Daily Positive Thoughts: April 29, 2017: Pure Peace

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 29, 2017: Pure Peace

Crystal clear water, Kastellorizo, Greece

Pure Peace

Why do we find it hard to be at peace with ourselves, each other and the world? Imagine a lake that is flat and calm and pure - it is so clear you can see the bottom. Even when the wind blows it only ruffles the surface. All is still and peaceful in its depth. Then the first polluting chemicals of the new factory and farm come rolling down the hill and into the water. Immediately it starts to cloud over and bubble a little. Chemical reactions are taking place and the purity is lost. When purity is lost peace is lost.

It is the same with human consciousness. We are innately peaceful beings. Peace is our deepest inner state of being, our true nature. To be at peace is to be in our natural state, but only when our consciousness is pure and clean and true. As soon as the pollutants of any negative images are allowed in, or we allow old memories and experiences to disturb us into negative thinking, our purity and therefore our inner peace are gone.

It's not the external event or person that takes our peace away - it's because we give them permission to enter and give them life in our minds. Keep your mind and heart free of all pollution and peace will always be with you.

Creating A World Of Forgiveness (Part 2)

We are all very much aware that forgiveness is a healing balm for 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 center 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 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 create a world of forgiveness.

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 and determination to transform the self.  This peace-brick building exercise will not only 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 …)

An Extra Boost

Mornings are an ideal time for solitude and contemplation. Not only do you create a feel-good feeling but you also create a reservoir of energy that you can draw on throughout the day.

So when you need an extra boost during the day, rather than reach for coffee or chocolate, you can slip into your reservoir of energy and refresh yourself.

Message for the day

To be powerful is to be a support for others at all times. 
Thought to Ponder: When we face challenges, we may not look for solutions from others, but we definitely tend to look for support from others. Yet, we find that most people today are unable to give support. We then tend to get disappointed, further increasing our negativity. Yet, we need to understand that each one has their own problems and they too are in some way looking for support. We need to be internally so powerful and self-reliant that we can become a support for others, instead of expecting from them.

Point to Practice: Today I will create a simple practice for myself. At least 5 times today, I will tell myself "I am powerful and self-reliant. I am the master, the creator and this situation is just a creation. So I the master will find a way to maneuver and change the situation". This practice will help me stop expecting from others, not even support. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 28, 2017: Giving is receiving

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 28, 2017: Giving is receiving

Artist: Emile Munier (1840-1895)

Giving is receiving

We live in a time of ‘take, take, take’. Something for nothing; buy one get one free. The truth of the matter is that simply by giving I will receive all that I need. Giving is receiving.

Today let me find a way to ‘give’ unconditionally and with love.
Give a smile; give a word of appreciation; give a thought of good wishes; give your co-operation for a task.

Make today a day of giving and tomorrow you will receive the fruits.

Creating A World Of Forgiveness (Part 1)

God wants us to create a world of forgiveness, a world where each one is uncritical and does not keep a negative eye on others’ mistakes and weaknesses, a world where there is complete peace and harmony between everyone, inspite of their different natures or sanskaras.

Based on spiritual knowledge and understanding, we are sharing with you few different virtues that are different colours of forgiveness and matching actions associated with them, which you could experience.

Generosity - Be Forgetful Of Others' Mistakes
Openness - Accommodate Others
Thankfulness - Give Blessings And Take Blessings
Warmth - Be Uncritical
Tolerance - Keep An Easy Eye On Others’ Weaknesses
Acceptance - Absorb Others' Virtues
Giving - Fill Others With Virtues

In order to experience these virtues, which means bringing these different colours 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 …)

Value time

Time is such a treasure yet so easy to waste.  Why not make it difficult to waste time.  

Think: every second is as valuable as a diamond.

Value time and you'll easily make smart choices about how and where to spend your time.

Message for the day

To understand the importance of time to use it well. 

Thought to Ponder: Each second is like a seed which gives rise to a tree. If that moment is used well, there is benefit for a long time. But, if that moment is lost, there is loss. So, the benefit or loss is in multifolds. Once we understand this, we are able to fully use the treasure of time for our own benefit and that of others. 

Point to Practice: Today I will keep a check on my daily routine to ensure I don't waste any time, but rather use it well. Not to waste time means I enjoy each and every moment, whatever is the task that I am involved in. such use of each moment of time helps me reap a lot of benefit not only for the present but for the future too. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 27, 2017: Contentment

Contentment

The more positive the thoughts flowing through my mind, the more contented I will feel. It is easy to feel contented when we are praised and appreciated but to remain contented when we are being criticized and rejected is the mark of real spiritual strength. The way to develop this level of strength is to learn about God's way of loving. Only when I am in deep contemplation can I see God showing me the kind of love I need to express so that I myself never reject or criticize and always generate good wishes for others. Then I will feel satisfied no matter what life throws at me.

The Gender Of God

In a large number of religious traditions, all over the world, God is always referred to as a male entity. But, just as the soul does not have a gender and is neither masculine nor feminine, God’s i.e. the Supreme Soul’s gender is neither male nor female specifically. Therefore, as a soul, a spiritual child of God, I can come close to God without any inhibitions or difficulty, which I may experience in any relationship in the physical world, due to the gender of the body I am occupying.

We need to take a look at the Supreme Being or God closely. The Supreme Being is the Supreme Mother who provides spiritual sustenance and whose love is full of unconditional acceptance. No matter what has happened, how my nature or personality may be, I experience unconditional acceptance from God. It's a love that strengthens me, as well as it purifies me. At the same time, God is also the Supreme Father, a very powerful entity, who provides protection and fills the soul with the inheritance of divine qualities and powers. It's a question of just being an innocent child and claiming that inheritance. These are the first two relationships that have to be experienced with God. The Supreme is a balance of being feminine, having the qualities of caring, giving and full of good wishes and masculine at the same time, having the qualities of power, authority and fearlessness. He is She and She is He. These two relationships with God, whereby God plays both the roles of both parents are the basis of my spiritual development. Spirituality introduces to us the concept of taking a new spiritual birth to the Supreme Father and Mother. This birth is based on a change of consciousness. One needs to let go of the negative, impure and sorrowful past and develop a new consciousness, based on the present introduction to spirituality, which is positive, pure and blissful. The awareness of the self as a soul changes my way of looking at things immensely, but the consciousness of being a child of God, who is the Mother as well as the Father and seeing others with that vision brings respect and love for myself. Then all these qualities start showing in my actions and interactions as well.

Boost your feelings

When we're feeling down, we get caught up in a cycle of negativity.

To break the cycle, take baby steps to boost your spirits.  

Read something uplifting, watch something funny, call a friend, or just do something you enjoy.

When you feel better, make time to understand why you felt the way you did in the first place and how to boost your feelings regularly.

Message for the day

To say yes is to receive blessings and to ensure progress. 
Thought to Ponder: Life brings certain situations that seem difficult and challenging. When such situations demand something from me (which I feel is beyond any capacity), there is a tendency to either say 'no' or to try and escape. On the other hand, when I say yes to the situation I will be able to discover skills and talents within me, that I never knew I had. I will thus be able to receive blessings from many.

Point to Practice: Today I will one thing that I have been avoiding to do. I will use all my skills and energies to make it happen. I will then automatically receive help and good wishes from others, which would help me further in succeeding. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 26, 2017: Letting Go of Sorrow

Letting Go of Sorrow

If I allow bitterness and resentment to fester inside, it will make my relationships guarded and unsatisfying. The more I close down to others, the more I become a stranger to myself. By letting go of sorrow and negativity, I can keep my nature open and loving. Remaining open to life, with its constant adventures and opportunities to grow, is the only way to reach my full potential.

The Journey Of Purpose (Part 3)

In any success driven journey, in any sphere of life, we need to remember that every difficult obstacle on the journey is there for a reason. Also, remembering that everything happens for a reason, for a hidden benefit, will make you emotionally powerful. And as is the case every time the hidden benefit reveals itself a little later and may not be visible at that time. In such a testing time phase, we require patience and the hidden eye to see where my role or any other aspect of life will show me success on another path. This path could be different from the one I was on. Life is full of different opportunities and is never short of them. Its upto us to remain determined and this power of our determination is the key to our future success. And it will also help us in crossing a temporary setback which may try to take us far away from our destination instead of bring it closer to us. So always remember and keep the simple words in your mind – wait and watch and become an embodiment of that. Time reveals its hidden positive scenes even when a negative scene is in front of us and it may seem temporarily, that all is lost. Also, it depends on us how light we remain in that waiting time period and not lose our happiness at any cost. Also, the wait can be shortened by our mental lightness.

There are some people, who possess the qualities of truthfulness and humility, who are like valuable jewels, who can never be hidden. They will always find a way to reveal themselves and bring their desired success and positive opportunities back to them, no matter what. They will never lack enthusiasm and joy when faced with temporary setbacks. Those who are powerful and determined, they will come back strongly to make a mark on the landscape of life. And they will contribute to it with colours of their specialties and successes in a very big and magical way.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism can be a good thing but too much of perfectionism is not.  So when your perfectionism shows up, use it in a good way.

Put in a good effort without fussing or tweaking things too much.  Relax your high standards without becoming slack. 

And do your best without putting unnecessary pressure on yourself and others.

Message for the day

To be free from weakness means to have the power to mould. 

Thought to Ponder: When there is a weakness, it becomes difficult to mould according to the needs of the situation. Weakness creates hardness and rigidity not allowing the situations to create internal beauty. So the one who is constantly working with one's own weakness finds it difficult to stop the negativity from being expressed immediately. The weakness is revealed inspite of making effort not to and there is unpleasantness created.

Point to Practice: To have the ability to mould means to become real gold. I become as flexible and beautiful as pure gold, which is ready to take beautiful shapes when it comes under the influence of the heat of the situation. So I have no hard feelings for having to adjust, but I am able to enjoy the beauty I create and the joy I spread. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 25, 2017: Creating Thoughts of Benefit 

Artist: Michelle Oravitz: Divine Transcendence

Creating Thoughts of Benefit

Acts of virtue emerge from deep within, from an inner sanctuary of silence from which inspiration flows. Every action has its seed in a thought and every thought is a creation of the thinker, the soul. I choose what thoughts I want to create and as is my thinking so are my actions and also my experience in life. Going within, I touch the stillness and pure love that lie at the core of my being and every thought that I create is of benefit to myself and of benefit to humanity.

The Journey Of Purpose (Part 2)

Life brings with it many different types of surprises that we do not expect. Also, a journey of purpose that we all are undertaking in our respective lives, will bring with it different types of people, with different personalities and natures. On such a journey, there will be times, when the going can get tough, especially when you have in front of you a difficult person. Such a person may not have views similar to what you may have and it may be difficult to adjust to that. Also, such a person may sometimes take decisions or perform actions which you may not expect and this can take you by surprise. In such a case we need to check whether we are prepared enough to face such a person. Also we need to bring about changes in the self that will help us withstand or face such a person.

Very often, a single person can be so demanding that it can at times take long to adjust with that person inspite of constant efforts. Also, we may try and change the person to become like what we want but we may not achieve success in the same. A very common response to such a person is – they need to change whereas the right response is I need to change. I adjust my life journey and the path I am taking accordingly, so that the person does not become an obstacle in me achieving my purpose. Moulding yourself at every step and using your inner specialties and virtues is the hidden self-effort required from me. This is the foundation of achieving success inspite of difficult circumstances and difficult people standing in my way.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

To be enthusiastic is to be free. 

A caged bird has the ability to fly, but is unable to spread its wings and soar. I need to remind myself that  being enthusiastic in all situations is like being a free bird reaching great heights. When I experience this inner freedom and appreciate the joy it brings, I will  be able to sustain it even when things go wrong.

Message for the day

To respect and value time is to use well the treasures it has to offer. 

Thought to Ponder: When I don't value time, my mind remains cluttered. I am not able to recognize the treasures that time has to offer. Drops of time, of pure silence, on the other hand, allows good things to flow and like a rising sun, brings good thing s into life. 

Point to Practice: Today I will make time for time. I will make some time for myself (as the most important person in my life is me). I will take some valuable thoughts, those thoughts that add value to what I am doing. When I combine elevated thoughts from time to time, I would have used my time well. Such drops of time help me recognize the value of time and use it well. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris