Daily Positive Thoughts: June 27, 2016: Friends and Relatives

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 27, 2016: Friends and Relatives

Norway

Friends and Relatives

If my friends and relatives do not choose to accompany me on my spiritual path, why should I chase after them trying to get them to change? They won't listen to me anyway, no matter what I say. A better approach is to focus on my own change process. A river doesn't need to urge people into drinking its water. People are naturally drawn to it, provided its waters are pure, free flowing and sweet. In the same way become so attractive through your spiritual efforts that everyone will want to join you naturally.

The After Effects Of Anger

If realized deeply, it’s alright to conclude that anger destroys. If it doesn't destroy our physical body (that too it manages to do in the long term), it definitely destroys our capacity to be creative. And after all the very purpose of our life – is to be creative. So in short, anger deviates us from reaching our very purpose of life. Anger is never every good for health – mental or physical; never ever positive or empowering and never ever allowable or justified. Many authors of self development books, philosophers, psychologists and experts on the human nature have argued that anger is a natural, biological and psychological response which is an integral part of human sanskara and life. While this can be respected as a point of view, it is not at all true.

From a spiritual perspective, which means a view based on the absolute truth because the word spiritual means that which is the truth, anger is never ever natural or beneficial. While we are all used to getting angry, each one of us to different extents; on a little introspection, we will realize that it drains us out and is counter-productive. Anger is an absolutely unwanted emotion if we want to live a peaceful, contented and blissful life. It totally destroys the ability to create meaningful and deep relationships based on trust and respect and brings the efficiency of our actions, performed at the workplace, at home or anywhere else, down. If we believe in the necessity of anger, we need to stop for a while and reflect deeply and see if we can see how it is a huge obstacle to our own contentment and fulfillment, and how it negatively influences the contentment and fulfillment of those around us.

Eating together builds relationships. 

Life's so busy that it's just too tempting to have a quick bite on the go or at your desk in front of the computer screen.

At home or at work, make time to eat with other people 
(it may not be possible all the time but whenever you can). 

It's a chance to catch up and connect. Make it a 
social occasion - its fun, as well as an effective break. 

And when you are eating alone - enjoy your own company.

Message for the day

Fulfill your promise instead of just keeping it in a file and you'll find progress. 

Checking: In all that you do throughout the day, check to what extent you are able to fulfill the promises that you make to yourself. Also check the reason for not being able to fulfill some promise that you have made recently. 

Practice: Think of that promise that you had made to yourself recently that you had not been able to fulfill and think of the reason why you had made that promise and how important it is for you to fulfill that promise. When you practice in this way you'll find yourself getting enthusiastic to fulfill that promise. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 26, 2016: See only Virtues and Specialties

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 26, 2016: See only Virtues and Specialties

See only Virtues and Specialties

An ant is tiny beside an elephant but as soon as an ant enters the ear of an elephant it goes crazy. The elephant’s ears are so big, the elephant itself is so big and yet a tiny ant makes it go wild. In the same way, if I allow the slightest defamation of anyone go through my ears, I lose all my spirituality. I lose all my value because I start interacting with others on the basis of what I have heard about them. Pay attention to this! We have to be very, very selective in what we allow to enter our ears. Let me learn to see only virtues and specialities. Let me not concentrate on anyone’s weaknesses.

Finding The Destiny Maker (Part 3)

Today, there are a large number of people who cry in solitude in times of sorrow and are hurt because they are experiencing loneliness and are not getting what they want, from people close to them. Also their roles in their personal and professional lives are troubling them a lot by repeatedly bringing failure. If success is there, it is extremely short-lived. Also, because the five elements are coming down in their levels of quality, more and more people who have been healthy for most of their life are suddenly becoming unhealthy. Along with that, general suffocation in life where nothing seems interesting or a general mental depression is showing in many people’s lives, even people who have been very successful and content for most part of their lives. And, don’t forget - a very important mental energy giver to people - relationships are becoming fragile and are easily cracking or failing under different types of pressures. So, suddenly fortune or what we call destiny is not favouring most people in the world today. People who can challenge this fact today or those people whose fortune is positive and full of positivity in every way and that too permanently, are very few or close to none. The reversal of fortunes is like a powerful wave that is running over everyone and destroying the happiness of a very large number of people.

Because of this, people are realizing a need for change in their lives and are looking for an improvement in their fortunes. This is because they feel their lives are lacking something, which even they are not sure what that something is, but the fact is that that emptiness can only be filled permanently by a spiritual source which is none other than God. This spiritual source will fill our lives with invisible attainments, those attainments which cannot be destroyed or taken away from us, no matter what happens in our lives, especially when there are difficult situations stopping us and we don’t know what to do, which is increasing more and more. So, let all of us together hold the hand of God, the destiny maker, while He is there with us and fill ourselves with thousands of attainments for the present. At the same time, also purify ourselves through God and make ourselves worthy of going into a world of happiness in the near future, which is being established by God.

Integrity is to make thoughts, words and actions equal. 

We normally have a lot of thoughts for our own progress. We do speak about it to others too. But when I want to put it into practice, I lose the determination. Then I need to question myself if I really want to do it. Integrity and honesty to myself means I am able to translate thoughts into actions, thereby making my thoughts, words and actions equal. Today I will pick one thought which is good for me and bring it into action. I will make a conscious effort to do this. When I make this practice, I will be able to progress steadily. I will also find the quality of my thoughts improving.

Message for the day

To fill the ones who are hopeless with hope is the greatest service. 
Expression: To have faith by seeing the positive qualities even in the most negative person is to fill them with hope. Also to fill hope means to encourage others to move forward in the most negative situation. When this is done they are able to use their potentials for a positive purpose and slowly bring about a change for the better.

Experience: When I am able to see positivity under all circumstances, I am able to have the courage and enthusiasm to make the best out of every situation. This also naturally makes me an inspiration for those around me too and makes me an image of support for those who want to make effort. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 25, 2016: Knowing My Self

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 25, 2016: Knowing My Self

Knowing My Self

Only in relationship can you know yourself, not in abstraction and certainly not in isolation. The movement of behaviour is the sure guide to yourself, it's the mirror of your consciousness; this mirror will reveal its content, the images, the attachments, the fears, the loneliness, the joy and sorrow. Poverty lies in running away from this, either in its sublimations or its identities.

Finding The Destiny Maker (Part 2)

God as a destiny maker is distributing the gifts of a future fortune i.e. a life without any ups and downs which is only possible when souls and nature are completely pure. That is our original state when we come down on Earth to play our respective roles which was about 5000 years ago as per the secrets of the world drama shared by God with his children at the present moment. This is the moment when He is amongst us and performing His role in the world drama of freeing His children from the chains of sorrow and insecurity due to the world’s problems and the problems in everyone’s personal lives. He will lead us to a world where there is complete security, where every today and tomorrow will be an obstacle-free day, without any sorrow. Such an existence for about 2500 years which will begin very soon when the more than 700 crore souls return back to the world of complete peace i.e. soul world which is beyond the sun, moon and stars from where they have come 5000 years ago. This will happen after all the world souls are purified at the present moment either by the remembrance of God or by clearing up their sins by going through different negative situations due to the instability in the world and in their personal lives. Also, after going back to the soul world, the souls one after the other and very slowly, will return back to a world of happiness, where there is no fluctuation of fortunes.

There are just a few moments left in the world clock before the time pointer touches 12 am or midnight and a new morning or the world of happiness begins. We have called this message as – Finding The Destiny Maker because many of us are not making use of this golden opportunity and are not aware that the world clock is about to touch 12 am and the time bell will soon start ringing and souls will start returning to the soul world after an extremely rough duration of few years in the world when things go wrong in a big way, which is the present moment. These rough moments on the world stage are happening now and these negative moments i.e. a lot of difficult circumstances in the lives of the majority of the world population are increasing. So, the countdown for the 12 o’clock bell has already begun.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

To have the courage to take risks is to overcome fear. 

When I am faced with a situation where I have to do something that I have never tried or in something that I have failed, I tend to be afraid or apprehensive. Most often, I decide not to take the risk and either postpone or avoid facing that situation. But, if I am able to take a small little risk and try and do it in a different way, I would be able to overcome my fear. It is not important whether I succeed in the task or not, but having taken the risk itself helps me overcome a little of my fear. Today I will do something that I know I have to do, but have been hesitating to do because of my own fear. I will take one little risk and be prepared even for failure. I know that if I avoid things too long the fear of it only increases. So today, I will take a step towards overcoming my fear.

Message for the day

Introspection enables one to be free from the influence of negativity. 
Projection: Introspection means the desire to be good. Introspection brings the ability to look within and see the true self in the mirror of the heart, thus enabling one to activate the inner spirituality. Then all effort made will be towards activating this inherent goodness. And slowly one finds that the behaviour associated with negative traits are no more expressed, as they begin to lose their hold. 

Solution: When I am able to introspect and look within, I can find the goodness that is there within me. Because of this, I naturally am free from expectations from others that they should recognise my goodness or consider me good. Instead I find myself content with what I am and continue to bring out the best from within me. I also continue to learn from all situations and experience progress. 
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 24, 2016: Crown of Light

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 24, 2016: Crown of Light

Crown of Light

There is a crown of light on those who are carefree. If you are worrying about anything you carry the baskets of burden on your head. Which do you prefer? Do you prefer the basket or the crown of light?

Finding The Destiny Maker (Part 1)

All of us are players in the world drama with fixed roles, which we play in different births. At the same time once in the world drama we get a chance to re-define or re-shape or in other words re-write our roles with the pen of spiritual wisdom given by the Supreme and as per his subtle (non-physical) and physical directions given, when He comes down on Earth and is with us. So, we are indebted to God because of this, because our complete fortune and the roles we play would not be possible if the Supreme would not shower on us his love, his presence, his knowledge and his company.

You might ask that is destiny already made and we are merely playing the roles given to us? Also, are these roles given to us by God or are they just eternal and fixed? This is partially right. Roles are fixed and eternal but the roles are not given by God to us. As mentioned above, God only shares with us the way of re-shaping our roles when our roles are no longer happiness filled and our physical body, relationships with others as well our minds along with the roles that we play in our families as well as in our professional lives are no longer permanently happiness filled. On the other hand, there is sorrow in every sphere of life and if happiness exists also, it is not secured or safe. It is the time in the world drama when we can no longer say for sure that tomorrow will bring no negative surprises in the form of disturbing situations. So, we have to thank God because it is at this time when He comes down to help us and brings back happiness in all our life spheres. So, our roles are fixed i.e. destiny is already made and we are also given a chance by God to make our destiny once in the world drama. Love for the Supreme who is the destiny maker of our lives should flow from our heart and we should make God a part of our lives and find Him in the world at the present moment and take the pen of writing our destiny from Him. This is because the time for doing that is now. In fact, it is now or never. 

    

(To be continued tomorrow …)

To experience the joy of doing is to bring beauty to actions. 

What I do is not as important as the experience I have while doing it. I need to work on subtracting any negative experiences while doing actions. Every action is an opportunity to experience some beautiful quality. Without that experience, the action is meaningless and purposeless. So, we might have achieved a lot of things during the day, but will only end up being dissatisfied by the end of the day. Today I will do something that I have always enjoyed doing as a child. Things in themselves are not as important as the experience while doing them. So, I will spend some time in doing something I have always enjoyed to do. Also, during what I do during the day, I will have attention to do it with joy.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 23, 2016: Members of a Great Family

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 23, 2016: Members of a Great Family

Members of a Great Family

Values are related to each other as if they were members of a great family. From peace and happiness emerges inner joy. From this state of wholeness love awakens and with is the desire to share and give . Two of its relatives are tolerance and respect. All values have a shared origin which unites them - the peace of spirituality. When you lose peace you begin to lose everything.

What Is The Source Of Our Feelings (Part 2)?

The longer I experience thoughts and feelings of a particular variety (explained yesterday), the greater is the soul's inclination to generate those feelings. This can reach the point where feelings take over, and I experience their impact even though they are no longer consciously connected them with my thoughts e.g. my office colleague has done something incorrect without taking my opinion, and there's a series of negative thoughts running through my mind, such as - Why did she do like this? It shouldn't have happened like this. How dare she! Why on earth didn't she consult me? I do wish she wouldn't be so unreasonable. It would have been much better if the task had been done like that, etc. Bringing over thoughts of this type in my mind leaves me with a negative feeling – a feeling which is critical, nasty and rejecting.

What is worse, when I have let feelings like this emerge; it is very easy to carry them over into circumstances where they have no relevance e.g. it is the evening time now - I have left my office to go home, and in my mind I am now occupied with thoughts related to my children and groceries that I have to buy to on the way back, but the unpleasant, critical feelings for the colleague are still with me to the extent that they affect my behavior. I react over some minor issue with the grocery store keeper, creating bad feeling in him as well. Or, the other way round, I carry bad feelings due to an argument at home, with my wife, into my office, and then create an atmosphere of irritation in the office instead of comfort and warmth.

To express qualities is to enrich relationships. 

Everything that we do throughout the day is for the people around us. Whatever we do, we do it because it is important for someone close to us. Yet, we find that we are not able to express the same through the actions we perform throughout the day. Most times, we don't even have time to give a small little smile or express some words of affection or love. So, we need to make time for expressing our qualities in relationships to enrich and strengthen them. Today I will say something nice to someone close to me, or I will do something nice for them - something that can make them feel special. I will acknowledge the fact that I value this person in my life and all that I am doing is for making them feel special and valued. So, I will try and express this from time to time through my actions.

Message for the day

To have power means to enjoy the variety of life. 

Expression: When there is the inner strength there is enthusiasm to give the best and also to learn and improve with every obstacle. To work with inner power is to be like a skilled player whose focus is on enjoying the match too rather than just on winning. 

Experience: When I have learned the art of focusing on my strengths, I am able to enjoy the variety scenes that life brings for me. I would enjoy dealing with all these different scenes in a natural and easy way, and also be naturally victorious. And so I have the benefit of double enjoyment. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 22, 2016: Something Worthwhile

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 22, 2016: Something Worthwhile

Tree of Life at Disney

Something Worthwhile

Transform regrets into realisations and therefore ensure that what could become waste is made into something worthwhile.

What Is The Source Of Our Feelings (Part 1)?

The topmost area of the mind is the area of conscious thought. Thoughts arise in our awareness like bubbles. Many thoughts carry a feeling or a series of feelings along with them e.g. the thought at a restaurant - I love how that pizza looks, could be accompanied by feelings of hunger, or greed, or happiness, or yearning (longing) or anticipated satisfaction.

The fact offered by spirituality and supported by experiences of many people who are spiritual is that feelings, as well as thoughts, originate from the soul.

Feelings are clearly reflected in the form of physical changes in our body: I may feel my heart beat fast with excitement, my mouth salivate with joy, my stomach sink with fear, my hands shiver or goose pimples on my arms with nervousness, etc. This is because the soul and body are interconnected and work in complementary ways, so that what goes on in the soul is definitely reflected in the body, and what goes on in the body is reflected in the soul. The degree to which both these processes happen in each individual is different.It's not that feelings arise out of nothing, or merely as a reaction to external stimulation by people, objects, nature, etc. Thoughts are followed by feelings. So we can understand that both of them arise from the soul.Recognizing this is an important step if I want to break free from cycles of unwanted or unsuitable thoughts and feelings.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Personal excellence means to strive to be your best in all little and big things.

To strive for excellence, invest in yourself daily.

Take 5 minutes in your morning commute to go through the following steps:
1) Identify ONE self-improvement you would like to make today.
2) Create a deeper understanding of why this is important and beneficial for you.
3) Clarify how you will keep yourself inspired and motivated throughout the day.

Message for the day

All problems can be overcome when you make a determined promise to yourself. 

Checking: When a problem comes up and you are working on it, check what kind of thoughts you are having. Check if your thought to overcome the problem is filled with determination? 

Practice: Each day reinforce the thought in your mind to overcome the problem that you are facing. Stamp the thought with determination and you will become victorious in overcoming your problem. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: June 21, 2016: The Secret Ingredient

Dadi Jankiji, Dadi Gulzarji & Dadi RatanMohiniji in the Brahma Kumaris’ kitchen in Mount Abu, India

The Secret Ingredient

When we're cooking, our minds are working. When we're stirring and rolling and baking, we're thinking. Thinking creates vibrations because that's what thoughts do. The vibrations affect both the food and the people who eat the food. So, cook with care; pay attention to what you are thinking; and don't forget that in the best of recipes, love is the secret ingredient.

Practical Positive Response Training To The Mind (Part 3)

In last two days’ messages, we have explained the process of restoring positivity in the mind when faced with a negative situation, where the most common response is a negative one but the mind can be trained to respond in a different way, in a positive way. Today we explain this process with an example.

e.g. You have just had a major argument with your spouse and have lost your temper. At that time, not only your mind but your physical body also feels uncomfortable - it is in a state of complete stress. You feel your blood pressure has suddenly shot up, your heart is beating fast, you feel uncomfortable in the stomach, your hands are shaking, your face and eyes are red. On top of that, you also feel sad. You have behaved like this many times before and you know the results of responding in this way. The relationship has been scarred and you have worsened a situation. This could have been avoided. There is sorrow, guilt, low self esteem and hopelessness over your loss of control. Also, there is a fear regarding your future, not necessarily a long term one, because things will get sorted out sooner or later, but a short term uncertainty does exist, especially regarding what your spouse's response will be in the next few hours or days.  In this state of mental and physical helplessness or desperation, anger may come again either projected towards yourself or towards your partner, which will be followed by the same effects, worsening your state further. In this moment of lack of spiritual wisdom, you remind yourself of the simple wisdom that you are in fact a soul. Even while you are still caught up in the turmoil of the negative situation, using your intellect, you consciously emerge inside yourself, your true awareness of being a sparkling point of peaceful light situated just above the eyes, at the center of the forehead. You not only become aware but you also use the intellect to visualize your true, peaceful, spiritual and star-like form clearly. In that moment, you are able to tap into the reservoir of peace that is present deep inside your being. You calm your mind by holding on to this awareness for a few minutes. You feel - you know - that you are peace. As this experience grows, it has a soothing effect on your whole physical system. Gradually, stability and peace are restored to your body as well as your mind.

To appreciate achievements is to get the encouragement to do more. 

Quite often what we have to achieve overweighs what we have achieved. In the concern for what we have to do, we miss out on appreciating what we have got or done. We need to pay more attention in acknowledging and appreciating that too. That gives encouragement to move forward with strength and conviction. Today I will make a "have done" list. To make "to do" lists is good. Today, let me make this special "have done" list, in order to appreciate the efforts that I have put in and the success that I have got. Each day, let me increase the size of this list.

Message for the day

To have a balance between being a master and a child is to ensure success. 

Expression: To be in the consciousness of being a master means to have confidence in whatever has to be done and in the ideas that have to be put forth. Along with this if there is the consciousness of being a child, there is learning and improvement, because criticism is taken in the right spirit. 

Experience: When I am able to be open to criticism as a child, I am able to learn from it. I am able to gain further mastery without being troubled by ego. My learning would never be blocked by what other people think or feel. Instead I am able to experience constant progress and sure success. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris