Find the Better Way of Doing Things To Move Towards Progress !!

True progress brings progress in others as much as for the self. 

It is usually believed that self-progress and progress of others are totally separate. It is believed that where there is thought for the progress of the self, there is selfishness and there is no benefit for those around. In fact, selfishness in an extreme form can also have a negative influence on those around. In whatever we do we have to check and see if there is any benefit for others along with whatever benefit we are getting. If there isn't we can check to see if there is a better way of doing what we are doing which could have a positive influence on at least one person. Then we will find ourselves benefitting doubly. We will get the blessings from others along with the personal benefit we get.

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Control Frustration & Notice Own Complements !!

To overcome your frustration with people whose nature is the opposite of yours, acknowledge how they complement you.

If your talent is to see the big picture, who pays attention to the small details? Dynamism is balanced by gentleness, frankness by subtlety.

Today, notice how others' strengths complement yours. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Be True, Merciful & Faithful To Achieve Progress !

An angel's face is still because there are no lies inside. Truth makes it a straight, simple face whose beauty lies not in its form but in the feeling it gives you. 

A person with the quality of mercy works on such a subtle level that the support given never demeans or implies weakness in the other person. 

Faith in one's progress brings contentment.

Even when the situation is not according to what is expected, there is contentment for the one who has faith in his own progress.  Such a person will not just sit back waiting for things to change nor will he just curse his fate.  Instead he'll do his best and use all his resources in bettering the situation.

The understanding that all life's situations are a training for me, automatically keeps me content in all situations.  There is naturally an experience of constant progress and a feeling of having gained something from all situations.

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Spread Love Through Everything That You Do !

When we're cooking, our minds are working.
When we're stirring and rolling and baking, we're thinking. 
Thinking creates vibrations because that's what thoughts do. 
The vibes affect both the food and the people who eat the food. 

So, cook with care; 
watch out for what's you're thinking; and don't forget that in the best of recipes, 
love is the secret ingredient. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Use Time Effectively To Get Rid of Negative Thoughts !!

Save time. If you know the value of time you can create extra time by not wasting it. By not throwing it away in trivial, wasteful thoughts that distract and divert us. By not squandering it in careless words that cause sorrow and eventually return to cause regret and demand recompense. Save time now. For if not now, then never. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

The Power of Faith Can Do Wonders !!

The power of faith unites everyone, irrespective of individual religious or social beliefs. It unites everyone in our personal commitment to peace, love and non-violence. And as it raises our level of consciousness, we change for the better. As we change as individuals, there can be only one outcome. The total consciousness of the world must change for the better too. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Being Lighter By Packing Up !

Packing up means being 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. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Do Your Best All Day Long !!

Where we are with the truth, there is constant cheerfulness. When everything we do is based on truth, we will have no regrets. If there is any trace of falsehood we will begin to feel guilty. Inner cheer is automatically destroyed by a conscience that bites. In all that we do throughout the day let there be the aim in our mind that we do it the best. When we do everything to the best of our ability we will not regret later. We will then naturally be free from guilt and we will be constantly cheerful. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Positive Thinking And Actions Can Bring Down Your Stress !

Stress Management 

Most of us have learned to believe some stress is both natural and necessary. One of the most powerful illusions, which keep us locked in a stressful lifestyle, is the idea that our stress is caused by circumstances, events and other people. As long as you think this way you will always be in self-created pain. Some people have been in pain for so long they cannot imagine being pain free, and real relaxation is a dim and distant memory. So they justify their pain as a natural part of living and then feel that others are a cause of this pain. This is dangerous. To listen to the messenger of pain means seeing and acknowledging our stress as our own creation. It is the result of how we respond to the uncontrollables in life i.e. circumstances, events and other people. No one else creates our responses. 

If you can see and accept that you create your own stress according to how you are responding, you will then see that there is something you need to unlearn as well as learn. The old response needs to be unlearned, and a new positive response needs to be learned. The regular practice of meditation enables you to do that and become free from stress. If we want to change a habit, then where do we start? In other words, where do we change the system or how do we get out of the cycle? First of all, we can try changing our negative actions: for example, stop a negative habit like smoking. In many cases, although we change our behaviour, but because we have not understood deeply why we wanted to do it, is quite possible that one day we will go back to this old habit.

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Be a Fragrant Aroma in Life - Think Positive !!

Although your thoughts, attitudes, intentions and feelings are not visible, they do have an effect. They permeate the atmosphere and influence the mood in a room, like the aroma from an incense stick, curling through the air ... 

Negative thoughts and intentions or a less than generous attitude release a heavy pungent odour. 

Kind thoughts, beneficial intentions, or an understanding attitude create a fragrant aroma, uplifting the atmosphere. 

What atmosphere are you creating?

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Know Yourself To Be Positive !

It is our habit to react in a negative, emotional way when someone says or thinks negatively about us. The feeling of being insulted and upset is a choice, which is in our hands, it is not a certainty. It doesn’t matter what anyone says or thinks about you, as long as you think well of yourself, then you will not lose your inner stability, your cool, your inner peace, your power and your ability to respond positively. It’s easy isn’t it? No! Why? The key is not making the opinion of yourself dependent on the opinion of others. If you do so, it is dangerous. Don’t worry about what anyone thinks about you. A hundred people in your life are all thinking different things about you – you can never know exactly what anyone of them is thinking, because you can never be in someone else’s mind. And even if you did know, are they not allowed to have their opinion? You know who you are, you know your own inner qualities and specialties…don’t you?

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Reflection (thinking deeply) is a necessary step in digesting knowledge.

Reflection is an exercise of the mind and intellect that goes into the depths of understanding an idea, or realization, or point of knowledge with the aim of practicing it in daily life.

Values in my life are a sign that knowledge has been digested; without this, knowledge simply remains a beautiful aspect, appreciated, interesting information in my intellect but without the ability to give me strength because it is still external; it has not been internalized.

All quality action (quality action is that action which is truly appropriate to person, circumstance and the need of the moment), all newness of perception (understanding), all new insights, or vision, require a space for silent reflection as a preliminary step. 

Normally, we are lost in the business of action, its routine and ritual that make our life so mechanical and hence dull and boring, or demanding and hectic.

A mind and intellect that do not give time and attention to reflective silence (meditation) become lazy, though externally there is lots of activity for hours and hours. No new heights are reached because there is no depth of awareness in what we are doing, no reflection on purpose. As a result, we get trapped by routine. 

To break free from this force, to relieve the mind of the weight of stress and waste and routine, I need to step inside and reflect (think) on who I am and where I am going and reassess my value system.

Reflection and taking time to understand spiritual knowledge bring us to the essence of everything. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Consciousness of Soul Opens Up Own Qualities !!

What Is Consciousness? 

The soul is conscient energy, aware of its own existence. Consciousness can be described as the feeling "I am" or "I exist". If you examine any thought-decision-action process, you will find that behind it, there is always the feeling: "I am something or the other". Consciousness is thus the springboard for thought, decisions and actions. In other words, the soul reacts to external circumstances according to how it regards itself at that particular moment.

E.g. a doctor is able to perform an operation when there is the consciousness of being a doctor. That very consciousness unlocks or gives the soul access to all the information and experience related to being a doctor. The soul when it has the consciousness of being a soul is able to have instant access to its own original qualities. As we have discussed, there are two different basic levels of consciousness; "I am a body" or .I am a soul," the former, illusory (false) and the latter, real. When the feeling is "I am a body," the thought process is trapped in the limitations, problems and vision of the physical identity. Its reaction to others is on the same level.

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Bring Change To Get Rid of Those Bad Habits !

Some habits do not upset us, but others can cause irritation, frustration and desperation. We want to rid ourselves of them: but how? 

When we look at the creation and fulfillment of thoughts, it looks like a closed system: the thoughts lead to actions, the actions create a series of impressions (sanskars), and these impressions are responsible for similar thoughts, which lead us to similar actions, this is a vicious cycle. 

We can try changing our negative actions: for example, stop a negative habit like smoking. In many cases, although we change our behaviour, but because we have not understood deeply why we wanted to do it, is quite possible that one day we will go back to this old habit. 

We can try changing this system in our subconscious. By analyzing what is recorded in our subconscious, through different therapies, the results are not altogether satisfactory. There is always some traumatic event, or painful experience behind a fear which causes us to cling on to a negative habit. And although we can see and recognize our fears and anxieties, if we do not replace them with something better, with a more beneficial and healthier alternative, very often we will feel tempted to cling on to these old systems, even though they do not work and they make us unhappy. To eliminate certain things we have recorded in our subconscious, meditation and silence are the most effect non-violent methods.

Another method is to try and change our beliefs with positive affirmations (thoughts) that strengthen our willpower, and thus introduce a new habit to replace the old one. It is vital not to repeat this affirmation mechanically, but to introduce it into the system of beliefs we hold, and act as if we already were what we express in this affirmation. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Manage Stress by reaching Inner Silence !!

If you can see and accept that you create your own stress according to how you are responding, you will then see that there is something you need to unlearn as well as learn. 

The old response needs to be unlearned, and a new response needs to be learned. 

There is part of you that is perfect and pure. It is untouched by the less than perfect characteristics you've acquired by living in a less than perfect world. It is filled with divine qualities, so is a constant state of resourcefulness and well-being. Its total absence of conflict and negativity of any sort makes this part of you a Still-Point; a deep, enriching experience of Silence. Make time to practise reaching this inner place of Silence. It will bring you untold benefit. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Positive Feelings for Others... Helps Built Self Too !!

If our attention is focused on people's defects and weaknesses, we transmit energy to these aspects and strengthen these weaknesses in the other person and in ourselves. If, on the other hand, our attention is directed at the positive aspects of others, we reinforce these qualities and virtues and help this person express them, which is also beneficial to us. 

Our personality is made up of a series of values, beliefs and habits. If we wish to transfer our energy to new and positive aspects of ourselves, we must choose the personality traits that we want to emerge from us, focusing our time and energy on them and, in this way, this virtue, value or quality will manifest itself in our life. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Put Love In Everything You Do & See The Change !

You always have a choice but you forget that you have it. Do you remember the energy and enthusiasm you had on the first day of your first job? You consciously chose to do the work you had gladly accepted to do. But then you gradually fell asleep to the choice you made, and the day became "I have to" go to work, instead of "I want to" go to work. You forgot to see all the opportunities which come with work - opportunities like learning, nourishing and being nourished by others, developing new relationships, expanding your personal capacity. Instead you decided it was just something that you had to do to 'get the money'. This is why most people are sleep-walking through their lives, and they don't know it. 

The solution, choose your work every day, put the energy of love into your relationships -every day, even if you don't particularly like your job or the people around you. And you'll be amazed at how your life transforms. When you choose to put love into what you do, the universe will move heaven and hell to let you do what you love. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Clear the Mind of Negativity & Fill it with Positivity !

Make a list of the things that worry you most and decide if they are in your circle of influence or worry. Think about what you can really do to have an influence on each of them in an effective way. By determining which of these two circles is the centre around which most of your time and energy revolves, you can discover a great deal about your level of positivity. 

Positive people focus on the things they can do something about. If necessary, they change their attitude. They are aware that perhaps they cannot change the circumstances but they can improve their inner attitude. This is what positive focusing is all about: being creative, thinking differently, being open to listening, being more understanding, more communicative and showing more solidarity. 

Reactive people focus on the problems of the circle and on the circumstances about which they have no control. They react to the defects found in other people. From this worrying, accusations, destructive criticism, feelings of blame, a reactive language and feelings of weakness and frustration can arise. They want others or the circumstances to change first and when that happens, then they will change. Whenever they think that the problem is on the outside, this thought is the problem. 

The negative energy produced as a result of this approach, combined with the lack of attention to the areas in which they could do something to improve the situation, means that the area of influence decreases in size. They give power to what is external so that it dominates them. In other words they think that change must come from "outside towards the inside"; they think that something that is outside must change before they themselves change. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Respond Positive & Be Powerful !

Like a dragon, be powerful and formidable. 

Be a watchful guardian of your inner treasures that contain your self-worth. 

Your wings carry you above any insults hurled your way. 

Any negativity is dispersed by the beating of your wings. 

And the fire you breathe burns any critical words before they emerge from your mouth. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Stay Focused & Have A Clear Picture !

"She should not have done that!" "He should do this!" 

When we're busy judging others we become completely oblivious to what we should be doing! 

Instead, stay focused on what you have to do, then you will remain undisturbed by what others 'should' or 'should not' be doing. 

Visualization is to mentally picture yourself successfully accomplishing a task, before starting it. 

It is much more than wishful thinking. Having a clear picture of your outcome provides direction, generates confidence and eases frustration. As you think, so you become. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Be Contented & Get More Positive !

The more positive the thoughts flowing through my mind, the more contented I will feel.

It is easy to feel contented when we are praised and appreciated but to remain contented when we are being critised and rejected is the mark of real spiritual strength. The way to develop this level of strength is to learn about God's way of loving. Only when I am in deep contemplation can I see God showing me the kind of love I need to express so that I myself never reject or critise and always generate good wishes for others. Then I will feel satisfied no matter what life throws at me.

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Discover Self & Experience A Positivity !

Deep inside each of us is a memory of who we really are, but over time we forget and lose touch with our inner truth. 

When we consciously remember and bring that truth into our everyday experience, it creates great positive transformation. 

Our perception of everything regains harmony, and feelings of peace return. May be its time to remember… 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Keep Mind Cool & Tackle the Situation Easily !!

Experience of true peace brings easy success. 

Whenever things go wrong, we find ourselves worrying a lot about the situation or the things that are going on. Then our mind is no longer in peace but is busy worrying and breaking the situation into pieces. We find that we don't find the accurate solution immediately but are thinking in circles. While working to find solutions, it is more important to work at our own inner peace before we make an attempt to try and find a solution. With the right state of mind, we automatically find that the right decisions are being made by us thus giving us the right results 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Always Keep a Check on your Own & Others Expectations !!

The one who is free from expectations is the one who is constantly cheerful. Usually I am quick to percieve my own desires and I do realise that desires give sorrow. So I make effort to overcome them. But most often I am not able to recognise my own expectations that I have from people which destroy my own cheer. My expectations from others prevent me from bringing about a positive change in myself. I need to recognise that each and every individual is unique with his own unique specialities and values. When I recognise this uniqueness I will not expect people to behave according to what I feel is right but will respect them for what they are. Thus I'll be able to be constantly cheerful.

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Understand Importance of Task & Loving makes all tasks easy.

Love makes all tasks easy. 

Where there is love, there is interest for whatever I do. When my heart is in what I am doing, it seems very easy to do even the most difficult task. It is easy to have love for the task, when I understand its importance. When I begin to love everything I do, understanding the significance of my contribution, I experience lightness. I find nothing difficult to perform and I naturally enjoy everything. No task seems like something difficult to do, but seems more like a game to be enjoyed. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Put Positive Feelings Into Your Services !!

True service is to serve equally through thoughts, words and actions. Whenever I think of serving others, I think of only serving through actions or maybe even through words. I never think of serving through my thoughts too. So sometimes I do find that my service is not complete and doesn't have a true impact. Before I can think of helping someone through words or through actions, I need to make sure I have good wishes for them. Only when my feelings for them are full of positive and powerful wishes can my service create its impact on others. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Find The Truth To Surrender To Almighty !!

The Law of Surrender

According to what or whom your mind thinks consistently of, you will take on the form of the object or the person to which you have surrendered. We can see this in children, when they transfer their minds to actors they see on television, and then begin to behave like them. 

What is the highest form to which we can surrender our self? There may be several answers to this question in our mind. Choose the truth from among them. So what is the truth?

Spirituality gives us answers to questions like: Who am I? Who is the Supreme Being? What is my relationship with him? Where do I come from? Where am I going? What is the purpose of my existence? What is the importance of the present time? How can the Supreme Being empower me at the present time?

The answers to these questions show us the way to surrendering our mind to the Supreme Being, which is the highest entity to which we can surrender. When we do that, gradually we get colored by his knowledge, virtues and powers.

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

The Definitions Of Meditation - Part 2

We can define meditation as the following 'Rs':  (..continued)

5. Relearning

As we become free by practicing meditation we begin to respect ourselves and relearn what it means to value our self, our life and our existence in this great play 

of life. Forgotten truths appear and a new education of the self begins. 

6. Rediscovering

As we relearn, we rediscover our spiritual values and resources and, realizing they were always there, we resolve to use these silent inner treasures, which are the foundation of a better quality of life. 

7. Restoring

As we begin to rediscover our inner spiritual treasures by meditating (explained yesterday) and we start using them, our original strengths and qualities are restored. There is a transition (change) in consciousness enabling confidence and self-esteem to become a natural way of being. 

8. Recharging

The leap of consciousness that occurs when we connect with our inner spiritual self, is a powerful way of recharging the energies of the human mind. The mind is filled with a deep tranquility (peacefulness) that flows into our thoughts and is then reflected in our words and actions. A world of new vision opens where there 

is self-mastery and acceptance of life as it is. 

Concluded

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

The Definitions Of Meditation - Part 1

We can define meditation as the following 'Rs': 

1. Returning 

Meditation is the technique of returning to the original qualities of the self, namely peace, purity, love, bliss and wisdom. We can only do that by taking our thoughts inwards. 

2. Relaxing 

In meditation, the mind disconnects itself from the thoughts of anything external and connects with the inner self. In this way, it is able to receive the positive current of the original strength of the self: a peaceful source of energy. However, at first, it can be difficult to disconnect the many plugs of our everyday life: the plugs of attachment, speed, worry, being busy, etc. It does take some effort.

3. Remembering

As the mind relaxes and gently concentrates on the 'point source' of peace energy, situated at the center of the forehead (during the practice of meditation), the individual begins to remember their spiritual identity. The reason why people are so disoriented in their lives and why they often find life boring, tedious, or empty is 

because they have forgotten who they truly are. 

4. Releasing

As we remember the forgotten reality of the self as a spiritual being and begin to experience our inner source of peace, we are released from the negativity of our mind: wasteful thinking and thoughts filled with doubt, fear and worry - the three great dragons that dominate our mind constantly. 

To Be Continued ....

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Speak With Love Filled With Good Wishes For Others !

Words filled with good wishes bring change in others. When there are good wishes combined with the words that I speak, there is love. Whatever is spoken with love has its effect on others. Such words are free from all kind of negativity, so they naturally have a lot of power. Only such powerful words can bring about a change in others. When I speak with love and good wishes, I find that I am light, knowing that I have no selfishness in whatever I have said. The others too are able to immediately correct themselves. This also enables me to gain good wishes for having taken them a step forward.

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.

Learn from Relationships & Understand Self & Others !

It is only in our relationships that we can truly know ourselves. 

We are a mirror for each other. What we give to others at the level of our thoughts, feelings and attitudes is what we give to ourselves, and will finally come back from others. Our relationships are the real workshop, classroom, learning laboratory of our life. Relationship is not simply getting along with others, it is about understanding, building, nourishing and caring. Every interaction carries a lesson. Take one relationship, look at it, explore it and ask yourself what does it tell you about yourself and your life so far. Let your relationships reveal you to yourself. As you do you will naturally learn what makes relationships work, or not work, as the case may be! And the more you get to know yourself in the mirror of your relationships the more easily you will be able to understand others. 

~ Brahma Kumaris, Mt. Abu