Daily Positive Thoughts: May 17, 2016: Cheerfulness

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 17, 2016: Cheerfulness

Artist: Cheryl Irwin

Cheerfulness

Inner cheer is destroyed by a conscience which bites. So learn to do everything in a worthwhile way. It's an art which teaches you to appreciate your inner beauty.

If Tomorrow Didn’t Exist (Part 1)!

Preparing for a tomorrow has become a part of our present day lives but we at the Brahma Kumaris are preparing the world for a tomorrow which is to be created by our pure thoughts, words and actions, that means a tomorrow which we cannot see with our physical eyes but a tomorrow based on our spiritual conviction and powerful belief and inner trust on who has promised us this tomorrow based on the knowledge of the repetitive world drama, which is there with Him. He is the seed of the human world tree – our and your Father – God – the bodiless Supreme Father or Supreme Being of Light.

To have inner trust on who is promising us a positive future, we need to know his identity by going back into the history of the worship of God. Do you know that the path of devotion or bhakti, when it began, was the worship of only the one bodiless God in India? Later God started being worshipped in a physical form in India. In India, the worship of different devis and devtas like Shri - Lakshmi, Radhe and Sita; Shiv Shaktis like Durgaand Kali and also Shri - Krishna, Vishnu, Rama, Hanuman and Ganesha began later than the worship of the one bodiless God Father. Even in world religions all across the world, God is often remembered as a light form. He is the Universal Light. In Christianity, the Bible states – I Have Come Into The World As Light. In Islamism, the Koran states that – Allah Is The Light Of The Heavens And The Earth. In Buddhism, the Dhammapada states that – The Radiance Of Buddha Shines Ceaselessly. In the religion of the Jews, the Psalms state that - The Lord Is My Light, Whom Shall I Fear?  In Sikhism, the Adi Granth states that - God, Being Truth, Is The One Light Of All. So in almost all religions, God was remembered as a being of light, directly or indirectly. As time progressed, like in India, the Fathers of different religions, like Christ, Buddha, Guru Nanak and Mahavir were worshipped by some as if they were God, which was a mistake because they were pure souls and not God or the Supreme Soul or param-atma. God is only one and all souls, however pure and divine, are His children.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Apply a Full Stop

The force & speed of waste thoughts is fast. Once you start having waste thoughts, they clutter the mind & then it takes a lot of time & effort to stop the flow. 

Also, waste thoughts quickly become waste words & actions.

The next time you notice yourself thinking unnecessarily, apply a full stop to the waste thoughts. 

Finish the waste & when it's necessary to think, you'll be able to think clearly & productively.

Message for the day

To give is to get multi-fold returns. 

Expression: If you have something; give. If you don't have, still give; because you will start experiencing getting what you give. Whatever you lack today, continue being aware of what little you have and start giving. By giving you are able to experience these treasures yourself and start getting enriched. It is easy to give, when you have the awareness of having something. 

Experience: Today I will make a list of all those attainments I am aware of. I will give at least 5 people from any of these attainments (it could be love, happiness, or any other attainments). If there is nothing else to give, let me at least give good wishes. This is the biggest help that I could give. And this further enhances my own treasures.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 16, 2016: Happiness

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 16, 2016: Happiness

Happiness

Happiness is not a destination, it's a journey. Happiness is not tomorrow, it is now. Happiness is not a dependency, it is a decision. Happiness is what you are, not what you have.

Absorbing Spiritual Light (Part 3)

Continuing from yesterday’s message, we should not keep the vices bottled up inside us like prisoners. Prisoners are always plotting to escape. If we change them into our friends they can help us. For example, the energy required to be stubborn is almost the same as that required to be determined except that one is positive and the other negative. The soul learns to transfer such energy. Anger becomes tolerance. Greed can be transformed into contentment. Arrogance, or the respect for false identity, can become self-respect. Attachment can be changed into pure love.

The more I inculcate the Supreme Soul or God’s virtues, the closer I feel to Him, but if I allow inner disturbances due to any vice, my high stage is grounded. All the power stored up until that moment will leak away. I must recognize that I really do not like being body-conscious.  As I wish for higher experiences I choose to live the life of a meditator with purity in thought, word and action. Obstructions come within and without, but through my connection with God I am drawing so much power so as to remain unaffected. This needs soul-consciousness. So in discarding the rubbish of the vices I have gathered over many births, I become my original form and maintain it through my closeness or companionship with God.

Power of Silence

Silence is the best language for communication. It helps us understand and realise the eternal truths about the self, God and the world. 

In silence we are able to comprehend and express sincerely and powerfully the true values of the soul such as peace, love and joy. 

Silence is not the absence of thoughts but it is a state in which the mind is engaged in pure elevated thoughts that nurture these values within. 

The power of silence develops all mental and spiritual powers that are needed to tackle various situations successfully.

Message for the day

To have a positive conversation with the self is to empower oneself. 
Expression: Everyone is irritated with a person who nags or talks negative all the time, especially if they are really close to us. During negative situations, we too tend to nag or have continuous negative talk with ourselves. Since we are our constant companions, we tend to end up getting irritated or upset by the end of the day. 

Experience: Today I will talk positively to myself. I will encourage and explain to myself. I will not nag myself, but will have a positive conversation with myself. I will help myself become better by learning from my mistakes and encouraging my successes. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 15, 2016: Be Aware

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 15, 2016: Be Aware

Be Aware

The foundation of all spiritual growth and personal development is the awakening of self awareness. Most people however are not yet self aware, and the majority of those, are not aware that they are not aware. Self-awareness is easy and begins with simply taking a mental step back, and observing your thoughts, feelings, attitudes and actions. Whenever you do you learn about our self and the basis of personal change and growth is always learning. Step back, what do you see, what enters your awareness? What does it tell you? What does it show you about yourself? Don't judge it, just see it. Don't run away from what you see, just watch it. Accept it. Allow whatever is happening within your thoughts and feelings just to be. And suddenly you will find that inner peace which surpasseth all pleasure.

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Absorbing Spiritual Light (Part 2)

How many times do we hear, Oh, he is always in a bad mood..., It is my nature to be irritable..., He will never change... This shows the extent to which the soul's own light has faded and been replaced by the dark curtain of negativity. Therefore it is better that we do not try to deal with each vice and defect individually. As the soul fills itself with the power of spirituality, its overall condition automatically improves.

Another significant point is that there is a deep-rooted awareness within the soul of God and His sanskars, however much it may be covered by dirt and weakness. This is because each soul is the child of God and being his children we inherit hissanskars. These sanskars are present in us when we start playing our part in the physical world, but gradually they fade away as we take more and more births. As thesesanskars are brought to the surface of the consciousness, automatically our thoughts and behavior patterns change.

In modern psychology it is stated that we must express all our negative emotions and note suppress them.  But the fact is that letting it out leads the soul further into slavery to that emotion. Remembering that thoughts, decisions and actions are formed on the basis of sanskars, which are deepened by repetition, the soul can only cause harm by expressing any defect or vice. On the other hand, the psychological effect of suppressing negative emotions can be quite drastic. Suppression can lead to severe personality problems, even madness or insanity. The right path is that we emerge our positive sanskars with the help of meditation and other self-development techniques and the negative ones automatically vanish away.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Attitude + Emotions + Communication = Relationship

You bring your attitude & emotions into your communications. 

For good communication, 
check your attitude & emotions, & make them positive.

Put your very best into your 
Attitude + Emotions + Communication & you can almost guarantee getting the very best out of your relationships!

Message for the day

True honesty to the self brings the power to bring about change. 

Expression: To be honest is not just to be truthful. It is more to be honest with the self. The one who is honest with the self constantly has the aim of bringing about a change for the better. Each situation is used as a chance for the betterment of the self. So there is always the aim not to repeat the mistakes that are committed once. 

Experience: When I am honest with myself I am able to feel the constant progress and experience the happiness of moving forward under all circumstances. I have the power to understand the situation, not just from my point of view, but more in a detached way. So I am able to understand and accept whatever the situation holds for me and learn from it humbly.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 14, 2016: Listen In

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 14, 2016: Listen In

Listen In

Only when we find the quietness in our own minds can we begin to hear our inner teacher, so that we may receive some in-tuition. Only when we are ready to recognise and value the wisdom that we carry at the core of our being will we turn our attention inwards and 'listen in'. But it's been a long time since we truly listened, so a little practice and patience will be needed. Sit down, be quiet and listen in at some point today and you might be surprised at what you hear. Then do it again tomorrow. All you need to do is remember that you are the listener and not the noise.

Absorbing Spiritual Light (Part 1)

Just as darkness is the absence of light, negativity which manifests as vices and weaknesses inside us is merely the absence of spiritual light. Through the influence of negativity, the sense organs waste away the light. The question of vice, or sin, has been of a lot of importance in religion. No matter how much political or religious control has been imposed, nothing has been able to block the internal wasting away of the light of the soul. Light has a source but darkness does not. Darkness is not created by any source but is rather the absence of a source. In the same way, the negative forces do not emerge from the real nature of the self, but are simply symptoms of a lack of spiritual power or light. As spiritual power declines, symptoms of negativity such as anger, greed, ego, attachment, hatred, jealousy and related vices appear. On the other hand, as the soul's power and spiritual light increases through a union (meditation) with the Supreme, the vices automatically disappear. In fact problems are not fundamentally caused by a particular vice, it is a question of the extent of one's power. If I am weak, the sanskars mostly related to vices dominate my experience. If I am strong they do not have a chance to affect me.

The negative forces have often been personified as Ravana, Maya or Satan but in fact there is no such entity. Maya describes a level of consciousness. There is no outside being whom we can blame. The vices are symptoms of individual ignorance and loss of power, which appeared only when our original creative powers subsided as we came into the process of birth and rebirth. When the soul's power fell below the level necessary to control matter and the senses; then the vices emerged inside the soul. The soul was more and more propelled by them through many births, until today when they appear to be a basic part of our real nature.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Inspiration to Action

We read many books, quotes and articles that inspire and stimulate our minds. But this isn't enough, as inspiration often fades away unless we take action.

Make what you read impactful by turning inspiration into action.

Here's how: pick one inspirational point to focus on and apply in your life. 

Message for the day

The one who has the courage to face is the one who can bring about a change. 

Expression: When there is a challenge which brings out a negative response, there is an immediate desire to move away from the situation so that the negativity finishes. But the real challenge is not the situation itself, but the expression of a weakness within. The one who has the courage to face this weakness and work on it is able to bring about a change accordingly. 

Experience: When I am able to face the challenge of working on my own weaknesses, instead of moving away from the situation I am able to experience progress at every step. Then there will be no feeling of helplessness but I will be able to have full control on the situation. So there is the ability to learn from each situation and move forward constantly.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 13, 2016: Success

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 13, 2016: Success

How to grow tomatoes...

Success

Success means to reach such a constant level of positive thoughts that pure actions happen naturally. Pure actions are like good seeds which, when planted, produce healthy, sweet fruit.  'As you sow. so shall you reap.' Concern for the quality of my actions today ensures the Success of my tomorrow.

The Method Of Realizing Your Purpose (Part 2)

A question that can help you to find the purpose for your self is: when you feel absolutely on top of the world, very much content and full of enthusiasm, what is there in you? Who are you at that moment? What is the energy inside you at that time? What do you give to your surroundings and to others? This stage is something that you want to reach all the time and keep with you. Ask yourself that question. Visualize that moment, which at some time in life you must have experienced. If not, visualize what you would like to experience.

Second question to find your purpose related to the world: What is it that you want to radiate to others? What is it that you want to give? That is, what do you want to devote yourself to? This isn't limited to your job or a hobby or a sport for e.g., but rather applies to what you offer and radiate in the whole day, in relationships, with people through your thoughts, words and actions - in the family, at work, in the market, friends, acquaintances and even strangers.

To carry out this inner inquiry (in both the cases above) you need to go to its deepest part. What is your purpose? Not your purpose for this weekend you want to go for the club meeting or not, or that in the holidays you want to visit a hill station; all these are short term purposes. Your life purpose refers to what it is that you really want to reach. If you clarify it, it will help you to make decisions with clarity and determination in your life.

Respect

Respect is never catching anyone out, never pulling at their shortcomings, so that they become a target for laughter. 

It means watching and nurturing strength and it is based on the awareness that everyone has value, because everyone is unique. 

It rests also on humility, because humility knows that what's visible in a fool is only a chapter in their whole story.

Message for the day

To have the awareness of being God's instrument is to bring about a positive change. 

Expression: When there is the awareness of being an instrument of God, there would be the desire to do the best and be the best. So each and every thing I do would be for the improvement for the self. Due to this there would be divinity and speciality seen in every thing that is done. This would also bring the awareness of all the resources and they would also be used in a worthwile way. 

Experience: When I am aware of my own role and what I contribute through my specialities, I recognise the fact that I am a beautiful instrument of God. This awareness naturally helps me be in my state of self-respect under all circumstances. I find myself giving my best and making myself more and more beautiful within. So I find that I am able to bring about a positive change with great ease. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 12, 2016: Respect

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 12, 2016: Respect

Last Supper - By Leonardo da Vinci

Respect

True respect does not come from what we do, as much as how well we do it. This means we are shown respect according to the virtues and qualities revealed through our behaviour.

The Method Of Realizing Your Purpose (Part 1)

Throughout our daily routine right from the time we wake up till we go to sleep at night, we all always have something to think about, to say and/or something to do. We are occupied and are busy. The question is whether everything that we do forms part of our life purpose or whether we are simply occupying time spaces and using our mental, verbal and physical energy in activities, tasks and conversations that do not lead us to anything substantial or whole. We simply pass time doing and talking, but without a sense of purpose. Although the things we do and/or speak about are necessary to be done, if they do not make up part of our life purpose, they will tire us. We will feel an inner emptiness and dissatisfaction, as if we are missing something.

The most authentic purpose is that of fulfilling our ideal, our dream in life. What happens is that, sometimes, we haven't worked out what our true purpose or life dream is. We have to ask ourselves what our true purpose is. There are two purposes – one is a purpose related to the self and the other related to what we want to offer to the world. During the day we are exchanging energy - each one of us is different and can give something to the world during this exchange; each of us can play our musical note in order to contribute to the orchestra of the Universe.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

The soul has five primary qualities: (... continued)

Knowledge 

To know and to be what I am eternally and truly, and to exist in this consciousness, is what we mean by knowledge. It is not knowing about the soul, peace, love, etc., but rather knowing is to be the soul, to be peace, to be love. This quality of true knowing is expressed through 'I am', the original awareness of the self that exists beyond the false self of ego. 

Happiness 

Happiness is the natural expression of joy in being alive and interacting with others. Happiness is only possible when I relate to myself and express respectfully what I am and allow others to share in what I am and what I have. I relate to people and nature and experience the fulfillment of human life through relationships.

In the Rajyoga meditation, we absorb the rays of these five primary qualities from the Supreme Soul by concentrating on his point of divine light form in the incorporeal world (“paramdham” or “shantidham”). The absorption and the harmony of these basic qualities (peace, purity, love, knowledge and happiness) lead to the development many more virtues inside us.

As we become aware of these five primary qualities, we gradually realize that each one of them has many characteristics. 
e.g. we understand that love does not mean just a special feeling for one or two people.

Spiritual love is far greater; it means respect, tolerance, forgiveness, compassion and flexibility; there is a universal feeling of belonging, an openness of heart, a generosity of spirit that is all-embracing. 

Message for the day

The method to bring about a permanent change is to bring about newness in thinking. 

Expression: To bring about a permanent change for the better means getting the mind trained to new ways of looking at the same situation. Only with this new understanding will there be a new response. Trying to bring about change in a superficial way will not bring about a long-lasting change. 

Experience: When I train my mind to think creatively I'm able to keep my mind busy. In this way I'm able to free it from thinking negative and waste. Also I find myself enjoying every scene that comes in front of me and I also find myself constantly progressing.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 11, 2016: Free Mind

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 11, 2016: Free Mind

 Free Mind

A free mind is a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing. Most people spend much of their time looking for reasons to be offended. An open mind is never offended because it is free of any attachments. It is never the self that is offended but always the illusion that the self has of itself that is affected by insult! If you can really understand this, deeply grasp it's truth, live it each day, then pain will be no more. Next time you 'feel' offended look closely within yourself at yourself and ask yourself what was offended? If you remain aware you will see that it was only an image of yourself which you had become attached to, and that image did not resonate with the image contained in the insult. If you weren't attached, if you didn't identify with the wrong image of yourself then there would be no offence taken. You would then remain free and therefore happy. 
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Experiencing Spiritual Growth Through Group Interactions (Part 2)

If you are living in isolation you don't become aware of the dimensions of your ego and, therefore, you cannot overcome it.

Also, the beauty of group interactions or being a part of a spiritual community or any other group, is that in groups, various powers like 

the power to:

- adapt and mould oneself with people of different personality traits and as different situations in the group demand;
- tolerate;
- face negative situations in interactions;
- forgive and forget;
- become a detached observer of situations and people's actions, not to get over involved, in order to maintain one's stability and calmness;
- co-operate;
- communicate;
- see and absorb only specialties of each one (inspite of obvious weaknesses being visible) and spreading the specialties (not weaknesses) to the others in the group, by way of praising and not criticizing them;
- listen, understand and  empathize;
- discriminate and judge different situations and people;
- go into inner silence, whenever required, amidst the actions and interactions of group activity;
- show respect to each one and remain in self-respect;
- remain content or satisfied and make the others content; etc.

are absolutely necessary to experience success in the groups, either within the relationships with others or even with the self. There is a difference between experiencing success with the self while staying alone and within a group. By bringing the above powers into practice in a group, they increase further inside us. This does not happen in isolation, or if it does, then the extent is quite limited. So basically, being a part of a group, brings about greater spiritual growth and empowerment.

The soul has five primary qualities:

We could say they are the primary colours of humanity with which we paint the picture of our lives. They are: 

Peace 

This is the original quality of the soul. Peace is serenity, the personal inner state of non-violence. In this state of peace, I harmonize with everything and everyone around me. The word 'shanti' means peace, and it is this thought (or word) we use as the key step in meditation. Purity 

A state of honesty and cleanliness where I am the same inside and outside, not deceiving either myself, or others. Consequently, there is no room for artificiality. Purity is the state of original truth where no violence is committed against others, nor can violence be committed against me. When the self is in its original purity, others cannot damage or destroy it, even if they try, because there is a natural aura of protection that acts as an invisible barrier. When I achieve this level of purity, it means I respect all things. 

Love 

Perhaps the most difficult original quality to achieve because it has become so mixed up with attachment, possessiveness and dependence, deeply ingrained habits that have become accepted as normal. As a result, the human being finds it difficult to realize the true form of pure love, which is unconditional. The quality of love means "I care", “I share” and, in particular, “I liberate”. True spiritual love never creates that need, or dependence, where others cannot find, or be, themselves.

(..continued)

Message for the day

The method to finish waste thoughts is to deal with the mind with love. 

Expression: When there are waste thoughts in the mind which one tries to stop, it becomes difficult to do that. There is discomfort and difficulty experienced. On the other hand, when the mind is taught to take the right direction with love, there is a quick and dramatic change. 

Experience: When I learn the art of speaking to my mind with love, I am able to free myself from waste thoughts without any feelings of suppression. Concentration too becomes easy and all thoughts are directed towards the right direction.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris