Daily Positive Thoughts: February 12, 2016: Greed

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 12, 2016: Greed

Hope Diamond

Greed

Diamond alone can cut another diamond and a thorn alone will have to be used to remove another thorn. The tendency to be greedy can be cured by another facet of greed. Instead of showing attachment towards worldly objects, one's attention should be directed towards divinity. We can be greedy to acquire spiritual knowledge. Let me possess a deep desire to develop forgiveness, politeness, straightforwardness and peacefulness.

To be a trustee is to use all treasures well. 

We do have a lot of treasures. But we need to understand that we are entrusted with these treasures so that we can bring benefit to others too. When we put into use treasures like our thoughts, values, skills etc for the benefit of others, we are benefited too. So, we need to use all these treasures as a trustee. Today I will say everything that is mine belongs to God and is meant for His service. This ensures that I don't waste or misuse any of the treasures entrusted to me. I use it well for others, as well as for myself.

Entering Into A Land Of Forgiveness (Part 3)

There is a saying in India that in a home where the fire of anger exists, pots of water also dry up. Anger is a name given to a large collection of desires that exist inside the human consciousness which prevent us from forgiving. Filling the emotions inside our mind with love and pacifying the emotions of subtle desires is the second step in creating an environment of forgiveness wherever we are. Imagine a world without the numerous desires that exist in our lives - I need, I want, I own, I expect, I am right, I envy– these are subtle fires that burn up the energy of pure soul-to-soul love, that exists inside us instinctively, because we are children of God, the Supreme Soul, who is an Ocean of love.

So waking up in the morning and starting the day with a warm Good Morning to this Ocean of love and having a heart-to-heart conversation and a deep loveful communion with Him and filling myself with the deepest pure love existing in this complete Universe, is paving the way for my heart to be cleansed of the various ego-based emotions and for it to become moulded as a forgiving one, because the more I fill my heart with God’s love, the more I am enriched with soul-to-soul love and the more sweet and humble I become. And such a transformed me, then is able to win the hearts of each one and create an atmosphere of love and forgiveness around me, which is my vow (promise) to the Supreme.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Soul Sustenance

Simple Exercise For Experiencing Inner Peace And Compassion (Kindness) 

Sit comfortably and relax. Now focus your attention on your breathing… let it find its own calm rhythm… gently breathe in peacefulness and breathe out any negative feelings. 

Allow your mind to slow down… do not judge your thoughts as good or bad, accept them and let them go. 

Now focus on your inner peace…that place that is deep within yourself… that is peaceful… where your inner compassion (kindness) and forgiveness lies… here you are patient, tolerant, generous, understanding… all these qualities are here which make up your inner compassion. Experience the feeling of compassion… and see it focused as a point… a point of light…situated at the center of your forehead. 

Now raise your awareness beyond yourself… to a place of unlimited peace… see it first as a small point of light. As you move towards it, it becomes brighter… it is like an ocean of peace… a space of calm, of love, of compassion… you feel connected to that ocean of deep peace and love… it surrounds you like a shawl, it fills you up, absorbing every part of you with a comfortable warmth. 

Rest in that feeling of being loved… it is like energy… a vibration… a light filling you… until you overflow… 

Now, slowly you move away from the ocean – as a point of light. You still have the memory of being loved… and can reconnect at any time you want. 

Gradually become aware of your body. 

Message for the day

Perform every task while in your self-respect and others will continue to cooperate with you. 

Contemplation: When you are doing something and you are in your self-respect, it creates cooperation. On the other hand if you have ego because of which you expect others to recognize your work and appreciate it, it creates competition and jealousy. 

Application: When you find someone not cooperating with you, check within yourself why you are performing that task. If there is the slightest feeling of trying to prove yourself, remove it. Let there be the thought in the mind that you want only success in the task and nothing else. 
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 11, 2016: Eternal Star

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 11, 2016: Eternal Star

Eternal Star

There is a part of you that is perfect and pure. It is untouched by the less-than-perfect characteristics you have acquired by living in a less than perfect world. This part of you is a still and eternal star. Make time to reach it and this will bring you untold benefit.

To race with myself is better than trying to compete with others. 

I can really excel when I try each day to be better than what I was yesterday. Instead of trying hard to compete with others, I need to compete with myself. This will ensure that I am moving forward in the direction of my own specialties. This will bring excellence in what I do. Today I will work on one quality of mine and use it consciously. This quality could be a simple skill or a virtue. When I recognize and use it consciously, I will find it increasing. So, today I will put into use one quality of mine.

Entering Into A Land Of Forgiveness (Part 2)

We are all very much aware that forgiveness is an antidote (one that neutralizes or heals) to anger. But to forgive, the first and foremost power that is required is the ability to apply a full-stop on my rough emotions when provoked. The control of my emotions, one minute every hour, is like building a dam across the river of emotions which becomes rough, while coming into interactions with a variety set of personalities and while becoming busy in actions, both of which cause an expansion of thoughts. The situation becomes worse when the interaction or action, during the past hour, has been a negative one, filled with conflict. So, every hour, a short one minute meditation, to fill the mind with the power of peace, is the first preparation of the mind to forgive easily.  We suggest to you a few thoughts that you can create – I am a peaceful soul, a beautiful golden-white star situated at the centre of the forehead. I spread the rays of peace to my surroundings. I am the child of the Ocean of peace, the Supreme Soul. All the people in my office or in my family or in the world at large are also children of the Ocean of peace, their nature is inherently (originally) peaceful. We all together, collectively, have to create an atmosphere of peace at our workplace or home or in the complete world, so that we can all proceed into the land of forgiveness. This is our objective and please do not forget - our sweet father’s (God’s) wish and desire from his children.

Collecting 15 minutes of peace every day (one minute every hour), in this way, is extremely valuable. These 15 minutes are the bricks of the dam that you have to build for yourself inside your mind and keep the rough emotions in check. Try this for one month with an earnest heart, a lot of love for God, for whom this exercise is being done, loyalty to his task and determination to transform the self.  This peace-brick building exercise will not only dam (control) your emotions but will also slow down the speed of the flow of the river of emotions by healing the origin or source of the river of emotions, which is your sanskara of anger and transforming it into a sanskara of forgiveness, because thoughts of peace not only fill our emotions with peace in the short term but also make our sanskaras peaceful in the long term.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Soul Sustenance

Saying Yes Or Saying No? 

In life many times we are presented with situations that ask something of us or offer us opportunities. They make us question what we are doing and suggest to us that perhaps we should change direction. To remain in flow with life is to remain bring about changes in the self that situations want from us, as long as it is in agreement with our conscience. But for that, we should be clear about what we say yes to, and what we say no to. When you put your heart into something and your mind is centered, the energy flows powerfully towards there. It is a question of listening to your heart, and daring to say yes or to say no. We have to say it keeping our conscience and action in line, in order to maintain honesty and integrity. 

Personally, we all live through difficult and uncomfortable situations, but in your heart you need to know that you will definitely be there. The trust in yourself, and the confidence that everything will work out fine, knowing that there is some hidden lesson that you have to learn, helps you to say yes. It is what the situation asks of you, although you prefer to be in some other more comfortable situation - a less risky or seemingly negative one. It is important to hear the voice of time, of the moment, of the situation and trust that it would strengthen you, with which it would bring you closer to greater personal development and to your destiny as a person, and also brings about global benefit since you are a part of society, a part of humanity. 

Message for the day

Where there is zeal and enthusiasm, success is guaranteed. 

Contemplation: If you are not able to experience success in all that you do, check if you are filled with enthusiasm or not. Also find out the reason for not being enthusiastic. This helps you to realize and overcome your weakness. 

Application: In order to increase your own enthusiasm throughout the day, create an aim for yourself and see that you work towards this aim each day. When you find yourself progressing towards the aim you will become enthusiastic. 
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 10, 2016: Living Under Hope's Roof

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 10, 2016: Living Under Hope's Roof

Nice Home in France.

Living Under Hope's Roof

The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.

Guilt Trips

Do you go on guilt trips?  No matter how foolish or selfish you may have been, there's no need to continue to beat yourself up.  Guilt won't be helping anyone, especially not you.  So, you may as well cancel that guilt trip!

Be kind.  Accept the past and forgive yourself.

Pinpoint exactly why you feel guilty and then make amends or fix the problem that's making you feel guilty.

Entering Into A Land Of Forgiveness (Part 1)

God was once asked - In what light would you like to see the world? He answered - My deepest wish is to create a land of forgiveness, a land where each one is uncritical and does not keep a stern (strict) eye on others’ mistakes, on others’ shortcomings (weaknesses), a land where there is complete harmony between humans, inspite of their different natures or sanskaras. I want the entire human race to proceed into such a land of forgiveness.

Based on the spiritual knowledge and understanding that we have learned at the Brahma Kumaris and with the objective of fulfilling God’s wish, in this message, we are sharing with you seven hearts based on seven different human emotions that are different colours of forgiveness, which you could wear on each day of the week and join us in fulfilling this objective.

Wear A Generous Heart - Be Forgetful Of Others' Mistakes
Wear An Open Heart - Accommodate Others
Wear A Thankful Heart - Give Blessings And Take Blessings
Wear A Warm Heart - Be Uncritical
Wear A Tolerant Heart - Keep An Easy Eye On Others’ Weaknesses
Wear An Accepting Heart - Absorb Others' Virtues
Wear A Giving Heart - Fill Others With Virtues

In order to wear these hearts, which means bringing these different colours of the emotion of forgiveness into practice, we need the powers of peace, love and truth. These three powers together make up the healing balm of forgiveness, which heal our anger-filled emotions which in turn heal our peaceless words and actions.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Soul Sustenance

The Art Of Forgetting In Relationships 

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

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

Message for the day

When you are content you can give the experience of contentment to others too. 

Contemplation: Each day check if you are content with what you are doing. Also check if others are content with what you are doing in your life. If there is an experience of contentment within yourself others will be content with you. 

Application: At the end of each day, make a mental list of all that you have attained for the day, things that you are happy about. This will enable you to be content even during the phase when things are not going so smooth, because you are able to look at the positive aspect too. In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 09, 2016: Harmony in Relationships

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 09, 2016: Harmony in Relationships

Harmony in Relationships

Speak always with a conscious control and only what is necessary and helpful.

Ever feel like you're missing out on something more exciting, interesting or better? Especially, when you scroll through all your texts, emails, status updates, and you see the photos of others' having more fun!

What are you missing out on? Well, you're 'missing in action', absent from where you are now. 

This means you're nowhere. 

Instead of spending time living in 'nowhere', be present, be happy and enjoy the here and now.

Wisdom lies in being strong, rather than being vulnerable. 

When something happens that is not to my liking, I need not get caught up with it. The situation tends to colour my thoughts and I become negative because of the situation. Wisdom lies in being strong, uninfluenced. I need to become a source of power rather that becoming vulnerable to the weaknesses. Today I will smile at everything that happens. Every scene in the drama of life, as it unfolds in front of me, has something beautiful in store for me. It has a gift (maybe in disguise). Today I will appreciate the gift that it brings and move forward.

Making The Journey With The Right Realization

It’s so easy to become caught up in my physical role - my name, physical personality and looks; the social setup or  family I’ve been born into, my friend circle, the school I went to, the person I married, the organization in which I work, the various material objects I own or possess. I forget my true identity, the spiritual being, and that it is me, the spirit or soul, who is experiencing life through this physical body and surrounding circumstances. The physical, human side is essential, but it’s the spirit, the being, the energy, which makes the journey. The physical body is the vehicle through which the journey is made. The people who exist in my life are also energies making their journeys through their respective vehicles. Looking at myself and others, when I realize who is making the journey and I remember this and maintain this spiritual consciousness throughout the day, I'm able to access spiritual treasures of peace, of power, of love and joy and see the same in others. It is because of not remaining in this remembrance; I remember and identify with the vehicle and experience my false identity. That is why we find ourselves empty of these treasures today. As a result there is a tremendous increase in interest in meditation throughout the world. Unlike in the past when this interest was seen primarily in the East, today relaxation and meditation is a blooming industry in the Western countries.

The more I become trapped by a materialistic consciousness, and the more I lose contact with my inner self, the less freedom I experience. The search of happiness through the physical senses brings temporary, short-lived gains. My life lacks depth when the only things I know, realize and feel are related to the loads of information I receive from the physical sense organs, and I become disconnected from the spiritual dimension.

Soul Sustenance

Using Creativity and Positive Thinking To Overcome Dependencies 

The correct use of creativity and positive thinking helps us to overcome any type of dependencies or negative tendencies that we may have. Often we live under the illusion (false belief) that we can only be happy thanks to objects, people and places, but happiness is something that we experience when we put our heart into something, and our intention is of giving and not of taking. In the creative activity that we experience greatest enjoyment in, our happiness comes from within and expresses itself outwards, and not from the outside in. Creative personal development helps us to overcome laziness. On overcoming it, we recover the inner strength necessary to free ourselves of certain dependencies, such as the dependency on the creativity of others to entertain us e.g. watching a movie in which actors entertain the viewers. It is fine to enjoy entertainment, but the important thing is that you are capable of spending a good amount of time being creative yourself, overcoming laziness, boredom and the wasting away of our own inner creative capacity. 

Also, let us learn to create thoughts which are positive and creative. They arise out of the spiritual knowledge of the inner self or soul. In this way, thanks to those higher quality creative thoughts, full of peace, harmony, love and happiness, the mind gets strengthened and is able to overcome old habits and negative tendencies which we hold on to or are dependent on. Message for the day

The more you are humble, the more will be your success. 
Contemplation: Humility gives you the wings to fly. It gives you enthusiasm based on your inner truth and you can easily move forward. When there is no humility you will find yourself being pulled back again and again. 

Application: When you do something, remind yourself of how much you are enjoying it. Let there be no desire for recognition or praise. Then you will find yourself succeeding in the task that you undertake and you will be appreciated too. 
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 08, 2016: Keep It Simple

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 08, 2016: Keep It Simple

Keep It Simple

Live simply so that others may simply live. It's a nice idea, but our lives are more complicated and complex than ever. What can you simplify today - your desk, perhaps your thoughts, a meeting? Simple means easy. Simple means asking, "Is this really necessary?" Simple means keeping it short but sweet. Simple means keeping the focus of your attention on what you need to do now. Today's mantra is, "lets keep it simple."

To be impressed is to imbibe virtues. 

When I see someone whose qualities I like, I tend to admire them. But, this is not enough. If I really admire them, I need to make an effort to bring those qualities in my life. Inspiration always leads to transformation. It becomes easy for me to see an example and follow. Today I will pick up one quality in the person I admire and make a conscious effort to bring it into my life. That is the tribute that I would be paying to that person. When I keep doing that with every person who is important in my life, I will be free from feelings of inferiority, jealousy or any other weakness.

Carrying Forward Of Special Talents

Everything that an individual does i.e. a soul does using the medium of the physical body is registered in the soul as a sanskara. Sanskaras, therefore, are the foundation of our present personalities and all our special talents and inclinations.  There have been many famous personalities including artists, musicians, engineers, sportsmen, etc. who, before attaining phenomenal success in their respective fields, displayed amazing talents related to their respective field at a very young age. When and where could they have mastered these talents so well? It's obvious that amazing masteries at a very young age are not inherited from our parents. These talents have been developed and brought into practice in previous births, as a result of which sanskaras of the talents are created inside the soul.  These sanskaras are then carried into the next births, and are brought into actions in the new births.

A more common day-to-day example is the following: A child is born into a family of doctors where, from the beginning, all efforts are made to mould and prepare him to become a doctor, according to family tradition. However, from an early age, the child shows strong tendencies to become an actor, starts to take part extensively in theatre activities at school and the talent starts manifesting itself. This example demonstrates that the characteristics a soul carries from previous experiences of previous births will take it in a specific direction despite attempts made by the family on the contrary. So in short, genius is experience. Some think that it's a gift or talent, but it is the fruit of long experience of many lives. Some are older souls than others i.e. they have been present on the world stage since a longer period of time and have covered a journey of more number of births and so know more. This kind of unlimited, broad vision of life provides us answers to many questions.

Soul Sustenance

Being A Good Transformation Agent (Part 2) 

If you go inside yourself and observe, with sincerity, your feelings towards someone that you consider unbearable or intolerable, you will see that your perception (way of looking at them), your expectations and your bad feelings make you feel that the other is unbearable or intolerable. You have allowed the other to influence you in the creation of your bad feelings. You have lost compassion (kindness) and the capacity to accept and understand the other. 

Being a good transformation (change) agent requires having full control over your inner world. If you are the victim of your rapidly moving mind, your bad feelings, your aggressive emotional states and of your not-very-healthy habits, you will easily feel yourself to be the victim of others, of circumstances, of time and of society. In relationships, the key is in living with your consciousness awake and not to do anything that your conscience does not agree with. In doing so, you don't have to fear the opinion of others. You don't have to feel insecure or doubt yourself. If not, we will continue to act against our own consciousness and we will feel ourselves to be victims. To avoid pain or the unhappiness that arises automatically when we act against our own consciousness, we look for guilt excuses: "Because of... I haven't acted as I should." We blame or we make excuses. That way we suppress the voice of our consciousness until the suffering and unhappiness is such that our conscience scolds us, which increases our unhappiness even more. A good transformation agent will always obey the voice of the inner conscience. By remaining in tune with our conscience and creating right thoughts, words and actions, it becomes easier for us to move from victim consciousness to transformer consciousness (one who brings about change). 

Message for the day

When you are humble you can bring benefit to many. 

Contemplation: Like the tree laden with fruit bows down, the one who is full is the one who is humble. Such a person can bring benefit to all those around. Your humility makes you a giver in all situations, also making it easy for others to take what you have to offer. 

Application: In all your interactions with others, see what you can give them, instead of expecting from them. Then, even when you have to follow others' directions there would be no difficulty. Your humility will help you give in very easily. In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 07, 2016: Wisdom From Within

Daily Positive Thoughts: February 07, 2016: Wisdom From Within

Wisdom From Within

Each day is filled with a hundred choices and decisions, and wisdom is our best guide. Wisdom comes from three places - experience, learning and our deepest intuition. Each day is an opportunity to gather and use all three. Experience comes from engaging with life, learning comes from observing, and intuition comes from listening to our self. At the end of the day sit down and write down what was the main experience, what did I learn and what did I hear...from myself? You did listen to yourself...didn't you?

The best dress is humility

I need to always wear the dress of humility. When there is arrogance or ego of any kind, there is no beauty in anything I do. On the other hand, humility brings the willingness to learn and grow. It also keeps me cheerful at all times. So, there is beauty in all I do. Today I will wear the dress of humility. I will consciously watch myself if I am caught up with ego of any kind. Feelings of inferiority or rigidity also come from ego. So, today I will be free from ego and do whatever I have to with the consciousness of being humble.

Serving Through Silence

In meditation you connect to the experience of silence in which both the mind and the heart are calmed. The mental chatter or noise stops. A gentle flow of slow, clear, transparent and peaceful thought is produced. The organs of the senses and the body are calmed and your emotions become peaceful. In this state you can listen to the voice of your conscience, the voice that guides you. That way you awaken the divine intuition. On listening to that voice, you are strengthened. In this way you start to align your life with your purpose, with what you really want. You begin to have more determination to carry out the things that you really want to do, without fear preventing it.

With meditation you learn to love the silence. A tender, beautiful and sweet silence. That way you value each word more, given that to not lose that experience of the sweet silence, you try to talk less, to speak with sweetness and gentleness. When you generate the love and pleasure in going to the silence, it helps you express the best of yourself. To help others, sometimes it is better not to speak, not to use words; to use the vibration of your thoughts and good feelings that emerge from that state of silence. That way you will enter the hearts that are trapped in darkness. Those hearts are in darkness, they have lost hope, and they are hurt, wounded, discouraged. From your silence you transmit to them the light with which they can find a way out. To receive it, they have to be willing. But if their time has not yet come, at least they will know that there are people willing to help from a silence that does not judge, does not complain. A silence that accepts, appreciates and loves, generating an atmosphere in which one can be oneself and feel free to change at their own speed, without feeling forced, but rather from understanding and love.

Soul Sustenance

Being A Good Transformation Agent (Part 1) 

Often, we feel ourselves to be victims of different factors that seem to direct the course of our life without us being able to control them. The world does not seem to dance to our music and our will, and we feel ourselves to be victims because things do not work out or are not as we want. Therefore, we give up and decide to resign ourselves to this reality; to be victims of it and observe passively (non-actively), resisting what comes, getting frustrated and bad-tempered. However, we could position ourselves in another way: being transformation (change) agents (the ones who are able to change the external factors like people or situations) by creating a different reality. To do so we have to change our perception. Also, it is necessary to strengthen our capacity to tolerate, accept, let go and forget. Tolerance here also refers to understanding, love and compassion (kindness). Not to put up with people or things, but to remain above them, to go beyond them; to co-operate with trust and motivation. It is difficult for us to tolerate because we have expectations and pre-conceived ideas of how others should act and be. Then we create negative feelings towards them because they are not like that or don’t act in the manner that we want. This makes our relationship with them difficult. 

When your vision towards others is positive, you see their qualities, their efforts and their values instead of their defects and their errors. You are open to listening to them and to understanding their intentions. That way it is easier to have good feelings towards them.Basing ourselves on a positive and objective vision and on good feelings, we do not have to put up with, or even tolerate the other - the relationship becomes streamlined. 

(To be continued tomorrow…) 

Message for the day

When your heart is open and clean you will be humble. 

Contemplation: Humility needs a good home to dwell in. When the mind is filled with negative feelings or biased ideas towards anyone, you cannot use your humility. So fill your mind with positive thoughts towards everyone. 

Application: If you have negative thoughts towards anyone, make an attempt to remove them. Tell yourself that you don't like one particular aspect in that person and not the person himself. In this way you will help the other person also to bring about change. 
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris