Contemplation: November 05, 2018: Look for the Silver Lining

Contemplation: November 05, 2018: Look for the Silver Lining

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Look for the Silver Lining

Seek to 'see' the benefit in all events. That's not to say, ignore the downside. See the 'reality' but, at the same time, deliberately look for the upside. Find that silver lining.

Look for the lesson. Realize, nothing happens TO us but everything happens FOR us. Shift, "Why is this happening TO me?" to "What is the lesson here FOR me?"

Love

Live in such a way that love informs every action! When we have learned
to live like this, nothing will disturb us. Our contentment and good
feelings towards others remain constant. We become free. The power to
live like this comes from inside, not from outside. That is why we stay
free, with no expectations from others, no frustrations. To live like
this requires us the let go of certain beliefs and habits that drain us
from this strength and interfere with our ability to love. Sometimes
they become so deep-seated in us, that we are not aware of its
presence.

The Car-Driver Comparison To Aid Self Realization (cont.)

If a good driver, while driving a car is distracted by the negative and disturbing scenes which he comes across and his attention is pulled in many different directions, he will make his journey unsafe increasing the probability of meeting with accidents. When the same principles are applied to the soul and the body, I also need to take care that, while traveling on the road of life, I am not distracted by scenes that are not useful to me e.g. when looking out through my eyes and I don't have to take in all the images, scenes and information along the way, otherwise I may meet with an accident. When listening through my ears, I don't have to take in all the words and everything that people say, otherwise I may meet with an accident. I can choose to take in what is useful for me, but I do not have to register distracting, negative and harmful images and words. Just like a driver, I see and understand situations, too I keep my eyes and ears open - it would be unsafe to ignore them completely, I need to be aware of them - but I look only for the positive in them, so that I remain focused and am not deflected from my goal of experiencing inner contentment and bliss, while making the journey.

I, as the driver in charge of this vehicle, the body, also need to take care that I do not drive rashly i.e. I learn to monitor the feelings and attitude that are transmitted outwards through my eyes, my words and my complete body language. Driving rashly i.e. transmitting negative energy in this way could harm any co-traveler on the road of life. When these feelings stay positive, filled with sweetness, purity and respect, that too helps to ensure that my journey passes smoothly and enjoyably. When I stay alert and aware in a driver conscious and drive carefully as explained in this and yesterday's message, my actions bring me closer to my spiritual truth and I am able to share my positivity with others around me. When I lose awareness for even a moment, there's danger either from me to others or vice versa.

Soul Sustenance

The Circle of Influence and Worry

Make a list of the things that worry you most and decide if they are in your circle of influence or worry. Think about what you can really do to have an influence on each of them in an effective way. By determining which of these two circles is the centre around which most of your time and energy revolves, you can discover a great deal about your level of positivity. Positive people focus on the things they can do something about. If necessary, they change their attitude. They are aware that perhaps they cannot change the circumstances but they can improve their inner attitude. This is what positive focusing is all about: being creative, thinking differently, being open to listening, being more understanding, more communicative and showing more solidarity.

Reactive people focus on the problems of the circle and on the circumstances about which they have no control. They react to the defects found in other people. From this worrying, accusations, destructive criticism, feelings of blame, a reactive language and feelings of weakness and frustration can arise. They want others or the circumstances to change first and when that happens, then they will change. Whenever they think that the problem is on the outside, this thought is the problem. The negative energy produced as a result of this approach, combined with the lack of attention to the areas in which they could do something to improve the situation, means that the area of influence decreases in size. They give power to what is external so that it dominates them. In other words they think that change must come from "outside towards the inside"; they think that something that is outside must change before they themselves change.

Message for the day

Love creates the right environment for others' positive growth.

Projection: Where there is love, a natural environment for others' growth is created. Love gives the ability to perceive the positivity in others and gives the encouragement to others to bring about that positivity and use it for the benefit of the self and others.

Solution: When I have love for others, along with perceiving their specialties, I am also able to recognize and use my specialties and inner powers more and more. Knowing and using these specialties is naturally for the benefit of those around me. This gives me an inner experience of power which makes me a constant giver and a support for those around me.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: November 04, 2018: Be Punctual

Contemplation: November 04, 2018: Be Punctual

Be Punctual

Be punctual. To arrive early, or right on time, is a sign of respect for yourself and others.

By being punctual you reduce your stress levels and
avoid causing inconvenience to others.

The key is planning. Allow extra time in your preparations and for any delays.

Remember, getting ready, even locking the door,
catching the lift, walking to the car, the tube... all takes time.

Maybe, the secret to punctuality is as simple as waking up when you're supposed to wake up!

Power of Silence

Sometimes you are trying to remember something, its within your reach,
on the tip of your tongue, but it is just isn't coming out. Everyone
around is suggesting something or trying to help, but in reality not
helping at all. You wish for a moment of silence, so that you can dive
into your memory bank, for you know that is the only way you will be
able to remember. This is the power of silence in action. Many, not
recognizing its power, do not value it. They turn their heads away from
the thought of a few moments of silence. They feel it a punishment.

When we find our thoughts moving in many directions because of external
demands on our attention, we need to stop, take a rain check on
everything and experience silence. This power of silence is essential
when we want to plan for the future, we should silence unnecessary
thoughts and think of a point in question. So when you get an
opportunity of a moment's silence, don't waste that precious moment.
Use it to store the strength within that is so necessary for dealing
with the world without.

The Car-Driver Comparison To Aid Self Realization

One of the comparisons which help in self realization i.e. in strengthening the awareness that I, the soul, a non-physical energy am different from this physical body is that of the driver and the car, where the driver represents the spiritual energy and the car represents the body which is controlled by the spiritual energy. The biggest reason why I do not have the desired control over my physical body, my vehicle, my sense organs today is that I lost the consciousness of being a driver which could control and rule the vehicle. Instead I developed the consciousness that I am this vehicle, this physical body. This consciousness disconnected me from the ability and the power I possessed inside me to control the vehicle. If I want to achieve the desired control, I need to be in a driver consciousness i.e. in the awareness that I am a soul and my body is a vehicle, through which I experience life. Being in this awareness, in this consciousness awakens me and empowers me to regain the much required control over my body.

The car controls are the gears, brakes, accelerator and steering wheel which can be compared to the sense organs of the soul which are the mind, intellect and sanskars and those of the body which are the eyes, ears, nose, hands and tongue. A good driver is one who remains extremely alert and is able to use the gears, brakes, accelerator and steering wheel effectively and efficiently, in order to be fully in control of the vehicle and avoid any accidents. In the same way, as I move on the road of life, I need to keep my mental and physical sense organs (mentioned above) in complete control. If I do that, they will keep my journey enjoyable and take me to my desired destination of mental peace and happiness safely and successfully. If I don't do that and let them overpower me, accidents will definitely occur, making me peaceless and sorrowful.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Carrying Feelings Experienced In Meditation Into My Interactions

If I keep close contact with my internal self, to check what my feelings are like and I maintain the ‘meditative’ awareness at many moments during the day, even if it is for very short periods of time, I will find that the good feelings I have experienced through conscious choice, in meditation, I carry them with me into my interactions with others. Then, in any exchange, although the other person's thoughts, words or actions may not be as I would like them to be, I'll be better equipped to maintain a good feeling towards that individual, and towards myself.

For example, I meditate in the morning and then leave home and find myself in a situation in the office where two of my colleagues are arguing over an issue. When I try and intervene, one of them gets aggressive with me as well, but the feelings of peace I experienced in my meditation a couple of hours ago are still with me, using which I do not reacting angrily or fearfully. In fact, if my peace is powerful enough, it will make the other one also peaceful.

So the key is to emerge and collect positive feelings through meditation at regular intervals during the day. And then become a donor of positive feelings to negative situations as discussed above is an invaluable achievement. It is good for my own wellbeing, and for contributing to the creation of a peaceful atmosphere wherever I am, whenever required.

Message for the day

The one who is calm and cool is the one who makes the right decisions.

Projection: The natural nature of the human mind is to come under pressure and tension during negative situations. When there is a challenging situation, there is naturally the tendency to find it difficult to maintain an inner state of calm. But the one who has the ability to go within and find the inner calm is able to be clear in thinking and is able to make the right decisions.

Solution: When I am able to experience the inner state of calm, I am able to be clear in my thinking. With this clarity I find the right decisions and solutions emerging very naturally within my mind. I will never have the difficulty of having to make decisions, but all decisions are made with ease and they are right too.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: November 03, 2018: Heads and Hearts

Contemplation: November 03, 2018: Heads and Hearts

Heads and Hearts

To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart.

Independence

Liberate yourself from the bondages of the mind. It is wasteful
thoughts that won't allow you to attain true freedom. True
Independence is to be, in dependence of only GOD.

Understanding The Difference Between Physical Yoga and Spiritual Yoga

Hatha yoga uses force and discipline in an attempt to unify the energies of the body with those of the consciousness. Through physical postures and breathing exercises, which are sometimes quite difficult, through hatha yoga one is able to achieve considerable control over the body metabolism and attain a remarkable level of physical health - that is beyond doubt, and to a limited extent bring about spiritual benefit. If the soul is able to achieve that posture mentally, as done by a Rajyogi (one who practices Rajyoga meditation as taught by the Brahma Kumaris), then sitting physically in a certain position to achieve the same becomes less important. In fact, with practice the soul is able to adopt a mental posture according to whatever situation it finds itself in.

Perhaps the most famous posture of all is the padmasana or lotus posture. Rajyogis put themselves in the padmasana mentally. Besides, when the soul is fixed in the loveful union with God, the physical posture is not so important. Padam in English refers to the lotus flower and is a symbol of detachment. Just as the roots of the lotus grow in the bed of the pond but the flower is a thing of radiance and beauty, floating on the water untouched by the mud and slush, the Rajyogis live in the world but beyond it. Even though their roots are in the muck of society, they maintain a mental posture of detachment and mental purity. Living in the thick of things, they remain pure observers and a source of beauty and radiance for others. Those who concentrate only on hatha yoga believe that by first disciplining the body, they will be sufficiently relaxed and controlled to undertake the practice of meditation. Rajyogis on the other hand are able to easily enter the state of meditation with the thought, "I am a peaceful soul, the child of the Supreme Soul, the Ocean of Peace", which makes the attempt to reach self-realization by performing physical exercises less important - especially for spiritual upliftment. Furthermore, Rajyoga can be practiced by anyone of any age or physical state because all that is required is the subtle power of thought. This is a clear contrast in the approach of Rajyoga.

Soul Sustenance

Churning Spiritual Knowledge (cont.)

We had discussed a few benefits of churning spiritual knowledge yesterday. Some more are as follows: 

3. The knowledge that we have becomes more real: and so can give more effectively to others. We can use the jewels of knowledge in serving others. This knowledge will have much greater power and be of much greater help to others than any form of scholarly or bookish knowledge. 

4. Our personality changes: Limited views and thought patterns which give birth to various obstacles can be finished by churning. Our outlook towards life becomes very broad and we become completely content internally so that name, fame, respect, insult, etc. don't affect us, they seem totally insignificant.

5. Natural bliss: By churning, spiritual knowledge becomes a source of bliss. Because of the spiritual happiness and intoxication that comes from churning, our faces will become radiant and we become instruments to attract other people towards spirituality. 

6. Our concentration power increases: By acknowledging and not suppressing impure thoughts we will easily clear negative thoughts within a short period of time. Our concentration power will increase. We will be able to clear and burn impure or waste thoughts, and easily become an embodiment of positivity. 

Message for the day

To pay constant attention towards positivity is to be free from tension.

Projection: To pay attention means not to think, speak or do anything waste, negative or even ordinary. The one who keeps attention in this way and also allows no negativity from outside to go within, is always free from tension. There is also the proper use of everything that is available.

