Contemplation: June 03, 2019: Co-operation

Contemplation: June 03, 2019: Co-operation

Co-operation

Co-operation is perhaps one of the least recognised but most valuable of human virtues. So, for a person to be co-operative means for them to have a quiet eye for what is needed to bring success, and to supply it (and no more)at the right time, in the right place and then to be off. Someone who co-operates, offers their services and then splashes their name on the achievement is not co-operative. It requires invisibility and precision to do and then to go without waiting for results. It also takes a discerning eye to see exactly what is needed, to be removed sufficiently from your own approach to a task and just to contribute one ingredient. Sometimes not even an idea but, however clever you may consider yourself to be, just a hand, a support.

Become Victorious

How can I free myself from subtle aspects of anger? 

I have to keep the aim of making each and every day – every moment – victorious. I must think, 'this day, these hours and minutes, will not come again. 

I can’t lose another second on this; my immediate attention is needed!' 

If I am still thinking about something I don’t need to be thinking about, it means I am still wasting time and energy.

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...)

Soul Sustenance

The Triangle Of Spiritual Energy (Part 1)

Harmony within the self and with others is based on the accuracy of three aspects of remembrance: the ability to disconnect, connect and reconnect.

When I disconnect my thoughts from outside influences, stepping back from actions and words, then I can go into silence and connect with the self. To plug into the self, l use the thought: Om Shanti or “I am a peaceful soul”. This thought is the current that activates my eternal resource of peace and the qualities that emanate from this peace. The first step in meditation is always to connect with the self: what we call the inward step.

The next step in meditation is vertical, where, within one second, my concentrated thought connects my mind with the Supreme Source of Peace.

Silence and love give the mind wings to break the pull of gravity and to fly and unite with the One, who is the purest point of energy in the universe. This vertical connection from the point of the self, the soul, to the point of the universe, the Supreme Soul, gives the mind fresh new energy. This fresh energy is divine spiritual power and cannot be found in, or taken from, a human being. Therefore, if I wish to recharge myself, to rediscover and restore the original balance and harmony within myself, the second movement made by my mind must be vertical.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Message for the day

To be constantly enthusiastic is to experience freedom.

Projection: When everything is going on well I find myself enthusiastic and have the interest to move forward. But when even a little thing goes wrong, I lose all enthusiasm to do anything else. This creates a bondage for me and I find it difficult to move forward.

Solution: I need to remind myself that to be enthusiastic in all situations is to be like a free bird reaching great heights. To lose enthusiasm according to difficult situations is to be like a caged bird.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Contemplation: June 02, 2019: From the Heart

Contemplation: June 02, 2019: From the Heart

From the Heart

Take a moment and think about your day yesterday:
did you live from the heart?
What you couldn't do yesterday, do today!
Today, live from your heart.

Self-approval

Do you seek others' approval? When you don't get your regular "fix" of approval, how do you feel?

Others' cannot constantly give you approval. So, instead of seeking and needing approval from others, give yourself approval!

Let go of the need to hear others say that you're beautiful, smart, or good enough. Practice self approval.

Then whether you get approval or not, you'll be unaffected and undisturbed.

Bringing Your Dreams Alive

Each one of us has dreams that we nourish right through our lives. Some are short-term dreams and some long term ones. Dreams keep changing as we progress through different phases of our life. Some are achieved, some are not. Some of us possess the ability to realize our dreams more than the rest. The most important and influential factor in this process is how much we believe in our dream and believe that it will be realized. Some of the factors that hamper this belief are:

* The influence of the past - the memories of our past failures, which sow seeds of doubt in our mind; as well as successes, which keep us in an illusionary consciousness and distance us from the present moment and our present actions. Also, sometimes we associate present temporary failures or ups and downs which may come in our way, with failures of the past.
* Lack of inner strength or power, when faced with obstacles in your path. Tendency to get dejected very easily and creating weak thoughts like we do not deserve it or we are not capable of it or are we not lucky enough or it is not in our destiny or maybe it is our negative past actions which are influencing our dream realization process adversely, etc.
* The opinions or comments of people surrounding you who sometimes, are not in tune with your consciousness and are not able to empathize with your purpose. Their comments easily de-focus you from your purpose.
* Lack of ability to mould or adjust during the dream realization journey. Any journey is always full of twists, turns and sudden changes.  A rigid state of mind, which is not able to change its tactics as required, may make the path seem more difficult than it actually is.
* It is very good to dream but excessive attachment to the dream also may make the journey towards the dream stressful and bring down your self-belief at times.

Soul Sustenance

Are You A Compulsive Complainer (Part 2)?

The person who almost never complains has realized that every time they complain they focus on something negative, and the first person to suffer is, in effect, themselves, since it reduces their energy level and they feel worse. The person who never complains accepts what is as it is, what comes as it comes, and what happens as it happens. However, if they consider that something has to be changed, they put their energy into making it happen.

Given below is a clear example of the reaction of a compulsive complainer and of someone who never complains in the face of the same situation:

Two people visit a restaurant for a cup of tea. When the tea arrives, it arrives cold on both tables. The complainer suffers and reacts immediately by making a great complaint to the waiter. He gets into such a bad mood because of the cold tea that it generates a really unhappy feeling inside him. The waiter, of course, gets a bit defensive. The person who doesn't complain does not remain quiet and drink the tea. He calls the waiter and informs him that the tea is cold and asks for it to be warmed. He doesn't get angry or into a bad mood; therefore, he doesn't suffer. He accepts that, at times, such things happen! To inform and ask is not to complain; it is to give feedback and to make a request. The difference between both is the difference between an emotional reaction and a proactive response.

If there is something that doesn't go as you would like it to go, use mental energy to construct, create, transform or solve but do not complain.

Message for the day

To do a task with love is to be constantly successful.

Projection: When I start with something new, I usually notice that I'm successful for sometime, but I do not experience long lasting success. This is because I did the task on being told or being forced by the situation. External force makes me use my resources with commitment for sometime.

Solution: Love brings constant success because once I've experienced the joy of doing the task itself, I'll never give it up. Because it is done with love, I'll put in all my resources and do my best. So I'll experience constant success.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Contemplation: June 01, 2019: Making Decisions

Contemplation: June 01, 2019: Making Decisions

Making Decisions

Often it's easy to help others make decisions because we are more objective when we're not completely emotionally involved.

So if you want to get good at making your own decisions, get good at being objective.  Learn to step back from the situation, mentally & emotionally, to gain a better perspective.

Then you'll know what's best for you & what decision to make.

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

To be good to people who are good to us is very easy. But the real beauty of life lies in knowing how to get along well with one and all. That means, I need to know how to empower my interactions so that I am able to get along well even with someone who is not so good to us. Just like notes of music which are different, I need to understand that everyone is different and I need to create beautiful music even in the worst conditions. Today I will see what I can do to get along well with one person whom I wasn't comfortable with. It could be some quality that I need to work on. It could be assertiveness or love or any other quality which will help me get along well with the person.

Temporary And Permanent Sources Of Peace

It's a common notion (idea) to think of peace as being closely related to the beauty of nature - the play of waves on a beach, the blowing of wind through a forest, the soaring and swooping of gulls; in short, anything away from the rush and hurry of the city. Alternatively we associate peace with some physical form of relaxation like headphones plugged into soothing music, a hot bath after a hard day, a brisk walk in the park, etc. In meditation we realize peace to be our very essence (nature); we realize very quickly, trying to extract peace from the world around us or even from some physical sensations in our own bodies gives us only a temporary experience of it.

Once we start meditating, we start to see physical relaxation as an escape from tension and not a solution for it; and the beautiful scenes of nature now no longer as sources radiating permanent peace. But in fact it is their mere absence of conflict, their harmony of colours, forms and sounds which appeal to us. There is something in each of us which cries out to be free from conflict. We discover that "small voice" or need is only our true nature demanding to be recognized. We realize that neither the body nor nature can give the peace that the soul was longing for, but it has to be tapped from within. Having found it, it remains constant, whether in the city or countryside, in comfort or discomfort. In the midst of noise and confusion, peace is really our own.

Soul Sustenance

Are You A Compulsive Complainer (Part 1)?

We live in a world full of imperfections, and, luckily, we are not perfect either. Luckily, because being imperfect offers us the possibilities of learning, change and hope. It inspires us to make an effort and it prevents us from getting bored. However, for the one who complains it seems that the world should be perfect. With such a habit it becomes something natural to think how things should or shouldn't be or could or could not be.

When you complain, your energy and clarity reduce and your unhappiness increases. You don't accept what there is or what is, as it is. Your complaints lead you to criticism and to useless gossip. In these kinds of conversations time and energy are lost and mistrust and unhappiness are generated. Relationships are harmed and then require a good investment of time and energy to get back the lost trust.

Someone who complains regularly expects the world to make them happy and the Universe to dance to their music. As things are almost never as they want, they are in a state of constant complaint. They don't realize that happiness comes from within and is cultivated within. They expect situations and others to make them happy. And, as this does not happen, they complain constantly.

The person who often complains feels disappointed and gets discouraged. They feel that they cannot do anything to change what they would like to change. They feel weakened inside.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Message for the day

To see specialities in all is to become special.

Projection: Most of the time, I'm caught up in looking at people's negativity. When I see some negative quality in someone, I immediately make his specialities a background and start focusing on his negative traits. The more I think of these negative qualities, the more they occupy my conscious mind, changing my reactions too.

Solution: It is natural to be coloured or influenced by what I see. If I see specialities, I'll take on a little of that and if I see weaknesses, I'll take on a little of that too. So I need to make an attempt to look at only specialities and encourage others too to use their specialities.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Contemplation: May 31, 2019: Scattered Thoughts

Contemplation: May 31, 2019: Scattered Thoughts

7 Mile Bridge, Key West, Florida

Scattered Thoughts

Uncontrolled, scattered thoughts are like a speeding car. Unless you brake you'll crash. We need to put on the brakes if our minds are to work naturally. A natural mind is peaceful and a peaceful mind brings clarity.

Respect

Respect is to recognize and appreciate the unique role of each and
everyone. Each one is unique with his own specialties. When we
recognize the role of each one, we can understand that he is playing
his part accurately. Then we can acknowledge even the smallest
contribution and we will then be free from expectations. When we find
ourselves having negative thoughts towards anyone, we need to make
the practice of looking at one specialty in that person and learn to
relate to it. Also, we need to tell myself that without the role of
this particular person the drama of life would not be complete.

False Attachments

Are you aware that whenever you lose your true self-awareness (soul-consciousness), you will identify with and get attached to something that is not you?   It could be another person, your work, or some material possession.   Let's say you are attached to your job and one day, due to rising costs, your company decides to downsize and starts laying off thousands of its employees - all of a sudden you are asked to leave.  The attachment to and identification with your position in the company, which has become a habit (sanskara), causes the creation of fearful and angry thoughts (e.g., * I'm going to lose my job (fear related to the future) or * How dare they downsize the company and damage my position (anger towards the company and its leadership)).  The destructive energy of these thoughts becomes emotion (energy in motion) which then invades your entire mind so you cannot have clear and calm thoughts (the prime requirement of that moment).   It hijacks your intellect so you cannot make correct, wise decisions and choices (also the prime requirement of that moment) for the future.  Any connection you had with your inner peace is broken.   All this happens because you forgot who you really are and had begun to think you are what you do.   When seen from the point of view of this example it sounds ridiculous that we should identify with what we do or what we have, but this is currently how the world and its people work.  So, never forget who you truly are!

Soul Sustenance

Positive Thinking

What Stops You from Being Positive?

There are many reasons that make it difficult to produce and hold on to positivity in your mind and attitude. The external information we receive is mainly negative, and our thoughts and conversations are based on this information. Other causes include:

* Other people's negativity rubbing off on you; Other people's criticisms influencing you;
* Self-doubt;
* Lacking clear objectives in life;
* Not having recognized your true qualities, virtues and values;
* Lacking self-confidence;
* Not believing you are a positive person;
* Keeping the past in your mind;
* Being egoistic;
* Comparing yourself with others;
* Having low self-esteem;
* Being frustrated or irritated;
* Lacking flexibility or tolerance with people or situations, etc.

Message for the day

With the balance of love and discipline, energy can be saved while speaking.

Expression: Throughout the day we find ourselves having to give explanations or corrections to so many people. When we do this we find that we have to spend a lot of words. In the process we tend to lose a lot of our energy and find ourselves tired.

Experience: In order to save our energy and to use fewer words we need to have the balance of love and discipline. Discipline will enable us to give the right directions while love will make our directions effective. So we find that just a few words would be enough to get our message across.