Daily Positive Thoughts: September 14, 2015: Making the Impossible Possible

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 14, 2015: Making the Impossible Possible

Making the Impossible Possible

The impossible is possible when we offer a finger of co-operation.  We know that each of our five fingers are different - each is special, yet it's when they work together we find that whatever we put our hand to becomes successful.

To be happy is to be living

The true blessing of life is happiness. To be happy is as simple and necessary as breathing. Just as I don't forget to breathe, I shouldn't forget to be happy. Just as breath is life, happiness too is the true life. My lifespan is counted based on the number of moments I live happily. Today I will be happy and I will accumulate precious moment of happiness in the piggy bank of my soul. The more number of happiness I collect, the richer I will be. So today I will collect as much as I can.

Varied (Different) Concepts About The Supreme Being or God (cont.)

There is an endless variety of human theories and concepts which appear to create confusion and even hatred among people when they are opposed to each other, but ultimately I must ask myself how far "I", the individual, have the experience of His powers and qualities. 

The basis of forming a relationship with anyone is knowledge of who they are, what they look like, where they are from, and what they do. Similarly if I am to have the awareness of myself as a soul, and emerging from that, a close relationship with God, the Supreme Soul, then I must know:

* Who He is?
* What His form is or what does He look like?
* Where He is or where does He reside (stay)?
* What His personality traits or sanskaras are?
* What His acts or karmas are?
* What is my relationship with Him?

God is living and real, not a matter of scientific research. It is necessary for me to re-establish a living relationship with Him, on the basis of complete knowledge of Him. My connection should not be based on the fears and superstitions of the past.

 

Soul Sustenance

Exercise On Self Discovery (Part 2)

Think about which qualities you need to possess as a professional or as a homemaker e.g. qualities of a team leader in a corporate organization would be: efficiency, responsibility, focus, precision, determination, etc. Then, leaving aside the professional aspect, explore your basic, innate qualities. Reflect on your inner and spiritual values. Which values make you happy? Look deep into your inner self. Take some time in this and note down three of these essential values in your life. What conclusion have you come to? What are these values?

The more we really understand ourselves, with our defects, weaknesses, virtues and values, the better our relationships will be with others. We will understand when they have little understanding of themselves and others. Knowing oneself in-depth, taking into account everything described above as well as in yesterday’s message, requires time, effort, observation and the practice of silence. In silence one can begin a conversation with oneself. In this way we can gradually discover our inner beauty and strength, and be aware of the basis of our value and dignity as human beings. When we relearn to see ourselves with our original qualities and innate values, it is also easier to recognise these qualities in others. 

Message for the day

To do a task with love is to be constantly successful.

Projection: When I start with something new, I usually notice that I'm successful for sometime, but I do not experience long lasting success. This is because I did the task on being told or being forced by the situation. External force makes me use my resources with commitment for sometime.

Solution: Love brings constant success because once I've experienced the joy of doing the task itself, I'll never give it up. Because it is done with love, I'll put in all my resources and do my best. So I'll experience constant success.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 13, 2015: Inner Stability

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 13, 2015: Inner Stability

The Dalai Lama

Inner Stability

Inner stability rests on 4 practices:

1. Daily study - even a paragraph of spiritual wisdom you read will nourish the mind.
2. Regular meditation - the practice of insight, connection and realisation.
3. Cultivate positive qualities - consciously develop, apply and express these qualities.
4. Altruistic service to humanity - try small acts of kindness.

Walking Briskly

Walk quickly today, not because you are in a hurry, but because you value the exercise for legs and heart. As you walk, allow your thoughts to visit you, but not stay. Let them come to pass, and you will be surprised how quickly they become positive, and filled with creative ideas. And paradoxically, if you stay internally aware, you may notice that the quicker you walk, the more your thinking slows down and deepens. Walking briskly and positive thinking - that's the simplest way to take care of body and mind. And life was meant to be simple...wasn't it?
relax7

Varied (Different) Concepts About The Supreme Being or God

Various questions related to the Supreme Being or God for the vast majority remain unanswered and therefore the experience of God remains unfulfilled. The concepts about God are as varied or different as are the sanskars of human beings.

Some common concepts about God:

* Some say God is everywhere.
* Some say He is nowhere.
* Some say He created the whole Universe out of nothing or out of Himself: others see that as illogical and impossible.
* Many say God is beyond the understanding of limited human intellects, others believe that they have understood Him and are then respected as self-realized or spiritually knowledgeable humans.
* Still others believe themselves to be God and allow themselves to be worshiped.
* Some say that God creates only what is good, and others say that He also creates evil or bad, and that everything that is happening in the world is just God's play.
* God is seen by some to be just an expression of human beings' needs and that they will soon go beyond needing such a figure-head (someone who is looked upto).
* Some say He makes the grass grow and the wind blow, others say He is merely the voice of the conscience - the inner voice.
* Others define God as the higher self who remains constantly at peace; this concept is called cosmic-consciousness, since the one with this characteristic is said to be at one with the whole universe.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

Soul Sustenance

Exercise On Self Discovery (Part 1)

Many people today do not have a clear sense of identity. In fact, when you ask people about the image they have of themselves, it is usually negative, and they see their weaknesses (negative sanskaras) and mistakes committed in the past more easily than their qualities (positive sanskaras) and achievements. This negative image of oneself leads us to an identity crisis. A negative image causes feelings of dissatisfaction to accumulate within oneself. Then our lifestyle is affected by the need for recognition and approval, by the need to justify ourselves, of obtaining material achievements and success.

Given below is an exercise to experience your true self:
Sit back and observe yourself. What is the image you have of yourself? How do you see yourself? Who are you really? What is there left when you have removed all the labels? Are you thoughts, feelings, free will, energy, ideas, being, conscience, intellect, life? What do the majority have in common? They are internal, incorporeal and invisible: they are non-physical aspects. The true self is incorporeal and invisible.

Now experience your ideal self: Make a list of which qualities you think your ideal self should have, the self you deeply long to be and experience in your life. The list may include qualities such as: joyful, tolerant, generous, fearless, free, loving, among others.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Message for the day

To see specialities in all is to become special.

Projection: Most of the time, I'm caught up in looking at people's negativity. When I see some negative quality in someone, I immediately make his specialities a background and start focusing on his negative traits. The more I think of these negative qualities, the more they occupy my conscious mind, changing my reactions too.

Solution: It is natural to be coloured or influenced by what I see. If I see specialities, I'll take on a little of that and if I see weaknesses, I'll take on a little of that too. So I need to make an attempt to look at only specialities and encourage others too to use their specialities.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 12, 2015: 86,400 Seconds

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 12, 2015: 86,400 Seconds

Table Clock by John George, Augsburg, 1720, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

86,400 Seconds

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $ 86,400. Every evening whatever part of the balance you fail to use during the day is deleted. What would you do? Draw out every cent and use it well, of course!!! Each of us has such a bank - Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Invest the day's deposits well, or the loss is yours. How could you bring the most contentment, happiness and benefit to yourself and others? The clock is running.

Good Ideas

Often we assume that good ideas just happen. Or we try to generate ideas in a formal environment.

Sometimes changing the setting can get our creative juices flowing. Instead of holding a meeting in a conference room or the office, go to a coffee shop.

Sometimes retreating to the visual world of art can open the mind and spark new ideas. Visit a gallery or a museum and immerse yourself in the colours, textures and impressions.

Being An Observer And An Actor - Maintaining The Balance

In relation to the other, we have the possibility of observing and intervening (interfering) when we wish to; that is, maintaining the balance between being an observer and acting; playing between forming part of the audience and being the actor. On being actors, sometimes we can lose ourselves in the acting of the other in his or her or their dramas; we get in so deep with what is happening to the other that we lose distance. We get mentally and emotionally involved in the other's stories. When our awareness gets lost in those stories, we stop being the creators of our own life and of our own story. This habit exhausts us; we lose energy; we lose our concentration and control over our thoughts and our emotions. We lose our inner peace and we begin to look for it again.

We can choose to observe the dance of ideas, images and acts of others, and not get involved in their complications. Only thus will we be at peace with ourselves and with the world. Remember that you create your own story. If you want to live in peace and exercise a positive influence on the people around you, don't try to control or to change the stories of others. In order to enjoy a painting you do not poke your nose onto it; you remain at a certain distance so you see it with greater clarity. The same thing occurs with the painting of life. By learning the art of being a detached observer and then intervening, of keeping a healthy distance, we manage to be connected with what is essential without losing ourselves in the waste and superfluous (excessive). That way, our intervention does not arise out of a reaction which has shades of frustration, anger and negative judgements. We are then the creators of spaces of trust and love in relationships.

Soul Sustenance

Harmonizing The Mind And The Intellect

The intellect is the faculty of the soul that judges thought and determines its quality, its ethical purity, its truthfulness, its usefulness, its appropriateness, whether it is necessary, right or wrong. The intellect is backed by the conscience. In fact, the conscience expresses itself through the intellect. If you have a positive thought, the intellect should approve it and allow it to be put into practice. If a feeling of doubt accompanies the positive thought, the intellect should take it into account and remove that doubt, before the thought gets converted into action. When the faculties of the mind and intellect are pure and strong, and they cooperate in harmony; they support one another and there is no inner conflict. If the intellect is weak, the mind feels confused and it will generate many unproductive thoughts. There will be an inner conflict and in the end the intellect will lose, because the power of influence of the intellect is less. Then, the intellect will not have the power to prevent them from going into action. Actions will be performed that are negative or unproductive, in opposition to the conscience, and they will as a result create negative habits.
The intellect is the most important faculty of human consciousness to bring about personality change. If the quality of the intellect is good, the capacity and quality of the intellectual processes through which you perceive and live reality will be higher. If the intellect is clean and pure, you will differentiate what is real and authentic from what is unreal and false. You will be able to judge if a situation is beneficial or wasteful, useful or useless. 

Message for the day

To be free from the burden of responsibility is to fulfill the responsibility well.

Projection: When I am responsile for something or people expect me to be answerable for something, I tend to feel heavy because of these responsibilities. With the such a feeling of having a burden, I'm not able to fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my ability.

Solution: Whatever responsibilities are given to me are according to my capabilities. When I remind myself of this I'll be able to be light and give my best to fulfill all my responsibilities.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 11, 2015: Dream with a Deadline

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 11, 2015: Dream with a Deadline

Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream”. Speech delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C

Dream with a Deadline

Turn your dream into a vision, then into a goal, then into a plan and then into reality!  After all, a goal is nothing more than a 'dream with a deadline'.

Gain wisdom

When mistakes are made, we get defensive because of our ego. Ego prevents us from learning.

Nobody likes making mistakes but why not make a resolution to learn from your mistakes.

Even if 99% of it is another person's mistake, don't think of that. First, be honest with yourself and see what you can learn, then you'll be free from ego. Gain wisdom and accelerate your self-improvement.

Making Your Dream A Reality (Visualization)

I relax my body... I let go of all tensions... I reduce the speed of my thoughts...  I relax my mind, my thinking... I let go of what doesn't let me be well... 

What is it that I the soul truly long for? What do I want in my life?

I listen to the answer that arises from the inside of the self...  I let the answer come out spontaneously...  I don't worry about it...

I visualize what I want and where I want to reach...  Now I fly; I fly towards the destiny that I dream of...  I visualize myself being what I want to be, doing what I want to do... Without fears, without strings that hold me...  I am who I want to be...  I see myself like that, having achieved it...  I enjoy some moments of this experience...  I experience my dream...

I can achieve my dream... I have to visualize it as if I had already achieved it...  This strengthens my capacity to achieve it...

Now I return to the present moment...  I prepare myself to enter into action with this conviction...  I will make my dream a reality...

Soul Sustenance

Meditation On Experiencing My Original Loveful Nature

I sit in silence, letting my thoughts go away from the outer world... I allow my mind to relax... to calm down... I focus my attention on the heart of my being... My heart is like a sacred silent place where I can feel what I really am... I am peaceful and light... a loving soul... strong... secure... kind...

I have many virtues and qualities that I can share with others... Now my attention is going towards the quality of love... I imagine love like a seed in my heart waiting to awaken... grow... and blossom... like a rose... For this, I only have to accept... believe... feel... that I am a soul full of love... child of the Ocean of Love… I am a spiritual rose flower... radiating the spiritual fragrance of love…

Letting go of the past... letting go of expectations... fears... negative feelings... forgiving... opening my heart... feeling that it is cleansed and this energy of love is as pure as the clean water flowing from a waterfall. Nothing and nobody have touched it... this is a love that asks for nothing in exchange... the love of a clean heart is unselfish... free of ego and expectations... It makes truth and sincerity grow... acceptance and understanding... I open my heart completely to love... I inhale deeply... I visualize my heart filling itself with this energy of pure love... I exhale slowly... and I visualize radiating this light of love from the deepest part of my heart towards the world... I am a beautiful soul of light radiating peace and love... I am love... I love myself and accept myself and others...

Message for the day

The ability to find solutions comes when I know the art of listening.

Projection: I normally get to hear a lot of things and tend to get coloured by all that I hear. The more I hear about negative things, the more difficult it becomes to maintain my own positivity. Yet I can do nothing to ignore the things that make me feel negative.

Solution: I need to know to listen to people rather than just hearing them. To know to listen means the ability to transform negative into positive. Just as a doctor listens to all the negative aspects about the disease etc and still knows only to give the medicine, I too need to listen in order to give what is required.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 10, 2015: Honesty

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 10, 2015: Honesty

WALTER CRONKITE:  Hailed as "the most trusted man in America" during his 18 years as anchor of the "CBS Evening News,"

Honesty

Honesty in communication is to be emotionally neutral and to state the facts in a situation without interpreting them.  Practising this type of communication means you will never be afraid to speak the truth because you might offend someone.

Flexibility

It is easy to fall into habits of ways of doing something. Sometimes these routines are helpful. 

But at other times they stop us seeing that there may be a better way of doing things. 

To achieve constant success we need to become flexible.

Mind Empowerment

Meditation is an inner mental exercise, an exercise not physically visible to oneself and others. Through this exercise we link ourselves to the Source of unlimited and complete purity (the Supreme Being), which not only purifies our mind but also liberates the mind from the limits or various different forms of impurity or body consciousness, like I, my, burdens of the past and negative feelings for myself and others.  During meditation the mind let's go of the threads of the limits of the physical body and physical world. Like a bird, the mind, which is impure, experiences a magnetic pull for this pure Source and flies upwards and connects with this Source. This connection is not difficult when the mind is truly in love. Love for the Source emerges inside when we have complete knowledge of God as the Ocean of truth and purity and have an inner spiritual thirst for experiencing a connection with Him, and not just trying to demand, flatter, or beg God for something for selfish reasons.   The desire for connection enables the soul to fly beyond all mental barriers such as * I can't, * How do I? and * No time!.  

Connection fills the mind with a spiritual strength which we use in our everyday life and keeps it constantly positive, uninfluenced by any external negativity. To maintain such strength, we require a daily connection and recharge every morning; otherwise the using up of the energy of the mind in actions throughout the day causes its spiritual strength to get depleted very soon. In silence, we will find a personal and very loveful friendship with God, who not only listens and helps but, most of all, is just there. At the present moment, a lot of us have completely lost the simple enjoyment of His presence; we feel we have to ask for something, say something, or chant something. It is enough just to be still in the silence of that spiritual meeting and experience its bliss and enjoy the stage of spiritual fulfillment.

Soul Sustenance

Instruments/Tools To Perceive God

Perhaps I have been avoiding coming close to God because of the extraordinary confusion surrounding the subject. Maybe I have just lacked the tools with which to be able to discover God. The whole universe of things going on within a tiny drop of blood can be instantly revealed by the use of a tool or an instrument like the microscope. In the same way, the secrets behind realities of the self, the non-physical, spiritual self and the reality of God remain hidden until undiscovered by the appropriate instruments or tools. With which tools or instruments then, can I perceive or experience God? Since God is non-physical, the tools would also definitely be non-physical in nature.

That I haven't been able to understand myself is amply demonstrated by the periods of confusion and inner turmoil I go through. Sometimes I don't understand those with whom I share the same room or house, let alone my neighbors next door! The word ‘misunderstanding’ occurs frequently even in the closest of my relationships. It indicates that the quality of my mind, consciousness or even conscience hasn't been sufficiently clear to establish real rapport between myself and others. The realization and experience of God remain even further out of reach.

There's a very specific methodology involved in firstly understanding and organizing myself, and from that, coming to terms with God. I already have the most powerful of all instruments, the energy of my own mind, to work with. The extent to which I am able to research into the subject of God-realization depends on the quality of my thoughts and feelings.

Message for the day

To have learnt means to bring about a practical change.

Projection: From all that happens, I usually understand a lot of things and take important lessons. But sometimes I find myself making the same mistakes again and again. So I am not able to bring about real change.

Solution: Once I realise and learn from a mistake that has happened, I need to spend some time in understanding it even further. I need to ensure I don't ever repeat the same mistake. This will enable me to bring about real change.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 09, 2015: Silence

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 09, 2015: Silence

Silence

Silence is a discipline, not of doing, but of being; a time when we quietly attune ourselves to an inner strength to experience trust and self worth.  It is from this base of inner strength that our actions evolve.

Acceptance

Overcome the habit of reacting by accepting behaviour and mannerisms that normally irritate you.

Soften your hard edges and become more easygoing.

This week, accept the ways of drivers and pedestrians, your companions, colleagues and superiors

Karmas In Spiritual Consciousness (cont.)

Vikarmas or negative actions are those actions performed in body-consciousness. Sukarmas or positive actions are those actions performed in soul and Supreme Soul-consciousness. Given below are some more differences between the two (we had explained a few yesterday):

Body Consciousness: Relationships become bondages (burdens) and causes of sorrow rather than enjoyment.
Spiritual Consciousness: Relationships with others are purified and elevated. There is no sense of bondage.

Body Consciousness: Conflicts, which can be called "clashes" of sanskaras, occur between souls. There is negativity, sensitivity and disunity.
Spiritual Consciousness: Souls are able to harmonize with each other with happiness and peace.

Body Consciousness: Actions are performed to attract or impress others by the physical identity.
Spiritual Consciousness: Actions are performed to bring others also into relationship with the Supreme Soul.

Body Consciousness: Charity performed for others has the shadow of ego and has limited results.
Spiritual Consciousness: The highest charity of introducing other souls to the Supreme Soul is performed selflessly through thoughts, words and actions.

Soul Sustenance

Applying The Law Of Balance To Anger (Part 2)

Yesterday we had explained how the law of balance can be applied to anger on a smaller level. The same law can also be applied on a larger level. Each time a group of people transmit the negative energy of anger physically to another group of people - at that time, either:

a) one party is disturbing the balance temporarily, which will be restored sometime in the future, by the second party indulging in similar behavior, or
b) balance is being restored at the present moment (because negative energy had been transmitted from the opposite party to the first party sometime in the past). This balancing must take place, because it's an unbreakable law. This is the law of balance.

This law that does not need to be enforced by us, the police or even by God. It is a natural law like other laws of nature. It gets enforced itself and cannot be broken by anyone. Understanding that this law is embedded in the human state of affairs at all times makes us careful and detached so that we don’t hurt ourselves with violent, toxic thoughts, when someone acts negatively. We create these kinds of thoughts because we believe this is revenge that is justified. Also, knowing that anger that is radiated comes back doesn't mean we don’t have any laws within society – they are required, but it helps us not to take the law into our own hands. We cannot force justice to take place before its fixed time. We cannot force the balancing of energies of anger. If we trying doing it, it is being egoistic and we only upset the balance of our energies as a result. Even to criticize those who try to take the law into their own hands is to take the law into our hands.

Message for the day

To use the inner powers is to be a constant success.

Projection: While moving forward I sometimes have doubts about my own power to succeed. So sometimes my powers remain hidden and I am not able to have the confidence or the enthusiasm to work on the situation.

Solution: Whatever the situation I am faced with, I must not forget my own inner powers. I need to recognise and use those powers which will help me overcome the situation. When there is faith within me, my mind will be open to the recognition and the use of these inner powers.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 08, 2015: Thoughts

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 08, 2015: Thoughts

Thoughts

Understand and discern the quality of thoughts....Is it a weak thought, a waste thought, a positive thought or an elevated thought?  Think carefully and you'll find you'll not have to think too much!

Willpower

Everyday our willpower gets tested! Willpower calls on our inner strength to take right action and control impulses and reactions.

Regardless of how "strong-willed" you are, why not conserve your willpower for those times when you need it the most.

How? Instead of trying to tackle multiple resolutions simultaneously, cut down on your resolutions and make them practical and doable.

Stay strong as you face the next temptation. Remember, willpower is like a muscle; exercising it, strengthens it.

Karmas In Spiritual Consciousness

The soul creates its destiny according to the karmas or actions it performs. Vikarmas or negative actions are those actions performed in body-consciousness. Sukarmas or positive actions are those actions performed in soul and Supreme Soul-consciousness. Given below is a list of differences between the two:

Body Consciousness: The soul is influenced by any of the vices; principally anger, greed, ego, lust or attachment.
Spiritual Consciousness: The soul brings its original qualities of peace, power, purity, love and bliss into action.

Body Consciousness: The soul is unable to settle its past karmic accounts and so karmic debts accumulate.
Spiritual Consciousness: The soul balances out its karmic debt and actually begins to accumulate or store credit.

Body Consciousness: Actions cause sorrow and loss for the self and others in contact.
Spiritual Consciousness: Actions fill the self and others with happiness and peace.

(To be continued tomorrow ....)

Soul Sustenance

Applying The Law Of Balance To Anger (Part 1)

We are all very much aware of the law of gravity. It keeps us grounded on the earth. Gravity ensures everything returns to a state of balance. This is the law of balance on a physical level.

The law of balance can also be applied on a mental and emotional level, to the emotion of anger e.g. Too many angry thoughts of revenge and animosity (hatred) inside our consciousness can emerge in two ways:

a) either externally as toxic, violent behavior, which will attract toxic, violent responses from others, or
b) if these thoughts are kept bottled inside, they will eventually, after a period of time, emerge as some disease or the other in the physical body. This is because our consciousness then tries to find a way to get rid of the mental impurity, which enters our physical body and restores balance to the mental and physical system, which has been upset due to the creation of the toxic thoughts, in the first place.
The above e.g. is an application of this law on a micro level. We can apply this law of balance on a macro level, on the world at large, where we watch groups of people, even countries exchanging negative energy. We shall explain that in tomorrow’s message.
(To be continued tomorrow…)

Message for the day

The way to bring transformation in others is to have mercy for them.

Projection: Inspite of wanting to bring about a positive change in people and working towards it, I rarely find that kind of change that I expect. People continue to display their old patterns of behaviour and finally I end up only feeling disappointed or frustrated.

Solution: Real change can come in people only when I am able to have a vision of mercy for them. With mercy I am able to percieve and bring out the best in people without actually being caught up with expectations. Once I am able to see the positive qualities I am able to encourage them to use these qualities.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris