Projection: Detachment is usually mistaken as being away from things because usually while using the facilities available we tend to get dependent on them. Such dependency is troublesome and so we sometimes give up using these facilities thinking that this is detachment which helps us to be free from their control.
Solution: The solution lies in mentally detaching ourselves from the facilities we are using. That means we use them but we are not dependent on them. For this we need to remind ourselves that we are the creator and whatever facilities are available to us are the creation. This enables us to develop mastery and control over everything. 

 

       [BKSHIVANI]

How Often And Why Do I Need To Meditate

As explained yesterday, we regularly and quite easily slip into four main negative habits. So meditation is not only sitting in a quiet corner, and connecting with the self and the Supreme, at a couple of fixed times during the day, but it is also the way to gently remember and remind ourselves, many times in a day, that we as well as others, are souls or spiritual beings not physical beings, by detaching ourselves from actions and also while being involved in actions. These reminders given to the self over a period of time become natural and prevent us from succumbing to these four habits. Given below is a basic meditation, which you could use to remind yourself regularly during the day:
I have a body but this body is not me…
I have thoughts but these thoughts are not me …
I have feelings but these feelings are not me …
I have attitudes but these attitudes are not me …
I have emotions but these emotions are not me …
I have beliefs but these beliefs are not me …
I perform many actions through my sense organs, but these sense organs are not me…
I play many roles but I am not my roles…
I experience joy or sorrow through my sense organs, but these experiences are not me …
I am a soul – a being of energy, which is neither created nor can be destroyed, and my original and true nature is one of peace, love, joy and power… 

 

             [BKSHIVANI]

Different Thought Types

By understanding each one of the thoughts that the mind creates we can keep the beneficial thoughts and discard those which are useless or harmful. Today we explain:

Necessary Thoughts

Necessary thoughts are those relating to your daily routine, such as,

* What am I going to have for dinner?
* What time am I picking up the children from school?
* What is the number of my bank account?
* What have I got to do today .... etc.?

They are also thoughts connected with your profession or job. These necessary thoughts related to your daily life come into your mind according to your responsibilities and needs at a more physical, material and professional level. When these thoughts are repeated over and over again, they become unnecessary or waste thoughts. 

Waste Thoughts

Waste thoughts are thoughts that are produced at untimely moments that fill us with worry and anxiety when they appear in our minds. They have no constructive use. Unnecessary and useless thoughts are quick and repetitive which lead you nowhere. Often they refer to things from the past:

* If this hadn't happened ...
* Why did she have to say that to me?

Too many thoughts are about things that we cannot change, or worries about the future:

* What will happen tomorrow?
* How will it happen?
* What will I do if I find myself on my own?
* If I had been there at the time, this disaster would not have happened.
* If I had had this information at the time, I would have won the case.
* When I get the degree, I will be more respected by my superiors.

Your ability to concentrate is weakened by these useless thoughts. If you have a lot of these thoughts you use more energy and time to undertake each task. The origins of negativity also reside in them.

From the time that the past has already passed and the future is yet to come, these kinds of thoughts are not useful and they also weaken your inner strength and exhaust you. It is vital that we learn to avoid this pattern of thinking. In this way you will be more focused and your decision making capacity will improve. 

Negative Thoughts

Negative thoughts not only harm you but have an impact on others also. These thoughts disturb your peace and weaken your inner strength. If these thoughts occur on a regular basis, they can cause health problems, both physical and mental. They can even become destructive.

Negative thoughts are based on the five vices primarily - lust, anger, greed, ego, attachment. They are chiefly caused by selfish and harmful reasons, without taking into account the values and inner qualities of the person e.g.

* I think they should pay me more without having to do any more work to earn it (greed).

Negative thoughts also arise from unsatisfied expectations, in disagreements, in laziness, revenge, racism, jealousy, criticism, hate and an excess of power.

* My boss never appreciates my work but he always values my colleagues more (jealousy).
  
Positive Thoughts

Positive thoughts are those thoughts which give us and others the experience of our original virtues like peace, love, joy, purity and power. They enable us to collect inner strength and equip us to wear a constructive attitude. Positive thinking means looking at what is beneficial in all circumstances, without being trapped in what is visible externally in those particular situations. Thinking positively involves looking at problems and recognizing realities, but at the same time being able to find solutions without being confused and experiencing feelings of powerlessness. This often requires tolerance, patience, peace and spiritual wisdom.

Positive thoughts make one internally strong and as a result our expectations of others decrease. This does not mean that they do not matter to us, but that we no longer demand love, respect, recognition, etc. from them, which is the best way to create long-lasting and harmonious relationships.

A person who thinks positively is aware of the weaknesses of others, but even then will direct his/her attention towards their positive sanskaras or personality traits. When we have inner happiness and are filled with positive energy, we have the strength to accept other people as they are without wanting them to be different. This acceptance produces more stable relationships. 

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Warm Regards,
Awakening With Brahma Kumaris


- Watch Awakening With Brahma Kumaris daily on Headlines Today at 6:30 a.m., Aastha at 7:10 p.m. and Sanskar at 10:00 p.m. Also watch in English, every Sunday, on Aastha from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. 

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To have true faith in oneself is to attain success

Projection: Sometimes false courage is mistaken as faith. When we take up some task we might be deceived into a feeling of having a lot of courage which makes us over-confident. Then instead of putting in effort to give our best we tend to become careless. Such carelessness will not enable us to achieve easy success.

Solution: We need to check within ourselves and see if we have true faith in ourselves or not. Faith always comes with the recognition of our own specialities. We also need to pay special attention to work towards something that we can achieve. When we do this we will find ourselves succeeding naturally. 

Harmonizing The Mind And The Intellect

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

[BKSHIVANI]

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." 

 

 [BKSHIVANI]

 

Tapping Supreme Guidance

[1]

There are many occasions in my day-to-day life when I am not sure as to what my next course of action should be in that particular situation. The intellect is the faculty inside the soul which normally takes all decisions for the soul. But sometimes the intellect is clouded by my own or others' sanskaras, beliefs, opinions, inclinations, assumptions, thoughts, actions, past experiences, etc.

In such a situation, I require the guidance of an entity who:

* is above the whole situation and is seeing it as a spectator or observer and is not a player in the situation,

* is the knower of the three aspects of time (the past, present and the future),

* can see the situation from all dimensions or perspectives,

* is beyond all influences and is impartial,

* is extremely pure and clear,

* knows me more than I know myself,

* knows my benefit and harm more than I know it myself,

* someone who is selfless and is concerned for my well being the most, etc.

No human entity can fulfill all these requirements. 

[2]

In yesterday's message, we had discussed how no human entity can fulfill all the necessary requirements of someone who can guide us correctly in any difficult situation. Thus to proceed in such a situation, it's good to take the guidance from the intellect of someone who fulfills all these criteria. That someone is no one except the Supreme Being or God, who is the entity possessing the most powerful intellect, and intellect with the most perfect judgment power. Sometimes my mind and intellect is absolutely clean and clear and I am 100% sure about my right course of action for the future, but even in those times its good to verify the course of action from a higher authority. So, in those times, it is very important to connect for a few minutes with the Supreme, who is an Energy of Unlimited Truth. Then, the question to ask myself at that time is not what do I want, or what do others want, but most importantly: What does the Supreme want, what is his wish, what is his perception of the situation? The deeper my connection with Him in meditation, the clearer the answer will come.

When it becomes a regular practice, it will be as simple as taking guidance from my physical parent or spouse or friend. I'll know without wasting time and energy, the right course of action. Sometimes it may happen that the answer may not come to me immediately, but by connecting my intellect with the Supreme's intellect my intellect will become clear, which will help me take the right decision. Also, in some cases the Supreme may not respond immediately but may guide me through some other medium, whether living or non-living after some time or even after a day or two.

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Awakening With Brahma Kumaris

The Power To Transform Emotions

 

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.  

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 emotionally damaged 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.

 

[bkshivani]

 

Physical Benefits Of Positive Thinking

* You feel more relaxed physically.
* You feel more active with more energy.
* Your breathing improves, being slower and deeper.
* Your immunological system is strengthened and your digestive system improves.
* The nervous system is strengthened.
* Your mind is balanced and in harmony and your health improves.
* Your energy flows better and you feel more active.

Warm Regards,
Awakening With Brahma Kumaris


- Watch Awakening With Brahma Kumaris daily on Headlines Today at 6:30 a.m., Aastha at 7:10 p.m. and Sanskar at 10:00 p.m. Also watch in English, every Sunday, on Aastha from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. 

 

Positive Reflections For The Day are messages sent by Awakening With Brahma Kumaris. If you are not receiving Positive Reflections already and would like to receive it daily, please send an email to the email address awakeningwithbks@bkmail.org asking us for the same.

 

 

[BKSHIVANI] 

 

 

Moving From ‘Action’ Consciousness 

To ‘Spiritual’ Consciousness

 

 

As the name suggests, to be a `rajayogi' means to be a practitioner of meditation, who with the practice of meditation is able become a ruler of the self. But on the other hand, `rajayoga' is not restricted to learning to discipline the physical sense organs only but more importantly, of redirecting the energy of my thoughts, feelings, emotions, intellect and `sanskaras' in a positive and constructive way. When these energies become positive, my `karmas' start becoming elevated. And how do I make these energies positive? By performing actions while having a mental connection with the Supreme Being or by having a meditative consciousness while walking, interacting, cooking, driving or working - in fact, while doing anything. After all, meditation is specifically related to the use of the mind and intellect and does not require the use of the physical sense organs and so can be done alongside each `karma' in the day – only the form of meditation changes depending on the `karma' being performed. Just as we can remember other things and people while being involved in various activities throughout the day, we can keep our minds on our true spiritual self, the Supreme Being, churn different aspects of spiritual knowledge, remain focused on a single aspect of spiritual knowledge, etc. while performing' karmas' – these are all some of the different forms of meditation – there are more that can be practiced. Thus, `rajayoga' can also be called `karmayoga'. `Karmayoga' meaning the one who maintains the balance of meditation and `karmas' while being involved or busy in `karmas'. 

 

Where there is humility there is the give and take of love

Expression: Usually we don't even know when we are working with our ego because it is deeply concealed. Even when someone points out our ego, we don't want to accept it and we continue to work with it. Ego finishes the ability to learn and negatively effects our relationships because there is no give and take of love.

Experience: The method to overcome ego is to develop humility. Humility means to be strong within yet to be gentle and flexible. This enables us to bend i.e., to bow. When we bow it doesn't mean we are defeated, but it reveals our own victory. It is only when we bend and forgive will we be able to allow the flow of love in relationships.  

 

 

 

BRAHMA KUMARIS

Valuing The Physical And The Non Physical

When the soul leaves the body, it's not just the body that dies but it's as if all the connections with the world of that individual are simply switched off. Not only the relationships but all specific plans, projects and desires suddenly have no further means (medium) through which they can be expressed or put into practice. The powers of thinking, deciding and the personality traits ('sanskaras') connected with the life that is being left behind, stop and get hidden momentarily to emerge again in a new body, a new life. All the material things that belonged to that particular individual are passed on to others.

It's interesting to note that even when the body is sick it can only be treated when the soul is still present. If we take out the soul no one remains to look after the body.

On the other hand, the body is a truly marvelous vehicle for the soul to express itself through. No manufactured machine could hope to compete. For example, it is calculated that in just one day, the brain is able to complete a hundred times more connections than the entire telecommunications system of the planet. Or compare the human eye with any manufactured camera or the heart with any manufactured pump. The body's importance cannot be played down or not taken into account.

