Today's Thoughts: August 05, 2020: The Wonder of Silence

Today's Thoughts: August 05, 2020: The Wonder of Silence

The Wonder of Silence

The disease of anger needs the medicine of tolerance; the pain of disappointment needs the medicine of hope; the violence of revenge and spite needs forgiveness; fear needs courage, ego needs self-respect. Through inner silence we receive the strength to heal.

Projection Of Mental Energies In Relationships

Sometimes in relationships, you believe that the other person is hurting you because they do not meet your desires, but in such cases how can you know if it is really true? Let’s go a step ahead; does the belief that they are going to hurt you influence the situation until in the end it happens? Perhaps they won't hurt you. Your belief that the other is going to hurt you is not so powerful that it will necessarily affect the other person. But it affects you yourself. They may not hurt you at all finally, but you will end up hurt, you will become emotionally ill, even psychically ill sometimes. The symptoms will begin to show themselves and you will say: Did you see? I feel hurt, I keep telling you so. So your belief caused you to get hurt and not the other.

The other person isn't you. In relationships, a moment comes when you don't know if it is their fault or yours, if it is their responsibility or yours, if that person has caused the irritation inside you, or if it was you, if that person began the argument or it was you, if they created the conflict or if it was you, because we project (throw) our energies onto each other. All of this drives us to frustration. A lot of power, negative or positive, is needed for a person to be able to influence others with their consciousness, it is easier to influence ourselves. This is a basic principle of human relationships, which we don't understand. We don't understand, and the reason is that we don't see ourselves, because we are always looking at the other, putting the responsibility onto them, blaming them, criticizing them.

Same inside and out

Often we project an image of ourselves that we want the world to see. 

And at the same time, we unconsciously project an image of who we really are.

The result is a blurry image; two versions superimposed upon each other that just confuses people as they can't quite make out who we really are.

If you would like your image to be seen clearly, be the same inside and out.

Message for the day

To be seated on a powerful stage is to ensure right decisions are made. 

Thought to ponder: A king or a judge is seated on a seat, weighs the pros and cons and only then makes decisions. In the same way while making any important decisions, I need to set myself on a powerful stage of confidence and self-respect. Being in this stage, I need to look with detachment and make the decision. Even if I have already acted impulsively, I need to relook. Because decisions made with the wrong state of mind are usually wrong too.

Point to practice: Today I will first check the quality of my thoughts before I make any important decision. I am going to stop, change my thoughts, create a powerful stage and only then make decisions. This will make my decisions right and fruitful. I will be free from the negative impact of impulsive, hasty decisions. 

 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Today's Thoughts: August 03, 2020: Attitudes

Today's Thoughts: August 03, 2020: Attitudes

 

Attitudes

 

When you extend pure love to everyone with selfless motivation that is an attitude of kindness. 

When you send good wishes and pure feelings to those who are in deep sorrow,  that is an attitude of mercy. 

When you see the virtues rather than the weaknesses in people,  that is an attitude of compassion. 

When you bless and uplift someone even as they defame you, that is an attitude of forgiveness. 

When you tolerate a situation and take responsibility as well as give cooperation even when not appreciated, that is an attitude of humility and self-respect. 

Every second, every moment and every breath of your life is nurtured by attitude.

Ruling The Kingdom Of The Mind (Part 2)

"Am I a weak king or a mighty (strong) one?" This is a question that each one of us needs to ask ourselves at the end of each day. Every night, call upon your ministers - the thoughts, feelings and emotions in your kingdom court and have a heart-to-heart conversation with them regarding the kingdom and its people, which are your attitudes, expressions, words and actions. A court is also held to check the daily report of the behavior of the ministers. As the ministers of a kingdom, so its people (as mentioned above). To keep the kingdom in order, an able (talented) king will train the ministers and its people to react correctly to topsy-turvy situations which the kingdom is exposed to every day, which causes instability in the kingdom. This ability is the power of the king in action.

To train the ministers to respond correctly, a powerful king will, at the start of the day and at regular intervals in the day, give thoughts of power to the mind such as - I am an ocean of success or I possess the all powerful driving force of motivation or I can destroy obstacles that try to obstruct my path coupled with thoughts of peace such as - I shall not react angrily, but maintain my calm or I shall not look at others' actions but keep my focus on my stable stage or I shall keep a relationship of outer detachment to external situations as well as inner detachment to internal pressures coupled with thoughts of love such as - I am an overflowing source of good wishes or I will be forgetful of others' mistakes or I shall absorb others' virtues and fill others with virtues coupled with thoughts of joy such as I will remain light and give others the same experience or I shall spread the wings of enthusiasm and fly high or I shall gift a smile and a greeting to everyone. These types of thought suggestions will in turn positively influence the feelings and emotions, the ministers of my kingdom and my attitudes, expressions, words and actions, the people of my kingdom. How? We shall explain that in tomorrow's message.

To look at positive in people is to relate to them well. 

Seeing positive in people earns me multiple benefit. One, I will be able to keep my mind free from negativity. Two, for having seen the positive side of people, I will be able to encourage them to use that aspect of theirs when in interaction with me. Three, I will also be able to earn their good wishes as I am relating to them positively under all circumstances. Today I will only have good wishes for everyone I meet. I will take a good thought for everyone dear to me and also for the ones I come into contact with. For today, I will not think negative about anyone. If the thought does come, I will postpone it.

Message for the day

The biggest service is to ensure that if any one comes to us, they don't go away empty handed. 

Expression: When someone comes to me I need to ensure they don't go away empty handed. That is, I need to find something to give them that will make them feel benefitted. Something that will make them feel better. They need to feel that they have gained something from the interaction they had with us. 

Experience: Today I will have special attention that if anyone comes to me, I will give them something that will make them better. This need not be any physical thing, but it could be an encouraging word, a pat on the back, a solution, a suggestion or even a good wish in the mind. 

 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Today's Thoughts: August 02, 2020: Work Well

Today's Thoughts: August 02, 2020: Work Well

Picking lavender in the Lavender fields, France

 

Work Well

 

Work is only work if you prefer to be somewhere else. Work tends to be a negative perception of a task which we reluctantly approach. Work is only labour when we forget to see our life as it truly is - an opportunity to be creative, enrich others and be enriched ourselves. When we are able to see work in this way, we find something called enthusiasm inside. When we are enthusiastic we work well and we are valued. We are used as a role model. When we work well it is much easier to say no when we need to, for we know our own value, and we are not dependent on others' approval to feel good about ourselves. When we put love and enthusiasm into what we do, it rebounds in the form of opportunities and blessings, two of the most important ingredients of a truly wealthy life.

Ruling The Kingdom Of The Mind (Part 1)

Have you ever looked inside the inner kingdom of your mind where your thoughts, feelings and emotions are your ministers? Is it a kingdom of law or anarchy (lawlessness)? Do you ever wonder - "Ah, I wish there would be more order and less chaos in my kingdom!" So what stops you from creating a kingdom of law and order? Is it external situations or is it your internal reactions to these situations? Just for one day, perform this little exercise, check that out of the tens of thousands of thoughts and feelings you create in a day, how many are your own creation and how many are responses to external events. If they are your own positive creation or if they are responses to events, but correct ones, then be proud that your ministers are obeying you. Do you realize that the time when these thoughts and feelings are the wrong type of reactions on your part and not your original correct creations, is the time when these ministers are wicked and disobeying you.

A kingdom where the ministers disobey the king (that is you) repeatedly, is a kingdom, the atmosphere of which is lacking in harmony, love and joy, which in our case is our mind. It is a kingdom which is not respected by its people, who work under the ministers of thoughts and feelings, the people being your attitudes, expressions, words and actions, who further disintegrate and go their incorrect way following the orders of their seniors - the thoughts, feelings and emotions. It is a kingdom where the king has to bow down in front of the outsiders, the neighbours, which in this case is the external situations and other spiritual kings like me, involved in these situations. Also, it is a kingdom which is lacking in stability and susceptible (vulnerable) to attacks by the neighbours repeatedly. 

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

 Coping with Grief

Everyone copes with grief differently, so be patient and give yourself time to heal. Accept your feelings and find constructive ways to release your emotions. Recognize that there's a loss and a vacuum that needs to be filled thoughtfully. Also know when to reach out to get support and share your grief. And whenever you remember the person you've lost, send them love and good wishes.

Message for the day

To have a vision of seeing specialities is to pave the way for progress. 

Thought to ponder: When I have a vision of seeing specialities, I am able to encourage people to do better. Firstly, I am free from negative or waste thoughts. And most importantly, I am able to help people discover their strengths and give them the power to use them. This ensures progress for them as well as me. 

Point to practice: Today I will encourage at least one person with my positive words. I will observe something good in that person and appreciate. This practice will help us experience continuous progress, in spite of difficult circumstances or mistakes. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

https://astudypoint.blogspot.com/

Contemplation: August 01, 2020: Self- Mastery

Contemplation: August 01, 2020: Self- Mastery

Self-Mastery

Within each one of us there is a master of the universe. Not the universe out there but the inner universe of our thoughts and feelings, attitudes and actions. Most people realize too late what awaits within and how valuable it is. For too long we allow ourselves to be distracted and bewitched by all that is happening outside. To be the master of your inner world is to be the master of your own destiny. Are you going to be the master or a slave?

Yoga - A Lifestyle (Part 3)

The practice of spiritual yoga or connecting the mind with a higher source of spiritual power i.e. God, causes His spiritual energy to enter our mind and fill our minds with the seven primary qualities - peace, joy, love, bliss, purity, power and knowledge. These qualities nourish all our body systems and make them free of illnesses. Each time we experience an impure or negative emotion, its negative effect travels to all these systems and this causes the birth of illnesses in these systems. Spiritual yoga, which at the Brahma Kumaris is called Rajyoga meditation and is karma yoga, because it can be done while performing any action, does the opposite. Because Rajyoga is a yoga with the Highest power existing in the universe, it is given that name. This Highest power is God and He is the Highest because He is an overflowing source of all these seven qualities mentioned above. So a link with such a source gives us an experience of these qualities and as a result these qualities flow to each cell of all the systems of the body and cause these cells to heal and become full of pure spiritual and as a result physical energy. Also, each one of us has a target organ or system which is most prone to disease. What this organ or system is for each one is connected with the karmas of the soul performed in this and previous births, which reflect in the systems of the body. Rajyoga meditation, as taught by the Brahma Kumaris, because of the mechanism explained above, helps in keeping this target organ healthy and also brings with it mental peace and a stress life.

Lastly, as you follow the path of spiritual yoga, take care that physical health issues are also addressed since a healthy body finds it easier to meditate correctly and also perform actions in the remembrance of the Supreme Being with comfort. On one side the meditation helps in clearing up the negative sanskaras of the soul which are created in the soul when a negative action is performed either in this or previous births, and are the primary cause of all our illnesses. At the same time, on the other side care should also be taken of the physical body through the mediums of a right diet, exercise and sleep, so that the spiritual journey is smooth and obstacle free; a journey on which we welcome all of you.

 

Observing but Not Absorbing 

To observe means we take a new, appropriate mental position in whatever situation, or in whatever relationship, we find ourselves. Observation is a silent skill — a skill we need to learn if we are to assess clearly what positive changes are needed to be made in the self in a particular situation or relationship. 

If we fail to learn this art of observing, we are likely to react and absorb ourselves in the negativity of the person, or event. We get lost in the quicksand of 'what's wrong?' which prevents us from putting things right. As we absorb and fill ourselves with negative emotion, we become heavy and remain helplessly rooted to the ground. The gravity of overload does not allow us to rise above a situation and to understand the reality of what is happening. As a result, we lose perspective and overreact. 

If we wish to understand how the mental position of observation gives us the power of perspective, we can look at the example of the bird and the ant. The ant, extremely busy, running here and there, scrambling over everything in its rush to find and collect food, will see only what is in front of its nose. The bird, on the other hand, leaves the earth and, as it flies higher and higher, starts to see the bigger picture, compared to when it was on the ground, or on the branch of a tree. Seeing the whole picture, it has a completely different perspective. It is only then that it can truly see where to go and what to do. When we get absorbed in a situation or relationship, we lose perspective, we are like the ant, we get too involved in the details, missing the obvious, and cannot imagine, or think of other possibilities.

Message for the day

To have inner strength in all circumstances is to ensure progress. 

Expression: To have inner strength is to be so powerful within that there is a capacity to mould myself in all the variety that life brings. The more I know how to pave my way forward and also have the power to do it, I ensure progress. Like a blade of grass I need to be rooted yet knowhow to mould myself according to the wind. 

Experience: Today I will make the effort to find a way to deal with someone or something that I haven't been able to. I will find something in me that I can use to deal with what is difficult outside. There is surely something in me; I just need to find it. Even if I can't find something, let me at least take the thought that I have the power within me to do it. And as I keep practicing I will surely get success. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris