Daily Positive Thoughts: May 06, 2017: Take Time to Laugh

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 06, 2017: Take Time to Laugh

Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher

It is well known that Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher were close allies and kindred political spirits. During their eight overlapping years in office, the U.S. president and the U.K. prime minister worked together to promote lower taxes, deregulation, free trade, and an aggressive stance against the Soviet Union.

 

Take Time to Laugh

Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul. Take time to think, it is the source of power. Take time to read, it is the fountain of wisdom. Take time to love and be loved, it is a God-given privilege. Take time to work, it is the price of success.

Check And Change (Part 3)

Checking your actions and then changing them should be a natural habit and not something that is a burden on the mind. It’s as if the mind becomes accustomed to sub-consciously transform one’s habits or personality and keeps making easy and natural efforts to become a better human being at every step of life. This is living life correctly and carefully. Life is not just about performing actions but performing good actions which will give you happiness first and to others after that. 

It’s very easy to not take up responsibility for your actions and say that it does not matter. But it does matter a lot to our inner being, which becomes pure or impure depending on the actions we perform. Say for e.g. one day you have been very irritable since the morning and it's not been a nice day for you. You have lost your temper a few times and at the end of the day you say I have performed a lot of incorrect actions. So on a physical level there is nothing that you feel except a little anger, also sorrow and may be you repent that your actions have not exactly been of the highest level. But on an emotional level and internally, the soul or the inner being has the sanskaras or the impressions of every action that you have performed and those are negative impressions. So the soul becomes impure after even a single day of wrong actions. And imagine if we spent our complete life performing negative actions, without giving a thought to them, how it would cause us internal harm. In the same manner, by performing positive actions or by checking negative actions and changing them for the future, we will become purer and as a result happier human beings.

Change your Perception

How our reality appears to us says a lot about our perceptions, because our perception creates our reality.

To change our reality, we need to change our perception.

Remember we're changing only our perception of a situation or a person, not the person or the situation itself.

Message for the day

The one who defames or criticizes is a true friend. 

Thought to Ponder:   If one has a clear vision of where he wants to go, he constantly looks for opportunities and means to move ahead. When someone criticizes, it is an opportunity to learn something, to check and change what I might have missed. It doesn't matter with what intention the other person is criticizing. It is more important whether I have learnt from it or not. So he actually becomes a friend who is helping me progress. 

Point to Practice: Today I will listen to people carefully and take at least one point that I could bring about a change. I will then explain to myself that this particular aspect is going to help me to move forward. This is what I will bring into action. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 05, 2017: Spiritual Love

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 05, 2017: Spiritual Love

Spiritual Love

It is when we silence the chattering of our mind that we can truly hear what is in our heart and find the still, clear purity that lies within the soul. Spiritual love carries us into the silence of our original state of being. This silence contains the power to create harmony in all relationships and the sweetness to sustain them.

Check And Change (Part 2)

Whenever you start your day, wake up your attention and tell yourself that in the day ahead I will only perform good and constructive actions and before performing the actions, I will discriminate between right and wrong and judge whether the action I am about to perform or the words I am about to speak are in tune with my true nature. Everyone is basically a good person, but it’s the temporary sanskaras or personality of a person which make the person act or behave in a manner which is not very nice or presentable.

This is what happened as we came in the process of birth and rebirth. We started to forget our original good nature and our behavior and actions started becoming dictated by our acquired sanskaras which was our temporary nature. The acquired sanskaras are the false sanskaras or personality and the original sanskaras are the true sanskaras or personality. We need to revive the originalsanskaras and erase the false sanskaras. This is the aim of self-effort which means working on the self to improve the self and make yourself a better person in terms of virtues and powers and divinity. Once that happens, automatically our karmas or actions will start to become better and everyone around us will experience the same from us. This is how our relationships will also become full of goodness and positivity. A person with positive qualities is like a fragrant flower that everyone would like to be in the company of and who gives happiness and love to everyone. So, keep checking your actions and improving and changing them where required and at the same time keep filling yourself with positive virtues which will make your karmas beautiful and you will naturally perform lesser number of incorrect actions.  

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Become Light
Nothing really happens by over-thinking the stresses & worries in life.  

That's why it's important to let go.  Let go of the things that are out of your hands.  

Put your worries down.  Drop the stress.  Feel the weight lift off your shoulders.  And lighten up.

When you are light, it's easier to do something about the things that are in your hands!

Message for the day

To see only problems is to become the one who only takes service. 

Thought to Ponder: When there is the practice of seeing only problems in all situations there is the inability to find solutions and act effectively. All the resources that could be used for the benefit of the self and others remain hidden. Such a person becomes dependent on others for finding solutions and a source of pity. 

Point to Practice: When I am caught up with problems and not able to see anything else, I am unable to experience progress. I find myself moving backward losing a lot of things I have. I would not be able to retain my self-confidence and would become dependent on others. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 04, 2017: Coolness

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 04, 2017: Coolness

Coolness

Maintaining a state of inner calmness protects me from becoming a slave to my emotions. It also helps me to keep a cool head when I see others becoming heated or angry. Coolness is not to be distant or uncaring; rather it requires that I develop the deeply caring nature of a peacemaker and serve others in the best possible way.

Check And Change (Part 1)

We all live our lives from morning till night without ever reflecting on what actions of ours go in the wrong direction and what actions are right and accurate. There was once a businessman who lived his life and his every day’s routine making a lot of mistakes and he never thought where he was going wrong. Life was just a fast line of actions for him, where even wrong actions were allowed because it was part of his business. They say, first think, then speak. First think, then act. But for many of us, it is first speak, then think or first act, then think i.e. first we perform the action and then reflect on it or think about it. It becomes very difficult for us when we do not check our actions and change them. In fact, we should check and change our thoughts first. Then, automatically our words and actions will get changed. That is the first step. 

So, just like the businessman, a lot of people are not sensitive enough to think as to why they should not perform negative actions and if they do perform the actions by mistake, as some of us do, they will not be sensitive enough to realize that they have to correct the negative actions and not perform them again which is only called – check and change in spiritual language. Life is short and we cannot afford to go after one action and another without using our intellect carefully. So, plant the seeds of good actions in the fields of life and the results of such actions will always be good in a way that is extremely natural and a law of life. A farmer also will check the quality of seeds that he is using in his physical field and bringing up into a crop. The same principle applies to life.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Become Attractive

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.

Message for the day

To have the light of knowledge is to have the ability to finish darkness. 

Thought to Ponder:  When I have the light of knowledge about something I need to be able to put it into practice. Knowledge then helps me to finish negativity. If knowledge is not finishing my negativity, I need to check if I am understanding things accurately. Knowledge also means that I need to understand if I have the power to transform too. So, I do all that it takes to bring about transformation. 

Point to Practice: Today I will take up something that I am bothered with and work on it. i will see what point of knowledge I need to use to make it possible to change that negative into positive. I will bring out all those points of understanding and practice, which will help me to overcome that negativity. This will help me get the courage and also give me the determination to do the needful. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 03, 2017: Perceive Positively

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 03, 2017: Perceive Positively

Perceive Positively

True self-awareness, plus the ability to choose our perceptions of life, the universe and everything, is the basis of free will. Every situation and scene in front of us has so many possibilities in terms of how we perceive and interpret. If someone is 10% selfish and 90% generous what should we focus on, what should we perceive first within them? Most of us are now well trained to perceive and focus on the negative, the selfishness in others, and to follow it quickly with accusation and judgement. We forget that what we perceive is what we empower within another and, more importantly what we perceive is what we empower within ourselves in that moment. And what we choose to see is usually what we get. So how important is it that we choose to perceive only the best, the highest, the greatest in another, even if it's only a half a percent? Bosses and parents - take note!! Don't forget - your perception is your reality. Your perception is what you project. And what you project is what comes back!

Becoming Aware Of What Is Ego

All of us are familiar, to different extents, with the emotion of ego. All of us don’t even define it in the same way. We are also aware to different extents, about the negative repercussions (effects) of the emotion of ego on us and on others. Depending on how aware we are about the effects, we work to eradicate the emotion from our daily lives, so that it neither disturbs us nor others. Some of us even consider it a positive emotion and feel it contributes positively to our personal and professional progress. To be aware completely of the negative effects of ego and to realize clearly whether it is a positive emotion or not in the first place, it is important to first become aware of what it is exactly. So, how can we define ego?

Ego is attachment, inside my consciousness, to an incorrect image of myself which I then mistake for myself. When the attachment takes place, you lose your sense of identity in the image of the object of attachment which you create on the screen of your mind. That object can be something physical like your body, your physical personality, a relationship, a material possession, your status, money, a particular skill, respect from others, etc. or something non-physical like a belief; an opinion; a  mindset, a memory, a particular virtue, specialty, power or a sanskar (positive or negative), etc. Therefore ego is the self-attaching to and identifying with an image that is not the self. This process takes place entirely within our consciousness many times in the day, on the screen of the mind. E.g. When we say this is my salary package (something physical) or my opinion (something non-physical), we are (without being aware about it) creating an image of the salary package or the opinion inside our consciousness and becoming attached to it, so that we lose our self-identity in the salary package or the opinion, believing that I am the salary package or the opinion. So at that time, the salary package or the opinion becomes an incorrect image of the self to which I am attached. This is ego. If while thinking, feeling or speaking about my salary package or my opinion, we do not become attached to or do not lose our self-identity in either of the two, then that is not ego.

Self-awareness

Most of the time, there's so much going on in our lives, that we're just not fully aware of how we behave and how we affect other people.  But with a little bit of extra attention, we can become more self-aware.

Self-awareness is simply being fully aware of our perceptions, attitudes, moods and behaviour.  Don't judge what you see and don't run away from it.  Just watch, observe and accept.

This helps us to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves; where we need to grow and how we need to improve our connection with others.

Message for the day

Positive thoughts heal even the disease of the body. 
Thought to Ponder:   When I am ill, it is very easy for the mind to become ill too. I tend to have negative thoughts and suffer. These negative thoughts don't restrict themselves to that particular part of the body, but is carried forward to the entire body and the mind too. The mind which has to be the healer, becomes a victim and hence weak. At such times, it is important that my mind is strong creating a positive influence on the body.

Point to Practice: Today I will not think about my illness. When the thought does come, I will make sure I give vibrations of power and peace to that part, so that I will help it to heal. I will do everything for it to heal rather than damaging it further by having negative thoughts about it. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 02, 2017: No Problem

Daily Positive Thoughts: May 02, 2017: No Problem

No Problem

Solutions are never necessary because there are no problems, only our perception makes it seem so, and only our minds make our perceptions seem real. If there is a problem it is our perception. That is hard to see in a world that celebrates and rewards the finding and solving of ‘the problem’. When you decide that you will no longer perceive the problem, you will see only the facts or a situation. Facts are just facts and any and every situation can always be improved, unless it is in the past, then it’s just a memory, and memories are never a problem, are they? If you can cancel from the patterns of your perceptions the very idea of ‘problem’, then you will not only be a positive thinker and positive proactive actor, you will be a leader.

The Consciousness Switchover (Part 2)

Given below are few simple methods which help us in the process of rising above action or role consciousness and make the task of switching of consciousness to a spiritual one, easy.

                                                                                         

1. Every hour, stop for a few seconds and note down in a small diary, which you carry with yourself through the day, to what extent, in the hour that has just gone by; you have maintained the light and detached awareness of yourself as a soul, a being of peaceful and blissful light, situated at the center of the forehead, playing its part through the physical body costume and the physical role costume and seeing others the same way. If you haven’t had any awareness, that’s fine: the light reminder will help you remain attentive for the next one hour period. This will over a period of time become an easy, natural and enjoyable exercise, which is very relaxing.

2. Every 2-3 hours, stop whatever you are doing for a 3-4 minutes and turn your attention within, creating an awareness and feeling of the soul, but a very deep one. Remind yourself of your spiritual relationship or your relationship on a soul level with the Father of the soul, the Supreme Being or God. Experience the relationship. At centres of the Brahma Kumaris and even at their homes and workplaces, the members of the Brahma Kumaris around the world, follow this exercise. Where it’s feasible, music is played at these times to make the break effective and soothing. This exercise is called traffic control, because the peace experienced in this exercise helps you become aware of the traffic of your thoughts and slow it down, reducing the risk of accidents that are caused due to internal mental clashes as well as clashes with the variety sanskaras or personality traits of people whom you come in contact with.

3. Every time you eat or drink something i.e. you nourish the body, along with that sustain the soul with spiritual thoughts, above the mundane or ordinary. These spiritual thoughts could be based on something positive that you have read in the morning at the start of the day.

Have Faith

Trust in others wins co-operation from them. To have faith in others also means reinforcing other people's faith in themselves. This naturally increases their self-confidence and creates enthusiasm. Then they become better able to respond to positive feelings and access their full potential.

If I notice someone I work with is not co-operating with me I need to check my own faith in that person. When I am able to appreciate them for their own unique qualities, my faith in that person will grow.

Message for the day

To have a positive conversation with the self is to empower oneself. 

Thought to Ponder: 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.

Point to Practice: 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