Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 31-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 31-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Understanding What Are Karmic Accounts

We are not individuals acting alone in this world drama; we act in this extraordinary drama or play of life with other actors or souls who (along with us) play their different roles with different physical costumes at different times in the drama. During the process of interaction with other actors (souls) and according to the type of interaction with them, we create accounts of debit or credit that become the basis of our connections with others. The reasons for which a specific relationship goes well or not are in the so called karmic account that I have accumulated with the other person in the past. The past could be in this birth alone or in one or many previous births. The souls that play the parts of parents, children, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends, office colleagues and others whom I know form a network for the giving and receiving of happiness and sorrow from accounts established in the past or being created in the present.

The strongest relationships that I have now were established previously. We knew each other in other lives and but in different roles. The daughter of some births ago returns now as the father, the best friend comes back as the sister etc. As long as the account exists, the interchange of actions between two souls continues. When there is nothing more to give or receive, the paths between the two souls separate by death, a break-up, a divorce or simply by the loss of contact. An e.g. of this is our school friends. Many of our friends whom we were close to in our school days, we are not in touch with today. Another e.g. is when we change jobs; we might lose complete contact with our old colleagues.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 31-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To be free from waste questions is to save time.

Projection: When difficult situations come my way I usually have a lot of questions in my mind about it. I continue to ask myself why the situation has come and have no answers. These questions usually bring me no solution for the problems at hand but I continue to have waste thoughts.

Solution: I need to understand the importance of the time that is in my hands. When I recognize the value of my time I will not waste time in unnecessary thoughts but will try to find a solution for the problem. If there is no solution for the problem I at least just stop thinking unnecessarily and just accept it.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 30-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 30-07-2014
--------------------------------------

The Benefits Of Soul Consciousness (Part 3)

The following differences between body consciousness and soul consciousness, will make you realize the benefits of soul consciousness (the practice of meditation make us soul conscious):

In Body Consciousness: I am disturbed by feelings of false attractions.
In Soul Consciousness: I am attracted by the qualities of the Supreme Soul only.

In Body Consciousness: I give sorrow, like a thorn hurting everyone.
In Soul Consciousness:I spread the fragrance of virtues like a flower.

In Body Consciousness: I see everyone relative to my individual identity, my life revolving around "me"... this is arrogance (ego).
In Soul Consciousness: I respect each individual and relate to them with humility (egolessness).

In Body Consciousness: I am tense and tired.
In Soul Consciousness: I am alert and relaxed.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 30-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

When there is determination in my thoughts, the clouds of negative situations will fade away.

Projection: There are a lot of negative situations that come my way, as I am moving along. During the difficult phase I tend to experience a lot of negativity within too, either in the form of fear, anger or pain. At that time the difficulty seems very big and seems to last forever.

Solution: I need to recognize the fact that whatever difficulties I face are like passing clouds. These clouds come at their time and fade away at their time too. I need to develop the determination to work on my problems with this understanding. I will then be able to face the situation with ease.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 29-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 29-07-2014
--------------------------------------

The Benefits Of Soul Consciousness (Part 2)

The following differences between body consciousness and soul consciousness, will make you realize the benefits of soul consciousness (the practice of meditation make us soul conscious):

In Body Consciousness: I become bored and depressed easily.
In Soul Consciousness: I understand situations and overcome them easily. I am able to maintain enthusiasm.

In Body Consciousness: The wings of the soul are clipped (cut).
In Soul Consciousness: I have wings of thought to fly beyond the body.

In Body Consciousness: The intellect is dull. I am limited to the perception (way of looking at things) of this physical world only.
In Soul Consciousness: The intellect is sharp. I can travel, with the power of the intellect, to my original home – paramdham or shantidham.

In Body Consciousness: I see a distorted (misunderstood) past and have no aim for the future.
In Soul Consciousness: The past, present and future of my part are seen clearly.

(To be continued tomorrow ….)

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 29-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The right way of living spreads joy to others.

Projection: When people around me are not happy with me, I usually believe that I am right and they are all wrong. I then cannot check or realise my own mistake. So I rarely make an attempt to change myself and continue to wait for others to change or understand me.

Solution: If people around me are not able to get happiness from me or the way I live, I need to look at my own life in a detached way to see where I could change. Even a slightest change brought by me with sincerity will have a great effect on those around me.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 28-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 28-07-2014
--------------------------------------

The Benefits Of Soul Consciousness (Part 1)

The following differences between body consciousness and soul consciousness, will make you realize the benefits of soul consciousness (the practice of meditation make us soul conscious):

In Body Consciousness: I am in bondage (not free).
In Soul Consciousness: There are no bondages, I am free.

In Body Consciousness: I have many questions and few answers.
In Soul Consciousness: I understand everything that I do.

In Body Consciousness: I am afraid of dying (losing the body).
In Soul Consciousness: I know I am eternal (the soul is beyond birth and death) and there is no fear of death.

In Body Consciousness: I have no control over sense organs e.g. eyes, ears, tongue, etc..
In Soul Consciousness: I am able to practice self-control.

(To be continued tomorrow ….)

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 28-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

Where there is peace there is patience.

Projection: My usual reactions to the stimuli around me are programmed, so I tend to be impulsive or react quickly to situations, I don't give myself time to think or understand. Because of this lack of patience I lose out on many things and I don't realise that I am losing out too.

Solution: At all times I need to make a conscious effort to keep my mind peaceful and calm, more so when there is a difficult situation. With this state of mind I am able to deal with situations patiently because peace brings power which in turn brings patience.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 27-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 27-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Self Empowerment

Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Now make up a series of questions, which will judge how effectively you are using these strengths to improve your personal and professional life, and what negative effects are your weaknesses (shortcomings) having on the same. These are some of the questions that you can ask yourself at the end of each week to monitor your self-progress:

e.g. Which strengths if acquired would help me improve my worth (value) at the workplace? Is any weakness of mine proving to be an obstacle (barrier) in maintaining a healthy relationship with my family? Am I using my strengths in empowering (strengthening) others? Does any weakness exist inside me, which if removed would improve my level of contentment (satisfaction) and lead to greater peace of mind?

Note down three main strengths and three important roles that you play in your life. Now check if your strengths properly match the roles. If they do not match, think if there is a new personality characteristic you need to develop. If a particular role is self-selected, if it does not match your strengths, is it a good role for you to be playing?

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 27-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To be flexible is to enjoy everything that life brings.

Projection: When I plan perfectly for the day ahead, I sometimes find that I am not able to implement all that I had planned for. Things seem to be coming up unexpectedly spoiling everything for me. I am then not able to be happy with what is happening and so find it difficult to do my best in the particular situation.

Solution: It is as important to be flexible in my thoughts as it is to be particular about my daily schdule. Flexibility allows me to accommodate the unforeseen situations that come up my way and enables me to make the best use of everything. And so I enjoy everything that comes my way.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 26-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 26-07-2014
--------------------------------------

The Power To Transform Emotions (Part 2)

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.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 26-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

All desires end when there is the one desire to experience progress.

Projection: It is believed normally that in order to progress one needs to have desires. But desires are not always fulfilled and unhappiness is experienced because of it. Then I am not able to appreciate whatever comes my way.

Solution: I need to replace all my desires with one desire, i.e., the desire to experience progress. With this thought, I will be able to make the best use of what I get in the right way. When I move forward in this way making the best use of everything I will be able to experience constant progress.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 25-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 25-07-2014
--------------------------------------

The Power To Transform Emotions (Part 1)

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

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

(To be continued tomorrow …)

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 25-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The power of silence makes the impossible achievable.

Projection: When I am faced with a difficult situation, my mind is flooded with thoughts. I also begin to talk about it a lot, describing the problem to all I meet. Then the problem looks so big that I feel I could do nothing to change it.

Solution: I need learn the art of silence(mental and verbal). Internal silence brings the right solutions because my mind is calm. And when I don't describe the problem too much to people I will know there is a solution and I will be able to find it too.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 24-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 24-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Radiating Love To The Universe

I sit in a comfortable position… I relax my body…I breathe deeply and let go of tensions…
I centre myself in the present moment… I concentrate my mind… I enter into the space of inner silence… The thoughts diminish and my mind relaxes fully… Now experience the following thoughts:

I am a non-physical being of light, full of love, centered on the forehead… I am a river flowing with love… my source is the Supreme Ocean Of Love, God; whose child I am… I experience myself sitting under his canopy of the light of love…

I love each part of my physical body which is my vehicle. I relax it… I love each thought that I create, it is my creation… I generate gentle thoughts, tender, relaxing… I feel the energy of love that radiates from within me towards the universe… I, the soul give off love towards what surrounds me…

I give off love towards other souls… I look at everyone with the consciousness that each one, whatever their temporary nature may be, their innate nature is love… I give my spiritual assistance, my good wishes to them, so that they return back to their original, basic nature, which is love… I give off love towards each molecule of the five elements of nature – earth, wind, water, fire and sky and the planet as a whole. I am love… I channel this love towards everything I think, feel, do and transmit…

By performing the above meditation and sharing my unlimited treasure of love, I assist the Supreme Father, through my thoughts, in his task of creating a world full of love, where all souls and the nature co-exist in a loveful and peaceful manner...

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 24-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To serve with the heart, with love is to guarantee success.

Projection: When I have to be of help to others, I sometimes find myself doing it with force. I don't seem to be really interested in doing it but situations or people seem to be forcing me to do it. I then don't enjoy what I do and also don't find the benefit of it either to others or to myself.

Solution: I need to consciously make an effort to see what people are benefitting when I am helping them. With this conscious effort I am able to help others with love without feeling the heaviness of what I have to do. Thus I find my actions to be much more fruitful.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 23-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 23-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Innate (Basic) And Acquired Value

Everything we see has what can be called its acquired value and its innate or basic value. The acquired value is that which it has picked up by coming into contact with external objects throughout its existence or life. The innate value is what it always is irrespective of its external interactions. For example, the acquired value of gold changes with the fluctuations of its price in the market. Its innate or real value is that it's one of the most beautiful metals; very ductile, malleable, etc.

If we were asked about the qualities of any good, peaceful relationship with someone, we would quickly reply: love, trust, patience, respect, honesty, sincerity, tolerance, humility, sympathy, etc. How do we know this? Is it purely from experience? Can we remember having really experienced any of these qualities in any relationship completely and constantly? Probably no. Then how can we say it is from experience? In such a case, where does this urge for rightness come from? Our heart tells us it comes from a basic, inherent sense of what is true and good, of our innate value. Though these qualities are what we see as our ideal qualities; when I am in a weakened state, I’m unable to bring them into practice, when I want, according to the needs of the moment. They need to be strengthened inside. One of the most immediate benefits of the practice of meditation then, is to bring about this internal strengthening. My basic qualities are just waiting for a chance to emerge out in the open. Like a light bulb without current, possibility of lighting up my qualities exists, but they need to be connected to a source of power, which is exactly what meditation gives us.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 23-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

Inner satisfaction brings creativity.

Projection: Quite often I find myself trying to keep pace with the things that I have always been doing. I seem to be caught up in the routine to the extent that I experience monotony. I then cannot think of any newness that I can bring in my life.

Solution: It is only with my inner satisfaction that can I bring creativity in my life. For this, while doing the routine jobs that I am involved in throughout the day, I need to make special effort to keep myself content with the things that are going on and also think of new ways of doing what I am already doing. Then I will never experience boredom in my life.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 22-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 22-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Creating Positive Circumstances

Why do we find it so hard to create positive circumstances, a positive future in our life? One reason is we all have the tendency to spend most of our time in the past, reliving and replaying our memories. Look back on your average day and you may find that more than 3/4ths of your time is spent in the past (a lot of times without you realizing it). Not only do we try to relive the past, but we also attempt to change it! We attempt the impossible and, in so doing, we live in very small cycles where tomorrow tends to turn out similar to yesterday, and then we wonder why we do not have the power to change our lives. It feels like we do not have the will-power, we do not have the ability to change the circumstances in our lives, our destiny.

The past cannot be relived; it cannot be changed. The past is like a cupboard of old files. When you arrive at work every day, do you step into such a cupboard and spend the day there? The past is a great resource for learning and sometimes, a resource for useful information, but it is not a place to live. We can build on the old, but we cannot rewrite it. The future is the result of what we think, feel and do today. If today is the same as yesterday (because of constantly thinking about yesterday) then tomorrow will look and feel like yesterday and in this way we feel we are stuck in a web and we get frustrated. We need to let go of the past if we want the future to shape up positively, different from yesterday, which is negative at times! The past is past. Drop it and keep dropping it.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 22-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

With the balance of love and discipline, energy can be saved while speaking.

Projection: Throughout the day I find myself having to give explanations or corrections to so many people. When I do this I find that I have to spend a lot of words. In the process I tend to lose a lot of my energy and find myself tired.

Solution: In order to save my energy and to use fewer words I need to have the balance of love and discipline. Discipline will enable me to give the right directions while love will make my directions effective. So I find that just a few words would be enough to get my message across.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 21-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 21-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Self Empowerment

Our internal strengths create the foundation on which we make our decisions in life, how we relate to others and how we understand ourselves. For most people their strengths are understood but never made very conscious. They lie below the surface and are not openly talked about. Bringing them into our conscious understanding improves our process of self-empowerment.

To realize and review your strengths, sit comfortably in a pleasant atmosphere and answer silently the following questions:
A. Look back into the past and remember the times when you experienced your greatest successes. List the unique talents or strengths, which you made use of at those times.
B. List the specific features, which you admire in yourself.
C. If you were to take the opinion of your family, friends and colleagues, what strengths would they say that you have?
D. List your most valuable assets.
E. Now examine your answers and summarize. What are your main strengths?

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 21-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The one who is a giver, has attention constantly on giving fully.

Projection: When the system that I am working in doesn't let me give maximum benefit to the people around me or deprives them of their natural right, I tend to react negatively. I tend to become upset which doesn't help either of us in anyway.

Solution: When I remember and maintain the awareness that I am a giver, instead of complaining about the restrictions that society or people around me impose I continue to give those around me something that will make them happy. This could be in the form of kind and supportive words or at least an understanding smile. When I give in this way, it will make others too free from negative thoughts.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 20-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 20-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Controlling Your Emotions

There are five essential steps to emotional control and mastery. Although the complete process will finally happen in a few seconds in real life, it is essential for our learning to break it down and see what is required at every step.

Step One – Awareness
This simply means being aware of the emergence of the subtlest (finest) of emotions, which, if left unchecked, will grow into important disturbances. For example irritation leads to frustration leads to anger leads to rage.

Step Two – Acknowledge
Which means taking responsibility for the emotion by understanding and acknowledging that I am the creator of the emotion, not someone or something else.

Step three – Acceptance
Fully accept the presence of the emotion without resisting (opposing) it in any way. If it is resisted it simply becomes stronger, or is suppressed for another day.

Step Four – Ascend
This is the moment of full detachment from both the emotion and the inner source of emotion. In the process of detached observation the emotion is losing its power. And it is only through detached observation that the emotion will begin to dissolve.

Step Five – Attune
This means returning our attention to the very centre of ourselves where our inner peace and power are to be found. This is the purpose of meditation.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 20-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To be in the awareness of my own speciality is to be free from negativity.

Projection: When I percieve negativity in others, I find myself very easily influenced by it. I then react negatively to them and am not able to maintain my own positivity. All my specialities remain hidden in such a negative atmosphere and I continue to be negative too.

Solution: Like a rose I need to maintain my originality and uniqueness while being amongst the thorns. Instead of blaming others and their negativity for my own negativity, I need to practice being positive and working with my original qualities. Then I will never complain but will always use my own specialities.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 19-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 19-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Understanding The Birth-Life-Death-Rebirth Cycle (Part 2)

We subconsciously know that we are souls. Birth, life and death are just stages in existence. In fact all natural processes can be found to have a beginning, a middle, an end and a new beginning to continue the cycle. The soul takes a bodily form, gives life to it and after a period of time, long or short, leaves it and takes another suited to the continuation of its role. As long as the soul is in the body, the body grows like a plant from baby to child, youth to maturity. It then begins to decay and finally becomes unusable. The moment the soul leaves the body, the body becomes like a dead log of a tree. It immediately starts to decompose and eventually goes back to dust.

Again the soul moves into a foetus inside the womb of a mother. After time it emerges as a newborn baby and immediately begins to show the sanskars it had developed in its previous life. It is the same soul but in a new physical situation. Thus death is merely the means by which a complete change of circumstances and environment for the soul takes place. Time never kills the soul, but the body, being a part of nature or matter, obeys the law of decay that everything new becomes old and eventually finishes. The molecular components of this body disintegrate only to re-integrate as another form (body) some time later.

The process of birth-life-death-rebirth is also eternal (without a beginning or an end). It has always been going on and will continue. The soul comes into the body, expresses a role and experiences the results of that for a certain time, then leaves it, and the process starts again. Similarly, souls come into this world, remain here as actors for a number of births and then return to the region from which they come, for rest. This process also starts again. The pattern is a cyclic one. This is called the eternal world cycle.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 19-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To make thoughts as pure as the actions is to be truly elevated.

Projection: There is usually attention on the self not to perform any negative acts. There is also considerable attention not to speak any words that are harmful or negative. But very rarely is there that attention on the thoughts. Because of this a lot of negative thoughts tend to remain in the intellect causing trouble for me.

Solution: I need to understand the fact that my thoughts form the basis for my words and actions. The more I pay attention to make my thoughts positive, the more it will make a positive impact on my words and actions too. Constant awareness of a positive thought enables me to maintain my own inner positivity.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 18-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 18-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Understanding The Birth-Life-Death-Rebirth Cycle (Part 1)

The realization of the self as a soul, an eternal (always existing) energy, naturally leads to the following questions:

• Where is the soul before it comes into a physical body?
• Where does the soul go after it leaves it?
• What is the purpose of the world drama?


These are questions that deeply concern human beings, yet until now there isn’t 100% conclusive proof of life after death.

The images of "fires of hell" and a heavenly world beyond the clouds are talked about in the world's religions. Yet to the rational and logical minded, the states of living forever tortured in holes of fire (hell) or on the other hand relaxing in complete happiness in a fairy-tale kingdom (heaven), seem far away from the reality of the present.

Most accept that there is some order to the world creation, but viewing our drama through spectacles of body-consciousness it is impossible to see it, as the soul is imprisoned by bodily needs and sensual desires. In body-consciousness the soul is unable to see anything clearly. Only when we are at the point of death does one think about life after death. At funerals, everyone faces the new absence of a loved person, the departure of the personality and the temporary nature of the physical body. Everyone wishes that the person who has died will go to heaven and not to hell.

(To be continued tomorrow ….)

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 18-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To be successful I need to have the balance between the head and the heart.

Projection: 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.

Solution: 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.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 17-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 17-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Am I Creating Negative Karma – Guilt As An Indicator (Part 2)

An angerholic (one who gets angry repeatedly) hears the internal voice telling him to stop creating mental unrest, harming his body, hurting others and being addicted to the habit and the hormones that get created inside the body due to the habit, but then ignores the voice or drowns it out. This only adds to the inner disharmony (peacelessness) already present and both self-respect and self-esteem are slowly reduced. Any action we do which springs from forgetfulness (body-consciousness) will trigger this inner, spiritual discomfort. Following the action, we might feel guilty for doing something we internally knew was wrong. Any form of guilt except the one that is caused by another person i.e. except the case when guilt is caused inside you because another person is emotionally blackmailing you, is the voice of our conscience calling to say that we are acting against the essence, something is out of sync. Our level of guilt acts like a thermometer (an indicator). It shows us when and to what extent we are not aligned to truth. If we learn to pay attention, listen closely to this inner discomfort and the message it conveys, we will also hear why and how to make corrections, so that we no longer create negative karma.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 17-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The one who fulfills promises with determination is the one who overcome all problems.

Projection: When I see some weakness working within me I usually make a promise to myself with a lot of enthusiasm. But if I face even a little opposition or difficulty in fulfilling this promise, I tend to lose hope and usually give up trying altogether.

Solution: In order to bring about a change in me and fulfill my promise, I need to use the virtue of determination. Every time I find myself becoming careless in it, I need to remind myself strongly of the importance of the promise that I had made. Then I will be able to win over all the obstacles that come my way in bringing my thoughts and words to actions.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 16-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 16-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Am I Creating Negative Karma – Guilt As An Indicator (Part 1)

At the heart of our consciousness, we have a conscience.Our conscience is essentially our basic awareness of truth. From a spiritual point of view, the truth of who we are as spiritual beings is core and eternal truth. If we consider ourselves to be anything other than soul or spirit then we will be thinking and acting against our conscience, against our truth, which is like going against the essence of spirit. We will feel something is not quite right. If one of the pistons in our car engine is out of sync with the others, the engine will sound slightly different from normal. We immediately have it fixed, because we know that if it continues it may destroy the engine. If we do something that is out of sync with the truth, the voice of our conscience speaks to us. But we tend to ignore or suppress it, especially if we are having a seemingly pleasurable experience - we then create the sanskars or habit of ignoring our own conscience. As a result we keep repeating the negative karma and the sanskars of the negative karma are deepened, further ignoring the voice of our conscience. It is a vicious cycle, to come out of which is extremely difficult.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 16-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The one who is free from desire is the one who is able to maintain positivity.

Projection: When I put forth my ideas to others I expect them to listen to me. My idea changes to desire and when it is not accepted I then tend to become irritated. And along with it also comes jealousy or dislike for the others and I find myself caught up in negativity.

Solution: I need to make sure that I share my ideas with others but at the same time I need to keep myself free from any selfish motive. When I put forth my idea in a detached way, I too will be open to learning and I will be able to accept any criticism or rejectance that comes my way. Thus I will be free from negativity.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 15-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 15-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Seven Techniques To Let Go Off The Past (Part 3)

Correction - Memories inside the soul are like imprints or impressions on the soul. Some impressions are deep, some are not. Negative past experiences leave very deep negative impressions or scars on the soul, which sometimes take a lot of time to heal and sometime an entire lifetime can be sent without them getting healed. Negative past experience imprints and negative emotions like anger, hatred, attachment etc. are closely linked. So, correcting the self or incorporating positive sanskars fills the spiritual self with positive impressions. This, over a period of time, nullifies the effect of these negative impressions and as a result, the related negative memories.

Donation - Donation can be simply defined as the distribution of the invisible attainments one has experienced through spiritual self transformation, to others. It helps one receive blessings or positive energy of those whom we donate to and gives life a focused positive purpose, both of which help us immensely in forgetting our past. People who live only for themselves will find it more difficult to forget their past as compared to ones who spend a lot of time for others. Giving happiness to others helps us in forgetting our griefs.

Interaction - The more we interact with and remain in the company of positive minded people and have positive conversations with them, we give and receive positive energy and the more our past gets erased from my consciousness. Spirituality teaches us to look inwards and experience introvertness, which we haven’t experienced for a long time. At the same time, spirituality also teaches us to keep a balance between looking inwards and outwards. Composed and balanced extrovertness and healthy, happy relationships with virtuous people help us remain more in a present consciousness, not giving the mind to drift too much into the past.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 15-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The power of positivity helps finish all negativity.

Projection: When I am faced with negativity in people or in situations, I too usually tend to have negative thoughts. When my mind is caught up with negativity of any kind-fear, anger or tension, I cannot think anything positive. I then find myself totally caught up in the situation finding no solution.

Solution: The only way to finish negativity is to work with positivity. I need to make a conscious effort to look at some positive aspect in the situation or person with whom I am facing difficulty. When I do this I can relate to them with this positivity which will slowly make the situation better again.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 14-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 14-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Seven Techniques To Let Go Off The Past (Part 2)

Positive Information and Intoxication - The more we listen or read positive and constructive spiritual knowledge, even if it is for 10 minutes daily, and imbibe (absorb) it, the more our negative memories fade into the background. Also the regular input of knowledge lifts our consciousness to a higher level and gives us an experience of intoxication or spiritual bliss, in which the memory of our past sorrows and negative experiences gets dissolved. Even on a physical level, there are lots of people who indulge in some kind of addiction or intoxication only because it temporarily helps them to overcome and forget the negatives in their life.

Karma Realization - Another benefit of spiritual knowledge is that it makes us realize the various shades and details of the Law of Karma and its application in the World Drama, which helps us immensely in letting go of the past and concentrating on our present so that a bright future can be built, irrespective of the quality of the past.

Self and God Realization - One of the most important benefits of meditation, an important aspect of spirituality, is that it makes us realize and experience the spiritual self and the Father of the spiritual self, the Supreme Soul, accurately. This is an experience of liberation, in which there is no room for past repentances. Past repentances are more a reflection of excessive attachment to the physical or material or attachment to incorrect emotions related to body-consciousness, remembering the damage caused by it to the self and experiencing sorrow due to the same.

Connection and Relation - Also, meditation being a deep connection between me and the Supreme Father, it fills me with immense power and it is also an intense relationship, which fills me with love, happiness and peace. In the experience of these attainments, over a period of time, my past ceases to burden my consciousness.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 14-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The right kind of support makes people independent.

Projection: When I provide help and support to others, sometimes I find that they become dependent on me. They continue to expect the same kind of support that they had got from me before, when I am not in a position to give. Then my good gesture becomes a bondage or difficulty for me.

Solution: When I am providing help to someone, I need to check the kind of help that I am providing. True help is to provide assistance in such a way that slowly the person learns to rely on his own resources and becomes independent. Then there will be no expectations from me.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 13-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 13-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Seven Techniques To Let Go Off The Past (Part 1)

Almost each one of us carries a heavy or subtle burden of negative events and happenings that have taken place in our life sometime in the past, either an immediate past or a far-off one; which reduce our present contentment levels immensely. The negative past could be of any form – you experienced the loss of a close loved one due to a break-up or sudden death; you went through a serious physical illness or a very lean phase of financial loss, you were abused on a mental or physical level; you were not treated properly by a colleague at office and undue advantage was taken of you; you performed an inappropriate action and you repent up till now, even after many years have passed, and many such similar and different types of incidents.

There are three different types of processes for removing negative past memories from our consciousness:

* Modifying - A negative past event is modified into a positive, beneficial form and then stored in the consciousness.

* Forgetting - Memories of a negative past event are forgotten and do not exist either in our conversations or in our conscious mind or thoughts, but traces of those memories exist in the sub-conscious mind.

* Erasing - No traces of the negative past exist in the consciousness and memories of it are completely removed from the sub-conscious also.

We need to take the help of all the different aspects or techniques of spirituality and not depend on only one or two for these removal processes. In the next two days’ messages, we will explain all these different techniques of spirituality, which if incorporated in our life, help us experience lightness and emotional freedom from the past. All of them have their own unique importance.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 13-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The one who takes inspiration from others keeps moving forward.

Projection: When I look at the specialities of others, I sometimes tend to get discouraged. At such times my own weakness(es) look very prominent and my specialities remain hidden. Such comparision might not actually lead to jealousy but subtly continues to have its influence on me in a negative way.

Solution: At all times I must make sure I am constantly moving forward. Looking at others's specialities I need to take inspiration from them. I need to see what aspect I can imbibe in myself too. When I do this I will be able to experience constant progress being free from negativity.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 12-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 12-07-2014
--------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 12-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

Few words are required when thoughts are positive.

Projection: I sometimes find myself using a lot of words to convey what I feel or to give explanations to others. Yet I sometimes find that others are not convinced with my words. I am then at a loss about what is to be done.

Solution: Positive thoughts actually reach out to others and create the right environment. All I need to do is to create an atmosphere of positivity by maintaining my own positive thoughts. Then I will not have to use so many words to prove my point or to convince others.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 11-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 11-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Living With A Purpose

How can we define heaven? Heaven could simply be described as the place to experience peace, joy and happiness. So, what is our heaven in our practical life? How can we experience it? Fulfilling our dream or true purpose or experiencing it being fulfilled is our heaven. Living out our dream and purpose is to live in our personal space of heaven here and right now.

If everything that we do during the day and in life is directed at fulfilling our purpose - our reason for being, for existing and for living - we will be much happier in everything we do, because everything will be channeled or focused towards what we really want. On the other hand, if we do a little bit of everything, but without knowing where we are going or what our true destination is, we will be like a ship that has lost its way in the ocean. The ship’s crew steers the ship – it now goes towards the left, now to the right, goes backwards, then forwards towards the north, towards the south and in the end stays in the same place and gets nowhere, although it’s crew is busy or is working all the time. The crew lets itself be carried by the currents, the tides, the waves in the ocean and the winds above the ocean. It has lost its bearings and doesn't know how to be guided by the stars, which would show the crew the right way. In our case, the stars being our intuition. Without our life’s course dictated by a true purpose, we let our consciousness asleep and don't listen to our intuition, which will reveal to us our purpose.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 11-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The method to get help is to take the first step of courage.

Projection: When I set out to achieve something, I usually expect help from situations or people, but am not always able to get it. Then I tend to become disheartened and sometimes tend to give up the task altogether.

Solution: The right way to get help is to first take a step forward even in the most negative situations. With courage and faith when I start in whatever little way I can, I find the help coming to me. Then I will neither stop nor give up with the little setbacks that I am faced with.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 10-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 10-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Communication (Part 2)

Here are some more common reasons for blocks to communication:

* Lack of sincerity. When our thoughts and feelings are honest and respectful, then the hearts of others will open to us. A positive highway of trust is built and communication flows positively.

* Creating negative perceptions (understandings) and emotions about others i.e. how we visualize or label them. Such emotions, no matter how well hidden, are finally always communicated to others on a subtle (non-physical), non-verbal level, and create an atmosphere of tension and unease.

* Not letting go of negative perceptions (understandings) and emotions. The only method to revive our relationship with others is to let go of negativity on a daily basis, to prevent it from building up. Far too often, the build-up happens without us even noticing it and, we wonder why positive feedback is not coming from the other side.

* Lack of silence. To go deep into the self and put our thoughts and feelings into silence enables them to become positive. The silent relaxation defuses (reduces) anger and the blame and complaints that often go with it.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 10-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To have equality in thought, word and action is to be successful.

Projection: With regards to what I want to achieve, my thoughts are usually high. I then speak about my high plans to others too. But to bring my plans into action it takes a long time and by then I find that they have lost their intensity.

Solution: I need to remind myself that if I don't implement my thoughts immediately, I will never do it. I also need to check if the thoughts that I have are practical. I need to then plan and speak about it according to my checking. Then I find that my thoughts and plans are not wasted away, but become practical.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 09-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 09-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Communication (Part 1)

A great deal of our communication is non-verbal and we rarely realize the effect that it has on others. Our tone of voice, our body language (particularly our eyes and face), our attitudes and our feelings, are constantly in communication with others, expressing anger, fear, love, trust, rejection - in fact, all our feelings and emotions. We cannot hide what we mean; we may do so for a while, but finally the truth emerges.

Communication is not just with others, but also with the self, with the Supreme Being and even nature. Being still, focused and open enables us to tune in to others so that we can respond in an appropriate and meaningful way, not simply in a mechanical way.

Here are some common reasons for blocks to communication:

* Too many thoughts, and an overload of words and actions, results in us being unable to think clearly. We lose the essence of what is trying to be conveyed (transmitted) by the other.

* Being lost in our own feelings or ideas. In such a state we do not listen attentively to others.

* Remembering the past in a negative way. This does not allow us to tune in properly to our present and future. When we do not communicate properly with the needs of the present time, we loose opportunities.

(To be continued tomorrow….)

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 09-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The art of right decision making lies in thinking less.

Projection: When I am faced with a difficult situation, I naturally begin to think a lot. I tend to feel that the more I think, the more choices I have and the better the decision I will be able to take. But such thinking only creates more and more waste thoughts.

Solution: I need to make the effort of thinking less about the problem. Even a few moments of internal silence helps me develop my intuition and the right decision is made from within; because silence brings solutions.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 08-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 08-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Negative Control And Positive Influence

The power of influence in relationships is extraordinary, but it practically disappears when we try to exercise control and force.

You can influence anyone positively in many ways:

• encouraging,

• sharing,

• listening,

• communicating in the right way.

In negative control we generate stress, frustration and anger. In positive influence the energy flows in a relaxed way with harmony and is not threatening, respecting each one for their specialty and allowing each one to be as they are.

In order to influence positively we need the power of discrimination and judgement in relation to what to say and what to do e.g. when you believe that the other person is the problem; generally the problem is not what others say or do, but rather how you perceive them. The way that you judge is what creates your negative feelings about them. We have the choice to perceive others as a threat, as a problem, or as an opportunity; an opportunity for learning, for change, for dialogue and understanding. We can choose to have compassion (kindness); to feel that the other is a problem indicates a lack of compassion.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 08-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The way to control the mind is to talk to it with love.

Projection: Whenever I find my mind wandering I try to control it with force. I try to pull the mind and order it not to think about something. Yet I find that, the more I try to force the mind not to go in a particular direction, the more it tends to go there.

Solution: The only way to control the mind is to talk to it with love. Just as I would explain to a child, I need to explain to it with love. This will make my mind my friend and I will be able to concentrate even in any undesirable situations.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 07-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 07-07-2014
--------------------------------------

False Attachments

Are you aware that whenever you lose your true self-awareness (soul-consciousness), you will identify with and get attached to something that is not you? It could be another person, your work, or some material possession. Let's say you are attached to your job and one day, due to rising costs, your company decides to downsize and starts laying off thousands of its employees - all of a sudden you are asked to leave. The attachment to and identification with your position in the company, which has become a habit (sanskara), causes the creation of fearful and angry thoughts (e.g., "I'm going to lose my job" (fear related to the future) or "How dare they downsize the company and damage my position" (anger towards the company and its leadership)). The destructive energy of these thoughts becomes emotion (energy in motion) which then invades your entire mind so you cannot have clear and calm thoughts (the prime requirement of that moment). It hijacks your intellect so you cannot make correct, wise decisions and choices (also the prime requirement of that moment) for the future. Any connection you had with your inner peace is broken. All this happens because you forgot who you really are and had begun to think you are what you do. When seen from the point of view of this example it sounds ridiculous that we should identify with what we do or what we have, but this is currently how the world and its people work. So, never forget who you truly are!

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 07-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To be free from negativity is to be free from limitation.

Projection: In many situations I tend to feel helpless and bound by different things and people coming my way. I continue to blame others for my difficulties, but find no solace or solution. I also look for solutions outside, but find none.

Solution: The real cause of my limitation or my feeling of helplessness is not situation or people but my own weaknesses. I need to check and realize the weakness working within me, in that particular situation and I will be able to overcome the limitation.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 06-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 06-07-2014
--------------------------------------

How Our Thoughts Shape Our Personality And Actions

With your thoughts and feelings you create and perceive the world that surrounds you. According to what your thoughts are, thus will be your feelings and emotions, your attitude and your actions. This process usually happens rapidly, and you are not usually aware that it is taking place. As this process repeats itself often, it is easy for a set of habits to be created.

The effort lies in slowing down this process in the mind, as if you were watching television in slow motion. On the screen of your consciousness you can use meditation as a method to slow down this process and be aware of what you are feeling and thinking, how you are acting and being aware of the result that you obtain. It is important to learn to transform (change) and to avoid, that is, to not create unnecessary thoughts in order to be more centered and energized, and to have more clarity in order to take the right decisions.

Positive thoughts heal and strengthen the mind. A healthy mind and thought pattern is the basis of a balanced personality finally.

Let us learn to create thoughts of greater quality. They arise out of a wider vision of spirituality. In this way, thanks to those positive thoughts, full of peace, harmony and creativity, the mind will clean itself, and the memory of our innate qualities will be activated once more, replacing, in a natural way, the old habits and negative tendencies.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 06-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The index of change is to have better relationship with others.

Projection: Change or progress for me is usually success in terms of money, status, or name. But usually this does not give an accurate index of the change that is taking place within me.

Solution: Real change can be measured with the quality of my interaction with others. The more I progress, the more I find my relationship with others getting better. Others will also be happy with my progress and me


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 05-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 05-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Opening The Third Eye

The concept of the third eye has always interested people. What is the third eye? Can it be opened during an operation, or by going on a journey to a religious or sacred destination? In meditation, we understand that the third eye means the ability to understand and to perceive (realize) correctly. Then, on the basis of that perception (realization) or insight (understanding); to act and behave accordingly. In other words, on the basis of spiritual truths, we think, speak and act so that peace and well-being become natural in our life.

Spiritual values, or truths, are necessary for genuine improvement of the human condition and life.

The third eye is the intellect of the soul - when it is open, there is realization of the need to improve, change and/or create something that will help the self and others to make the quality of life better.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 05-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

True honesty brings real success.

Projection: When something goes wrong, I usually blame others and consider them the cause of my distress and unhappiness. Such an attitude would amount to carelessness and I only tend to feel disheartened and discouraged

Solution: Whenever something goes wrong, the first thing I need to do is to check where I could correct myself. This correction is not to put myself down but to improve, to progress. This is what brings me real success.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 04-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 04-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Keeping The Watchman Of Attention Alert

All the religions and spiritual groups place a lot of importance on the virtue of discipline. Without discipline you do not manage to transform negative habits and you do not create a new state of awareness where the self is nourished through the experience of spirituality. Every day you eat, you brush your teeth, bathe, drink water and breathe, and all of this you do not consider a discipline; you have adopted them as something natural in order for your body to continue working. On a spiritual level you also need to nourish yourself and to have a discipline that, with practice, a time comes when it becomes natural because you incorporate it into your life. In the process of change you need to discipline yourself in order not to let old habits come to the forefront. Until you have burnt them and they have died, you should keep the watchman of attention alert in order to maintain your self-control, given that each time you use a negative habit in action, you strengthen it. When you do not use it, you allow it to die.

The path of the spiritual traveler is therefore one of waking (awareness of self as soul) and sleeping (under the illusion that we are our body), waking and sleeping. We tend to fluctuate between the two (like dawn and dusk) until we find stability in soul-consciousness. This is why it is important to awaken and stay awake, and why it's important to give our mind and intellect good spiritual food (knowledge) and exercise (meditation) every day to keep them fresh and alert. Being conscious of the soul, acting from that consciousness, the scars (habits and tendencies) left by past actions based on illusions of bodily awareness are healed. Discipline is necessary for growth and personal transformation if you want to obtain satisfying and permanent results. If not, the old habits continue to rule in your life. The evidence that our discipline in the practice of meditation is working is mental lightness and an increasing easiness in our interactions with others.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 04-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The method to serve is to become an embodiment of power.

Projection: Service to others is usually understood as bringing benefit to others through what I do. I have love for such service and make an attempt to do it too. But sometimes busy in such service, I find that my own self-progress is left behind.

Solution: I need to pay attention for my own self-progress by learning from everything that happens. I thus find myself improving and filling myself with power. This power spreads around and shows the right path to others, just like a lighthouse and others continue to take benefit from me.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 03-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 03-07-2014
--------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 03-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To be experienced means never to be deceived by anything.

Projection: It is normally understood that to be experienced means to gain expertise in something, or to become a master in a particular field. Such a person, who is an expert in one field might find himself totally impractical in daily situations.

Solution: Life has so many things to teach me through the various situations. I need to keep learning from all that happens. Then I'll never be surprised or cheated by any unexpected events, but will be prepared because of being experienced.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 02-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 02-07-2014
--------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 02-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

To bring speciality to actions is to make them special.

Projection: I am usually looking for something better to do. What I do seems to be monotonous and ordinary and I try to think of something better to do, something that will bring benefit to others too. But I really am not able to easily bring about such a change.

Solution: What benefit I bring is not based on what I do, but it is based on the attitude I do it with. So I need to maintain an attitude of bringing benefit to as many as I can, with whatever I do. Then nothing I do will be waste or ordinary.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Soul Sustenance & Message for the day 01-07-2014

--------------------------------------
Soul Sustenance 01-07-2014
--------------------------------------

Practical Ways of Changing Old Habits or Beliefs (Part 5)

Exercises of Silence
Exercises of silence help you concentrate your mind and intellect, and go within yourself to recover the positive and eternal energies. With the appropriate concentration of the mind and intellect towards your constructive inner forces of peace, love and happiness, you can strengthen yourself. Being strong means staying positive when faced with negative situations, peaceful when everything around you is chaotic: in other words, not being influenced negatively but influencing the situation with your positivity. When you stay calm in your inner power of peace, you can transmit this to others and help them to calm themselves. When you begin exercises of silence, concentrate primarily on peace. This is the basis of the practice, as when there is inner balance and harmony it is easier to build over these the other values love, happiness, truth and sincerity. The experience of deep peace calms you, clarifies you and fills you with energy to think and act positively and achieve your purpose that you have set for yourself.

-----------------------------------------
Message for the day 01-07-2014
-----------------------------------------

The fruit of elevated actions will be revealed at the right time.

Projection: When I do something good for someone I expect them to reciprocate the same. But not always does this happen, in fact sometimes I find a negative response. This discourages me from being positive.

Solution: I need to understand that the seeds of my elevated actions will bear fruit at its own time. When I have this in mind, I will continue to do good without expecting immediate fruit. And I find the result coming naturally at the right time.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris