Daily Positive Thoughts: July 16, 2014: See Benefit

Daily Positive Thoughts: July 16, 2014: See Benefit

Matt Molloy is a Canadian photographer behind a beautiful sky photography set called ‘Time Stack’.

See Benefit

Seek to 'see' the benefit in all events.

That's not to say, ignore the downside.

See the 'reality' but, at the same time, deliberately look for the upside. Find that silver lining.
Look for the lesson.

Realize, nothing happens TO us but everything happens FOR us.

Shift, "Why is this happening TO me?" to "What is the lesson here FOR me?"

Faith

Sometimes when we are trying for something, we find ourselves losing
hope and giving up midway. Although we do feel that we are trying till
the end, it is usually not so. Sometimes we find ourselves giving up
just before we could have succeeded. Determination to succeed comes
with faith - faith in myself and the faith that things will work out
fine. This faith doesn't let me give up mid-way but gives me
determination that makes me put in effort till I achieve success.

Pure Cooking

A significant part of our lifestyle is to consider the quality of our thoughts required while making food. Living in a family may make it more difficult to have that quiet and ordered state of mind while cooking. Also, children, friends, husbands and wives have the habit of coming into the kitchen while you are cooking. So, see if you can re-organize your timetable so you can cook at a time when they are busy, and then you can properly concentrate on giving pure vibrations to the food. It also helps if you play some gentle, soothing music which reminds you of the Supreme Soul or God while you are cooking. Even better sit in meditation for 4-5 minutes in the kitchen before starting to cook.

If you think of yourself while you are cooking then there will be a vibration of greed created. If you think of others while you are cooking there will be a vibration of attachment created. Think about the Supreme and there will be that feeling of deep love and freedom (liberation).

Physical cleanliness before cooking is important. Walking off the market or crowded roads, into the kitchen and cooking can affect the vibrations of the food. Washing, changing and meditating is a good start for preparation of satwicfood. The ideal time for cooking is in the morning, the mind is quiet and if one has read a short paragraph of spiritual knowledge sometime after getting up, the mind is filled with new gems of spiritual knowledge, free of waste thoughts.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Fears and Dependencies in Relationships

Relationships are a source of support for our life, or at least, they should be. Relationships should ideally be an exchange of happiness and love. Peaceful relationships are the foundation from where we create, generate and carry out shared endeavors (efforts). Thanks to cooperation, we achieve our objectives.

When people are asked about what the different causes of stress, worries and suffering are, one of the main answers is relationships. Relationships have become a cause of ties (bondage) and pain. Instead of trust it seems fear dominates in relationships. In a relationship of love - be it family, be it friendship - due to emotional weaknesses and a lack of self-esteem, in order to learn to love ourselves we need another person or people to value us, to appreciate us, to need us, to love us. Even so, we do not manage to learn to love ourselves and we continue to depend on and worry about the opinion of others, what others might say, think or feel about us. You fear the answer of others; you fear they might say something that hurts you. These fears arise out of the emotional dependence on this person or these people. And they (fears) prevent us from developing and expressing all our potential, meaning that we stop being ourselves and we fear sharing ourselves openly.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Message for the day

True service is to spread the light of happiness to all around.

Projection: In any negative situation, the usual reaction is to feel disheartened and unhappy. With this reaction to the situation, the people around too are affected as the unhappiness spreads around. Focusing this way only on the problem creates such negativity that it doesn't inspire anyone to work for a solution.

Solution: Instead of spreading unhappiness in a difficult situation by seeing the negative aspect, we need to think of how to bring a solution. Even if we can't, we need to look at some positive aspect in it that will enable us to maintain our own positivity. When we keep ourselves happy in this way, we will be able to spread this happiness to others too.
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris