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Soul Sustenance 31-12-2012
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Emotional Joy And Emotional Sorrow
We commonly become emotional, either in times of sorrow e.g. at being separated
from a loved one, at experiencing failure in an external event, on hearing a negative
news, etc. or in times of joy e.g. when our child or spouse or even pet performs
a warm act, while watching a movie, etc. While we have always believed that it is
absolutely normal or natural to become emotional and some of us even believe that
it is good to let go of our emotions and crying once in a while makes us lighter
and stronger; on a spiritual level, becoming emotional comes under the realm of
dependencies and dependencies always weaken us. This is because when we become emotional,
instead of influencing our self on our own, we allow something or someone outside
our self to influence us. We bring that something or someone or some event outside
our self, inside, in front of the eye of our mind, attach our self to it, and lose
our self in it i.e. we let the image hijack our internal world in a way, as we become
subservient to it. As a result our thoughts, feelings, emotions, words,
actions are influenced in a big way by the image. This is a spiritual definition
of becoming emotional. Passing on the remote control of my internal world to the
outer world in this way is a sign of a not so strong internal self.
So what does one do instead? Instead of creating images of external events and people
inside our minds and being influenced by them, we still watch these scenes, but
instead of losing our self in them and taking from them, we contribute to them by
giving them our internal energy, but at the same time make sure that while doing
that, we are detached from them and not over-involved emotionally. Internal
energy is given in the form of appreciation and love if it’s a positive scene and
power, compassion and co-operation if it’s a negative scene, so as to help the scene
to be corrected or resurrected. This is influencing instead of being influenced.
This is a more empowering experience. In this way we regain the control over our
inner world and rise above such emotional dependencies.
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Message for the day 31-12-2012
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To be seated on the seat of self-respect is to use virtues in life.
Expression: It usually seems very difficult to use the virtues within us
when the people around are not doing so. At such times using negativity seems much
easier. In spite of not having that particular weakness predominantly, say of anger,
when there is provocation from the outside we tend to react with that weakness.
Experience: In order to free ourselves from weaknesses and work with the
virtues within us we need to make sure we are seated on the seat of self-respect.
For this we need to recognise and appreciate some speciality within us. When we
are in the awareness of this speciality of ours, we will be able to stabilize ourselves
in the state of our self-respect.
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris