Contemplation: December 09, 2018: Your Imagination

Contemplation: December 09, 2018: Your Imagination

Your Imagination

Do you let your imagination run wild and create worse-case scenarios?

Imagining the worst strengthens the possibility of creating the very situation you do not want. Instead, why not increase the possibility of creating the best!

Harness your imagination and create best-case scenarios.

Managing Thoughts

A great number of us wish we weren't forgetful or careless. But
interestingly enough, the mind generally forgets normal, routine things
but can't get away from contemplating on the past or future (could be
my own or others). It's not surprising that my mind finds it hard to
remember what I need for today, when it's trying to manage the
traffic jam of thoughts pertaining to yesterday and tomorrow. We could
argue that the past has many good things to adopt or that we need to
plan for the future, but along with that I end up encouraging the past
or future to weigh me down. Let me guard my thoughts carefully and not
allow any leakage of the mind power.

Quality Transformation

Quality change is the capacity to transform negative situations, or circumstances, into something beneficial for one's self and others. 'Quality transformers' are people who can turn walls of resistance into bridges of understanding and keep crossing them, who can change any obstacle into a stepping stone of success and can reverse the troubling, paralyzing dragon of doubt and insecurity into radiant self-confidence, dissolving the thought impossible from the mind.

Such people work with the undercurrents of life that determine the external reality, of human interaction. These undercurrents are their attitudes, thoughts and feelings. If these undercurrents are filled with resentment, anger and selfishness, then, despite being polite and cooperative externally with people, relationships will be subject to damage and deterioration. On the other hand, when the undercurrent is filled with trust and sincerity, then the quality of life and relationships is enhanced. The fundamental source of quality is the existence of a positive undercurrent. It is not a matter of our words, actions or role (which is the external reality), but rather the foundation, the undercurrent i.e. the thoughts and the activity of the mind.

Meditation enables the mind to tune in to that undercurrent of thoughts, feelings, and attitudes, which is the invisible creator of our human reality. The nourishing power of silence, attained through meditation and spiritual knowledge, gives us the means to bring about quality transformation (change) in this undercurrent. Such change enhances our self-confidence and the capacity to creatively and positively relate to life as it is and face situations easily.

Soul Sustenance

The Power to Co-operate

In India, there is a saying that when everyone gave a finger of co-operation, the mountain of sorrow was lifted. If we look with open eyes at the world of today, and at current social, financial and environmental trends, it's clear that there is widespread suffering and sorrow, that it is likely to get worse, and that to remove this sorrow will be a task like lifting a mountain. Meditation ignites a conviction inside us that the task will be done. Although we have such different backgrounds, cultures, personalities, and so on; meditation shapes our personalities in such a way that it becomes easy for us to share our resources, work together, and give our own finger of co-operation in the task.

The way meditation achieves this is interesting. Look at the other side - at what prevents co-operation: it is ego, where I am in a state of self-glorification, hungry for personal praise or fame, and not concerned about the wellbeing of the team. In ego, I think I am the only one who knows, the one who is right. Ego kills co-operation. Ego is closely connected to body-consciousness. An enormous 'I and my' factor comes in when I think of myself as this body, and lose sight of the soul. My race, my color, my gender, my physical appearance, my education, my family, my job, my position, my possessions - all these become part of the build-up of ego. Working with others with co-operation, who may at any moment challenge my ego with their own different agendas and needs, then becomes stressful.

(To be continued tomorrow ....)

Message for the day

The power of transformation brings all attainments.

Expression: When there is the ability to transform negative into positive, and waste into useful in a second there is the ability to be useful for the self and others. There would not be just complaints against the situation, but the best would be made out of all situations and move on to the aim set out.

Experience: When I am able to use the power of transformation to finish negative and waste, I am able to experience being free from obstacles. So I am able to experience contentment under all circumstances for having made the best use of everything available.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: December 08, 2018: Mind Matters

Contemplation: December 08, 2018: Mind Matters

Mind Matters

The most important part of you is your mind (not your brain - the brain is the hardware and the mind creates the software). Care for your mind, make friends with it, always feed it healthy food, engage it in positive activity, and exercise it with knowledge and wisdom. Like a garden returns fragrance and beauty according to the care invested, so your mind will repay you with thoughts, ideas and visions of great beauty when tended and invested with care. Your mind is not made of matter but it does matter what you give it and what you create with it. Where your mind goes, you go. What your mind creates becomes your destiny.

Trustworthy

When you have the power to accommodate, you are mature enough to merge gossip, rumours, people's weaknesses and sanskars and not spread bad vibrations. Just as a mother never talks ill of her children's
defects or as the ocean accepts the rubbish rivers bring along, God
teaches us to be sensible and discreet. These qualities make us
trustworthy and give us the power to build relationships rather than
walls.

Applying The Law Of Balance To Anger (cont.)

Yesterday we had explained how the law of balance can be applied to anger on a smaller level. The same law can also be applied on a larger level. Each time a group of people transmit the negative energy of anger physically to another group of people - at that time, either:

a) one party is disturbing the balance temporarily, which will be restored sometime in the future, by the second party indulging in similar behavior, or
b) balance is being restored at the present moment (because negative energy had been transmitted from the opposite party to the first party sometime in the past). This balancing must take place, because it's an unbreakable law. This is the law of balance.

This law that does not need to be enforced by us, the police or even by God. It is a natural law like other laws of nature. It gets enforced itself and cannot be broken by anyone. Understanding that this law is embedded in the human state of affairs at all times makes us careful and detached so that we don't hurt ourselves with violent, toxic thoughts, when someone acts negatively. We create these kinds of thoughts because we believe this is revenge that is justified. Also, knowing that anger that is radiated comes back doesn't mean we don't have any laws within society - they are required, but it helps us not to take the law into our own hands. We cannot force justice to take place before its fixed time. We cannot force the balancing of energies of anger. If we trying doing it, it is being egoistic and we only upset the balance of our energies as a result. Even to criticize those who try to take the law into their own hands is to take the law into our hands.

Soul Sustenance

Listening To the Voice of the Intellect

The subtle or non-physical sense organ of the non-physical soul which we use to judge something as right or wrong, good or bad and then make a choice or decision is the intellect. When we are body-conscious, we are attached to many things such as people, our role, objects, money, even our own ideas and beliefs, etc. Due to these attachments, we are constantly creating emotions of fear and anger in the energy of our consciousness. It is these two emotions which then overpower or influence our intellect and stop us from judging clearly and correctly between right and wrong. This constant inner emotional noise of worry and irritation (the seeds of fear and anger) do not allow us to hear the deepest part of our intellect, which is our intuition.

When we are soul-conscious, we are free from attachment and therefore fear and anger. Our consciousness is calm, focused and keenly aware of the quiet, but extremely wise voice of our intuition (inner wisdom). Decision-making is easier and choices are made out of wisdom rather than fear. Meditation is the method which helps us rise above our mental attachments and allow us to connect with the wisdom in our heart, our intuition, our inner voice, which suggests what the right response or action in any situation, is. A practical example of this is when, after being persuaded by your family members you decide not to smoke any more. You let go of the attachment to ‘my’ belief that there is nothing wrong with smoking, which then allows you to listen to the heart of the other (their feelings) and your own heart or intellect, which suggests to you the right action for your well-being in the long run.

Message for the day

To be free from guilt means to ensure quick and easy progress.

Expression: Blaming oneself for all that happens and taking the mind to extreme levels of guilt takes one to a sense of unworthiness. Such a person loses the strength and is unable to look for solutions in difficult situations. Hence there is nothing new that can be thought of, and the situation doesn't get any better.

Experience: When I continue to blame myself, I believe that I deserver neither happiness nor love and that the sorrow that I am experiencing is a deserved punishment. So I lose all enthusiasm to improve the situation and have no awareness of the treasures that I have. So I experience no progress in my life.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: December 07, 2018: Spirituality versus Science

Contemplation: December 07, 2018: Spirituality versus Science

Spirituality versus Science

Science can tell why a rose is red, but not why it is beautiful. Beauty belongs to the realm of spirituality.

Wanting a Change

When I am disheartened, I may do one of the two: I either suffer
quietly by admonishing my incapabilities and fate or I externalize my
problems by blaming God and those around me. Apart from the stress I
create for myself and negative karma with other souls, what's
important is that either way I am not solving the problem. Each one of
us face disappointment at our own times, but the longer I allow these
feelings to stay on the more attached they become. I can only begin to
heal the situation and myself by 'wanting a change', 'wanting
relief' and 'wanting something better as I deserve it.' This
positive attitude works as catalysis to transform circumstances, take
me closer to God and create a new destiny.

Applying The Law Of Balance To Anger

We are all very much aware of the law of gravity. It keeps us grounded on the earth. Gravity ensures everything returns to a state of balance. This is the law of balance on a physical level.

The law of balance can also be applied on a mental and emotional level, to the emotion of anger e.g. Too many angry thoughts of revenge and animosity (hatred) inside our consciousness can emerge in two ways:

a) either externally as toxic, violent behavior, which will attract toxic, violent responses from others, or
b) if these thoughts are kept bottled inside, they will eventually, after a period of time, emerge as some disease or the other in the physical body. This is because our consciousness then tries to find a way to get rid of the mental impurity, which enters our physical body and restores balance to the mental and physical system, which has been upset due to the creation of the toxic thoughts, in the first place.

The above e.g. is an application of this law on a micro level. We can apply this law of balance on a macro level, on the world at large, where we watch groups of people, even countries exchanging negative energy. We shall explain that in tomorrow's message.

(To be continued tomorrow...)

Soul Sustenance

What Are Some Of The Benefits Of Positive Thinking On Our Relationships?

• Your relationships are more harmonious.

• You possess greater ability to accept others with comprehension and without expectations.

• Your positive thoughts influence others and you share your happiness.

• You attract other people with your peace and harmony.

• You make others approach your true self and they feel comfortable with you.

• You break through barriers and build solid bridges of communication and understanding.

Message for the day

The ones who see specialties become special.

Expression: To see specialties and ignore negativity is to take a step ahead by imbibing those specialties. This creates a habit of seeing, taking in and expressing only positive qualities. So whatever the person may be, whatever his qualities may be, there is only a connection of positivity with him.

Experience: When I am able to relate to everyone in this way with only specialties, I become special. I also find others responding positively to me and using only their specialties while in contact with me. There are also a lot of good wishes that I receive from others because of my positive attitude.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: December 06, 2018: The Flow

Contemplation: December 06, 2018: The Flow

Douro River, Portugal

The Flow 

Everything that comes to us, comes to pass or, more accurately, for us to pass on. Not just the money in our pocket, but wisdom, objects, ideas, even opportunities, all come to us, so that, at the right moment, we can pass them on. This is called flow. Being in the flow means being aware that the river of life is flowing to us at every moment. Being in the flow means accepting whatever comes and putting it to good use, before passing it on. Going with the flow means allowing whatever comes to move on freely, without holding on to it in any way.

Uniqueness

We usually expect people to behave according to our expectations. We
would like to see people change according to our expectations and we
expect them to mould themselves with our own value system. Yet we
notice that this does not happen and then we tend to become
disappointed. We need to understand that each one is unique with his
own specialties, and uniqueness. When we are able to appreciate this
uniqueness we are able to respect each and every human being and the
unique contribution he can make. So with this change in our
consciousness we will not expect others to change according to my wish
but will take benefit from their uniqueness.

The Spiritual Director And The Actor

Spirituality adds great depth and value to Shakespeare's famous words - 'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.' Through spirituality, I realize and experience myself as a soul, separate from the body, playing a part on the stage of the world through my physical body costume. The difference between the actor and the role is clearly understood. An added dimension then, to this consciousness is that God or the Supreme Being is the Spiritual Director of the play we are enacting.

The Director - God looks at the entire drama and every actor's part from a broader perspective. His vision is not just limited to the present but stretches from the past (past not limited to this birth) to the future (future not limited to this birth) of each one's part. I learn from the Director how to play my own part with accuracy, now as well as his training helps me for the future. Like any good actor, I need to have a lot of respect, appreciation, loyalty and love for the Director and immense faith in him. The Director is like a mentor or guide for an actor, to whom he surrenders completely. He knows that by doing that, his act will be of the highest quality. If he doesn't do that and he performs his act his own way, his act will suffer and he will experience pain. As a result he will not be as successful as one who is willing to listen and learn from the Director. If I keep a little distance between me and my role, so I don't lose sight of the Spiritual Director's instructions and the way the play is moving, my part will be much easier to perform, better appreciated by all, and I will be extremely successful. Positive appreciation for a performance for an actor's performance by the spectators is of great value to any actor, sometimes even more important than commercial success. So surrendering to the soul's Director and having a strong relationship of mutual trust with him is particularly helpful at this time, when there is a lot of confusion on the stage of the Earth with billions of actors crowded here and our acts not exactly of the highest quality. So I, the spiritual actor need someone at this time who can tell me about mistakes committed by my in my past acts and improve my act of the present which will result in a positive present as well as future. Spirituality introduces me to that someone.

Soul Sustenance

Transforming (Changing) My Thought Patterns

Why is it that we can't change the pattern of our thoughts so easily? Imagine a bird being so comfortable in its nest that, though perhaps sometimes it stands on the branch of the tree to inflate its chest and adjust its feathers, it never wants to fly and does not even realize it could fly. It never knows the blissful freedom of flight, never feels the wind through its wings. It thinks the other birds that are flying around are unwise or foolish. In much the same way, we never really leave our nests of old thought patterns. Our habitual thoughts become our comfort zone and each repetitive thought pattern is like a twig in the nest, which makes the nest stronger and our stay in the nest seemingly comfortable and permanent. We never experience our true spiritual freedom or flight or feel the breeze of our inner beautiful nature. Even the thought, "I am a soul" has to be realized eventually, so that we can actually experience its deepest truth.

In the world of spirituality, thoughts are like the map, but they are not the territory nor the reality of the experience. Thinking * I am a peaceful soul or * I am a loveful soul or * I am powerful soul is not being soul-conscious, it is only theory or knowledge, but it is definitely an essential start. Maps are important and necessary, until we know the way home to experience. Reaching this final destination of experience makes it easier for us and empowers us to transform or change our old thought patterns.

Message for the day

To be victorious means to pass obstacles with ease.

Expression: The ones who aim to become victorious never think of not being faced with obstacles. Instead they look at each obstacle as a chance to use and express their own inner powers. So there is constant progress visible in them.

Experience: When I am prepared for the inevitable challenges that life brings, I will not experience fear, tension or anxiety but will always be confident and fearless. Apart from actually being victorious in the situation, I also experience winning over my weaknesses and discovering new powers within me.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: December 05, 2018: Iceberg of Conflict

Contemplation: December 05, 2018: Iceberg of Conflict

Iceberg of Conflict

Conflicts are like icebergs. What you see or understand is only a portion of what's really happening.

So, take time to explore your iceberg of conflict.
Look below the words and actions that fueled the conflict.

Uncover your emotions, unrealistic expectations, preconceived preconceptions and everything else that lies beneath the surface.

Sort out what's going on inside before you sort things out externally to resolve the conflict.