Solution: When I am able to pay constant attention and also use the inner treasures within for a positive purpose, there is the use of the inner potential. When there is the recognition and use of this potential within in this way, negativity finishes; just as sunshine finishes darkness.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: November 02, 2018: Freedom

Contemplation: November 02, 2018: Freedom

Freedom

Freedom is a state of mind. Understanding the self is the key to freedom. The more one understands the self, the easier it is to be liberated from the chains of waste and negativity. Freedom is to be uninfluenced and unaffected, to be at peace with the self. Real freedom is to experience the true essence of one's being.

Disappointment

A disappointment is never easy to surpass. I work hard towards a goal
giving it all I have and still end up empty-handed. 'Where did I go
wrong, what's the use of being diligent and conscientious? May be
everything depends on luck, God didn't help me...' A vision that
was initially strong and focused takes a sharp detour into the by-lanes
of disheartened thinking. On the other hand, by looking at the
situation with a calm, detached attitude, I can locate the faults or
leakages. Even if my attempts were faultless, to refuse to learn from a
set-back is a sign of ego. God helps me back on my feet when He sees
that I haven't closed the doors of my mind to new experiences.

Experiencing And Maintaining A State Of Contentment

To reach, experience and maintain a state of contentment or fulfillment you have to first realize what true freedom is and then learn how to use it so that it strengthens you and also helps you to achieve the full potential of your individual self. Freedom is the key to contentment. You also need to check what brings you close to the state of fulfillment and what takes you away from it. Fears of different kinds are one of the main obstacles in experiencing contentment. Any weakness, inability to apply any virtue or spiritual power required in any situation, lack of focus, inner instability, etc. will cause a leakage of the energy of positivity that is required to feel content. Free yourself of any personality trait that hinders your progress and does not allow your inner being to manifest itself and express itself with all its potential. To live in contentment, you should be in charge of your inner mental and emotional world. If not, you will only be able to experience temporary periods of fulfillment.

To achieve fulfillment you not only have to have inner control, but you also need to check whether there is any door open to allow any weakness to enter the room of your personality. Because if you strengthen yourself on the one hand and on the other you are weakened, you will never reach the desired state of inner power. E.g. you keep a bucket of water under a tap of water. If it has even a single crack, however much water you pour into the bucket, it will never get filled completely. In the same way, this can happen to you. Because of this, you need to check, which cracks are present in your personality through which there are leaks of energy, because of which your efforts to become content do not give you the results you hope for.

Soul Sustenance

Churning Spiritual Knowledge

Churning spiritual knowledge or thinking deeply about it makes us a complete authority of that knowledge. What are some practical ways of implementing churning in our lives?

Take 15 minutes out of your daily routine every day to think deeply on any topic related to spiritual self progress (like e.g. each day’s Soul Sustenance message or something else). You do not need to disconnect yourself from action to do this. You could do this while taking a walk, while driving to office, while cooking food, etc. By churning this way in isolation, the mind is able to concentrate immediately. Secondly if you read some spiritual knowledge and afterwards write down the essence (summary) of it for 5-10 minutes as it has influenced the mind, then you will find that essence will remain with you and deepen during the day.

The benefits of churning spiritual knowledge are as follows:

1. Churning makes the soul feel powerful: it makes you aware of your powers and increases your self-respect. Any inferiority complex ends and one experiences oneself as a great and powerful soul. Self-confidence awakens as weak thoughts diminish: * I won't be able to do this. Will I succeed or not? Strong thoughts emerge instead: * The Supreme Being himself is with me. I will definitely be successful. Such confidence and bravery is experienced which strengthens the soul to undertake any impossible task.
2. Natural and unruffled peace in my outlook: Churning takes us to the depths of the ocean of knowledge. The depth of knowledge finishes all our attractions. In the depths there are no storms, but only the peace and bliss of unlimited treasures.

(To be continued tomorrow …) 

Message for the day

The virtues of honesty and courage bring success.

Projection: The one who is courageous is never deterred by challenges, but moves on towards success. Combined with courage, is the virtue of honesty which allows one to be consistent, sincere and true in the efforts put in. So success comes with proper effort and there is also humility visible in such a person.

Solution: When I am courageous, but at the same time honest in my efforts that I put in for achieving success, I'll never have ego. I will be able to get the cooperation and good will of all, and especially the protection and the help of God. I will find myself moving slowly towards success with everything I do.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: November 01, 2018: The Great Enemy

Contemplation: November 01, 2018: The Great Enemy

The Great Enemy

The great enemy of peace is ego. Ego makes you judge others and think about them in an unkind way. It makes you force others to do what you want. In this way you forget you are a student and that you are here to learn.

Tiredness

Tiredness spells trouble with a capital 'T'. We become tired and we
fall asleep when we should be awake and the end result is Trouble. Or
if we do not fall asleep, our standards drop and we become careless.
People who have knowledge of the body can avoid physical tiredness. But
what about the tiredness of the mind? The tiredness leaves you without a
will, without spiritual power, which makes you want to give up not only
on others but also on yourself. If we do not have an aim we are not
using our time wisely and become tired because we are going nowhere
fast. In today's world we do not always reap what we sow, but in the
subtle laws every action is recorded and not effort goes unrewarded.
When we forget that, we start feeling we are traveling in the night and
get tired. The reason for this is because we forget who our True Guide
is and do not follow his instructions.

Letting Go Of The Branches Of The Life Tree

A very common habit that has become deeply embedded inside us is the habit of possessing, to which we succumb repeatedly. We come in contact with different people, material comforts, roles, positions, experiences, achievements and of course our own physical body etc. on an external level and our own thoughts, viewpoints, beliefs, memories, etc. on an internal level etc. throughout our life. All of these are like branches that make up our life tree. Possession is like clinging on to one or the other of these different branches from time to time, as we fly from one branch to another, while covering our life journey. The spiritual point of view on this habit is clear and very straight forward. It is not possible to possess anything. If we do try to do so, we lose our freedom. To experience the freedom, we need to dare to let go of the branches, which does not mean to lose or leave them because the branches are always going to be there. We can return to any of them to rest or pause whenever we want. But, it is about being aware and alert, because the moment a pause on a branch turns into a stop, the stop turns into a brake and, after that, the brake turns into a blockage. As a result, like the bird whose flying agility degrades on a physical level if it does the same; our intellectual and emotional agility starts to degrade.

When we learn to let go of one branch at a time, we are always welcoming new positive and empowering experiences in our life, one at a time. Like the birds, by letting go of one branch, we are then able to spend the rest of your lives trying and discovering many other branches, one branch at a time, and so we can enjoy the view from each new vantage point. We can choose between a life of flying and soaring or be stuck on one or the other branch, seeing others as they fly past and enjoy a life of freedom where they do visit their life tree from time to time and their life does revolve around the tree but they don't try and possess it or any of its branches.

Soul Sustenance

Returning To The Inner Seat Of Mental Comfort And Peace

At the end of a busy and hurry filled and many a times even peaceless day at office, everyone goes home, to do what? Even a housewife, who has had a busy day in the kitchen and with the children, will yearn to do want at the end of the day? Sit, lie down, relax and experience peace. Just as each one of us returns home or to the comfort of the bedroom at the end of each day; each time we experience any of the various forms of anger in our words or actions or even in our thoughts, sooner or later, we will try to return to what we instinctively and intuitively know is the truth, what is right and good, to the inner seat of our own mental comfort and peace, which is our original and basic sanskara, peacelessness being an acquired one. It's as if we know when we are set on this seat that we have access to our inner power. It's as if we know that we can only be comfortable, powerful, blissful and content when we are first peaceful.

Sitting on this seat also provides us with the ability and the power to influence others. A proof of the fact is that all of us have, sometime or the other, known someone who lived their life peacefully but assertively (not weakly or timidly). They expressed themselves peacefully and interacted with others free of any traces of anger in their personality, and they stayed, more or less, positively peaceful and peacefully positive. We remember that person for much longer than the one who is always finding an excuse to use the weapon of anger when things or people do not go his way or get things or people to be as he would want. The peaceful nature of another makes a deeper and more lasting impression on our hearts than the angry nature of another. And when we are in the presence of such a peaceful person, we always allow them into our lives much more and for longer periods of time. In the same way, when we function from our inner seat of mental peace, we are able to influence others and make a lasting impression on others much more.

Message for the day

The one who is open to learning always finds an opportunity to learn and change.

Projection: Life has plenty of opportunities for the one who wants to learn. Each situation and person that comes one's way is an instrument for a new learning. Constant learning brings about a deep internal change and progress in one's life.

Solution: When I am able to learn from all that happens, I am able to be content for both what I have learnt and the change that I have been able to bring about. This contentment also keeps me enthusiastic and my mind open for further learning. I naturally become an embodiment of what I have learnt.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: October 31, 2018: Thought Diet

Contemplation: October 31, 2018: Thought Diet

Thought Diet

Why not make your mind healthier and go on a thought diet!

Cut down on all those unhealthy negative and wasteful thoughts that offer no nutritional value. Start feeding your mind with positive healthy thoughts.

Here's our suggestion for a balanced diet for the mind:
For vitamins, have creative ideas.
For proteins, think powerful thoughts about yourself.
For carbohydrates, have good feelings for others.

Silence

Am I comfortable with silence? Or does the mind get fidgety when I am
physically silent and bring up questions and uncertainties related to
my life and relationships? Silence to some is boring and unproductive
but that depends on my thoughts. I have two magical tools in hand: the
mind and intellect. When I teach both to work in synchrony, I create
for myself unforgettable experiences of empowerment, love, wisdom,
compassion, forgiveness, far-sightedness... In silence, I can detach
from my body, task and relationships and see which next step would be
beneficial for myself and others. The more I discipline the mind with
love, it will become my closest friend.

The Interplay Between Souls, Matter And The Supreme Soul

The forces which interact to produce the phenomena of world history and geography: souls, matter and the Supreme Soul (God), are threaded by the law of karma. When there is mental communion (connection) with the Supreme, the soul's relationship with matter changes. This means that the internal love-link that the soul has with the Supreme is reflected in the performance of the soul in the material world and in the degree to which the soul has mastery over matter; firstly over the sense organs of the body and through that, over the colors, shapes and sounds of the material world.

We have continually sought to understand which way to act, but have lost our sense of direction for various reasons:

* We forgot that we were soul-actors.
* We became lost on the world stage.
* We became over-identified with our costumes the physical body.
* We lost sight of the story of the drama.
* We forgot that we were residents of the soul world.
* Due to body-consciousness the soul severed (broke) its subtle connection with the Supreme Soul.

Soul Sustenance

Creating Positive Habits

To overcome a negative habit, we have to ensure that the intellect is strong and stable enough to lead the mind with knowledge and comprehension. In this way, transformation is more deep and lasting, creates satisfaction and fullness, and greatly improves our self-esteem. Our mind, which is under the influence of an old program, must be left in no doubt that "I", the original personality, no longer wants to go down that old road. We must have the strong determination to create a new thought pattern; this will also be recorded on our memory bank. This new register will help us to avoid taking up the old habits the next time something similar happens. For a period of time the two thought patterns, the old and the new, will exist alongside each other. To achieve a long-lasting transformation, we should not suppress our mind and immediately eliminate all the habits or tendencies to which the mind has become accustomed to. If we do this, the mind will begin to cry and make a fuss, and finally, the moment we lower our guard and stop paying attention, the old habits will emerge again and drag our mind towards automatic thoughts and actions so that, almost without us realising, we are once again immersed in our old way of thinking and doing.

We have an alternative: creating thoughts of a greater quality that emerge from a new conscience. In this way, thanks to these positive thoughts, full of love, harmony and creativity, the mind will start to cleanse itself, replacing the old habits and negative tendencies in a totally natural way. The positive thought that preceded the positive action is still conscious, but the more we repeat the positive action the less conscious we are of the thought that created it. The time comes when we don't know why we are doing whatever we are doing: it has become a positive habit.

Message for the day

The one who is responsible is the one who is always light.

Projection: To be responsible means to do everything with the best of one's ability. It comes with the recognition and the understanding of the importance of the task. No action is wasted, but everything meaningfully connects to the fulfillment of the task. So there are not even ordinary actions, but only those that are meaningful.

Solution: When I take up every task that I need to do with full responsibility, I am able to give my best. Then I will be able to be light having done my task well and in time. There is never the pressure of work, but there is plenty of time for the self and for others. I also find my inner resources being used to the fullest extent.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: October 30, 2018: Staying Power

Contemplation: October 30, 2018: Staying Power

Staying Power

When you have staying power, you have the stick-at-it-iveness. Like a postage stamp, you're able to stick at one thing until you get there. So, even when there are lots of mini-failures, don't stop! Use your strength, energy and focus to steer your way through the obstacles, and stay with it. Use perseverance and somewhere along the road 'success' will show up.

Enchantment

It's a wonder how God manages to be so enchanting since none of His
uniqueness can be attributed to the parameters human beings normally
associate with an attractive personality such as etiquette, education,
fashion sense, social contacts etc. Though God's purity, wisdom,
power, love... are intangible, when I am soul-consciousness I get
exposed to God's unparalleled magnetism. The more I stay in this
spiritual magnetic field, my mind and heart experience a slow but
permanent change by appreciating myself and others for more than
physical qualifications.

The Three Root Causes Of Anger (cont.)

We are at war with our self when we fail to make the world do exactly what we want, or we believe we have let our self down. An e.g. of a war with one self is - Suppose you are standing in a queue waiting for your chance to arrive, only to discover an hour later, just when your chance is about to arrive, that the time for the counter to close has come and the counter has closed. You get upset, but with whom? Perhaps the person at the counter at first and may be with the other people in the queue and then with yourself, for not having found out the time of closing of the counter. There are two failures that make you uneasy here. First you failed to ask someone early enough, which would have saved you the hour time loss. Second, you failed to control your emotions of anger. Although you might not externally admit that you failed, inside you know. Because of these two failures, you then start to get angry with yourself. The thought pattern that goes inside your mind: to fail is to lose, to lose is to be sorrowful, to be sorrowful causes me to become angry, as you look for an external cause of your sadness which, in this case, is initially the person at the counter and the other people in the queue (who would have known the time of closing and could have told you). So you demonstrate to others your justified anger towards them. But deep inside you know it is you yourself that has made you sorrowful.

As the anger builds up inside you, again, after a while, you find someone else outside on whom you vent out your anger. You seem to feel better as a result, but it's only temporary. The next time you become angry; interrupt the pattern of your anger by asking yourself two simple questions: Who are you fighting a war with? Answer: Yourself. Who is suffering the most due to the war? Answer: Yourself. And if your anger is directed at yourself for your own supposed failure then just tell yourself, "There is no such thing as failure, only a different result from the one that I expected and results are not going to be exactly as I want, expect or desire. That is a rule of the game of life."

Soul Sustenance

Topics For Meditation Thought Commentaries (cont.)

Here are a few thoughts or themes for meditation to help you:

• Like stars shine to bring light during the night, I am a spiritual being of radiant light, like a star in the night sky, reflecting and radiating spiritual light in the present spiritual darkness of the world night. The, light, which emanates from the heart of me is peaceful and loving. It touches each and every being in the world. It is my gift to the world.

• I am just a tiny point of pure energy, of light, situated at the center of the forehead. And within that tiny point lie all my thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitudes, beliefs and my personality traits. Within the point of light that I am, lie all the qualities of spirit that I have - I am a source of love, peace, power and wisdom for others.

• I am a conscient, miniscule point of energy, at the center of the forehead and I am instrumental in making this body work. This body may be heavy and big as compared to me, but I the soul am so light, and free that I can almost fly. I experience bliss as the soul releases itself from the bondage of matter.

(To be continued tomorrow…)

Message for the day

To be a teacher means to touch the heart rather than the head.

Projection: Teaching others means being subtle and explaining in such a way that the mind opens because the heart has understood. The one who truly teaches inspires rather than just becoming the one who teaches others. There is recognition of the positivity that is in each one and so no comparisons  are made with others.

Solution: Once I am able to look at the positivity in another individual and have the pure desire of enabling progress within that person, I am able to feel the love for him. This is like a parent's love whose love for the child is that which makes him grow. So I become a teacher who inspires rather than the one who teaches.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/