Daily Positive Thoughts: October 01, 2014: Listening to Your Conscience

Daily Positive Thoughts: October 01, 2014: Listening to Your Conscience
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★ Listening to Your Conscience
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Our conscience is our in-built awareness of what's true and what the 'right' thing to do is. When we do the 'wrong thing,' and go against our conscience, our conscience will nudge us and remind us that we're our of alignment with out truth. At this point, we can listen to our conscience and re-orientate ourselves. There are times we may ignore it or just not hear it because it's drowned out by all that noise in our heads. Next time before you jump into action, just - shhh! - become quiet and listen to your conscience to discover what it's saying.

★ Respond
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It is easy to speak negatively when we do not like something about
someone. We first react to them in our mind and so tend to get angry.
Our words and behaviour would then naturally be negative and insulting
too. This further widens the gap and breaks the relationship. When
someone does something undesired, we first need to try and understand
his behaviour. Every person has a reason to behave the way he does. If
we can't understand at that time, we at least need to give it time.
The more we react to the other person and his behaviour, the greater
the distance that is created. So we need to begin the first step of
positivity by recognizing some positivity in him.

★ Resisting False Attractions In Actions
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All that glitters (shines) is not gold. Life presents you with many illusionary scenes, scenes in which what may be visible may not be the truth. These scenes cause desires to be born inside you to achieve something unnecessary for your prosperity or other types of fulfillments. These can be illusions that make you believe that you will gain something from a situation or person, without the same being true. Thus, you waste time going down a path that not only leads you to disappointment; but you also waste the resource of your thoughts and energy and as a result you tire yourself out emotionally and mentally.

If the intellect is polluted, you make incorrect judgments and are easily deceived by situations or people. Thus, you will make incorrect choices, dishonest or illogical decisions. You will justify dishonesty and improper actions and you will be incapable of differentiating between the real and the imaginary. A person with a pure, clear, clean and powerful intellect will act with honesty and sincerity. When your intellect is polluted, you may act against your own conscience or against your better judgment; you also may be insensitive. A person with a doubtful intellect will always justify a dishonest act. Meditation is the process of purifying and cleaning the intellect, because in meditation we connect with the purest intellect, the intellect of the Supreme Soul or God. Meditation is also a process of inner awakening and strengthening of your conscience. Being awake means to realize, and being strong means to act according to what you have realized.

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Mind, Intellect and Personality
Just as electrical energy produces heat, sound or light depending on the device through which it passes, similarly, the energy of consciousness functions through three different but closely connected entities, the mind, intellect and personality.

The Mind

With the power of the mind, one imagines, thinks and forms ideas. The non-physical mind should not be confused with the heart, the physical organ that maintains blood circulation.

The Intellect

The intellect understands, reasons, memorizes, discriminates and makes decisions. The non–physical intellect should not be confused with the physical brain, which is the physical focus of the nervous system.

The Personality

Habits and sanskaras are all embedded in the soul in the form of impressions as a result of every action performed. The most fundamental feature of every soul, its personality, is determined by such stored impressions.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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Honesty brings success in relationships.

Projection: Honesty means being the same inside out. Honesty with oneself helps one to bring about constant improvement in the self. Honesty with others enables one to relate positively under all circumstances. There is no rudeness but there is an openness that brings about love towards the other person.

Solution: When I am honest, I am able to experience progress in my own life and others are benefitted too with my own self-progress. I am able to maintain harmony in my relationship with others because I am open with them and I find myself successful in my relationships.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 30, 2014: Don't Worry, Be Happy

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 30, 2014: Don't Worry, Be Happy
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** Adam Cooper in Singin' in the Rain at the Palace Theatre **

★ Don't Worry, Be Happy
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When we worry, we make problems bigger than they really are. Don't worry. Be happy.

Did you know that singing improves your mood? So, sing, sing, sing your worries away.

Accept whatever you have no control over.

Prepare whatever you can. Keep the thought: at the right time, the right things will happen.

★ Performing A Spiritual Audit At The End Of The Day (cont.)
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Yesterday we had explained how self evaluation at the end of the day is extremely vital to one's progress and development. A useful exercise in this regard is keeping a daily chart for about 3 personality traits or points and filling it up every night (lesser than 3 is also fine, but not more , because then you might feel lazy in keeping the chart after a few days and also you might lose focus and the personality traits may not transform as much as you want). You could either evaluate yourself with a yes or no or perform a percentage wise evaluation like 50% or 90% for e.g. We have mentioned below, some of the common traits from which you could select the traits to keep a daily chart for. You could incorporate some other specific traits (not mentioned in this list), which you want to change or develop, depending on your personality:

In the entire day, today; not only in my words and actions, but also in my thoughts:
* Did I see everyone's specialties and keep good wishes for each one, in spite of obvious weaknesses being visible?
* Did I remain free from all forms of anger, like irritation, frustration, grudge, revenge, etc.?
* Did I ensure that I neither give nor take sorrow, hurt, pain from anyone?
* Did I remain free from waste and negative?
* Did I remain ego less?
* Did I remain untouched by name, fame, praise, insult?
* Did I remain stable?
* Did I remain free from judgments, criticism, jealousy, comparison, hatred, etc.?
* Did I keep a conscious of serving each one whom I met?
* Did I bring the 8 main powers into practice and experience being powerful?
* Did I remain in self-respect and give respect to everyone?
* Did I practice being soul-conscious in actions and interactions?
* Did I take a one minute break every hour to reflect, meditate and control the traffic of thoughts in the mind?

★ Yog
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The crux of communication is wastage. In writing, the search for
expression, the sensitivity to its reception, the pressure of time,
drains away the energy of thought at its conception. When it arrives,
it is diluted (or exaggerated); it may come late or the reader is busy.
"Might" is read as "won't", sorry for "can't", "love" for "much love".
In speech, instead of doing, doing is spoken of, and the gap between
the two takes action away until instead "love" means "leave me alone";
"thanks" means "hurry up"; silence means "I'm tired" or "busy". Moments
when speech meets action; and both spring out of a single thought into
clear expression are rare. There are gaps of darkness; semi-openness;
semi-honesty. Funny people convey truth in humour and serious people
seek out quality in their friendship.
A day will come when what you think, do and say, will all be equal
expressions of one force. And the force will be you. Not a mixture of
conscience and impulse, duty and desire. Just you. You will just live.
And what you are living will be part of the river that will run through
everyone. The landscape of your mind will be unique, but the water will
be the same and it will be clean.

What will words be then? Words will explain things that would take too
long to show, like how to climb a mountain. Words will represent
things. Words will be destinations, not journeys. They will be like
palaces not tents. There would be no point in decorating a tent because
it is always being moved. But a palace is fixed, traditional, rich.
There will be no irony, sarcasm, no ambiguity for these destroy value.
Instead words will be filled with depth, age, and above all resonance,
because they will be places of meeting and enjoyment, free from ego of
debate or discussion. You cannot learn to communicate like that from a
human being. For a human is filled with the past and every word spoken
is weighted by that. Love felt deeply has desire in it somewhere. You
have to learn it from God. It is called yog.

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Simple Exercise To Identify Your Hidden Fears

If you want to overcome and overpower fears that exist inside you, you have to first take a look at your feelings and hidden emotions. After realizing your feelings and emotions, you have to know how to manage them and finally correct or overcome them. Given below is a simple exercise that will help you to achieve that. This exercise will help you identify the conscious and sometimes sub-conscious (very subtle) fears that lie inside you. Choose an area of your life that you feel is negative and needs some improvement. Now, ask yourself these three questions:

1. What do I really want, what is my aim and objective?
2. What obstacle/obstacles are stopping me from achieving my objectives?
3. What prevents me from dealing with or overcoming that obstacle?

For each fear that comes to you in response to the question no. 3, ask yourself the following questions:
A. What is the worst that can happen, if what I fear occurs?
B. What is the best possible result for me and for others, if I do it even though I feel afraid of doing it?
C. Keeping in front of you the answer to question B and comparing it with the answer to question A will inspire you to overcome the fears that lie inside you.

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★★  Message for the day ★★
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To forgive the self is to have the ability to forgive others too.

Projection: I sometimes find it very difficult to forgive the mistakes committed by others. I do try to understand but am not able to understand the other person's behaviour and so find it difficult to forgive them.

Solution: When I have love for myself and am able to learn from all that happens, I am able to forgive myself. When I know to do this, I can understand the other person too from his perspective and can easily forgive him.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 29, 2014: Self-Limiting Beliefs

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 28, 2014: Respect-worthy

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 28, 2014: Respect-worthy
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★ Respect-worthy
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To harmonize your ideas with the ideas of others and to give everyone respect is the means to become respect-worthy.

★ Imbibing Virtues
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When there are specialties seen in someone, we tend to admire them and
describe them to others too. We really like those virtues in the other
person, but rarely do we put in real effort to imbibe them in
ourselves. Just describing them does not bring any improvement in us.
Whenever I see some specialty in any one I need to understand that I
like that particular virtue in the other person because it is subtly
working within me too. When I work on it more consciously, I will be
able to emerge it easily.

★ Harmonizing The Mind And The Intellect
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The intellect is the faculty of the soul that judges thought and determines its quality, its ethical purity, its truthfulness, its usefulness, its appropriateness, whether it is necessary, right or wrong. The intellect is backed by the conscience. In fact, the conscience expresses itself through the intellect. If you have a positive thought, the intellect should approve it and allow it to be put into practice. If a feeling of doubt accompanies the positive thought, the intellect should take it into account and remove that doubt, before the thought gets converted into action. When the faculties of the mind and intellect are pure and strong, and they cooperate in harmony; they support one another and there is no inner conflict. If the intellect is weak, the mind feels confused and it will generate many unproductive thoughts. There will be an inner conflict and in the end the intellect will lose, because the power of influence of the intellect is less. Then, the intellect will not have the power to prevent them from going into action. Actions will be performed that are negative or unproductive, in opposition to the conscience, and they will as a result create negative habits.

The intellect is the most important faculty of human consciousness to bring about personality change. If the quality of the intellect is good, the capacity and quality of the intellectual processes through which you perceive and live reality will be higher. If the intellect is clean and pure, you will differentiate what is real and authentic from what is unreal and false. You will be able to judge if a situation is beneficial or wasteful, useful or useless.

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Personality Radiation

Each thought that we create, every word we speak and every action we perform is responsible for the radiation of non-physical energy or vibration into the universe; towards other people, to the surroundings or the atmosphere as well as to physical nature. A very important aspect of our consciousness which influences the quality of this vibration is the intention or hidden meaning behind each thought, word and action. When the intention is pure, positive and unconditional, positive packets of the energy of peace, love, good wishes, happiness and truth get transmitted. People who experience this positive energy from us are reminded of their personal positive qualities, even if these qualities are different from ours, and get inspired to imbibe the same and put them into practice, although this may not even be our conscious intention in the first place, but we just have a general pure, positive, intention towards everything and everyone around us. But this giving of inspiration happens automatically. On the other hand, when the intention is negative and impure, it is as if we bring other people, surroundings and nature down i.e. in a way we absorb positive energy from these entities, instead of filling them. People, without realizing, will come down from their positive personality state on receiving this energy and become inclined to thinking and speaking against their basic, positive nature; thus it is a negative inspiration. Both are energy exchanges, but one is positive and the other is negative.

The above process happens even when we are quiet, not creating any thoughts and not speaking or performing any actions. Depending on the kind of nature or personality we have, those type of vibrations keep getting emitted from us all the time. The higher the quality of the activity inside the mind and intellect during the day and in general in our life, even if they are inactive at a particular point of time, the higher the quality of the energy radiated at that time. It’s as if we are constant spiritual energy radiators and radiate our personality all the time, even while we sleep. The purer our personality, the purer this radiation is.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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Where there is contentment, problems finish.

Projection: Contentment enables one to have a positive outlook towards life. So the one who is content always works towards solutions, as he is never disturbed with situations, but is always relaxed. This automatically brings the ability to contribute to others and give them the support to bring progress within them. Such a person works for his own self-progress too.

Solution: When I am content with everything that is happening, I am able to be light in all situations. So even in the biggest difficulty, I am never caught up with the problem, but am always thinking of the solution. My mind is busy with finding the solution, so internally I remain unaffected with the problem.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 27, 2014: The Game of Life

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 27, 2014: The Game of Life
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★ The Game of Life
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By seeing life as a game, your lightness of spirit will make problems seem easier.

★ Playing the Game
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Sometimes, we take life far too seriously. We forget that life is a game, a play, in which we receive an opportunity to be creative and playful. And each scene invites us to 'play' a different role.

Understanding that we have the capacity to authentically play all the roles, in the right way, at the right moment - allows us to approach life's scenes creatively and effectively.

★ Discover your Spirit
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The theatre of life has it's own script. This can be understood as a
fixed destiny. Yet each instant is unique because we have the option to
live each moment as if it were the most important of all. With this
awareness you can enjoy every moment and feel peaceful within. You will
discover your spirit and the treasure within. Your spirit is full of
peace. Your spirit IS peace.

★ Stress Management
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Worry is triggered by any negative memory of the past. It means, you are suffering, and you are probably under the illusion (false belief) that you are enjoying your suffering. It also means you are not living now. You are missing your own life by living in your worries, which are always in the past and in the future. Your worry habit has trapped you in the past where you get the raw material for your worries, and a non-existent future, where you focus that material, and the result is you miss your life now. All this won't change until you choose to change the worry habits that you have recorded in your consciousness (mind). That will require the removal of the illusion (false belief) that you hold inside that it's good and necessary to worry. It's a waste of time and energy. It means replacing the desire to create images of negative futures with positive responses to what is happening in your life right now. Otherwise your 'worry karma' will keep you in permanent pain (sorrow).

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Recharging Our Spiritual Battery

Each day we all need to recharge our spiritual battery, otherwise the light of our consciousness becomes dim, thoughts become scattered, and decisions are filled with doubt. Power is available inside and outside. Inside us we have a spiritual centre, at the center of our consciousness, pure radiant spiritual light. This is what we are. However it is now blocked by our attachments, the record of all our life experiences and many negative beliefs and perceptions (way of looking at situations). Outside us we have the Supreme Soul, the source, the Supreme Being, invisible to our physical eyes but only one second away when we are able to quieten and focus our mind on him. Meditation connects us to both sources of power - that's why meditation is the way to access the real vitamins and the minerals that the soul longs for. Sit quietly and connect your mind to each source and allow yourself to recharge.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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Introversion brings out the positivity within.

Projection: Every human being has an innate positive nature because of the inherent qualities of love, peace, happiness etc. that are within. Introversion, the practice of looking within, enables one to be in constant touch with oneself and one's true nature. It helps express these qualities in everything that is done. Because of having practiced for a long time with them, these qualities emerge very naturally at the time of need.

Solution: The practice of being introverted helps me in experiencing those qualities within me, which otherwise remain hidden during difficult situations. Thus it makes me have true self-respect and enables me to finish my ego. It also gives me the power to recognise and accept my mistakes, thus giving me the courage to work on them successfully.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 26, 2014: Peace Is Not Passive

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 26, 2014: Peace Is Not Passive
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★ Golden Bay, New Zealand
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Peace Is Not Passive
Peace is not a passive attitude; it is an active state. It requires having constant attention in order to live and to respond as a peaceful being to any upset in life.

★ Training the Mind
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Whenever we need to think positive in a situation, we try to force the
mind to think in that way. We try to force the mind into thinking what
we desire. Yet the mind, at that time, is not capable of doing that.
So we don't find any positive result of our attempt and in fact, we
find ourselves more into negativity. We need to be a mother to our
mind. We need to teach our mind to think the right kind of thoughts. Even when everything is going fine, we need to train the mind. A
positive thought taken every day and spending time with it brings good
results. This training makes the mind obedient to us at the time of
need and we are able to be positive in the most negative situation.

Inculcating Powers Though Meditation -
The Power To Pack Up (cont.)
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As I progress on my spiritual journey, even thoughts that waste the precious resources of the mind come to be seen as a barrier. Turning a scene over in my mind repeatedly is an example of waste, that will rob me of the mental concentration and emotional stability I need to keep moving forward. Sometimes we do get stuck, like a broken record, in such mental grooves, without realizing what we are doing.

The power of pack up means I recognize the damage caused by such waste, and put an end to it. As I renew the awareness of myself as a soul, in relationship with the Supreme Soul, the needle of my attention is lifted above the groove, letting me come fully into the present.

I also learn to be selective in what I choose to remember or forget from the past. This is not dishonest; in fact, it is being honest to my task. Human beings in any case have highly selective memories. We not only see and understand differently, according to our individual interests and agendas, but our attitudes and perception also determine the memories we choose to store.

Meditation enables me to exercise this option quite deliberately, picking up those scenes from the past that nourish me and help me move forward, and rejecting memories that pollute my mind and slow me down.

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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The Fifth Phase/Age Of Humanity (cont.)

When we see and realize the significance of this current Age, the fifth Age or the Confluence Age (Sangamyug), we also find greater clarity in our life's purpose. It becomes obvious that the world will not become a better place through more resistance or conflict; this only adds to the sum of fear and anger in the world. To fight for peace is a false belief which has taken over the human mind. To think that peace comes from conflict, or that conflict is necessary to achieve peace, is to think right comes from wrong. Deep change is an incognito process (process which cannot be seen) within individual souls. Through meditation or yoga (union), we awaken and restore our true, peaceful selves; we absorb the light of truth and love from the Supreme and we are spiritually empowered. This we can then share with others. As we radiate our spiritual energy and reflect the light of God into the world in gentle and humble ways, the effects of our self-change reach out to other souls as an invitation to do the same.

The nagging questions which must enter most minds at least once in a lifetime (such as * Why me? * Why here? and * Why now?) are answered - our highest purpose is to help others know themselves as they truly are i.e. souls and to help in reconnecting them to the Supreme. This is why simply sitting in meditation, generating and radiating vibrations which are peaceful and loving, can help to heal others and the world itself. That is our primary responsibility at the Confluence Age. When we take up this responsibility we assist the Supreme in his task at the Confluence Age, i.e. bringing about the Golden Age.

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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To recognise the uniqueness of my own personality is to be free from negative influence.

Projection: The one who is aware of one's own uniqueness is able to create a strong influence on others of his own personality. So, such a person is not negatively influenced by anyone's personality traits. Even when there is a person with a very strong personality, he is still able to be free from negative influence.

Solution: When I am able to recognise and use the specialities that are within me, I am able to remain powerful within. In all circumstances and with all people I experience this innate power. Because I am constantly in touch with my own specialities, I am able to be light and happy.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 25, 2014: There Is God

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 25, 2014: There Is God
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★ There Is God
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Behind every flower there is a seed, behind every painting there is an artist, behind every human being there is God.
 
★ Balance of Head and Heart
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In my interactions with others, I sometimes only use my head, i.e., my
logic. I am very logical and understand the facts very clearly. But if
I keep myself limited only to the facts, I tend to forget to use my
heart. I then am not available to the other person and fail to
understand him. In order to be successful in my interactions with
others I need to have the right balance between my head and my heart. I
need to see beyond what the facts say and try to listen and understand
the other person too. When I do this I will not hurt people with my
attitude but will be able to maintain harmonious relationships.

Inculcating Powers Though Meditation -
The Power To Pack Up

On the path of meditation, I am a traveler, on a magnificent journey. I have to make some firm choices about I what will take with me on this journey. To pack up means to learn the lessons of the present, then to move on, letting the past be past. It means not carrying the baggage of the past into my present and future, but traveling lightly from one day to the next, keeping only what is most useful to me. That way, I'll enjoy the journey more, and move faster in the direction of my choice.

I'll also be lighter in my relationships. The power to pack up enables me to fill each exchange I have with others with freshness and newness, instead of allowing influences from past encounters with them to affect my present attitude and behaviour. When I carry emotional or intellectual baggage from the past into my present dealings with an individual, I don't give that person the opportunity to express himself freely: my attitude colours him with the paint of my previous experience. It is important to process the past, and learn from experience, but then finish it, so it does not block my view of how things are today.

Meditation helps me to acquire that discipline of finishing negative and wasteful thoughts i.e. inculcate the power to pack up. As the habit of self-observation develops, it doesn't take long to understand how negative thoughts and feelings literally negate my central aim, of re-emerging my true nature. Negativity drains the battery of the soul faster than anything else does.
(To be continued tomorrow .....)

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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The Fifth Phase/Age Of Humanity (cont.)

When we recognize the precise and exact nature of cyclic time, we can also joyfully expect and work for a new day or the Golden Age. For this to happen, great changes must take place in human affairs. It is a process of change that can only begin from within the individual. Just as we have been responsible for the degradation of the physical environment, of our world, so it is we who must take up the repairs. When we understand that all change is from soul to mind, from then from mind to body or matter we realize that it is our own spiritual awakening and purification which can change our world at all levels. As we turn to face the Source of love and light and fill ourselves with spiritual energy, the process of reduction in spiritual energy of the world is slowed down and slowly reversed. The soul returns to its original pure and loving state. The result is a change of the inner world of consciousness which, in turn, is reflected in the change of the outer world that we all share.

When we change, the world changes.
(To be continued tomorrow ...)

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★★ Message for the day ★★
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Balance makes life peaceful and happy.

Projection: A life of peace is a life of balance. Sometimes, even a single negative thought or word can throw one out of balance. Even a virtue needs to be in balance. For instance determination, which provides energy and concentration necessary for any accomplishment can become stubbornness. So determination when balanced with patience and flexibility creates a life of happiness.

Solution: When I have detachment whilst using a virtue, I am able to maintain balance. Otherwise I find that even a virtue to an extreme takes a negative form. Detachment enables me to recognize the importance of the virtue and use it in the right way, according to the requirement.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 24, 2014: Sense of Humour

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 24, 2014: Sense of Humour
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★ Sense of Humour
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Steer easily through life by keeping a light touch on the controls, and a strong sense of humour.

★ Trust
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If there is the thought that we can do things ourselves without other
people's help, it means that we have arrogance of our own potential
or we are not able to have trust for others. This lack of trust
doesn't allow us to use others' potential for the benefit of the
task. So we are deprived of a very useful resource and we will not be
able to be happy. We need to understand the fact that there is greater
success in cooperation. It is much more useful to invest our time and
resources in training and developing others' potential. This brings
about the best from people and so there is a greater contribution and
hence greater success in every task that we take up.

★ Worry Confused With Concern (cont.)
-----------------------------------------

We are all linked together at a subtle, invisible level, and communicate with others invisibly. We not only send but also pick up the energy that others radiate, especially the ones that we are close to. We demonstrate with an example how this can work positively as well as negatively when we find ourselves in negative situations in our practical lives.

Suppose the class teacher of your child (we take the example of your son) calls up and says that while playing in the school playground, your son has injured himself. She doesn't explain much but says there is nothing to worry. She requests you to come and pick him up from the school. At this point of time your son is radiating his own spiritual energy which is most probably the negative energy of fear, stress, anxiety and sorrow (although the teacher has informed you that he is fine). At the same time he is also picking up your subtle spiritual or mental energy. You are driving to his school to pick him up. At this point of time, you only have a rough idea of what situation he is in exactly at that moment because you are physically far away from him. Guessing about the exact situation is making assumptions and is a waste of your mental energy. If you make negative assumptions i.e. you worry and are scared, then you are sending him the same vibrations of fear, a negative energy, which he is going to pick up and it is not going to empower or help him in anyway but is more likely to weaken and disturb him and even disturb you in your driving. You have been told that there is nothing to worry but still you know he is in a slightly difficult emotional situation and only he knows how he will come out of it. What will help him? He needs your support, but what will support him the most - we are talking about subtle support, because you are going to take some time to reach the school and provide him physical support? Your negative vibration of fear which you may mistakenly call concern or care as you imagine something bad has happened? Or the positive vibrations of your unconditional love and your good wishes, which is true concern or care? What will you send him to support him from far away? Worry vibrations or the vibrations of love in the form of your good wishes for them? Vibrations of love will keep you also in a positive state as you drive through the city. Besides, what is care or concern? It is you sending your positive inner spiritual light to help another and worry is definitely not that.

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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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The Fifth Phase/Age Of Humanity (cont.)

A circle is not a circle unless the line turns perfectly consistently to join up with itself. A cycle of time is not a true cycle unless it repeats itself identically. From such an angle, we can become aware of a fifth Age, the Age we are now in - the Confluence Age (Sangamyug - a short Age between the Iron Age (Kalyug) and the Golden Age (Satyug)) - a time of change from old to new, from night to day and from vice to virtue. From the end of one cycle to the beginning of another. It is in this Age that our spiritual Parent i.e God hears and responds to our collective cries for help and relieves us from the pain and the fear that we ourselves have created. Like a good Parent, He intervenes at this time, the only time during our entire journey, to tell us the whole story - who we are, what has happened to us and how to find our way home. He reveals the complete picture and, as a result, sets us free from our false beliefs.

The importance of this time period now sets us free from wondering why the world seems to be so full of pain and suffering, as we can now understand that this is the end of the cycle, thus all souls are settling their karmic accounts at both the individual and collective levels i.e. souls are experiencing sorrow in various forms as a result of all the negative actions they have performed in the Copper and Iron Age. Debts are being settled amongst souls. Knowing this, we find it easier to detach from the numerous negative scenes that we come across, while staying focused on settling our own karmic debts through the power of spirituality. At the same time we are available to those around us when they need a little help to settle their own karma in the easiest way possible.
(To be continued tomorrow ...)
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★★ Message for the day ★★
---------------------------------
To have a desire for the good act done is to eat unripe fruit.

Projection: To have a desire to get the result of what one does is like eating unripe fruit. It is like following a shadow that will never be got. On the other hand, to do things because there is joy in doing it is to enjoy putting in effort. This also ensures that there is fruit attained at the right time.

Solution: When I am able to do things because I enjoy them, I am able to be free from expectations. And because I am free from expectations and desires, yet working towards my aim, I find myself attaining everything without any difficulty. I am patient and wait with joy for the fruit of my effort to ripen.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 23, 2014: New Perspective

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 23, 2014: New Perspective
 ★*******************★~•~★~•~★********************★
★ New Perspective
-------------------
It is easy to create new things, change places or do something different. To keep that sense of newness that creates enthusiasm is more difficult. The secret of newness in life is not to do new things constantly, but to see everything you do with new eyes, new insights and a new perspective.

★ Stability
---------------
During chaotic and challenging situations the mind is very naturally
with negative and waste thoughts. At such times, we do make an attempt
to stabilize and focus our thoughts. But we are not very successful in
doing this; however hard we may try to. So we only wait for the
situation to change. But in the process we lose a lot of energy and
time. It needs a long time of practice of keeping the mind free from
negative and waste in order to experience stability in the present
situation. For this we need to practice with a positive thought each
day, which remains as an experience in whatever we do. This practice
helps us during the time of need.

★ Worry Confused With Concern
----------------------------------
One of the most incorrect beliefs that we have acquired since childhood is that to worry is to care, worrying is caring. Our parents are the people whom we grow up with and are closest to in our childhood. As soon as we are born, in fact even before we are born, even when we are in our mother's womb, they start transmitting the energy of this belief through their thoughts and later on when we are physically present in front of them, through thoughts, words and actions; to us, which we catch, because we being a spiritual energy, not only transmit or radiate but also absorb energy. As we grow up, this false belief keeps reaching us from everyone on a subtle as level as physical level from whom we meet and are close to including our friends, siblings (brothers and sisters), spouse etc. and slowly we start accepting this belief as being completely true and lead our lives according to it and even transmit the same to others. That is why it is extremely difficult to find a single person today who does not live according to this belief or does not bring it into their daily lives to some extent or the other.

A very common example of the above belief which we all have gone through sometime or the other is when we are late by just a few minutes in coming back home from office. On reaching home, we are asked a thousand questions and by our family members, perhaps our parents or spouse or children about where we have been and why hadn't we bothered to call and also informed about another thousand negative assumptions they had made in that much time. Why? Because they had been worried for us. We are normally surprised with the fact they are worrying, because 9 out of 10 times we are late because of a not so serious reason, but our family members explain that we were worrying for you because we care for you. But worrying is not caring. Worry is fear or anxiety and care is love or concern, they are two opposite emotions which can never exist together at the same time.

In tomorrow's message, we shall demonstrate how on a subtle energy level, true love and concern is more beneficial than worry in coming out of negative situations, in which we find ourselves every now and then.
 
 ----------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
 -----------------------------
The Four Phases/Ages Of Humanity (cont.)

Looking at the complete human story explained yesterday, we are now at the darkest period in human affairs i.e. the end of the Iron Age or Kalyug . Our spiritual power is at its lowest level. We are no longer one world but broken up into around 200 nation states. Like children playing all day in the forest until night has arrived, we realize that we don't know where we are or how to get home. We start to argue and fight with each other and small groups break away and go in their own directions. Many of us feel a sense of being lost. Our cries for help take many forms.

The world is full of fear instead of love, vice instead of virtue, sorrow instead of happiness, conflict instead of harmony. These are all symptoms of ill health at the spiritual and mental levels. When they have an impact within us as individuals, they result in physical disease and, when they become a part of our relationships, we harm each other (mentally and physically).

The only way we can heal, renew and re-energize our spirit or soul is to turn our faces to the Sun of Spirit or the Supreme Spirit (God) and, in that spiritual relationship, be open to receiving the pure light and love which reawakens, heals and re-energizes the soul. The healing of our relationships can only happen when we, as individuals, realize that we are sources of love, children of the Ocean Of Love.

Tomorrow we shall be explaining what is the fifth phase/age of humanity...
----------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
----------------------------------
Truth brings humility

Projection: When there is commitment for truth one has the courage to express this truth in all aspects. Even if others oppose or criticize such a person is never affected. With humility he is able to learn from everything that happens and further uses each learning to go closer to the inner truth.

Solution: When I am firm in my commitment for truth, I am able to enjoy the beauty of everything that happens in my life. I recognise the fact that everything and everyone is instrumental in taking me closer to the truth. Thus, I am able to remain humble appreciating everything and learning constantly.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 22, 2014: Plugged-In World

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 22, 2014: Plugged-In World
★******************★~•~★~•~★******************★
★ Plugged-In World
------------------------------
We live in a plugged-in world, computers, music, phone, TV, game consoles... the list goes on. You're not a machine. So, disconnect from the many sources that absorb your energy. Quickly release your mind from all the debilitating socket points. Give yourself 2 minutes to unplug and breathe. Be quiet and recalibrate.

★ Motive
-------------
Sometimes although the act in itself is right, we find that the result
is not so good or effective. At such times, we are not able to
understand and tend to have a lot of waste and negative questions in
the mind. But the answer is not found which only further creates a
negative attitude for the situations and people. We need to check and
change our motive behind our action. If our motive (attitude) is
right, it becomes a powerful seed, which brings about a good result, a
good fruit. All other situations are able to nurture this seed instead
of creating obstacles or further misunderstanding.

★ Experiencing God's Presence
---------------------------------
I need to understand that God is a person (although the Supreme Person), like us, and not some formal or non-personal energy, with whom we cannot communicate and have a relationship. If I know God's form, location and sanskars, I can direct my thoughts towards that One and immediately start experiencing the connection. The sentiment expressed in the phrase, 'O God, wherever I am, you are with me', indicates the closeness of the soul and God. It expresses the experience of the presence of God, in a similar way to two lovers who carry each other in their hearts. In this way God's presence is a spiritual experience that I can have wherever I am. It doesn't mean literally that the Supreme Being is present in everything. It's a feeling and not a fact. The sun is the source of our physical necessities. It purifies the water, makes the plants grow to produce food and oxygen and provides a suitable range of temperatures for our life here. To give life it doesn't need to be present in every particle. Its effect in the form of light and heat is felt throughout the solar system. In the same manner, for the effective practice of Raja Yoga meditation (as taught by the Brahma Kumaris) God is seen as a sun of perfect sanskars, the source of spiritual qualities and powers and, as such, doesn't need to be present in everything. Even though His residence is the soul world, God can be with me since the sense of closeness is beyond physical dimensions. One thought and I can experience Him in the soul world and be in His presence!

-----------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
-------------------------------
The Four Phases/Ages of Humanity (cont.)

In the stories of history of both the Greeks and Indians, human life on Earth is depicted by four phases or Ages. These four Ages together make up one cycle. The four Ages are:

Golden Age or Satyug (also the morning or spring time of humanity) - remembered as Paradise, Heaven on earth, around 4,000 - 5,000 years ago when the world was one kingdom and there was complete purity of the soul and peacefulness and happiness in all human affairs. Sorrow in any form or at any level was unknown.

Silver Age or Tretayug (also the day or summer time of humanity) - still relatively like Paradise, still unity, but the purity of soul and matter were beginning to decrease. Sorrow was still unknown.

Copper Age or Dwaparyug (also the evening or autumn time of humanity) - the loss of spiritual awareness and stepping down into the consciousness of the body, succumbing to the five vices. Also the beginning of separation and breaking up of the world, the beginning of sorrow and conflict. Ego begins to rule in the minds and hearts of men and women.

Iron Age or Kaliyugi (also the night or winter time of humanity) - the dark night of the soul and the darkest period of the world, a time of greed, lust, sorrow, peacelessness, conflict, war and hatred at all levels of human activity.
(To be continued tomorrow ...)

---------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
---------------------------------
To be enthusiastic is to be light constantly.

Projection: The one who is enthusiastic looks for challenges and excuses for self-improvement. He is constantly moving forward in the most challenging situations. He uses all the available resources for personal growth and the benefit of others. His words and actions induce enthusiasm in others too.

Solution: When I never let go of my enthusiasm in every moment of my life, I am able to be constantly light. This enables me to enjoy this moment, and ensures that I use it to the maximum for making my future better and bright. I also become a source of light for those around where they are able to take inspiration to make the best use of what they have.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 21, 2014: Patience

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 21, 2014: Patience
★*********************★★★*******************★*
*Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA*
**★*
★ Patience

Patience is a reflection of the peaceful mind. My peaceful mind is able to cope with all situations without becoming disturbed and agitated. It calmly accepts the resolution of circumstances and, with this patience acquires the power to deal with all situations.

★ Satisfaction

When there is selfishness there is always a desire and because of this
desire there is no satisfaction. There is always a want for something
more than what is always there. Thus the one with a desire is not able
to be a giver. There is inability to share resources for others'
benefit. Such a person cannot be happy. When I am selfless I have
respect for my own resources and I am able to use it for the benefit of
all. I would have the satisfaction of using what I have and would not
therefore expect others to appreciate me. I become a giver instead of
a taker, and so am able to experience constant happiness. This
selflessness naturally brings praise and good wishes from others too.

★ Overcoming Phobias (Fears) Through Meditation - cont.

To overcome any phobia, read over silently and visualize the following positive thoughts:

I am a soul, an eternal, immortal and indestructible (which cannot be destroyed) point of life energy........
Sitting on my throne in the centre of the forehead, I the ruler, perform actions through my body........
I have incarnated (entered) in this physical body from shantidham, my incorporeal (non-physical) home, original home of light........
I am an actor on the huge world drama stage........
All the other souls are actors too, each acting a unique role through its own individual body-costume........
This spiritual knowledge makes me detached and fearless........
Unimportant scenes of the drama that would have previously brought about fear in me no longer affect me........

Through Rajyoga meditation, the soul can experience all relationships with the Supreme Soul in its day-to-day life. I continue -

I experience receiving powerful vibrations of spiritual might from the Supreme Being........
I fill my mind with thoughts of courage........
When the Almighty is my Father, my Mother, my Companion, my Guide, no one can be my enemy........
Nothing can harm me in any way........
Fear is wasted energy, it has no power in my life........
Now I am becoming a bold person and I am capable of facing all fearful situations with increased self-confidence ........

At the end of the meditation practice, for a few minutes, the patient should create a picture of the fearful situation in his mind, while at the same time learning to relax. This will help him to decrease the anxiety (worry) when he faces the real life situation and he will be able to completely overcome (face) the specific fears.

★★ Soul Sustenance ★★

The Four Phases/Ages Of Humanity

In the stories of history of almost every ancient race, like the Egyptians, Greeks, Hindus, Mayans, lncas and Aborigines, there are many many references to a period, some four or five thousand years ago, when Earth was Paradise. Remembered as the Golden Age, Garden of Eden, Atlantis, Satyug, these stories all talk of a time when the world was beautiful and new - Heaven on Earth. Nearly all ancient peoples and traditions have a common memory of a time when humanity lived a simple yet magical existence in harmony with nature. Our ancestors said that this Golden Age came to an end because of some tragic mistake made by those who lived in that Age - the mistake being - they fell down from the pedestal of soul consciousness into the dust of body consciousness and succumbed to the five vices of anger, lust, greed, ego and attachment. They said that it was only after the change in the human way of beingand living - the 'fall' of the human consciousness - that tragic global calamities (accidents) took place on Earth, whose geological, climatic and mental impact erased the former Golden Age almost completely.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

★★ Message for the day ★★

To be an embodiment of solutions is to experience inner power.

Projection: During challenging situations, the one who is able to see things clearly is able to bring about solutions. To work with honesty means to see things clearly. The one who is able to bring about a change in one aspect is able to apply this learning in many more things and he finds his entire personality changing.

Solution: When I am constantly looking for solutions I am able to bring about a change from within. Each experience teaches me something new and enriches me. My perception continues to change and with each passing situation I become more and more positive. So I find myself powerful for all situations in life.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 20, 2014: Choose Courage

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 20, 2014: Choose Courage
★********************★★**★★********************★
★ Choose Courage
-----------------------
When facing difficult situations it is a waste to think
'what will happen?' or 'how will things work out?'
With waste thoughts you're less likely to find solutions.

Instead, maintain courage. Courage comes from the thoughts you think. With courage you're more likely to find the best solution for the situation at hand.

So, whatever happens, choose courage.

★ Appreciation
-------------------
We normally tend to measure our worth on what we do or how much people recognize and appreciate us. So we tend to get dependent on the
external environment for appreciating ourselves. Since what comes from
outside is not always stable, we find ourselves fluctuating in our
thoughts too. Sometimes we are happy and sometimes we are not. We need to understand that each and every individual has his own unique set of capabilities. When we are able to appreciate our own inherent worth we
can use our capabilities. So instead of wasting time, thoughts and
energy we can use our treasures to make our life worthwhile.

★ Overcoming Phobias (Fears) Through Meditation
----------------------------------
A phobia is an intense (excessive), continuous and illogical fear of an object, situation, activity, person or animal that's generally considered harmless. Accompanying the fear is an excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid what you fear. When facing the object of his/her phobia, the person may experience negative feelings like excessive sweating, poor control of nerves, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate, anxiety (worry), etc. In some cases, the avoidance or distress (anxiety) in the feared situation interferes significantly with the person's daily routine, social activities, relationships etc.

By practicing Rajyoga meditation regularly, a person suffering from any type of phobia, can erase (remove) negative thought patterns, which are the main cause of all phobias. It enables him/her to reprogramme his/her flow of mental tendencies.
(To be continued tomorrow....)

----------------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
----------------------------------
Experiencing Yoga (Meditation) In Different Karmas (Actions)– cont.

To perform good and perfect actions we use both spiritual knowledge and power in a practical form (called karma yoga). Given below are some more examples of the same (we had explained a few yesterday):

While interacting with others, have the awareness of the soul, a being of light, situated at the center of the forehead, radiating rays of might or power towards other souls or beings of light.

While writing, have the awareness of the Supreme Soul or God speaking to you and making you work. And also practice, "I the soul am writing through these hands, my instruments."

While listening, in any situation, have the consciousness that I the soul, am listening through these physical ears.

While bathing,

have the consciousness of being the soul, the deity, cleaning the temple of the body.

We need to pay attention that we do not do any action that creates wasteful thoughts in the minds of others. The above karma yoga practice (and what was discussed yesterday) will help us in doing that. If our actions create wasteful thoughts, then this becomes a burden for us and as a result we cannot remain light.

----------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
----------------------------------
To have courage is to have the ability to bring easy change.

Projection: The one who has faith in the self, in others and in God is constantly courageous. To have courage means to ensure change even in the most adverse conditions. Situations help in bringing change and progress. To bring change means to finish complaints.

Solution: When I am courageous in difficult situations, I don't have any complaints for whatever is happening. I am also not caught up with the past. On the other hand, I am able to constantly use the present moment and move forward towards the future. My vision becomes clear and I am able to bring about quick and easy change.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 18, 2014: Best of Friends

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 18, 2014: Best of Friends
★*********************★~★~★*********************★
★ Best of Friends
----------------------
The best kind of friend is the kind, you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away, feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

★ Accommodation
-----------------------
Accommodation is perceived as something to do with accommodating
others' negativity or concealing someone's negativity. So the
consciousness is totally of the negative aspects and one finds it
difficult to hide negative things for long. So after sometime this is
revealed through one's own words and actions which even tend to hurt
the other person. True accommodation is to perceive exactly what the
person or situation requires. We are able to recognize what he needs
and give accordingly. For example, we are able to give water to the
thirsty and not diamonds and gold (he has no value for that at that
time). When we are able to give in this way we remain unaffected with
the negativity of the situation or the people around us.

★ Churning Spiritual Knowledge (cont.)
---------------------------------------------
We had discussed a few benefits of churning spiritual knowledge yesterday. Some more are as follows:

3. The knowledge that we have becomes more real: and so can give more effectively to others. We can use the jewels of knowledge in serving others. This knowledge will have much greater power and be of much greater help to others than any form of scholarly or bookish knowledge.

4. Our personality changes: Limited views and thought patterns which give birth to various obstacles can be finished by churning. Our outlook towards life becomes very broad and we become completely content internally so that name, fame, respect, insult, etc. don't affect us, they seem totally insignificant.

5. Natural bliss: By churning, spiritual knowledge becomes a source of bliss. Because of the spiritual happiness and intoxication that comes from churning, our faces will become radiant and we become instruments to attract other people towards spirituality.

6. Our concentration power increases: By acknowledging and not suppressing impure thoughts we will easily clear negative thoughts within a short period of time. Our concentration power will increase. We will be able to clear and burn impure or waste thoughts, and easily become an embodiment of positivity.
------------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
-------------------------------
Self Purification
Each soul has become impure due its own actions during its various births. We ourselves became impure and peaceless because of losing our self awareness, so it is useless to blame anyone else. It is too easy to blame "so-and-so." Today, everyone blames someone else: * It's the religions, * It's the government, * It's the social pressures, * It's the Devil (Ravana), * It's my wife, * It's my boss. Few can see that their own unhappiness is because of their own weaknesses or actions under the influence of these weaknesses. The Devil is just a symbolic personification of these negative forces at work in every soul. The soul itself creates its accounts, good and bad, so the soul itself must balance them. No human soul can settle someone else's account of sins. In this respect many souls are being misled by those who claim to be able to change or interfere with the workings of the laws of karma. The ones claiming this have their own accounts of sins to settle. While they still remain in a physical body they are within the boundaries of the same laws that apply to all. The law of karma, of reaping and sowing, action and reaction applies to everyone.

The account of impure actions can only be balanced by pure actions on the part of the doer; the soul. Truly pure actions can only be performed when one is in a state of soul-consciousness and in remembrance of the one who is beyond action; the Supreme Soul (God). In burning love for the Supreme, sins can be rapidly burned. The soul need only increase its love for the Supreme Soul and remember him correctly.
-----------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
-----------------------------------

True sweetness is to be peaceful in every thought, word and deed.

Projection: The one who is peaceful in thoughts is able to be sweet in words and positive in actions. Such a person is able to give others an experience of one's own positive qualities and those of others too. So there is beauty, positivity and sweetness perceived in such a person's life.

Solution: When I am ever ready I am able to be easy. Because I am easy, all tasks seem easy for me and effort put in for the success of the task also becomes easy. So I don't have to do a lot of effort but give my best. Thus I experience success every moment in all situations.When I am totally peaceful, I am able to experience my own inner beauty. In the silence of the mind, I am able to see everything in a positive way. So I have nothing that is a difficult situation, but only situations that bring out the best from within me. I experience the sweetness of life and continue to move on towards success

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

Madhuban Murli LIVE - 17/9/2014 (Wednesday 7.00am…: http://youtu.be/dt76AMnLSTQ

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 16, 2014: Happiness in the Heart

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 16, 2014: Happiness in the Heart
★**********★*******★*******★********★*******★
★ Happiness in the Heart
----------------------------
To have questions in your heart means to be distressed and to cause distress for others. Therefore, be one who has happiness in the heart, not questions in the heart.

★ Have Faith
-------------------
Whenever one experiences deception in relationships, there is
disappointment and one tends to get disheartened. At such times
feelings are destroyed and one tends to reject people and move away
from them - mostly physically and always in the mind. When dealing with
others if exchanges with them are based on falsehood - on what is not
connected with the innate truth, then there is difficulty in being a
giver. When I have faith in myself I learn to love myself. This love
gets me in touch with my innate qualities. Thus my thoughts and
feelings are pure. Then I have powerful good wishes for others and
these good feelings reach them.

★ Natural Qualities and Acquired Qualities
-------------------------------------
When we look at ourselves from outside we can only see the surface of what we have become. We can't see or perhaps cannot even imagine the inner core (center), which, like in the example of the coconut, is the only part that really can nourish us and give us energy. The shell (in the case of the coconut) serves as a protection but we certainly can't eat it.

In our case, the core (center) consists of natural or inner qualities such as peace, love, power, truth, happiness and so on. The shell is the ego which consists of features or personality characteristics we have acquired through the journey of our lives such as experiences, abilities, memories, learning, habits and beliefs - in short, all that we are referring to when we say: 'I am so-and-so, from such-and-such family or organization or city'.

While we are limited to these acquired characteristics, our true qualities remain inaccessible. Through deep reflection and meditation we can break the shell and activate our inner qualities from which our values or principles are born.
------------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
-------------------------------
Role Induced Stress

A very common form of stress which has raised its head in recent years is stress induced due to one’s role. There was once a famous movie actor, well known as one of the best of all time and he was obviously very much aware of the same. One day as he was shooting for his new film; his director, a very prominent figure in the film-making arena, mentioned to him that there was a general perception spreading in the film industry as well as in the film going audiences that the actor was getting older with time and his performance was dropping and he needed to spruce up his performances if he had to compete with the younger actors. As soon as he heard this, he started taking his acting role and everything related to it over seriously and lost his happiness completely because he had been used to listening only to praises regarding his performances and reputation all his life. He also forgot all that the world had given him all his life, all the love, respect and adulation and became angry, bitter and resentful towards everyone he met, believing that they no longer held those feelings for him as much as before. Also a general sense of fear and nervousness started developed inside him regarding his next performance.

One piece of information had changed him altogether. What had gripped him –Role Induced Stress. His emotion of stress was made of three sub emotions -sorrow, anger and fear (or worry). What was the cause – he over identified with his role. He 'believed' he was an extremely famous hero actor. But was hero actor what he was? It's what he did. But he learned to believe it is what he is. Even we need to remind ourself that we get to play various roles on the world stage of action and that if we over-identify with any of the roles, which a lot of us do, then just like the actor, our creativity, spontaneity and lightness is reduced and we start to take things far too seriously, more than necessary, and as a result get stressed.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
---------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
----------------------------------
To be a self-sovereign is to be in control

Projection: The one who is a self-sovereign never finds difficulty in being in control. He doesn't have to go out of control and then bring himself back in control. The moment the order is given to the self, every thought, word and action is immediately in order.

Solution: To be a self-sovereign means to be aware of my own specialities and work with them. When I am a self-sovereign I experience myself to be free. This is because nothing binds me but I am able to win over my weaknesses too. Thus I find myself to be in total happiness in all situations.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 14, 2014: True Peace

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 14, 2014: True Peace
★********************★*★*★******************★
★ True Peace
--------------
True peace can be experienced only when we stop giving and taking sorrow. In order not to give sorrow we need a clear heart that has no ill feelings and for not taking sorrow we need a big heart that can tolerate and help other souls to get over their weaknesses.

★ Vision
-------------
Sometimes we find ourselves reacting to even small situations. Our
feelings are also dependent on the different situations we face. We do
try to change our feelings of negativity, if they do arise. But
sometimes we are not able to, either because of our personality as a
whole or the personality trait that we are working with at that time.
If we have to change our reactions to the different situations that we
are faced with, we need to change our vision, i.e we need to change the
way we see things. We need to understand the situation as it is and not
let it be coloured by our own personality traits. When we see things as
they are, we are able to act in situations instead of reacting.

★ Taking Charge Of Your Responses In Close Relationships
----------------------------------------
In relationships with your loved ones, when looking at the other, sometimes positive emotions are generated and sometimes negative. On the one hand, joy, love and happiness is generated on being with them; but then attachment, dependency and expectations are generated. In such situations, you are more focused on others and are always looking at the other person's behavior, you stop seeing yourself and being aware of your reactions and taking the responsibility for the responses that you create. You get frustrated when the other person does not meet your expectations. As you depend on them, if they don't act as you would like, if they don't reach home or call you at the time you would like; all this frustrates you. You radiate this energy to the other: "they are not doing what they should be doing," and so you feel frustrated and discontented.

All the while that you hold the other one responsible for your frustration, you are not in charge of your own reactions, because you have given power to the other to dominate your emotional world. It is there that you lose your freedom.You lose your freedom because you give to the other, in the name of love, power over your own moods. You allow the other's energy to enter your inner world and cause inside you frustration, bad moods, irritation, sorrow and a mental and emotional dependence where you are constantly thinking about where they are, what they have to do, what they have to say, where they have to go, and all this consumes a lot of your mental energy. Wanting to control the other and the frustration that it brings with it uses up a lot of emotional energy.
-----------------------------
★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
-----------------------------
Open Spaces of Silence

One of the aims of meditation is not to stop your thoughts but to slow them down so that you may find and enter the silence between and behind your thinking. This is a little challenging at first but the more you practice the easier it becomes.

Think of your thoughts as trains, just as in the common saying we sometimes use the phrase, 'train of thoughts'. Each thought is a carriage of the train and in between the thoughts/carriages is a small gap, a space. The train can arrive at different speeds. Our aim is to slow the train down and become aware of the space between the carriages, in other words between our thoughts. You may even be able to increase that space so that there is the experience of no thought. In this moment you reconnect with the silence (and experience it) that exists always between and behind your thoughts. Don't try to hold it, or you will lose it.
---------------------------------
★★ Message for the day ★★
---------------------------------
The one who has faith is always victorious

Projection: The one who has faith, has total faith in the self and in the progress of the self. The one who has faith is always successful because he gives his best in everything he does. He is never deterred by obstacles but progresses constantly.

Solution: When I have complete faith, I am able to experience lightness even when I am faced with my weaknesses, because I have the faith that I am progressing. I am able to learn and improve from everything that happens.

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

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 12, 2014: Face Up To Your Weaknesses

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 12, 2014: Face Up To Your Weaknesses
★***************★**★**★**************★
The Wagah border closing 'lowering of the flags' ceremony or The Beating Retreat ceremony is a daily military practice that the security forces of India (Border Security Force) and Pakistan (Pakistan Rangers) have jointly followed ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATKc65y70hQ
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★ Face Up To Your Weaknesses
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For every weakness, every shortcoming in you,
you have an opposing strength. Never run from your weaknesses. Be a warrior and face them with strength.

★ Mold like Gold
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We find ourselves getting very easily influenced with the negativity
outside. Every incident and interaction has an impact on us, specially
the negative ones. To get influenced is to take in lot of impurity
from outside. This is like mixing alloy in gold and when we are
coloured with the negativity within, we are not able to get molded
easily. We need to keep ourselves free from the negativity that comes
from situations and people. For this we need to develop our own inner
positivity. It is like building a strong defense system from inside to
protect a fort from being attacked. When we are able to maintain our
own inner purity and positivity, we find ourselves becoming moldable.

★ Switching On The Consciousness Of The Soul To Experience Peace
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During the initial stages of meditation many wasteful thoughts do come. This is due to the soul's old habit, since many births, of thinking aimlessly. The mind has been attracted or repelled by everything and everyone. The soul has been pushed around from waves of one experience into another, exposed to different scenes. So, after such a long journey, in the present moment, it finds itself stuck in negative cycles of worry, doubt and confusion, which it must break by recharging itself with its own original characteristics of peace, purity, love and joy. Meditation is this recharging process with which we channel good, constructive and positive thought energy into our moods.
I must make sure the engines of my senses are not burning up the vital fuel of inner peace. The soul does not grow or diminish but only experiences change in its happiness or unhappiness, peace or peacelessness etc. The very word peacelesssuggests that I was at some stage peaceful. I now know that I had peace in the soul world. I can see how peace is the real oxygen for the soul. When I do not have it, I choke and become spiritually breathless and look for it everywhere. I am a soul and I have my own inner store of peace from which I can draw at any time. I do not need to practice complicated breathing exercises or difficult physical postures for the same. I can experience peace by switching 'on' the conscious of the soul wherever I am, driving, cooking at home or when busy at work. Thus meditation is a continuing experience rather than a static one.
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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Temporary And Permanent Sources Of Peace
It’s a common notion (idea) to think of peace as being closely related to the beauty of nature - the play of waves on a beach, the blowing of wind through a forest, the soaring and swooping of gulls; in short, anything away from the rush and hurry of the city. Alternatively we associate peace with some physical form of relaxation like headphones plugged into soothing music, a hot bath after a hard day, a brisk walk in the park, etc. In meditation we realize peace to be our very essence (nature); we realize very quickly, trying to extract peace from the world around us or even from some physical sensations in our own bodies gives us only a temporary experience of it.

Once we start meditating, we start to see physical relaxation as an escape from tension and not a solution for it; and the beautiful scenes of nature now no longer as sources radiating permanent peace. But in fact it is their mere absence of conflict, their harmony of colours, forms and sounds which appeal to us. There is something in each of us which cries out to be free from conflict. We discover that "small voice" or need is only our true nature demanding to be recognized. We realize that neither the body nor nature can give the peace that the soul was longing for, but it has to be tapped from within. Having found it, it remains constant, whether in the city or countryside, in comfort or discomfort. In the midst of noise and confusion, peace is really our own.
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★★ Message for the day ★★
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Creating quality thoughts brings happiness and lightness.

Projection: When there is quality thinking, thoughts are not many, but each thought is special. Quality thoughts are reflected in quality words and quality actions. They reduce tiredness and carelessness as thoughts are fewer in quantity.

Solution: When I have good quality thoughts, I experience sweetness, happiness and self-respect. I am able to recognise my own greatness and move forward with lightness under all circumstances.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris ♥
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Daily Positive Thoughts: September 11, 2014: Pause, Think, Act

Daily Positive Thoughts: September 11, 2014: Pause, Think, Act
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*215 Foot Tower in Elektrostal, Moscow*
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*★ Pause, Think, Act*
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*For all the times you've found yourself in a sticky situation because you didn't think before you acted.... here's the antidote: PAUSE, THINK and then ACT. Insert a pause - a space. Then think. Look Before You Leap. Be aware of the consequences of your action and then act.*

*★ Make the Most of the Present*
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*We usually blame our fortune when something goes wrong. We either feel*
*it to be unjust or we tend to curse our past actions, which have*
*brought us this fate. To curse past actions is to lose the present*
*moment too. Instead of cursing our past actions, we need to make the*
*most of the present. Whatever we do today, we get the fruit of it right*
*now and for the future too. So we need to pay attention to do the right*
*actions always and create the best fortune for ourselves.*

*★ Are You Directing Your Inner Orchestra Well (cont.)?*

*You can direct your orchestra well, which means that you can:*

* Achieve what you want.*
* Reach where you want.*
Be who you are.
* Stop being who you are not.
* Feel what you want to feel.
* Stop feeling what you do not want to feel.
* Be. You can be in your space.
* Do. You can do what gives meaning to your life.
* You can stop doing what lowers you, is ordinary and you do not want to do.
* You can reach excellence by crossing inner mental barriers.
* Let go of that which you have clung on to.
* Free yourself and fly.

If you believe that you can, you can. You have to harmonize your inner voices. Listen to those that allow you power, strengthen you and accompany you. Silence the voices that suppress you, judge you badly and limit you.
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★★ Soul Sustenance ★★
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Observing My Mind and Its Creation

-Let us experience creating positive thoughts about ourselves and see how long we can maintain them. We must learn to become our own best friend. A positive thought is imagining oneself as a being of peace. Peace is considered as the power and original quality of human beings. -

-In order to be able to concentrate, let's imagine a point of light, a small star like point of energy in the centre of the forehead... Let's focus our attention on this point and begin to create these thoughts: Who am I? Who am I really? -

-I turn towards my inner self in order to know myself... I am going to observe the screen of my mind for a few moments... -

-I become aware of the thoughts and images I see on the screen of my mind, but I do not let myself be influenced by them... I simply observe them, and I am gradually going to let them flow... I let go of them, I let them drift away... -

-I create a space between me and my thoughts, between me and my stream of feelings... I feel at peace and calm, I can choose what I think... The feeling of being able to choose makes me feel stronger... -

-I am strong, peaceful and calm... I am positive energy... I am a peaceful, calm being: peace is harmony and balance... -
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★★ Message for the day ★★
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True love brings success in relationships.

Projection: The one who is loving, likes to be with the others. Such a person will never try to be away even from people who are not loving towards him, but will be able to change the one who is not so loving with his own love. So the one who is loving is always successful in relationships.

Solution: Since I am a loving person, I am able to maintain this love for every person I come into contact with. Whether the other person is able to be loving or not, I find that I never lose my love because of being aware of my true nature.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris ♥
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