--

Warm Regards,
Awakening With Brahma Kumaris 


Positive Reflections For The Day are messages sent by Awakening With Brahma Kumaris. If you are not receiving Positive Reflections already and would like to receive it daily, please send an email to the email address awakeningwithbks@bkmail.org asking us for the same.

 

[bkshivani] 

 The Source Of Pure Love

The highest love is the Supreme Being's (Supreme Soul's) love. This is the love of the perfect spiritual being (soul), the perfect parent towards the imperfect child where the parent does not see the child's weaknesses. Just as the flower turns each morning to absorb the light and warmth of the sun we too need to turn each day to absorb the light of truth and warmth of pure love from the Supreme Being, from the Source. This is not the God of a religious belief system, but the personal god that we all share, the one parent and friend that we all share. This is not a God as a concept, nor is God a belief. If we hold God just as a concept or belief in our minds, which is perhaps what we learned as children, we will never know him, never experience the greatest and deepest love. We cannot receive love from a belief just and we cannot have a real relationship with a concept. Instead, it is necessary to establish a personal relationship with God through a silent conversation of thoughts and feelings (to begin with). Hence the need to practice quietening a busy mind, the need to free our feelings from emotional disturbance. The Supreme Being is available to everyone but few of us know how or where to direct our attention. The connecting and absorbing of the love of God is a personal process called meditation, that never costs anything and can finally become a natural part of living each day. 

 

To say yes is to have regard for all

 Expression: When someone expects us to do something that we don't like our usual reaction is to say no and give reasons why we don't want to do it or why we don't agree with what the other person is saying. But it usually happens that once we say no, the other person is no longer able to listen to what we have to say.

Experience: Instead of saying 'no', we need to practice saying 'yes'. To say yes means to try to understand what the other person is saying. Only after that can we put forth our argument. And then the other person will also give regard to our opinion. This practice will enable us to get good wishes from others and increase our chance for success.
 

 

Soul Wound Healing Through Meditation

Our connection with the Supreme Soul, through meditation, is the best way of healing the inner wounds and negative traces, inside the soul, which have been left by the negative karmas of the past. Given below is a meditation commentary that will help you to absorb the positive healing energy of the Supreme in order to do the same:

I become aware of myself as a tiny sparkling star of light, situated just above the eyebrows - a soul... In soul consciousness, I experience the beauty of the many qualities like peace, love and bliss; of the spiritual being that I am... Now I turn my mind to the soul world... Over there, I visualize, in front of me - a sparkling Sun of golden light - God, the Father and Mother of me, the soul... He radiates immense spiritual energy...  I turn my mind and intellect to his light... I feel the warmth of His presence and the light of His love for me gently healing the wounds of the past that are buried deep inside me, the soul... wounds left by ego, fear, sorrow, jealousy, hatred, anger...

While I sit and absorb this healing energy from the Source, I also transmit that light and positive energy out into the world... This light touches everyone I know and have ever known... It is a light which also heals my negative vision of them... I now recognize everyone around me as bother souls, playing their own unique roles... With this new soul-conscious vision, I experience unconditional love for each soul and all negative memories and past hurts associated with each of my relationships is consciously released... The past is forgotten, resulting in a deep feeling of freedom inside me...

The beauty of the Law of Karma is realizing that when our consciousness is filled with happiness, peace and love for others today; and we transmit that positivity to others through our words and actions, the energy received back from each of our relationships, as a result of doing that; ensures that our own future will be bright.


Warm Regards,
Awakening With Brahma Kumaris


- Watch Awakening With Brahma Kumaris daily on Headlines Today at 6:30 a.m., Aastha at 7:10 p.m. and Sanskar at 10:00 p.m. Also watch in English, every Sunday, on Aastha from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. 

[bkshivani] 

Determination enables us to overcome our weaknesses

Expression: When we recognize any weakness of ours, we want to make effort to remove it. But usually we work on it for a few days with great attention. After some time, we find ourselves losing interest and the weakness gets stronger taking hold of us once again. We find ourselves exactly where we had started having no further enthusiasm to work on ourselves.

Experience: In order to overcome any weakness of ours, we need to have a strong aim in our mind to remove it. With this comes the determination to work on it without losing hope. Even if we find ourselves becoming slack, we need to remind ourselves that we don't want that particular weakness in our life. Then we will be able to work at removing the weakness fully.  

 

 

Overcoming Mood Swings

At each moment of the day, we have the capability to feel something. Our feelings vary throughout the course of the day. Sometimes they are joyful and sometimes they are painful. What we forget to do is to choose our feelings consciously.  Instead, many of us have become lazy and allowed our feelings to be dictated and shaped by people and circumstances.   In other words, we have become influenced.   Our swinging, changing moods are the result of the inner karma of becoming attached to things, people, ideas and circumstances.  If we are attached to a person and suddenly he/she leaves us we will feel gloomy and our mood of sadness will drain our energy just when we need to remain optimistic and enthusiastic about the future. Any form of loss will bring about a mood of sadness. If this sadness lasts for a long period of time, it will gradually turn into depression.

When we think we are consider the world around us to be our source of happiness and joy, our moods will fluctuate, even with the changing weather.  But when we are spiritually empowered or strong our happiness and joy come from inside.  We are stable in the face of praise or insult, loss or gain.  We are no longer moody and stability becomes our basic nature. We are in control of our life, our feelings. And while we cannot control the waves of the ocean of life around us, we can control and choose how we will respond to outer events and people.  When we do that, we will be able to choose what we feel, regardless of what may happen in our life.   Life stops being a rollercoaster and becomes more of a cruise, less a storm and more a gentle breeze.

-----

Warm Regards,
Awakening With Brahma Kumaris 

Positive Reflections For The Day are messages sent by Awakening With Brahma Kumaris. If you are not receiving Positive Reflections already and would like to receive it daily, please send an email to the email address awakeningwithbks@bkmail.org asking us for the same.

 
- Watch Awakening With Brahma Kumaris daily on Headlines Today at 6:30 a.m., Aastha at 7:10 p.m. and Sanskar at 10:00 p.m. Also watch in English, every Sunday, on Aastha from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. 

 

 [bkshivani]

 

Our words are effective only when we combine them with pure thoughts and inspirational actions.

Expression: As soon as we find someone's mistake it is natural for us to give correction through our words. We tend to explain to others using a lot of words. Yet we find that inspite of saying the right thing we are not being listened to and our words are just wasted away. We don't understand at such times where the problem lies.

Experience: To enable our corrections to others to be effective, we have to combine our thoughts, words and actions. There need to be good wishes in our thoughts which also brings sweetness in our words. We also need to take care that we are putting into action all that we are talking. When we do this we will find that our words are really effective.
 

bkshivani

When we are in the elevated company of the One God

 

 When we are in the elevated company of the One God, no bad company will influence us.

Expression: Sometimes when we are working for our self- development we sometimes wish for support or understanding from others which we don't always get. We actually look for a role model, whom we could follow or who could be an inspiration for us. When we don't find anyone like that we tend to get disheartened and continue to justify ourselves for not bringing any change in ourselves.

Experience: The solution lies in becoming a role model and a source of support for others instead of expecting others to do so. For this we need to pay extra attention to the kind of company we keep. Under all circumstances, if we keep God as our companion we will not be influenced by any other company, however strong they might be. We will then be able to bring about change in ourselves.

bkshivani

Meditation For Personality Transformation

At the heart of every human being or soul there is a spiritual energy, pure, of peace, love, truth and happiness without dependence. Being aware and experiencing this energy provides you with the inner strength necessary for change. Meditation is the method of access in order to allow that energy to come to the surface of your consciousness and in your mind in order to color your thoughts and feelings. In a way very similar to that of a volcano whose melted lava, hot, flows from the centre of the Earth to the surface, we, on meditating, can create volcanoes of power (which emerge in our conscious minds) required for personality transformation.
You can do an exercise, a meditation whereby you choose a habit or `sanskar' that you don't want, and you will replace it with a characteristic that you would like to incorporate, like a thread, into the cloth of your personality. For example, replace impatience with patience.

Decide on a habit that you want to change e.g. impatience. We will focus this meditation on changing impatience. You can apply it to other habits also:

I relax and prepare to look inwards…
I am aware of the unwanted habit of becoming impatient...
As I sit in meditation, I relax my body.
I become the observer of my own thoughts and feelings...
Realizing my true identity as soul – a subtle point of light situated at the center of my forehead, just above my eyebrows, I remember my real nature is one of calmness, peace and power...
I focus on the power of peace, inviting it in and welcoming it into my thoughts and feelings from deep within.... enjoying the calm contentment which it brings...
On the screen of my mind, I begin to visualize patience...
I see myself in a situation where I normally become impatient…
I now see myself as being completely full with the virtue of patience...
I shape my feelings around the idea and image of patience.... unhurried and relaxed... calm and watchful...
If necessary, I can wait... forever.... with patience
I am free of the desire for certain outcomes...
I see how I respond with patience...
I see the effect of my patience in others within the situation...
I now know how I will speak with patience, walk with patience and act patiently in the real life situations...
I maintain this peace, which generates serenity and patience in me…

Tapping Supreme Guidance

There are many occasions in my day-to-day life when I am not sure as to what my next course of action should be in that particular situation. The intellect is the faculty inside the soul which normally takes all decisions for the soul. But sometimes the intellect is clouded by my own or others' sanskaras, beliefs, opinions, inclinations, assumptions, thoughts, actions, past experiences, etc.

In such a situation, I require the guidance of an entity who:

* is above the whole situation and is seeing it as a spectator or observer and is not a player in the situation,

* is the knower of the three aspects of time (the past, present and the future),

* can see the situation from all dimensions or perspectives,

* is beyond all influences and is impartial,

* is extremely pure and clear,

* knows me more than I know myself,

* knows my benefit and harm more than I know it myself,

* someone who is selfless and is concerned for my well being the most, etc.

No human entity can fulfill all these requirements.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

------

 

Positive Reflections For The Day are messages sent by Awakening With Brahma Kumaris. If you are not receiving Positive Reflections already and would like to receive it daily, please send an email to the email address awakeningwithbks@bkmail.org asking us for the same.


Warm Regards,
Awakening With Brahma Kumaris

BK SHIVANI'

To celebrate means to finish all trace of the old

 

Expression: We find that whenever there is an occasion, we are full of zeal and enthusiasm for that day. However this doesn't continue for long and we find ourselves getting caught with our old nature. We then give the excuse to ourselves saying, 'this is how we are, and this is our nature' etc. Once we start working with our old nature we cannot be enthusiastic anymore.

Experience: Each new festival is an occasion for us to finish something of the old. We only need to take a determined thought to remove something of our old nature. We no longer need to give excuses, but make the firm promise to ourselves to transform. Our zeal and enthusiasm will then never lessen and we will continue to celebrate with constant enthusiasm.

 

Understanding What Is ‘Time’

We created the concept of time to measure our experience of the space between events. Time passes only because we experience change. What is change? Change is only a series of events. So time is our experience of the speed of events. This explains why time seems to be moving faster today, because both the speed and the number of events are increasing. And it seems even faster if we participate in those events. If the speed and number of events was less, we would experience time to be moving slowly, as it used to be a little earlier in the history of mankind.

Today, sitting in our living rooms and offices, electronic, print and other media allows us to observe hundreds of events from all over the world, every day. To observe them actively is to participate in them. If you want to slow time down, learn to be a detached observer of the thousands of events around you – participate or observe actively only when necessary. If you want to stop time, meditate and be in your original, timeless, eternal consciousness. Meditation is after all an art of shutting down your senses and slowing down. Today, we fear time, as a result we hear ourselves saying many a times, "Hurry up, time is running out!" or "I hope to have more time tomorrow!' or "I need to save time!" Ultimately time, is our life: it cannot be saved or lost, but must be lived now. This is where your will-power is important - we can choose exactly how we spend our time at any moment. 

 

To work with the inner happiness is to move forward with lightness

Expression: Usually we do take care not to give sorrow to others, but we sometimes do take sorrow from the words and behaviour of others. This disturbs our own inner state and we are not able to work with lightness. Then we find that we are not able to be effective in our work and this further effects our inner state.

Experience: We need to pay special attention not to take sorrow from anyone. As much as we are careful not to give sorrow to others, we need to make sure we don't take any sorrow too. That means we need to remain light by keeping ourselves open to criticism. We need to take any criticism that comes our way in the right spirit and see that we learn from it without having any negative thoughts. 

 

To remain alert means to ensure our success

Expression: Inspite of putting in our best efforts we do find ourselves taken by surprise in certain situations and we experience failure. We often do not understand why we are experiencing failure even though we have put in our best efforts. At such times just blaming our fate will not help but what we need to do is to check within ourselves to see if we have something to change.

Experience: If we experience failure, it means some or the other weakness of ours is definitely working at that time. We need to check and recognise our weakness and be constantly alert to it. Since it might start working at any time we need to be totally alert and then we will find that the weakness will not take us by surprise. We will then be able to attain total success.  

 

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The Flight of Harmony

The Flight Of Harmony

There are two faces to one coin; a person who wishes to live fully as a human being needs to understand that the existence of one's unique individuality has to be acknowledged, as well as the existence of the group or collective. One cannot exist without the other. Individuals who are developing spiritually feel a personal sense of value. They clearly recognize their uniqueness and have the feeling that there is the freedom to be whatever they choose to be. At the same time, their sense of personal independence allows them to come close to others and work with them. They do not have selfish independence. They get close to others because they have found fulfillment in their own self. Someone who has truly found the value of the self above and beyond labels, name, fame and approval can effectively cooperate within the collective or group and interact appropriately. Such people not only feel themselves to be a part of the whole but, even more importantly, the group or collective feels them to be a part of the whole.

In nature, when birds have to fly to a warmer climate in winter, they flock together and start their journey as a group. The success of the journey depends on the group: if an individual bird does not join the group, it cannot reach the destination on its own. Birds fly in a particular formation, with an appropriate space between them as they fly. If they fly too close to each other, their wings get entangled; they lose their balance and fall. If they remain too far from each other, the formation cannot be created properly, and they are not able to ride the currents of air, which help to propel them in their flight. Furthermore, the leader of the formation does not remain the leader throughout the whole flight, but moves back and allows another to take its place. This repositioning continues throughout the flight until the destination is reached, allowing individual birds to contribute to the success of the journey.

The reality of life is that we are individuals within a collective whole. Just like the birds, we are all a part of an unlimited Flight of Harmony.

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Positive Reflections For The Day are messages sent by Awakening With Brahma Kumaris. If you are not receiving Positive Reflections already and would like to receive it daily, please send an email to the email address awakeningwithbks@bkmail.org asking us for the same.


Warm Regards,
Awakening With Brahma Kumaris

Weight Reduction

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

If you are interested in losing weight, practice
not eating everything on your plate.  Leave just    
one thing on your plate to break your habit of
eating all your food.  

Thoughts And Images (I)

We are glad to share with you that the Positive Reflections messages are presently going to 30,000 direct subscribers. Apart from this medium, the messages are also sent through the Brahma Kumaris website http://www.brahmakumaris.com.

Today's Positive Reflection
The Subtle Role Play Of Thoughts And Images

The human soul is a subtle (non-physical) stage on which a subtle role play of thoughts and images constantly takes place throughout the day and even while sleeping. We have explained in our older messages how thoughts are of 4 main different types - positive which are based on virtues, necessary related to day-to-day activities, waste which are mainly unnecessary and related to the past and future and negative which are related to vices and other weaknesses. In the same way, we also constantly create images or scenes, which are of the same 4 types, which is why we commonly use the term 'the eye of the mind'. The mind not only thinks or speaks subtly but visualizes or sees subtly too, almost all the time.

These two processes function, sometimes independent of each other as well as sometimes dependent on each other i.e. influencing each other e.g. think of peace and that leads to visualizations related to the same. Visualize an unpleasant scene of anger and hatred, and your thoughts are led in that direction. Sometimes these two processes function at the same time and sometimes one at a time. Sometimes neither functions at all, which happens much more frequently while sleeping as compared to when we are awake. This subtle, physically invisible role play is the foundation of the physical role play of words and actions that is visible to the self and everyone else around you.

(To be continued tomorrow ...)

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Positive Reflections For The Day are messages sent by the Brahma Kumaris. If you are not receiving Positive Reflections already and would like to receive it daily, from the Brahma Kumaris, please send an email to the email address awakeningwithbks@bkmail.org with - Subscribe - written in the subject.

Special Message For The New Year

There is a time, when enough is enough... There is a time to bid goodbye to the old and the ordinary... and to awaken the beauty within...
That time is NOW ... It is time to get up and take charge of life ...

Awaken to a new way of living - HAPPY New YEAR, New THOUGHTS, New LIFE, New WORLD ....

We all want a world which is safe, where each of us gets the respect and dignity we deserve. A world free of abuse and exploitation.
LET US BEGIN WITH OUR SELF.

Every thought of criticism, jealousy, anger, hatred, rejection or hurt which we create is self inflicted abuse. Let us promise our self, that we will protect our self from our own sanskars. As we do that we will be making love and harmony our natural 'sanskar', and then automatically be compassionate towards others.

As we begin the New Year with powerful greetings and blessings for all our family and friends, let us take a moment to greet ourselves. To promise ourselves a year full of LOVE, PEACE and HAPPINESS. Let us leave behind what we don't need to carry ...HURT, SADNESS, PAIN,
FEAR and REGRETS, because we have a choice and the power.

We pledge today, that our every thought, word and action will come out of our natural qualities of Peace and Love.

Create a determined thought, and see yourself doing it in action with family, friends, colleagues, staff, neighbours and strangers. Together we are creating a NEW WORLD, a world where -
Peace is the religion
Love is the language
Compassion is the relationship
Truth is in action and
Happiness is a way of living.

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Positive Reflections For The Day are messages sent by the Brahma Kumaris. If you are not receiving Positive Reflections already and would like to receive it daily, from the Brahma Kumaris, please send an email to the email address awakeningwithbks@bkmail.org with - Subscribe - written in the subject.


Warm Regards,
Awakening With Brahma Kumaris


- Watch Awakening With Brahma Kumaris daily on Headlines Today at 6:30 a.m., Aastha at 7:10 p.m. and Sanskar at 10:00 p.m. Also watch in English, every Sunday, on Aastha from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The Functioning Of My Internal Processor

 

The body consists of physical limbs to move around and carry out its tasks in the physical world. So too, the soul has the subtle limbs – the limb possessing the power to think (mind), the limb possessing the power to reason and make decisions (intellect) and limb of its own unique personality. These three subtle limbs are used to maneuver, control and carry out tasks in the inner subtle (non-physical) world of thoughts, feelings, emotions, decisions, mental images and nature characteristics (or commonly called habits). I need to understand completely how these limbs work individually and also how they function together in conjunction as a team. This understanding helps me immensely in putting my personal mental and emotional world in order.

If the processor of my computer develops a problem, my computer comes to a standstill. I will be able to fix it only if I know how it works. In the same way, I have an internal processor which has three processes going on inside it continuously right through the day - the processes of thinking (mind), deciding (intellect) and becoming (sanskaras) – which affect my complete functioning as a human being. Only if I understand completely the functioning of this internal processor, can I start to correct myself and function well.

Wish you and your families a Prosperous & Happy New Year 2013

May this New Year brings lots of Fun, Health, Wealth and Happiness

 

[BK Shivani]