary, facilitating the awakening of the true potential of others, just like sunlight. Light is a great facilitator. It steps in, awakens and then moves on. An ego less person acts, interacts and expresses themselves in this way. 

Message for the day 

The one with true mercy fills hope even in the ones who are hopeless.

Projection: When we see someone who is in need or who is totally negative, a case that is totally hopeless, there are a lot of feelings aroused within us. What we feel is pity or hatred, which are only negative feelings. Such negative thoughts don't help in anyway and the people remains as they are, unable to take any benefit from us.

Solution: Instead of having pity or hatred we need to develop true mercy for others. To have mercy means to have good wishes with love - combined with hope for them. It is our hope that enables them to develop faith in themselves too. This is the method to bring progress even in the most hopeless case.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Silence

Contemplation: Silence

“Whispering Angel”

Artist: Agostino Carracci  (16 August 1557 – 22 March 1602) Italian painter and printmaker.

Talking comes by nature, silence by wisdom. 

See Specialties

Sometimes people are not able to use their specialties. But even at
such times if one has the ability to see their specialties there is the
ability to give courage and enthusiasm to them. One can provide them
with such an environment that allows their own growth. So whatever the
circumstances may be, there is progress. When we are able to see the
positive aspect of others, we can keep our mind free from a major
portion of negativity. The potential of our thoughts can be used fully
for our own inner progress and we can therefore make a contribution for
the others too. This earns us blessings and good wishes from others,
which further enhances our own progress.

Imbibing Or Absorbing Spiritual Knowledge

The first step into experience, particularly the meditation experience, is knowledge. What does it mean to 'know'? Knowing involves four steps, which ultimately give the meditator the experience of realization:

The first step of knowing is information. With information, our intellect opens to new ideas and opinions.

The second step of knowing is knowledge, when we begin to reflect and think on the ideas and views that we have listened to. At this point, we often have to select only a few of the ideas we have heard, as it is not always possible to reflect (think) on all the information that is fed to us. In order to deepen our understanding, we reflect on the information and sometimes discuss our findings and thoughts with others.

The third step of knowing is when we move from thinking to doing, that is, from knowledge to wisdom. Wisdom is gained when we commit ourselves to 'doing'. Knowledge translated into our everyday behaviour is called wisdom, which, in turn, is called quality life. A life of quality is where personal values are not only realised but also lived and experienced through our practical actions.

Doing, or practice, naturally brings us to the fourth and final step of knowing, which is called truth.

Soul Sustenance

Understanding And Overcoming Ego

Identification with the ego and the external self creates a false identity and extremes of feeling inferior, or superior, depending on the circumstances and people. It brings with it the thought of 'I am', which is based on gender, religion, nationality, achievement or talent, creating an attachment to the self, which always compares and competes with others. This insecurity leads a person into forcing others to act and think in the same way as them. An egoistic person, rather than recognizing that everyone is unique with a unique personality and has a right to express his/her respective personality, sees difference in personalities as a threat to himself/herself.

Where there is such ego, only yes people (who have the same opinion as yours) are allowed to come close: anyone with a difference of opinion is rejected. With ego, the original uniqueness of the self is denied, unrecognized and buried deep in the layers of wrong identity. This is why, these days, there is such an identity crisis - humanity has lost its soul, or rather, sold its soul to external traditions and attractions.

With ego, then: is the idea of ‘I know best' and consequently the misunderstood duty and right to control and manipulate others, in their best interests (supposedly)! This results in the spoiling of the creativity and uniqueness of others.

(To be continued tomorrow…) 


Message for the day

Pure feelings reach out and bring benefit to others.

Projection: When there is someone who is being negative, we tend to think or speak about the negativity we perceive at that time. To think about negativity is to imbibe a little of that negativity within our mind. Then our mind is no more pure and so whatever thoughts we have for that person don't have any positive influence and there is no benefit for them.

Solution: If we see someone using some weakness, we need to pay special attention not to think or speak about it. Instead we need to concentrate on some speciality of the other person. This gives them the encouragement to use it. The more we see negative, the more negative they will be with us and the more we see positive the more positive they'll be with us.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Complete Everything

Contemplation: Complete Everything

 

Artist: Vladimir Volegov

Complete Everything

A task left undone remains undone in two places -at the actual location of the task, and inside your head. Incomplete tasks in your head consume the energy of your attention as they gnaw at your conscience. They siphon off a little more of your personal power every time you delay. No need to be a perfectionist, that's debilitating in an imperfect world, but it's good to be a 'completionist'. If you start it, finish it...or forget it. Do it - or dump it!
relax7

Expectations

It is very natural to help someone when we see them in need. At that
time we don't expect anything from them and continue to extend help.
But when we need help or support we begin to expect from those whom we
had helped and if they don't, our feelings are hurt. At the time
that we are providing help, we need to consciously remind ourselves not
to have expectations. Again when we need help and find ourselves
expecting from others, we need to explain to ourselves that whatever
help we have given will surely come back to us at the right time. The
seed that we have sown will not be wasted away but will surely bear
fruit.

The Art Of Forgetting In Relationships

Sometimes, someone says something in two minutes that makes you feel really bad - they said it in two minutes but it is still there inside the register of your mind two months or even two years later. How could they! Who do they think they are! Something happened in two minutes and you remember it, you repeat it again in your mind and in your words during interactions with others. You keep replaying the scene repeatedly in your mind. Just like an action replay of a cricket match, you see the replays from different angles and judge the scene in many different and negative ways and come to different conclusions, most of which are negative in nature. With this you strengthen that experience in your mental register. Memories and the experiences associated with the memories replayed continuously in the conscious mind enter your sub-conscious, so that even after a long period of time you remember what they said to you. The other person unburdened themselves and forgot it straightaway.

It's like your neighbour who takes out rubbish, throws it outside his house, into your compound and forgets about it and you allow that rubbish to remain there, without thinking of getting it cleaned. Someone throws a few words at you and they forget, but not only do you not forget but you repeat them in your mind to such a point that at times these action replays do not even let you sleep. We need to learn the art of forgetting memories that generate shadows of hurt or pain in our present. The past has already gone and what you have now is the present moment.

Soul Sustenance

Principles for the Body To Make Early Morning Meditation Successful (cont.)

• Freshen the self before morning meditation, with a shower or a hot drink. Avoid speaking before the meditation.

• Sit with an upright posture, away from the walls or comfortable chairs. If the body is ill, awaken but sit comfortably, and do not force the self.

• Have a good circulation of fresh air.

• Subtle lighting creates an atmosphere of meditation. If it is too dark it will lead to sleepiness; if it is too light there will be eye-strain.

• Burn incense sticks ("agarbattis"), only if it doesn't irritate your and others' eyes and throats.

Message for the day

Our words are effective only when we combine them with pure thoughts and inspirational actions.

Projection: As soon as we find someone's mistake it is natural for us to give correction through our words. We tend to explain to others using a lot of words. Yet we find that inspite of saying the right thing we are not being listened to and our words are just wasted away. We don't understand at such times where the problem lies.

Solution: To enable our corrections to others to be effective, we have to combine our thoughts, words and actions. There need to be good wishes in our thoughts which also brings sweetness in our words. We also need to take care that we are putting into action all that we are talking. When we do this we will find that our words are really effective.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: First Change

Contemplation: First Change

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.

Enthusiasm

When something new is started, there is a lot of enthusiasm and we make
the best use of the resources that we have. We make sure that the best
is given to the task. Yet the initial enthusiasm tends to fade away.
Slowly we might even find ourselves giving up the task altogether. For
every task that we do, we need to check how much enthusiasm we have
when we begin the task. We need to ensure that our enthusiasm is high
enough so that we can maintain it till the end of the task. Also we
need to check ourselves at the end of the task if we have been able to
maintain the same enthusiasm. Such checking will enable us to bring
progress in all we do.

Serving Though The Subtle Body Of Light

Apart from our physical form (body), each one of us also has a form of light - a subtle light body. It is referred to as the aura, and can be seen by some sensitive souls. All of us might not be able to see it, but we can become aware of the aura of others' through the vibrations they emit. The purity of our subtle, light form is dependent on the purity of our thoughts or mental vibrations. Given below are some thoughts for a meditation to help experience your subtle form and serve through it. Think and visualize each thought alongside:

I become detached from my physical surroundings... I consciously create only the purest thoughts... Now I visualize my true form... I am a subtle being of pure spiritual light, a sparkling star situated at the center of the forehead... Gradually, I become aware of my subtle body of pure, white light surrounding my physical form... In my body of light, I, the soul, the sparkling energy, consciously stand up and step away from my physical form, which remains seated... I, the soul, inside my subtle body, observe my physical body in a detached way... Now I slowly fly outside the room I am in... I visualize myself, in the subtle form, suspended in the sky... White rays of spiritual light radiate from me, the soul, and my body of light into the world... like that of an angel... In this pure awareness of myself in my form of light, I realize that the greatest gifts I can share with those around me are the light of love, peace and truth.

Sitting anywhere, this meditation exercise can be done to visualize oneself in a hospital, on the site of a natural calamity, accident, next to a friend or relative in pain etc., basically anywhere where vibrations of positivity, peace and happiness are required - the location of visualizing yourself can be hundreds of miles from where you may physically be. As you practice the art of being aware of your subtle body, you will begin to sense how you can have a positive effect on others simply radiating good wishes, pure thoughts and pure feelings.

Soul Sustenance

Principles for the Body to Make Early Morning Meditation Successful

• Rest well each night. Avoid going off to sleep later than 10 p.m. especially when there is no time for an afternoon rest.

• Make sure the evening meal is taken early or only have a light meal before bed, and a heavy breakfast. Light eating with plenty of fresh fruits and salads makes the mind light.

• If I am very, very tired at night, it is better to do some light housework until the stage of tiredness passes, rather than surrendering to sleep at this moment. If I go to bed with a heavy head I rise with a heavy head.

• Do not talk unnecessarily before going to sleep.

• Be warm, yet avoid over-heated rooms.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Message for the day

To say yes is to have regard for all.

Projection: When someone expects us to do something that we don't like our usual reaction is to say no and give reasons why we don't want to do it or why we don't agree with what the other person is saying. But it usually happens that once we say no, the other person is no longer able to listen to what we have to say.

Solution: Instead of saying 'no', we need to practice saying 'yes'. To say yes means to try to understand what the other person is saying. Only after that can we put forth our argument. And then the other person will also give regard to our opinion. This practice will enable us to get good wishes from others and increase our chance for success.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Truly Precious

Contemplation: Truly Precious

Truly Precious

More valuable than the things we give to each other are the gifts of virtues we pass on quietly to others through our selfless and noble actions. These gifts are truly precious because they are imperishable and they multiply the more we share them.

Real Treasures

We usually have a lot of attention in accumulating wealth (money,
physical possessions etc). We do take care not to waste anything
unnecessarily. But the other treasures of thoughts and time get wasted
away. So we are not able to experience real progress. Each day we need
to check where our two main treasures of thoughts and time are getting
wasted. Constant checking will help us realize and make us aware so
that we no longer waste our real treasures, but use them in a
constructive way to accumulate all other treasures.

Anger Management And Prevention

As you increase your self-awareness, you will also see how your anger begins with a moment of irritation towards a person or situation. If you then give attention to that irritation by replaying or revising the event in your mind, which is like giving water to a plant, it will grow into frustration. And if you water the frustration, it will grow into anger, which, in turn, will develop into rage.

Don't suppress and don't express your anger. What's left? Transform (change). The transformation of anger requires you to realize the root cause of your emotional pain. The realization comes by understanding deeply the self or the soul. When you see the cause it gives you a choice a) to stop creating it or b) continue creating it. Unfortunately, although many see why they cause their own anger and acknowledge responsibility for their creation, they continue to keep getting angry. They find many ways of justifying their anger. They have an 'anger addiction'. They are angerholics.

Are you ready to see the root cause? Do you want to make new choices? Isn't it time to break your emotional addiction?

Soul Sustenance

Worry Confused with Concern (cont.)

We are all linked together at a subtle, invisible level, and communicate with others invisibly. We not only send but also pick up the energy that others radiate, especially the ones that we are close to. We demonstrate with an example how this can work positively as well as negatively when we find ourselves in negative situations in our practical lives.

Suppose the class teacher of your child (we take the example of your son) calls up and says that while playing in the school playground, your son has injured himself. She doesn’t explain much but says there is nothing to worry. She requests you to come and pick him up from the school. At this point of time your son is radiating his own spiritual energy which is most probably the negative energy of fear, stress, anxiety and sorrow (although the teacher has informed you that he is fine). At the same time he is also picking up your subtle spiritual or mental energy. You are driving to his school to pick him up. At this point of time, you only have a rough idea of what situation he is in exactly at that moment because you are physically far away from him. Guessing about the exact situation is making assumptions and is a waste of your mental energy. If you make negative assumptions i.e. you worry and are scared, then you are sending him the same vibrations of fear, a negative energy, which he is going to pick up and it is not going to empower or help him in anyway but is more likely to weaken and disturb him and even disturb you in your driving. You have been told that there is nothing to worry but still you know he is in a slightly difficult emotional situation and only he knows how he will come out of it. What will help him? He needs your support, but what will support him the most - we are talking about subtle support, because you are going to take some time to reach the school and provide him physical support? Your negative vibration of fear which you may mistakenly call concern or care as you imagine something bad has happened? Or the positive vibrations of your unconditional love and your good wishes, which is true concern or care? What will you send him to support him from far away? Worry vibrations or the vibrations of love in the form of your good wishes for them? Vibrations of love will keep you also in a positive state as you drive through the city. Besides, what is care or concern? It is you sending your positive inner spiritual light to help another and worry is definitely not that.

 

Message for the day

Determination enables us to overcome our weaknesses.

Projection: When we recognize any weakness of ours, we want to make effort to remove it. But usually we work on it for a few days with great attention. After some time, we find ourselves losing interest and the weakness gets stronger taking hold of us once again. We find ourselves exactly where we had started having no further enthusiasm to work on ourselves.

Solution: In order to overcome any weakness of ours, we need to have a strong aim in our mind to remove it. With this comes the determination to work on it without losing hope. Even if we find ourselves becoming slack, we need to remind ourselves that we don't want that particular weakness in our life. Then we will be able to work at removing the weakness fully.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Enjoy

Contemplation:  Enjoy

Suzhou, China

Enjoy

When I finish this project, then I will be happy! When this situation is resolved, I will be fine. When I reach my goal, I will finally relax, be peaceful! Do not postpone your happiness; enjoy whatever comes your way.

Self-control

Usually when we talk about control there is only a thought of
controlling others or situations. There is really never a thought of
self-control. Again controlling the self is understood as something
difficult and painful. So we generally force ourselves to change or
adapt our thoughts, words and behaviour with a great deal of
difficulty. This further makes it difficult to have interest for
self-control. To have control over ourselves means to be a master. Our
thoughts, words and behaviour need to be according to our orders. This
is real self-control. For this we need the practice of being a master
and not to become a slave to anything. The more we practice the
consciousness of being a master; everything that is our will naturally
obey our orders.

Unloading Your Pressure Baggage (cont.)

Sometimes the pressure we are carrying is related to the situation we are in, sometimes we even carry a pressure of one situation in another situation i.e. it is unrelated pressure. All this continues throughout the day, day after day. What all this pressure does is increase the quantity of thoughts that we carry in our mind, which in turn reduces our efficiency and discriminating and judging power. The words and actions coming out from such a state of mind are improper and lacking in power, conviction and clarity. To ensure that we do not carry pressure baggage on our emotional back, as per our pressure equation (shared in the first message of this series), we need to change the incorrect beliefs that we carry, which are the root cause of our pressure and at the same time increase our ability to bear the different life forces. We carry thoughts that are determined by our belief of what success is and what failure is, what winning is and what losing is. Although we perceive such beliefs to be true, they are not true; they are like a facade that influence our perception of reality and generate in us feelings of pressure. The truth, on the other hand, is deeper than beliefs.

While meditation will serve as an important tool to increase our inner power to tolerate or resist life forces; spiritual knowledge, understanding and wisdom will serve as an immensely important tool which will help us in correcting our beliefs. So in times of pressure, stopping yourself for a minute and assessing your thoughts, then going backwards, and checking the beliefs which are the root cause of the thoughts at that particular moment and then changing them requires strength and clarity, which we will obtain through the medium of spiritual wisdom. Once the beliefs are corrected, the thought patterns will change. Thoughts like - * Maybe I won't arrive on time, * If I don't finish this assignment successfully, I will lose my next promotion, * If I lose my money in this financial investment, my family will stop appreciating me etc. which we create all the time - will be replaced by more positive thoughts of security, fearlessness, patience, peace, faith, determination, certainty etc.

Soul Sustenance

Worry Confused With Concern

One of the most incorrect beliefs that we have acquired since childhood is that to worry is to care, worrying is caring. Our parents are the people whom we grow up with and are closest to in our childhood. As soon as we are born, in fact even before we are born, even when we are in our mother’s womb, they start transmitting the energy of this belief through their thoughts and later on when we are physically present in front of them, through thoughts, words and actions; to us, which we catch, because we being a spiritual energy, not only transmit or radiate but also absorb energy. As we grow up, this false belief keeps reaching us from everyone on a subtle as level as physical level from whom we meet and are close to including our friends, siblings (brothers and sisters), spouse etc. and slowly we start accepting this belief as being completely true and lead our lives according to it and even transmit the same to others. That is why it is extremely difficult to find a single person today who does not live according to this belief or does not bring it into their daily lives to some extent or the other.

A very common example of the above belief which we all have gone through sometime or the other is when we are late by just a few minutes in coming back home from office. On reaching home, we are asked a thousand questions and by our family members, perhaps our parents or spouse or children about where we have been and why hadn’t we bothered to call and also informed about another thousand negative assumptions they had made in that much time. Why? Because they had been worried for us. We are normally surprised with the fact they are worrying, because 9 out of 10 times we are late because of a not so serious reason, but our family members explain that we were worrying for you because we care for you. But worrying is not caring. Worry is fear or anxiety and care is love or concern, they are two opposite emotions which can never exist together at the same time.

In tomorrow's message, we shall demonstrate how on a subtle energy level, true love and concern is more beneficial than worry in coming out of negative situations, in which we find ourselves every now and then.

Message for the day

To experience newness each day is to be creative.

Projection: Sometimes we find things to be very monotonous. There seems to be nothing new that is happening. Days pass on and we tend to become action-conscious only trying to finish the tasks at hand. We feel caught up in the routine not able to enjoy anything anymore.

Solution: Instead of just doing what has to be done in a monotonous way, we need to take a thought each day to experience something new. There is such a variety in each day, we only have to discover ways of experiencing it. When we learn this creative art, we'll never be bored, but will be able to enjoy everything that comes our way.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: Faith

Contemplation: Faith

Faith

When I am continuously being battered by the storms of life, and my very spirit is ebbing away, then all I need to do is hang onto that gift called 'Faith', that one support which will weather the storms. Faith does not depend on a clever head, only belief: belief in the self and the strength that lies within. Faith is the seed of victory and the foundation of making the impossible possible.

Keep Smiling

When difficult times come by it seems very difficult to remain happy
and keep smiling. Only when the situation passes by, are we able to
smile again. So it is but natural that we are usually waiting for the
situation to get better for maintaining an internal state of happiness.
It is only when we have the ability to smile will we be able to face
the situation with courage and confidence. Then we will not waste our
thoughts on 'whys' but will be able to search for the right solution.
So the effort lies in the ability to keep smiling in all situations,
which brings maximum benefit for us.

Unloading Your Pressure Baggage (cont.)

Can we experience freedom only when there is an absence of outside pressure? We feel pressured from many sides. At work, we feel the pressure to do tasks as per fixed guidelines of set systems and within boundaries of time, of keeping up our performance as per others' expectations and as good as our compatriots. In relationships, we feel the pressure of experiencing success in them, of satisfying others and gaining respect from them. In studies, we feel the pressure of having to excel in them, not only because that is instrumental in building our future but because of the desire to be seen in a positive light by others. We feel the pressure of having to earn more and more wealth to satisfy the necessities, comforts and luxuries of the family and to maintain a certain image in society. In the face of problems, we feel pressure when we are not able to solve them quickly or in the way that we want. Failure or its fear, in any sphere of life, generates pressure in us. Sometimes we experience pressure because the mind is not functioning as per our desires or directions or we are not able to transform our negative personality to a positive one as much as we want. When we believe that something harmful can happen if we don't reach our set objectives on time or in a certain manner, we feel pressured. Physical illnesses or their fear can also create pressure for some of us.

And so life turns into an endless amount of pressure crests, like speed breakers that appear one after the other, unsettling us and not giving us time to relax. When we feel pressured, it seems that the life forces rule our life and we do not feel free. In the long-term, this repetitive habit of creating feelings of pressure and carrying such baggage ends up leaving us exhausted on an emotional and spiritual level.

(To be continued tomorrow...)


Soul Sustenance

Being Impressed By Others – Is It Beneficial?

To keep our self esteem intact, we need to make sure that we do not have an impressionable intellect. Being impressed by people, in itself, is not bad, but we can fall into the tendency of staying trapped in the superfluous (excessive and unnecessary) and in appearances. What impresses us influences us and even moulds our awareness at that moment. We lose the ability to create our thoughts and feelings and these are influenced by the impression that we have allowed the other person to leave on us. Sometimes the impression is such that we completely give ourselves to it. We give up our power to the other, and we allow them to dominate our emotional world. The results of allowing oneself to be impressed are varied and on different levels.

For example, when we are impressed by the other's position; it is fine to respect the authority and the position of the other, but when we allow their position to impress us, our ability to relate to the person in a smooth way is blocked. This can make it difficult for us to be the authority in our own life. Another example is when we are impressed by the achievements of the other and put them on a pedestal. We compare ourselves with him or her and have weak thoughts of ourselves, such as that we are not as good or effective as them, or we might feel jealousy or guilt. All of this acts as an obstacle on the path towards our own achievement. It is good to recognise and appreciate the achievements and skills of others, but when we allow them to impress us, in some way, we submit ourselves to their influence and we weaken our self-esteem and our respect towards ourselves. Without realizing, we use the other to fill a gap that we feel in ourselves. This will not always work. It will not strengthen us; rather it will create a dependency and dependencies weaken us. 


Message for the day

Faith enables the creation of elevated fortune.

Projection: Usually there is a tendency to leave things to destiny. When something goes wrong, we blame fate for it. Then we feel the situation to be totally out of our control, which prevents us from taking responsibility for our own life. And we will not be able to work in any way for bringing about a change and improving the situation.

Solution: Instead of blaming fate for whatever is happening, we need to take up responsibility for creating our own fortune for the future. When we have faith in ourselves, we will take up responsibility for our own life. We will, then, be able to work at making our each thought beneficial, contributing to our success, making a better future for ourselves.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/