Flexibility

When I plan perfectly for the day ahead, I sometimes find that I am not
able to implement all that I had planned for. Things seem to be coming
up unexpectedly spoiling everything for me. I am then not able to be
happy with what is happening and so find it difficult to do my best or
what is required for me to do. It is as important to be flexible in my
thoughts as it is to be particular about my daily schedule. Flexibility
allows me to accommodate the unforeseen situations that come up my way
and enables me to make the best use of everything. And so I enjoy
everything that comes my way.

Neutralizing Anger

What is a good neutralizer for anger? Peace you would say. It's not only peace, but a combination of truth, peace and love, in equal amounts. Truth and peace are the two inner states, which never ever leave us. Both remain permanently within each one of us. We already know, inside our subconscious and sometimes even consciously, the truth about anger and we can call our inner peace whenever we want - it's there to be used. But what happens in real life situations is that we lose awareness of what is true i.e. the truth that anger is harmful and the truth of 'who I am'. And we also forget the practice of peacefulness because some negative situation or experience temporarily blocks our access to the peace of our heart.

Peace is also deeply connected with love and we all have experienced many a times that it is impossible to feel loving and angry at the same time. Both cannot co-exist. In fact it is love that is the healing balm for our heart, that we our self have stabbed and wounded by indulging in many anger habits since we were young. But what happens is that we search for love and peace from the hearts of others. That means we have not yet realized that we already have what we search for, within our own hearts. To heal the wounds of anger, which can be in different forms like irritation, resentment, hatred, revenge, rage, etc., it is essential to rediscover the truth of who we are and the peace and love of what we are.

Soul Sustenance

Various Synonyms (Meanings) Of Peace

Peace has a number of synonyms, which all have slightly different shades of meaning:

Serenity
The feeling of contentment and being completely full with no need for further additions to the self; a feeling of satisfaction, of wholeness of the self.

Calmness
There are no disturbances or waves in the mind, like a pool of water that is clear and still with not even a ripple to disturb it.

Tranquility
Tranquility is the state of harmony in nature and in ourselves that keeps everything in balance naturally.

Quietness
In this state, there are no sounds of uncontrolled thoughts jumping around like a monkey in the mind; our thoughts become essenceful, returning to the point, with no expansion; it is an economy of thinking that creates quietness.

Stillness
There is no movement of thoughts. I remain absorbed in one thought and, in the stillness of silence, I am at rest, with a feeling of complete detachment from everything.

Peace has the meaning of harmony, balance, order and freedom: when we are free from waste and negativity, then we exist fully serene, fully at peace with everything.

Peace is my original energy and treasure and with the practice of meditation I step inside and experience it.

Message for the day

Concentration develops when the intellect is clean and clear.

Expression: For the one whose intellect continues to wander, concentration becomes difficult or impossible. On the other hand, for the one who is focused on one thing there are no other distractions at that time and there is easy concentration.

Experience: When I am able to remain focused, I am not troubled by distractions which lessen my concentration. Instead I am able to increase my discrimination power and am able to decide and judge well. This happens because my intellect becomes clean and gets cleared of waste.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: December 04, 2018: Die Alive

Contemplation: December 04, 2018: Die Alive

Die Alive

To the unenlightened, death comes but once a lifetime. To those who have chosen to become enlightened there are a thousand chosen deaths before it's time to leave the body and move on. This kind of death is the releasing off all our attachments, from false identity to opinions, from people to possessions. Cutting the subtle threads of attachment frees the spirit from fear, and when the time comes to move on, it's like 'shooting the breeze'. Dying alive is simply letting go of all you hold fast to in your mind. It doesn't actually mean losing anything, simply changing your relationship with the things in your life today. The greatest pleasure for every soul is the result of choosing the living death called detachment. Why? Because attachment is a form of slavery, and it all takes place in our own minds. And the result of detachment?  Real freedom.

Stability

When we are faced with difficult situations, we usually tend to have a
feeling that we have no resources or are not able to make the best use
of the resources within for best results. Thus we are not able to
experience real progress. On the other hand we only tend to experience
a lot of negative feelings. When we learn the art of being stable in
the most negative situations, we know how to use the treasures that are
hidden within ourselves. Our mind is no longer disturbed with waste or
negative thoughts and we find it easy to face and learn from each and
every situation.

Self Responsibility (cont.)

Because we have forgotten the principle of karmic returns (discussed yesterday), we have learned to avoid taking responsibility for many of our actions. We fail to see the impact of our actions upon others and we fail to see that the real meaning of responsibility is 'responding correctly'. Life can be seen as a series of responses which we each create in our interactions with other people and events. As is the quality of our ability to respond (energy given), so will be the quality of the return (energy received). The Laws of Karma also serve to remind us that the situations in our life, the quality of our body, wealth, relationships etc. and the type of person we are today are the result of what we thought and did yesterday, last month, last year, perhaps in our last birth. Many people do not like this idea or find it difficult to accept because most of us have been taught that our destiny lies in someone else's hands or in the hands of fate or luck, about which we can do nothing. The Law of Karma or the Law of Reciprocity teaches us that there is no such thing as luck and that whatever happens to us today is the result of our positive or negative actions in the past. If you spend a few moments reflecting on events in your life, without being judgmental, you will begin to see connections between actions and results, causes and effects. When you see how all effects have their causes, you will then be convinced that this universal law is at work in your life at all times.

Soul Sustenance

Different Shades Of Attachment To Opinions And Ideas (cont.)

The attachment or detachment to one’s ideas not only comes into play while giving an idea or opinion, but even when accepting or receiving or listening to an idea from another person from the group. The more the attachment to one’s own ideas, the more will be the tendency to resist or reject the other’s idea. A particular person, with the objective or resisting or rejecting the idea:
* might try to do the same through different means like putting up a seemingly valid or even an invalid objection to the idea in front of the whole group which may seem very reasonable to the group and may be taken or accepted by the group or the person objecting may try to ensure that happens or
* he/she may quietly disassociate from the group if the group begins showing interest in the idea (sometimes the influence of the position of the person is such that this kind of disassociation very easily manages to reduce the energy of interest of the group in the new idea) or also
* might present a new idea to the group, which manages to divert the attention of the group, etc.

Sometimes the person rejecting the idea is aware of the fact that he/she is rejecting the idea because of the inner attachment to his ideas, but will not admit it in front of others and sometimes he/she might not even be slightly aware of the fact; the attachment is too subtle to realize. Others might realize their attachment, but they might not themselves. And if someone to point out their inner attachment, they might even react, because where there is attachment, there is fear that the other’s idea will be accepted and yours will not. Attachment to one’s ideas fills the energy of ‘I am right’ in any situation. Overcoming all sorts of attachment to ones ideas is one of the foremost steps that we can take to bring about harmony in all types of relationships.

Message for the day

To have tolerance means to be stable.

Expression: When one is faced with defamation or insult, tolerance gives the power to be stable and cool. And so there is the ability to smile even when there is negativity that comes. Tolerance means to see beyond the insults because of being stable in the stage of self-respect.

Experience: When faced with criticism, if I am able to be stable in my stage of self-respect, I am able to learn from every negative remark that comes my way. I will never become defensive, but will be able to see clearly what new learning I could take.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: December 03, 2018: I am Love

Contemplation: December 03, 2018: I am Love

I am Love

We seek it here, we seek it there, we look for love everywhere! We expect it to come to us, usually through another person. All our conditioning says it is something that happens to us. The mythology of our fables, legends and modern day entertainment industries say it is something we 'fall into'. And yet...and yet real love cannot be acquired, possessed or accumulated. It cannot be known when we think it comes from outside ourselves. The ultimate paradox is we are it. We are love. Each one of us is a source of love that has forgotten that 'love is what I am'. Say it now "I am love". Doesn't feel right does it? That's because it’s been so long since we knew and experienced ourselves in this true way. And yet we all know that the deepest trust and the purest love is known and experienced only when we give it, not take it. As we give love in whatever way is appropriate, we are the ones to experience it first, on the way out. Falling in love is impossible. It is only infatuation, obsession with an external object which appears to fill a gap in ourselves. As soon as the object or person is remembered when they are not present and when they do not need to be remembered, it is simply attachment which, if sustained, will become a dependency. And attachment and dependency are not love. But you already know that...don't you?

relax7

Calm and Cool

It is so easy to speak negatively when we do not like something about
someone. Sometimes we do react to the situation and get angry. We
continue to find fault with that person. The person too responds
negatively to our negative thoughts. And so there is no hope of
creating a positive relationship. When something goes wrong in any
relationship, the first thing we need to do is to keep our mind calm
and cool. When we do this, we will not be caught up with the
negativity of the situation or the negative trait of the person at that
time, but we will be able to see something beautiful in that person. We
will be able to appreciate and connect to the uniqueness of that
person, thus creating space for rebuilding that relationship.

Self Responsibility

There are certain laws which are involved in our actions and interactions. They are not human laws requiring lawyers to interpret or the police to put into action. They are natural laws which are constantly operating in every relationship. They are often called the Laws of Karma (action): briefly described by the saying, "As you sow, so you shall reap", described by Isaac Newton as the Third Law of Motion i.e. for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The Laws of Karma remind us that whatever quality of energy we give out, we get back. This might not be exactly 'tit for tat', but if we give happiness to someone, it will come back to us; if we give pain or sorrow, it will come back, perhaps not today or tomorrow, but at some time in the future.

Most of us are conditioned by the idea that we are responsible for some of our actions, but not all of them. For example, we would consider ourselves responsible for the actions which improved our company's business but would not consider ourselves responsible for not being on good terms with our spouse. If, as parents, we worked hard in educating our children and they grew up to become well placed and successful individuals in their lives, we would consider ourselves responsible. If on the other hand they don't make it to the top and are not so successful, we will blame our children for not putting enough effort or maybe the education system for the same. So we are selective in taking responsibility for our actions.

Through spirituality, we are reminded of the unchangeable laws of cause and effect, which awakens our awareness of our true responsibility for each and every action that we perform.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Different Shades Of Attachment To Opinions And Ideas

Very often in a group or team, whether social or official, while moving towards a common goal or objective or purpose, different people in the group or gathering give their opinion to make the objective of the team possible. While giving their opinion, one very commonly sees two different categories of people. The first category contains type of people who are attached to their ideas (to different extents) while presenting them to the group and the other contains type of people who are extremely active, positive and authoritative in giving their ideas, when they are required to do so, but are able to keep a relationship of detachment with their ideas.

If someone is attached to his/her idea and it is not accepted, he/she might react emotionally (internally) or even physically (externally). He/she:
* might even start creating disharmony in the group by talking against or creating ill-feelings for the person who objected to his idea or
* might stop co-operating with the remaining members of the group or
* sometimes may just disassociate or distance himself/herself from the group, which is a quiet way of non co-operation and can cause ripples of negative thoughts and feelings in the others.
These and others are some of the common reactions of someone whose idea/ideas are not accepted.

So the right balance of authority (while giving the idea) and humility (while accepting the result of the idea, the result could be rejection or even acceptance of the idea) has to be maintained. Humility comes very naturally to someone who is detached to his/her idea.

(To be continued tomorrow…)

Message for the day

The one who is able to discriminate well is able to bring about real benefit.

Expression: Everyone naturally works for the benefit of the self and others. But the one who discriminates well is able to understand the other person's need and give accordingly. So whatever is done naturally brings benefit for others and also for the self.

Experience: When I am able to bring benefit for the right person at the right time with the right thing, I am able to win the trust of the other person. I expect nothing in return, but have the satisfaction of helping at the right time.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/