Daily Positive Thoughts: November 12, 2014: Take Time to Laugh

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 12, 2014: Take Time to Laugh
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***President Barak Obama with President Bill Clinton sharing lighter moments***

★ Take Time to Laugh
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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.

★ Free from Weaknesses
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The normal reaction to negative situations (situations that hold a
threat for me) is to react with negativity (with my weakness). But the
problem with such a reaction is that each time I use my weakness it
only gets further strengthened, and becomes a part of my nature. I need
to remind myself that only when I free myself from my weaknesses can I
bring benefit to myself or to others. This thought will enable me to
constantly check myself and put in constant effort to change myself too
in overcoming my weaknesses.

★ Maintaining Positivity
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When we feel ourselves to be surrounded by violence, suffering and pain, we find it difficult to sustain hope. We need to understand the causes of that suffering, to go to the root that brings it into being, since only thus will we be able to keep the light of hope on. Understand that pain is a sign that indicates to us that something has to change. If your tooth didn't hurt you wouldn't go to the dentist nor would you realize that something in your tooth isn't working. In the same way, emotional and mental pain suggests to us that something is not right. Understanding the signs that suffering brings us helps us to accept the causes of the pain and to generate the power to transform or change it. Out of understanding, acceptance and being willing to change, we relieve the pain and keep hope alive.

In spite of all the international, national, local, family and personal conflicts that there may be, there are many positive things to be happy about. There are more and more people becoming aware of the importance of personal development, and of taking care of oneself on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level. There is a list of positive things and situations to be happy about. Be grateful for and discover the benefit that there is behind everything that happens. All of it helps you to strengthen hope in yourself, in others and in humanity.

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation -
The Power To Discriminate
Meditation gives me a discriminating eye - an ability to discriminate between truth and falsehood. It does this by helping me maintain a consciousness that helps me rise above competing claims to truth - the different ideologies and opinions, reasons and analyses, justifications and stories related to a situation - which can be so confusing.

The image of discrimination is the jeweler, who, with the help of his eyeglass, sorts out real diamonds from false. Meditation opens my third eye, the eye of pure consciousness. When I look at the world through this eye, truth is not just an intellectual idea, but an experience of the heart. When I think and act in ways that maintain and deepen this experience of truth, I know I am moving in the right direction. Conversely, I discover that thoughts and behaviours that cloud or hide the experience of truth are coming from falsehood, no matter how much I or others may try to justify them. So, meditation gives me a reliable basis for discriminating the value in different courses of action: will this help me recover my truth, or take me further into falsehood? Will it maintain the flow of love, peace and happiness in my heart, or will it cause a blockage? Previously, I may have been easily swayed by other people's demands and opinions, or by illusory ways of thinking arising from my own negativity. Like a good lawyer, the intellect is very clever at arguing its case, regardless of where the truth may lie. But, when truth is experienced in and from the heart, there is no arguing with it. Deeply experienced truth clears my mind of irrelevancies created due to possessiveness, greed, desires and ego. As I learn to create pure, positive thoughts, and connect with the divine, it is as though a flow of clear, fragrant water gradually displaces the mud and rubbish in my intellect, enabling me to see reality or truth again.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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True royalty lies in humility.

Projection: The one who is humble never reacts but responds in the right way to situations or challenges. Thus there is royalty visible in all words, actions and behaviour. So there is newness visible in the way of responding to situations.

Solution: When I am humble I am able to be beyond the influence of praise and defamation. This is because I am stable in the state of my self-respect. Also because of this I am able to bring about newness and I am able to be creative in responding to situations too.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••★••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 11, 2014: Life is a Work in Progress

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 11, 2014: Life is a Work in Progress
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***As Beiras (Portugal) a CORES !!!***

★ Life is a Work in Progress
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Life is not something that can be rushed.
Things take time, lots of patience and hard work.
It is a continual process of learning.

Build upon each lesson to constantly refine who you are, what you do and how you do it.

★ Count your Blessings!
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What a great blessing it is to have God as a friend, with a heart so
trusting you may safely bury all your secrets in it, who can relieve
your cares by His conversations, your doubts by His counsels, your
sadness by His good humor and whose very looks give you comfort.

★ Being A Good Transformation Agent (cont.)
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If you go inside yourself and observe, with sincerity, your feelings towards someone that you consider unbearable or intolerable, you will see that your perception(way of looking at them), your expectations and your bad feelings make you feel that the other is unbearable or intolerable. You have allowed the other to influence you in the creation of your bad feelings. You have lost compassion (kindness) and the capacity to accept and understand the other.

Being a good transformation (change) agent requires having full control over your inner world. If you are the victim of your rapidly moving mind, your bad feelings, your aggressive emotional states and of your not-very-healthy habits, you will easily feel yourself to be the victim of others, of circumstances, of time and of society. In relationships, the key is in living with your consciousness awake and not to do anything that your conscience does not agree with. In doing so, you don't have to fear the opinion of others. You don't have to feel insecure or doubt yourself. If not, we will continue to act against our own consciousness and we will feel ourselves to be victims. To avoid pain or the unhappiness that arises automatically when we act against our own consciousness, we look for guilt excuses: "Because of... I haven't acted as I should." We blame or we make excuses. That way we suppress the voice of our consciousness until the suffering and unhappiness is such that our conscience scolds us, which increases our unhappiness even more. A good transformation agent will always obey the voice of the inner conscience. By remaining in tune with our conscience and creating right thoughts, words and actions, it becomes easier for us to move from victim consciousness to transformer consciousness (one who brings about change).

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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The Search for Peace, Love and Happiness

We are constantly searching for true values. In consciousness we mistakenly think that the physical world and physical relations can provide us peace, love and happiness. However peace, love and happiness are not the properties of matter, nor of the physical identity, but the true properties or characteristics of the soul. This has to be realized.

Imagine a scene in which you are surrounded by all your favourite things; food, music, fragrance, scenery and companions. Just about to enjoy your meal, the telephone rings and you are told that a person close to you has just died. Instantly, that scene of "favourites" melts into a distasteful and superficial experience. Something has happened that shakes the soul and it can no longer enjoy those things. At the same time it finds itself powerless in the face of the bad news as understanding and power are missing. Life is full of experiences such as this and it becomes clear that physical things are not the sources of peace, love and happiness, but that understanding and inner strength are.

One of the basic facts of human psychology is that we do not seek or desire something that has not been experienced previously. For example, if one has never tasted a mango, there cannot be a burning desire to have a mango. This suggests that desires might be arising from previous life experiences. In fact, it is impossible for a human being to act or desire outside the field of his or her own experience. The search for peace, love and happiness is so fundamental to the human spirit because these are the original and true qualities of the soul itself.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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Accuracy brings perfection and speciality in all that is done.

Projection: To be accurate means to take up full responsibility for every task and do it to the best of one's ability. That means all resources that one has are used in the best possible way for the best result of the task. This naturally brings perfection in everything that is done.

Solution: When I am accurate in everything I do I am able to be free from carelessness and negligence. I find myself bringing specialty and uniqueness in what I do. For having done things with accuracy, I also find myself becoming trust-worthy and I am also able to be satisfied with myself.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★*~••~*★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 10, 2014: Thoughts, Words and Deeds

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 10, 2014: Thoughts, Words and Deeds
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★ Thoughts, Words and Deeds
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Kindness in words creates confidence.
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
Kindness in giving creates love.

★ True Contentment
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Many times I find that my words, actions or behavior tend to upset
others in spite of my not wanting to hurt them. I seem to be very happy
with the situation, but others don't seem to be. At that time I am not
really able to understand the reason for this and I consider the others
to be unreasonable. I need to check myself when others are getting
upset with me. I need to make effort to check and change myself
constantly so that I am able to move along with the demands of time.
This is what will bring about true contentment - such contentment that
neither will I be upset nor will I upset others.

★ Being A Good Transformation Agent
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Often, we feel ourselves to be victims of different factors that seem to direct the course of our life without us being able to control them. The world does not seem to dance to our music and our will, and we feel ourselves to be victims because things do not work out or are not as we want. Therefore, we give up and decide to resign ourselves to this reality; to be victims of it and observe passively (non-actively), resisting what comes, getting frustrated and bad-tempered. However, we could position ourselves in another way: beingtransformation (change) agents (the ones who are able to change the external factors like people or situations) by creating a different reality. To do so we have to change our perception. Also, it is necessary to strengthen our capacity to tolerate, accept, let go and forget. Tolerance here also refers to understanding, love and compassion(kindness). Not to put up with people or things, but to remain above them, to go beyond them; to co-operate with trust and motivation. It is difficult for us to tolerate because we have expectations and pre-conceived ideas of how others should act and be. Then we create negative feelings towards them because they are not like that or don't act in the manner that we want. This makes our relationship with them difficult.

When your vision towards others is positive, you see their qualities, their efforts and their values instead of their defects and their errors. You are open to listening to them and to understanding their intentions. That way it is easier to have good feelings towards them. Basing ourselves on a positive and objective vision and on good feelings, we do not have to put up with, or even tolerate the other - the relationship becomes streamlined.
(To be continued tomorrow...)

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Understanding The True Self And The False Self (cont.)

The illusory (false) self is made up of desires that, even when fulfilled, fail to add value, or a sense of worth to the self. In fact, quite the opposite process happens.

Let us examine some of these illusions and how they give us a mistaken sense of value.

Illusion (False emotion): Ego
Thought: I know, I am
Result: Arrogance, inflexibility, controlling others

Illusion (False emotion): Anger
Thought: I expect
Result: Force, aggression

Illusion (False emotion): Attachment
Thought: I own, It's mine
Result: Insecurity, possessiveness, jealousy

Illusion (False emotion): Greed
Thought: I want, I need
Result: Emptiness, wanting, dissatisfaction

Illusion (False emotion): Lust
Thought: I desire
Result: Exploitation, misuse, emotional dependence

These are the five fires that burn away the quality of human life: uncontrolled emotions that once, in their original pure state, gave happiness and peace to the individual but now create only emptiness and sorrow.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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To have the awareness of being God's instrument is to bring about a positive change.

Projection: When there is the awareness of being an instrument of God, there would be the desire to do the best and be the best. So each and every thing I do would be for the improvement for the self. Due to this there would be divinity and specialty seen in everything that is done. This would also bring the awareness of all the resources and they would also be used in a worthwhile way.

Solution: When I am aware of my own role and what I contribute through my specialties, I recognize the fact that I am a beautiful instrument of God. This awareness naturally helps me be in my state of self-respect under all circumstances. I find myself giving my best and making myself more and more beautiful within. So I find that I am able to bring about a positive change with great ease.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 09, 2014: Letting Go of Mistakes

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 09, 2014: Letting Go of Mistakes
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★ Letting Go of Mistakes
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When you make a mistake, learn from it, resolve not to repeat it and then let it go.

Do the same with others. Instead of making their mistakes bigger, dissolve them in your mind. This will help the other person to let go of their mistakes.

★ Strength of Character
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Observe how easily the day would pass if you were able to move freely
without being affected by the negative attitude of others. Imagine how
much you can accomplish if you were able to remain constantly in a calm
and peaceful state rather than fluctuating up one minute then down the
next. Every time you lose happiness and go down, just see how much
energy is needed to take yourself up again. If you learn to remain
constant, not only is energy saved but you will find that your mental
strength increases and of course with mental strength and stability
come the development and maturity of character. Strength of character
depends upon my ability to remain unaffected by adverse circumstances.

★ Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation -
The Power To Tolerate (cont.)
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Real tolerance is a state in which, firstly, I have to go inside and check how I can contribute positively to a difficult situation. If the difficult situation requires me to mould my own behavior, I have to be open about that and respond accordingly.

Secondly, real tolerance requires understanding and humility in the self and sympathy towards others: realizing that at the deepest level, everyone's original qualities are love, peace and happiness and everyone wishes to experience these qualities and live with them and that when we behave badly towards one another, it's because we are suffering from a loss of these qualities, a loss which is temporary. That doesn't mean I have to invite another person to continue to insult me, or deliberately expose myself to negative situations. But if I happen to be in a situation where there is continuous insult or assault, understanding will contribute to my power to tolerate and accept it or walk away from it in peace.

Thirdly, real tolerance is that state of contentment, which comes only through the relationship with the Supreme, in which there is no impact from the assaults, other than to cause a response inside me of wanting to give, like the fruit tree (explained earlier). Forgiveness is the healing balm for an intolerant nature. When we move very far away from God, our tolerance level reduces. The nature we express becomes that of wanting, taking, needing, rather than our original nature, which is of giving and forgiving.

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Understanding the True Self and the False Self

Meditation is an attempt to find the true self. It is this self which holds the identity of what I am, an identity which, when realized, gives fulfillmentand direction to our life. This is what we call the consciousness of I am, which emerges in meditation when there is concentration on the present and we focus on the now of I am, rather than the past, or the future (I was, or I will be).

To remind us of this state, we use the word ‘Om’, which means I am a soul, the spiritual identity that acts as a key to human consciousness. As we find and realize the true self through meditation, we become aware of the false self and how deeply embedded it is in our lives, both in our way of thinking and being.

When we understand this illusory (false) self then we can begin the process of dissolving its negative effects on the original or true self.

In tomorrow’s message, we shall examine the various forms of the illusory or false self and its negative effects on us.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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The method to bring about a permanent change is to bring about newness in thinking.

Projection: To bring about a permanent change for the better means getting the mind trained to new ways of looking at the same situation. Only with this new understanding will there be a new response. Trying to bring about change in a superficial way will not bring about a long-lasting change.

Solution: When I train my mind to think creatively I'm able to keep my mind busy. In this way I'm able to free it from thinking negative and waste. Also I find myself enjoying every scene that comes in front of me and I also find myself constantly progressing.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★*~••~*★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 08, 2014: The Secret to Being Content

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 08, 2014: The Secret to Being Content
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★ The Secret to Being Content
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To be peaceful is to be free from expectations and to want nothing from anyone. Take the initiative and be generous. Lead the way and do something. This is the secret to being content in all circumstances.

★ Attachment
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In life we get attracted and become attached to a particular object,
person, relationship or situation. Attachment seems to be the normal
state of our living experience. We seek it without a second thought. Is
attachment a desirable state? When a person develops a strong
attachment, he is likely to become sorrowful when the attachment is
broken or diminished. His emotional and mental state suffers. The
broken hearted, the vindictive behavior, the hatred, the jealousy and
sometimes suicides are the result of broken attachments. It is a risky
business to make the happiness of others our total happiness; to
experience the difficulties of others as our difficulties. We should
not build our life to such an extent around someone else's life or any
object so that when anything goes wrong we cannot function or we fall
apart. It is healthier, stronger and much more in wisdom to love
everything and everybody, play our roles and perform our duties to the
maximum with everybody and still remain detached. We will be able to
provide more help to others when we ourselves are strong from within.

★ Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation-
The Power To Tolerate (cont.)
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For most people today, if someone insults them, they'll immediately become angry or upset in return, so the situation not only remains unresolved but infact becomes more complicated. Those who are virtuous may be able to remain content and smile for a while, responding with patience, but repeated insults and repeated efforts by the other person to bring them down will tire them until the point come where their tolerance levels are crossed and they will react.

If, however, through my power of spirituality and meditation, I am receiving immense amount of strength from the Supreme Being, my heart will remain open and I won't count how many times the other person has harmed or insulted me. This may sound extremely difficult and may look like an impossible thing to do. Meditation, however, makes the impossible possible. Meditation gives me an experience of a very deep, personal relationship with the Supreme and helps me keep the Supreme as my constant companion, which gives me such power. It's immensely useful for anyone then to move towards that goal.

True tolerance is made possible by openness and acceptance. It doesn't mean clenching my teeth and carrying on, come what may. Suppression of my feelings can cause me internal, physical as well as emotional damage, and end in an outburst which can damage others too.
(To be continued tomorrow ...)

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Where Do Our Thoughts Arise From?
A large percentage of your thoughts are determined by what you perceive through your senses. Everything you see, listen to, smell or feel causes some reaction or other in your mind. See how your senses are connected to your mind. Any negative thing that they pick up or produce will disturb the mechanisms of your mind. If you want to have spiritual peace, then use your eyes, ears and mouth with caution. Other thoughts arise from the impressions that have been recorded in your subconscious (identity, personality and/or character), and they may be positive or negative. The negative ones are often due to deep marks and/or habits caused by past events or experiences, and also everything that is deeply established and settled in your inner self (belief system).

The sight and hearing senses are those used most in human beings, with as much as 80 per cent of the information we receive being processed through these two senses. We should always be on the alert to ensure that nothing negative enters these two doors that might contaminate our mind. We need a guardian to ensure that does not happen. This guardian is our intellect, the part of our conscience that contains the wisdom (knowledge) and capacity to discriminate between right and wrong, beneficial and harmful, truth and falsehood. Observing the mind, we can be aware of the thought patterns that originate in our subconscious. It is important to understand that you are separate from yourthoughts. You are not your thoughts, but your thoughts are created by you. With regular practice of meditation you will be able to choose at any time which thoughts you are going to focus your attention on and which ones you wish to disregard.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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The method to finish waste thoughts is to deal with the mind with love.

Projection: When there are waste thoughts in the mind which one tries to stop, it becomes difficult to do that. There is discomfort and difficulty experienced. On the other hand, when the mind is taught to take the right direction with love, there is a quick and dramatic change.

Solution: When I learn the art of speaking to my mind with love, I am able to free myself from waste thoughts without any feelings of suppression. Concentration too becomes easy and all thoughts are directed towards the right direction.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 07, 2014: Self-Confidence

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 07, 2014: Self-Confidence
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***Nik Wallenda broke two world records on November 2, 2014, with two high-wire walks between Chicago skyscrapers without a net or harness, doing the second walk blindfolded. As he approached the end of the first walk he said, “God is in control.”*

★ Self-Confidence
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Self-confidence is to know your way around yourself so instinctively, that you always have a strength to draw on. Somewhere inside, from the stillness, you always find something that can meet your need. Self-confidence runs much deeper than nerves.

★ A Thinker
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Who are you that lives in the body? You are a thinker, and what you
think creates the atmosphere in the 'temple', and the atmosphere
determines how much love there is in your life. A poor thinker in a
smart machine attracts friendship with a motive; a rich thinker in a
temple attracts love. And the love that you attract today is the
foundation of your future, so though it is earned slowly, its depth is
worth it.

★ Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation -
The Power To Tolerate
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Visualize a tree with lots of fruits hanging from its branches. When I throw a stone at it, what does it do? It bends its branches low and offers its sweet fruit to me. I enjoy eating the fruit, which gives me inner satisfaction. What happens as a result? My respect for the tree increases.

This is a beautiful image of the power of tolerance and I have lots to learn from it. It shows me that if I want to imbibe the characteristics of the tree, I must become full of the fruits of the spiritual attainments from the Supreme Soul. When I am filled internally with fruits like joy, love, wisdom, beauty and peace through spiritual knowledge and meditation; even when the stones of difficult circumstances come my way I'll still be able to respond positively and creatively, with courage and humility. If I'm empty, the stones will injure me, and I'll react with anger or fear or ego or some other negative emotion.

Also, although many stones have injured me in the past, I must remove any hurt in my heart, which may have developed as a result of injuries experienced from them, when I did not have the Supreme Soul with me. These will prevent me from sharing the unlimited fruit made possible by the company of the Supreme.

Real tolerance means tolerating with pleasure and not with stress. It does not just mean putting up with a difficult situation, and at the same time counting how many times I have had to tolerate it. Tolerance means that no matter what stones come my way, I realize completely that those throwing them are souls not full of attainments, and so my duty is to continue to share my internal attainments with them.
(To be continued tomorrow ...)

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Meditation – A Process Of Renewal (Recharging)

Meditation is an internal process of renewal (recharging) and liberation. When you control the process of moving through the following states of consciousness:
choose a response, detach yourself and go beyond;

You get back the spiritual power, which was trapped or hidden. You learn to channel your energy in order to unblock yourself. You control better what you think and you think better. You free yourself of bad feelings, bad energies and bad influences.

On the one hand, you have to learn to generate positivism; on the other, you have to learn to protect yourself from energies that are unhealthy, sick, weakening, on an emotional level. Meditation helps to do this, to digest situations when they have to be digested and not to consume what they offer when it is not necessary. On a physical level, if you know that something will make you ill, you don't eat or consume it. On the level of relationships, you learn not to allow certain situations, scenes or words to influence you. That way you stay   (recharged) and your energy flows without blockages.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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Self-respect brings constant learning and an experience of success.

Projection: Where there is self-respect, there is naturally a positive and elevated state of mind. There is openness and enthusiasm to bring about progress in one's life. Everything that is done is towards this end. So, the one with self-respect naturally reveals one's speciality in all thoughts, words and actions.

Solution: When I am able to maintain my own state of self-respect, I am able to enjoy the beauty that life brings. I'm able to understand, accept and make use of all situations in the right way. So, whatever the situation may be, for me there is a constant experience of progress.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••°••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 06, 2014: A Real Diamond

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 06, 2014: A Real Diamond
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★ A Real Diamond
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To spread the sparkle of your pure and elevated vibrations into the world is to be a real diamond.

★ A Temple
---------------
You live in a body and that has to be known, not physiologically, as a
machine, but spiritually, as a temple. When you know it
physiologically, you cure it with chemicals; when you know it
spiritually you cure it with thought. And when its health is based on
thought, it becomes a thought, it becomes a source of health to others
- a refuge. When its health is based on medicine, it becomes an
attraction to others and so a trap.

★ The Gender Of God
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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, givingand 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.

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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The Eternal World Cycle

This world is a vast amphitheatre of action in which souls, in their respective bodies, play their various parts. Planet Earth exists in an extremely tiny portion of the physical universe and is governed by well-defined physical, chemical and biological laws.

In India, the world, which we inhabit, is called karma kshetra (the field of action), because it is here that we sow the seeds of actions and reap their fruits. It is here that the soul takes on flesh and bones and expresses the role that it has hidden within itself, causing variations in the material environment. The state of the material world at any given moment is a direct reflection of the state of consciousness of the human beings, which inhabit it. If there is peace and harmony within the soul this is reflected in nature. If there is conflict and confusion, nature responds accordingly.

It is a world of three dimensions of space and one of time. Its principal characteristics are sound, movement, colour and form. On this immense stage of deserts, forests, mountains and seas; illuminated by the sun, moon and stars; the world drama is enacted. In the drama, the actor-souls move from pleasure to pain, purity to impurity, happiness to sorrow, new to old, positive to negative. A point is finally reached when the process is renewed i.e. all souls and the elements of matter are purified by the Supreme Soul and they move back to their points of origin, only to start again. This is called the eternal world cycle.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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The power of determination brings all thoughts into practice.

Projection: There are a lot of thoughts that come into the mind that should come into practice immediately. These thoughts come according to the demands of time or according to the kind of people that one comes into contact with. But the only way to bring all these thoughts into practice is to use the power of determination. Where there is determination there is the commitment to use all the resources for the realisation of that thought.

Solution: When I am able to use the power of determination, I am able to realise my inner potential and use it in the right way. So I am able to experience constant progress, because all my thoughts are for my own self progress and all these thoughts naturally come into practice. I never give up anything with temporary setbacks but am able to do everything for the constant progress of the self.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 05, 2014: Look for the Silver Lining

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 05, 2014: Look for the Silver Lining
★***************★~••★••~★***************★
*** Kailua-Kona, Hawaii ***

★ Look for the Silver Lining
---------------------------------
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?"

★ Love
---------
Live in such a way that love informs every action! When we have learned
to live like this, nothing will disturb us. Our contentment and good
feelings towards others remain constant. We become free. The power to
live like this comes from inside, not from outside. That is why we stay
free, with no expectations from others, no frustrations. To live like
this requires us the let go of certain beliefs and habits that drain us
from this strength and interfere with our ability to love. Sometimes
they become so deep-seated in us, that we are not aware of its
presence.

★ The Car-Driver Comparison To Aid Self Realization (cont.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
If a good driver, while driving a car is distracted by the negative and disturbing scenes which he comes across and his attention is pulled in many different directions, he will make his journey unsafe increasing the probability of meeting with accidents. When the same principles are applied to the soul and the body, I also need to take care that, while traveling on the road of life, I am not distracted by scenes that are not useful to me e.g. when looking out through my eyes and I don't have to take in all the images, scenes and information along the way, otherwise I may meet with an accident. When listening through my ears, I don't have to take in all the words and everything that people say, otherwise I may meet with an accident. I can choose to take in what is useful for me, but I do not have to register distracting, negative and harmful images and words. Just like a driver, I see and understand situations, too I keep my eyes and ears open - it would be unsafe to ignore them completely, I need to be aware of them - but I look only for the positive in them, so that I remain focused and am not deflected from my goal of experiencing inner contentment and bliss, while making the journey.

I, as the driver in charge of this vehicle, the body, also need to take care that I do not drive rashly i.e. I learn to monitor the feelings and attitude that are transmitted outwards through my eyes, my words and my complete body language. Driving rashly i.e. transmitting negative energy in this way could harm any co-traveler on the road of life. When these feelings stay positive, filled with sweetness, purity and respect, that too helps to ensure that my journey passes smoothly and enjoyably. When I stay alert and aware in a driver conscious and drive carefully as explained in this and yesterday's message, my actions bring me closer to my spiritual truth and I am able to share my positivity with others around me. When I lose awareness for even a moment, there's danger either from me to others or vice versa.

---------------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
---------------------------------
The Circle of Influence and Worry

Make a list of the things that worry you most and decide if they are in your circle of influence or worry. Think about what you can really do to have an influence on each of them in an effective way. By determining which of these two circles is the centre around which most of your time and energy revolves, you can discover a great deal about your level of positivity. Positive people focus on the things they can do something about. If necessary, they change their attitude. They are aware that perhaps they cannot change the circumstances but they can improve their inner attitude. This is what positive focusing is all about: being creative, thinking differently, being open to listening, being more understanding, more communicative and showing more solidarity.

Reactive people focus on the problems of the circle and on the circumstances about which they have no control. They react to the defects found in other people. From this worrying, accusations, destructive criticism, feelings of blame, a reactive language and feelings of weakness and frustration can arise. They want others or the circumstances to change first and when that happens, then they will change. Whenever they think that the problem is on the outside, this thought is the problem. The negative energy produced as a result of this approach, combined with the lack of attention to the areas in which they could do something to improve the situation, means that the area of influence decreases in size. They give power to what is external so that it dominates them. In other words they think that change must come from "outside towards the inside"; they think that something that is outside must change before they themselves change.

---------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
---------------------------------

Love creates the right environment for others' positive growth.

Projection: Where there is love, a natural environment for others' growth is created. Love gives the ability to perceive the positivity in others and gives the encouragement to others to bring about that positivity and use it for the benefit of the self and others.

Solution: When I have love for others, along with perceiving their specialties, I am also able to recognize and use my specialties and inner powers more and more. Knowing and using these specialties is naturally for the benefit of those around me. This gives me an inner experience of power which makes me a constant giver and a support for those around me.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 02, 2014: Freedom

Daily Positive Thoughts: November 02, 2014: Freedom
★****************★~:•★•:~★**************★
★ Freedom
----------------
Freedom is a state of mind. Understanding the self is the key to freedom. The more one understands the self, the easier it is to be liberated from the chains of waste and negativity. Freedom is to be uninfluenced and unaffected, to be at peace with the self. Real freedom is to experience the true essence of one's being.

★ Disappointment
------------------------
A disappointment is never easy to surpass. I work hard towards a goal
giving it all I have and still end up empty-handed. 'Where did I go
wrong, what's the use of being diligent and conscientious? May be
everything depends on luck, God didn't help me...' A vision that
was initially strong and focused takes a sharp detour into the by-lanes
of disheartened thinking. On the other hand, by looking at the
situation with a calm, detached attitude, I can locate the faults or
leakages. Even if my attempts were faultless, to refuse to learn from a
set-back is a sign of ego. God helps me back on my feet when He sees
that I haven't closed the doors of my mind to new experiences.

★ Experiencing And Maintaining A State Of Contentment
----------------------------------------------------
To reach, experience and maintain a state of contentment or fulfillment you have to first realize what true freedom is and then learn how to use it so that it strengthens you and also helps you to achieve the full potential of your individual self. Freedom is the key to contentment. You also need to check what brings you close to the state of fulfillment and what takes you away from it. Fears of different kinds are one of the main obstacles in experiencing contentment. Any weakness, inability to apply any virtue or spiritual power required in any situation, lack of focus, inner instability, etc. will cause a leakage of the energy of positivity that is required to feel content. Free yourself of any personality trait that hinders your progress and does not allow your inner being to manifest itself and express itself with all its potential. To live in contentment, you should be in charge of your inner mental and emotional world. If not, you will only be able to experience temporary periods of fulfillment.

To achieve fulfillment you not only have to have inner control, but you also need to check whether there is any door open to allow any weakness to enter the room of your personality. Because if you strengthen yourself on the one hand and on the other you are weakened, you will never reach the desired state of inner power. E.g. you keep a bucket of water under a tap of water. If it has even a single crack, however much water you pour into the bucket, it will never get filled completely. In the same way, this can happen to you. Because of this, you need to check, which cracks are present in your personality through which there are leaks of energy, because of which your efforts to become content do not give you the results you hope for.

------------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
------------------------------
Churning Spiritual Knowledge

Churning spiritual knowledge or thinking deeply about it makes us a complete authority of that knowledge. What are some practical ways of implementing churning in our lives?

Take 15 minutes out of your daily routine every day to think deeply on any topic related to spiritual self progress (like e.g. each day’s Soul Sustenance message or something else). You do not need to disconnect yourself from action to do this. You could do this while taking a walk, while driving to office, while cooking food, etc. By churning this way in isolation, the mind is able to concentrate immediately. Secondly if you read some spiritual knowledge and afterwards write down the essence (summary) of it for 5-10 minutes as it has influenced the mind, then you will find that essence will remain with you and deepen during the day.

The benefits of churning spiritual knowledge are as follows:

1. Churning makes the soul feel powerful: it makes you aware of your powers and increases your self-respect. Any inferiority complex ends and one experiences oneself as a great and powerful soul. Self-confidence awakens as weak thoughts diminish: * I won't be able to do this. Will I succeed or not? Strong thoughts emerge instead: * The Supreme Being himself is with me. I will definitely be successful. Such confidence and bravery is experienced which strengthens the soul to undertake any impossible task.
2. Natural and unruffled peace in my outlook: Churning takes us to the depths of the ocean of knowledge. The depth of knowledge finishes all our attractions. In the depths there are no storms, but only the peace and bliss of unlimited treasures.
(To be continued tomorrow …)

--------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
--------------------------------
The virtues of honesty and courage bring success.

Projection: The one who is courageous is never deterred by challenges, but moves on towards success. Combined with courage, is the virtue of honesty which allows one to be consistent, sincere and true in the efforts put in. So success comes with proper effort and there is also humility visible in such a person.

Solution: When I am courageous, but at the same time honest in my efforts that I put in for achieving success, I'll never have ego. I will be able to get the cooperation and good will of all, and especially the protection and the help of God. I will find myself moving slowly towards success with everything I do.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 31, 2014: Thought Diet

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 31, 2014: Thought Diet
★***************★*~•★•~*★***************★
★ Thought Diet
-------------------
Why not make your mind healthier and go on a thought diet!

Cut down on all those unhealthy negative and wasteful thoughts that offer no nutritional value. Start feeding your mind with positive healthy thoughts.

Here's our suggestion for a balanced diet for the mind:
For vitamins, have creative ideas.
For proteins, think powerful thoughts about yourself.
For carbohydrates, have good feelings for others.

★ Silence
-----------
Am I comfortable with silence? Or does the mind get fidgety when I am
physically silent and bring up questions and uncertainties related to
my life and relationships? Silence to some is boring and unproductive
but that depends on my thoughts. I have two magical tools in hand: the
mind and intellect. When I teach both to work in synchrony, I create
for myself unforgettable experiences of empowerment, love, wisdom,
compassion, forgiveness, far-sightedness... In silence, I can detach
from my body, task and relationships and see which next step would be
beneficial for myself and others. The more I discipline the mind with
love, it will become my closest friend.

★ The Interplay Between Souls, Matter And The Supreme Soul
------------------------------------------------------
The forces which interact to produce the phenomena of world history and geography: souls, matter and the Supreme Soul (God), are threaded by the law of karma. When there is mental communion (connection) with the Supreme, the soul's relationship with matter changes. This means that the internal love-link that the soul has with the Supreme is reflected in the performance of the soul in the material world and in the degree to which the soul has mastery over matter; firstly over the sense organs of the body and through that, over the colors, shapes and sounds of the material world.

We have continually sought to understand which way to act, but have lost our sense of direction for various reasons:

* We forgot that we were soul-actors.
* We became lost on the world stage.
* We became over-identified with our costumes the physical body.
* We lost sight of the story of the drama.
* We forgot that we were residents of the soul world.
* Due to body-consciousness the soul severed (broke) its subtle connection with the Supreme Soul.

------------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
------------------------------
Creating Positive Habits

To overcome a negative habit, we have to ensure that the intellect is strong and stable enough to lead the mind with knowledge and comprehension. In this way, transformation is more deep and lasting, creates satisfaction and fullness, and greatly improves our self-esteem. Our mind, which is under the influence of an old program, must be left in no doubt that "I", the original personality, no longer wants to go down that old road. We must have the strong determination to create a new thought pattern; this will also be recorded on our memory bank. This new register will help us to avoid taking up the old habits the next time something similar happens. For a period of time the two thought patterns, the old and the new, will exist alongside each other. To achieve a long-lasting transformation, we should not suppress our mind and immediately eliminate all the habits or tendencies to which the mind has become accustomed to. If we do this, the mind will begin to cry and make a fuss, and finally, the moment we lower our guard and stop paying attention, the old habits will emerge again and drag our mind towards automatic thoughts and actions so that, almost without us realising, we are once again immersed in our old way of thinking and doing.

We have an alternative: creating thoughts of a greater quality that emerge from a new conscience. In this way, thanks to these positive thoughts, full of love, harmony and creativity, the mind will start to cleanse itself, replacing the old habits and negative tendencies in a totally natural way. The positive thought that preceded the positive action is still conscious, but the more we repeat the positive action the less conscious we are of the thought that created it. The time comes when we don't know why we are doing whatever we are doing: it has become a positive habit.

--------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
--------------------------------
The one who is responsible is the one who is always light.

Projection: To be responsible means to do everything with the best of one's ability. It comes with the recognition and the understanding of the importance of the task. No action is wasted, but everything meaningfully connects to the fulfillment of the task. So there are not even ordinary actions, but only those that are meaningful.

Solution: When I take up every task that I need to do with full responsibility, I am able to give my best. Then I will be able to be light having done my task well and in time. There is never the pressure of work, but there is plenty of time for the self and for others. I also find my inner resources being used to the fullest extent.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 28, 2014: Courage

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 28, 2014: Courage
★***************★**★**★***************★
★ Courage
------------
One of the highest forms of courage is the ability to face my own negativity without feeling guilty or bad about myself, and then take responsibility for changing it. To begin this process, I first make contact with my deepest spiritual core. Reflecting on the things I care about mostly gives me a glimpse of my innate goodness. Building on this, God will, if I let Him, gently reveal in me a caring and compassionate nature that can even be described as divine. The courage to let go of unwanted thoughts and feelings will develop when I accept that my higher, divine self is not separate from me, but lies at the very heart of who I am.

★ Acceptance
---------------
Accepting life as it is a multi-faceted concept. While it's good to
accept circumstances and people as they are, it would be unwise to act
out of blind faith or dejection: Either we say things will happen if
God or destiny wills it, or that things are never going to improve so
why bother... Both perceptions spread a negative vibration. Acceptance
means I don't confront a situation or person simply because things
aren't to my liking, as this drains me of energy I could use to
reform the problem. With a clear mind, heart open to the unexpected,
and willingness to make a difference, I link myself to God and take His
energy to be successful in my goals.

★ The Three Root Causes Of Anger
------------------------------------
Any time we sense irritation, frustration or anger emerging inside our consciousness, if we take a close look at it, we will notice we are fighting a war in our consciousness with one of these three: either with another person, most obviously or with the past or with our self.

We are at war with the past because our anger is always towards something that has already happened and looking at it we react emotionally which means we are trying to change it, which is impossible. Any scene that has taken place a year ago, a month ago or even a second ago cannot be changed. We may be completely convinced and we may believe we can. That's because we hold this belief subconsciously. Somewhere and sometime in the past, we have picked up and absorbed the belief that the world and its circumstances should shape up exactly as we want.

When our internal desire of a certain type of circumstances is not fulfilled, or in other words something against this belief happens, our instant reaction is one of the various forms of anger and we tend to try and change the incident that has happened in a far-off past or a past that has just gone by. We keep replaying a revised incident, with words and actions that we would have liked and that suit our convenience and we also keep nullifying the actual incident or remain in a un-acceptance mode towards it. This is like fighting a war with the incident. We tend to do this inside our minds, repeatedly, even realizing somewhere deep within, that it is impossible.
(To be continued tomorrow...)

--------------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
--------------------------------
Topics For Meditation Thought Commentaries

As you start your meditation practice, you need to have in mind some simple topics for your thought commentaries on which you base your meditation. Repeat them gently. Doing that will give you enough time to experience the feelings hidden inside them. Realization of thought commentaries will help your thoughts to develop and your thoughts will slowly expand as you now guide yourself in your meditation. Take up a few simple topics or phrases as the foundation for your meditation. Initially, listening to a guided meditation commentary on an audio cassette or CD, which is available at any Brahma Kumaris center will be extremely helpful. As you get an idea about what thought commentaries are all about, you can gradually start creating your own powerful, positive, thought commentaries. These will ultimately have more meaning for you because they have been created by you and you will easily be able to relate to them. You can continue to take the help of recorded commentaries, though, from time to time. Given below are a few topics for your thought commentaries, which you would find helpful and which you can explore.

• I am a subtle (non-physical) point of consciousness, which resides within this body (situated at the center of the forehead), I am the energy which brings this body to life every day. I am the energy which uses this body to see, to speak, to touch and to hear. I am the energy which experiences everything via the body. But I am not this body

• I am a soul, a being of light, situated at the center of the forehead, radiating pure light into my body, out towards others close to me and the world. As I turn within and remember who I am, I experience my own capacity to have pure love for all others. It is a generous (kind) love that neither wants nor needs anything in return.
(To be continued tomorrow…)

--------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
--------------------------------
God's love brings out the perfection from within.

Projection: The power of God's love brings about change internally. Through His love everything old and unwanted finishes. There is the natural tendency to bring about such perfection that the one who loves Him and gets His love becomes like a mirror - a mirror in which perfection of others too is visible.

Solution: There is such inner strength that I get because of God's love that even if somebody does something to hurt me, I don't allow myself to get hurt. Even if people are saying negative things, they don't influence or touch me in a negative way. I am so full with God's love that it naturally flows out to those around me.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★**★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 27, 2014: Sweetness

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 27, 2014: Sweetness
★***************★~••~★***************★
★ Sweetness
---------------
Sweetness is a virtue that searches with patience for the good in every person and situation.

★ Strong Foundation
------------------------
When my expectations for a task or another person are unfulfilled, I
sometimes attribute it to my weaknesses or unworthiness. I may accept
the disappointment and even forget the incident but sub-consciously
allow it to hamper my self-respect. Ambitions or relationships are not
appendages of my identity. They are vital in shaping my personality and
taking me ahead, however I need to be prudent in not permitting them to
distort how I see myself. Only my God knows me precisely for what I am
and what I will be. With this faith and confidence, let me see every
experience as a brick thrown towards me to build a strong foundation
for my future.

★ Being Impressed By Others
--------------------------------
To keep our self esteem intact, we need to make sure that we do not have an impressionable intellect. Being impressed by people, in itself, is not bad, but we can fall into the tendency of staying trapped in the superfluous (excessive and unnecessary) and in appearances. What impresses us influences us and even moulds our awareness at that moment. We lose the ability to create our thoughts and feelings and these are influenced by the impression that we have allowed the other person to leave on us. Sometimes the impression is such that we completely give ourselves to it. We give up our power to the other, and we allow them to dominate our emotional world. The results of allowing oneself to be impressed are varied and on different levels.

For example, when we are impressed by the other's position; it is fine to respect the authority and the position of the other, but when we allow their position to impress us, our ability to relate to the person in a smooth way is blocked. This can make it difficult for us to be the authority in our own life. Another example is when we are impressed by the achievements of the other and put them on a pedestal. We compare ourselves with him or her and have weak thoughts of ourselves, such as that we are not as good or effective as them, or we might feel jealousy or guilt. All of this acts as an obstacle on the path towards our own achievement. It is good to recognise and appreciate the achievements and skills of others, but when we allow them to impress us, in some way, we submit ourselves to their influence and we weaken our self-esteem and our respect towards ourselves. Without realizing, we use the other to fill a gap that we feel in ourselves. This will not always work. It will not strengthen us; rather it will create a dependency and dependencies weaken us.

--------------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
--------------------------------
The Negative Shade Of Respect In Relationships (cont.)

In yesterday's message, we had looked at the incorrect and negative side of respect (the energy of fear) in relationships. Today we look at this kind of relationship from that person's perspective from whom respect is demanded. When the boss or the parent or the spouse (please refer to yesterday's message) tries to induce respect inside you for him or her, in return you fear him or her, most of the time thinking it is respect. But, at that point, you need to remember it is impossible to give respect to another if we, at the back of our own minds, fear them. If you are scared of someone or something, it means there is an absence of self -respect, there is a lack of a true realization of your own value, your specialties, your skills and the virtues and powers that you possess. And if you do not respect yourself, you cannot truly respect another. It is only when you are firmly established in your own self-respect that you have no fear of others and are then capable of giving genuine respect to others. Sometimes we are not comfortable with being seen as fearful, because our image will take a beating, so we try to avoid admitting we fear someone by saying we respect them, but internally we are in awe of that person and being in awe is not respecting him or her.

Many a times, two prominent people e.g. two actors or politicians or sportsmen are not on good terms. They accuse and bring down each other publicly and are known enemies in the press. While they do that, they also carry a subtle fear of each other, a fear that the other will outperform them; the other will be more popular, the other will be more powerful etc. This normally happens because of a lack of self-respect. They both will probably hide that and will pretend that they are confident and established in their self-respect. But if their self-respect were genuine, they would not be scared of each other, and they would have the courage and the patience to talk and work with each other and listen to and offer the hand of friendship to each other, whom they perceive to be an enemy. But when they don't have the strength of their own self-respect and when they are unaware of their lack of self-respect, subtle fear for the other creeps in, which they don't realize and if they realize, they do not admit the same. And that's why the restoration of self-respect is only possible when the ego is recognized and no longer nourished. Because, fear always comes from the ego and ego is nothing but an excessive attachment to one's false image.

--------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
--------------------------------
To receive respect from others comes more with responsibility than as a right.

Projection: The one who gets respect is the one who becomes worthy of it rather than the one who just expects it. True respect comes from how well a task is done rather than what is done. The more one's speciality is expressed, the more one becomes worthy of respect.

Solution: When I go on giving my best in whatever is expected of me, I will start receiving respect from those around me. I will then never expect from others but will naturally be able to give respect to all. This further makes me earn their love and regard.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 26, 2014: How to Get Along with All

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 26, 2014: How to Get Along with All
★***************★**~**★***************★
★ How to Get Along with All
--------------------------------
To get along with everyone, learn to adapt.

Whilst maintaining your truth, develop flexibility and you'll find it easy to be friends with everyone

★ True Freedom
-------------------
Occasionally we forget how fortunate we are to have the freedom of
choice: liberty to express our desires, choose our friends, clothes,
religion, music, food, careers, partners..., while a significant part
of our world is oblivious to the same. But are the rest of us really
living a life of independence? Or does my mind suffocate at times with
unproductive thinking? Can I select golden thoughts of positivity,
inspiration, determination, love etc as I wish? True freedom and
self-respect cannot be bestowed externally by God, fate or any human
being. It begins with me liberating myself from unworthy thinking, thus
empowering my words, actions and character for an admirable life and
future.

★ 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 my self 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.

------------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
------------------------------
The Negative Shade Of Respect in Relationships

Many a times in offices, we find the dominating boss who wants everyone in the office to fear him or her. The boss may not necessarily be a person with a negative personality, but this desire exists inside the boss because he or she holds a negative belief that people fearing him is the same as respecting him and respect is something that any boss would naturally yearn for. This can happen in homes also, with a dominating father or a dominating mother doing the same with the other members of the family.

The main reason why this happens is because the boss or the father or the mother is normally lacking in self-respect, although he or she is unaware of it. Due to this, he or she, without realizing again, is looking for it from others and in fact over a period of time, as the need builds up or increases, he or she will start demanding the same from others, which takes a form of the negative energy of fear in the relationship. The boss or the father or the mother starts feeling that the sign that he or she is successful in achieving in getting the respect he or she wants, would be the other fearing him or her. Simply getting someone's attention or the other being in awe of him or her or the other being under his or her negative influence which are all subtle forms of fear is then mistaken for being respected, and if he or she does not receive respect in this incorrect manner, he or she will even try and bring about the creation of respect in the other and try and pull it from the other using various methods which are violent in a subtle way, harming the relationship in a big way.

In tomorrow's message, we shall look at this type of relationship from the other's i.e. the employee's perspective or the perspective of the other people in the family in the case of the father or mother.

--------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
--------------------------------
Greatness lies in revealing one's own speciality.

Projection: Greatness means recognising one's own speciality and being a donor with it. It also means being royal and great in what is given to the mind - that means giving the mind only the positive. When there is greatness in this way there is speciality and uniqueness seen in every act of mine.

Solution: When I am able to perceive my inner greatness, I am able to be content because there are no expectations, but there's only a feeling of being a giver. I find myself to be light and easy and enjoying each moment of my life, slowly moving towards perfection. I am also able to attain the blessings and good wishes from others.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 25, 2014: True Benevolence

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 25, 2014: True Benevolence
★***************★~•★•~★***************★
*** Mother Teresa (c. 1910–1997) ***
---------------------------------------
★ True Benevolence
----------------------
There is no greater teacher than one's own practical example. To be really benevolent therefore means that I must first change, then I have the power, the knowledge and the experience of thinking and doing for the ultimate benefit of all.

★ God’s Wonder
-------------------
The vast, abundant nature has an amazing ability to refresh our minds
and hearts, doesn't it? Quite often it reminds us to marvel at God
and His creation. But aren't we human beings God's greatest
creation? If the inanimate, idyllic nature is powerful enough to touch
our souls and make us lighter and more content, what can I not do? When
others look at me, are they reminded of God's beauty and qualities?
Let my personality be balanced and serene so that my presence comforts
souls and elevates their consciousness.

★ Effects Of Anger On The Human Body
----------------------------------------
In numerous studies, anger has been found to have a completely negative effect on our physical well-being. In one such study, reported at a recent conference on forgiveness and peace in the US, it was demonstrated that letting go of negative feelings that we have for someone due to his/her negative actions relieved and reduced chronic back pain.

It seems we have been conditioned to treat any tension-triggering event, be it a small accident or a conflict with a partner or colleague, as a big problem or crisis. At these moments our bodies generate and release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Our heart accelerates, our breath quickens and our mind races. It's all harmless if the tension or fright is brief and once in a while, like a near miss while driving, but the emotional disturbances of anger and hatred are like accidents that don't end, and hormones turn into toxins. The depressive effect of cortisol upon the immune system has been linked to serious diseases and disorders. According to a recent medical research, "Cortisol wears down the brain, leading to cell degeneration and memory loss. It also raises blood pressure and blood sugar, hardening the arteries, leading to heart disease."

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Understanding the Process of Birth And Death

The leaving of one body and the taking of another is nearly always confusing and soon the details of the old life are erased by the new. Just in one day we forget so much. After having slept for a while, after some injury or shock, or even after a change in place, company or circumstances, many things are forgotten.

Death of the body is a great shock to the soul, especially if there was great attachment to that body, and the new set of circumstances in the new body is bewildering (confusing). Because the body and brain are not developed, the soul cannot express its memory, so it laughs and cries when it cannot recognize anyone, or when it wishes to express itself. By the time the body is developed, the soul has forgotten its past birth and has become accustomed to the new conditions and the new parents. The prominent sanskaras developed in past lives soon begin to manifest (show) themselves with new details (in the new birth).

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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The method to finish a weakness is to be detached from it.

Projection: When there is some weakness working within that has to be overcome, it is very essential for one to get detached from it, that means not to identify with the weakness. If there is an identification with the weakness, it is further strengthened and there is the inability to get rid of it. Since it is there in the consciousness, it is visible in the words and actions too.

Solution: When I am free from the identification with the weakness, I am able to bring about a change very quickly. I find it very easy to stabilise myself in the awareness of my strength and allow that strength to be revealed in all my words and actions. There is no heaviness of the weakness nor is there the feeling of having to give up something, but transformation takes place very easily.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★~••~★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 24, 2014:Attention, No Tension

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 24, 2014:Attention, No Tension
★***************★~••~★***************★
★ Attention, No Tension
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To be tension free, pay attention. Pay attention to the little things in front of you, as well as thinking and planning ahead. If you neglect or postpone all the small things today, they'll create tension for you tomorrow. So, today pick two small tasks from your to-do list and see them through to completion. Pay attention to the details and do the tasks well.

★ Values
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Every human life has meaning because of the value that he is able to
add to everything that he does and every relationship of his. Values
are the natural power of good within each one of us. Values form the
basis of our relationships and growth. We enrich our own lives and the
lives of those around us when values come into play. Focusing on these
positive qualities/values helps us to transform old attitudes, to gain
fresh perspectives and find unexpected answers. They free our path from
obstacles and make clear life's opportunities.

★ The Power To Transform Emotions (cont.)
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Thoughts may be temporary. Feelings (either positive or negative), accompanying repeated thought-patterns, stay a bit longer inside us. But when a soul suffers a major setback, loss or failure in life that it is not able to deal with, it becomes emotionallydamaged and the results of that can be extreme.

Suppose I lose a loved one all of a sudden. If the feelings that come to me because of this loss can be taken care of at that time, through any means like the remembrance of God, meditation, developing a positive hobby to divert my mind, spending more time in the positive company of other family members, etc.; I will deal with the feelings and move on. If however, I am unable to deal with my feelings through any of the means mentioned, the experience of loss I feel is going to cause a lot of deep damage on the emotional level. Then it will not just be a feeling of loss, but it will actually have wounded the soul emotionally. Until that wound has healed, I'll carry it with me long after the loss has suffered. The emotions linked to it will come to the surface repeatedly, though I may have no idea where my sorrow is coming from. Due to the emotional wound, I'll be unable to stay happy, no matter how positive my circumstances may be today.

Meditation does not require me to go into the subconscious roots of my pain. Instead, through thought, meditation enables me to take conscious control of my feelings and emotions, so as to displace the negative, which brings sorrow; with positive, which brings happiness. It helps me experience pure, powerful emotions and loveful feelings to such an extent that the wounds left by past experiences are healed. Raja Yoga means 'royal union' - it means having a loveful relationship with God. The experience of God's love is a soothing balm for my emotions, and a remedy for the emotional pain the soul feels.

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Experiencing Freedom in Relationships

How much are you influenced by what others think of you and how they see you? The degree to which you act on the basis of what you think others want and expect of you, allows them to have power over your inner and outer world.

Important aspects are how you think others see you, how you want them to see you and how you see yourself. The person who is not conditioned by how others see them, and doesn't even think about how they would like to be seen, but who rather is comfortable with themselves, has a presence that generates comfort. Others feel fine around that person.

Let us learn to free ourselves from the conditionings that generate the thinking of how we want others to see us. Let us feel the freedom to let ourselves be how we want to be.

Try it and you will see that the results are amazing. That way, as you go along, you will take off the masks that you wear due to the fears of what others will say and think.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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The one with zeal and enthusiasm is constantly tireless.

Projection: Zeal and enthusiasm brings the willingness to move forward under all circumstances. Never are there are any excuses given, whatever the difficult situations or challenges that one might be faced with. Instead whatever has to be done is done without any tiredness. Also the best is made out of all situations.

Solution: When I am able to be enthusiastic under all circumstances, I am able to be tireless. This tirelessness gives me the courage to move on and experience constant success. I become aware of my own resources and make the best use of them. So I also experience internal progress, constantly.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★★★******★

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 23, 2014:Be a Lighthouse

★★ Happy Diwali ★★
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Daily Positive Thoughts: October 23, 2014:Be a Lighthouse
★***************★*~•★•~*★**************★
★ Be a Lighthouse
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A lighthouse stays in one place and spreads its light in all directions.

We too can be like a lighthouse. Light emanates from the core of our being.

We each can radiate and spread our inner light across the world.

★ Time
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We are well aware of the physical resources that we have and make use
of them too. But we become a little careless about the resource of
time. We normally believe that to use time well means to plan the day
well and work according to the plan, and we somehow manage to do that
to a great extent. Yet there is a large amount of time going waste too.
To use the resource of time well is to be aware of where we are
investing it. When we are investing time in creating only positive
thoughts, sweet or beneficial words and useful actions, we are able to
find a lot of time being saved. And we are sure to get the best out of
this investment too. We find ourselves getting good returns out of
everything that we do.

★ The Power To Transform Emotions
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As with feelings, when emotions are aroused, there are physical changes inside the body in the form of chemical and electrical activity. In fact, strong emotions don't just affect the body; they also have an impact on the soul. When the soul suffers emotional trauma, from which there is lasting impact, the emotional trauma brings about an immense strain on the brain and body. Brain chemical production is likely to be affected, and there may also be feelings of depression and tiredness. But the real trauma at the root of these physical effects is at a deeper level within the soul itself, and the resulting emotional sensitivity will also arise from the soul.

e.g. I suffer a series of losses or setbacks in my business that causes a lack of confidence and self-respect inside me. A sanskara of low self-esteem is created inside. As a result I become emotionally unstable and sensitive. I'll show a tendency to react emotionally with extreme sorrow (may be in the form of depression) or extreme anger (sometimes in the form of an outburst) whenever there is a similar setback that touches this sensitivity. A person who has not suffered similarly in the past and does not have a sanskara of low self esteem, and as a result does not have this tendency, will not react in a similar fashion under similar circumstances.
(To be continued tomorrow ...)

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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The Benefits of Togetherness over Isolation

Nowadays, there are more and more people who are choosing to live alone. Perhaps the reason for that are experiences in the past of pain, peacelessness, rejection, disappointment or failure when living together, in a relationship or even more than one relationship. As a result, the preference for living alone sets inside them. Perhaps, it is their alternative search for peace, happiness and success that leads them to make this decision. Also, the belief that if you live alone, you are free and you can do what you want, when you want and without having to explain yourself to anyone. But are we, as human beings, basically by nature, meant to live together or to live alone? Each human being has the need to belong and provide that feeling to others. You can belong to a family, a group of friends, a bunch of close school or college students, some office colleagues, a club, a community, a religious group etc. The mere presence of others; the participation, communication and collaboration with others; the assistance provided to others and received from them and the sharing of positive energy with others in a group; inspires and challenges us and others immensely. The same can happen, if we are staying alone, but to a limited extent. Greater inner spiritual empowerment takes place inside those who live and work together, not those who distance themselves from others. In a group, we broaden our limits and make our heart bigger when we do things for others that we wouldn't do for ourselves.

Each human being is a source of love for others. It is a basic human nature to love and be loved, which is not possible unless there is some kind of unity or mutual belonging. Distancing or isolating oneself implies an absence of love, neither given or shared, neither received.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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True courage brings benefit to the self as well as to others.

Projection: When there is fear, there is some kind of danger, either for the self or for others. The one who fears, or the one who doesn't have the courage to accept and face situations, is not able to bring out the best form within himself. Such a person is constantly thinking of excuses and is trying to blame others for the mistakes that happen.

Solution: With courage, if I am able to take up responsibility for every situation that I am faced with, I am able to be free from worry or tension. I will then be in a position to learn and so I find progress at every step in my life. I find others giving me a lot of good wishes for my sincerity. I also become an inspiration for all others too to bring about a positive change.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
★******★★**★★******★