Encourage transformation in others.

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Message for the day 27-07-2010
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To share virtues along with knowledge is to encourage transformation in others.

Projection: When we have to give a suggestion/advise to someone we tend to share a lot of points of knowledge in order to make them understand. We try to prove logically why they have to change. Although the reasoning is right most of the time, the others don't seem to change either because they don't understand or because they don't want to understand.

Solution: When we want to bring transformation in others we need to make sure to share our own virtues along with the points of knowledge. To share virtues means to give them an experience of our love, peace, good wishes etc. When they experience our virtues, they'll be willing to bring about change quickly.

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Soul Sustenance 27-07-2010
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Relaxation

Words are effective when truth is combined with sweetness.

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Message for the day 26-07-2010
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Words are effective when truth is combined with sweetness.

Projection: It is usually believed that when we speak the truth, we need to be frank and outspoken. And with this attitude we sometimes tend to become harsh in our words too. We believe that only when we are assertive in this way, will our words be effective. But practically it is found that when our words are without sweetness we will only find temporary results.

Solution: In order to have lasting effect when we have to give correction to someone we need to take care that there is sweetness in our attitude and voice too. Only then will there be the desired effect in the words that we speak and we will find people bringing about change in themselves.

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Soul Sustenance 26-07-2010
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Consciousness In The Kitchen – Cooking With Love (cont.)

Anger comes where there is discontentment.

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Message for the day 25-07-2010
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Anger comes where there is discontentment.

Projection:When we don't get what we want or when people don't do what we expect them to do we experience discontentment. When there is discontentment, when our desires aren't fulfilled we experience anger. Then trying to do away with anger without knowing the actual reason, doesn't work.

Solution: When we find ourselves getting angry with someone or some situation, we need to first check what is the true reason for our anger. Once we find the cause of it, which is some expectation of ours, we will be able to work at overcoming it. we will then be able to get rid of our anger too.

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Soul Sustenance 25-07-2010
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Consciousness In The Kitchen – Cooking With Love (cont.)

When the subtle, spiritual aspect of cooking is taken into consideration, the role of the cook extends from simply creating tasty, nourishing meals with fresh ingredients, to including a spiritual connection with those who will be eating that food. The aim will be to touch and fill the heart as well as the palate and stomach. The love of the cook, and his or her motivation to offer sustenance, will nourish as much as the chemical components of each dish. Food cooked by a person who is angry, depressed or full of arrogance or hatred will have a different effect from food cooked with feelings of Iove, peace and the pure desire to serve. In other words, we are what we eat but also the thoughts and attitudes that go into what we are eating. Even in today's demanding society, when there sometimes seems to be hardly enough time to cook, let alone do so peacefully and caringly, it is therefore definitely beneficial to develop a positive attitude towards cooking. Before undertaking any food preparation, remind yourself that the project at hand can and should be an enjoyable, creative activity, rather than an unpleasant, time-consuming activity. A good practice, then, is to meditate before cooking and then to let preparing the meal itself be a creative, meditative experience which yields a balanced, health-promoting diet for the body as a temple for the soul. Food always tastes better when it has been flavoured with love and happiness.

(To be continued tomorrow …)


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

The easy way to overcome any negative habit

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Message for the day 24-07-2010
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The easy way to overcome any negative trait or habit is to work with virtues.

Projection:In order to overcome negative tendencies the usual tendency is to make effort to remove them. But it is found that the more we think about them even if it is to remove them, we find ourselves becoming more aware of them. This makes the influence of our negativity stronger.

Solution: The solution lies in making effort of working with virtues. For example, instead of saying we will not work with anger we will now practice working with our inherent peace. For this we need to make it a habit to work with peace so that it emerges naturally even in difficult situations.

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Soul Sustenance 24-07-2010
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Consciousness In The Kitchen – Cooking With Love

When our vision is on our aim

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Message for the day 23-07-2010
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When our vision is on our aim, we will continue to progress.

Projection:Sometimes as we move along we suddenly stop. We no more find the progress that should be there in our life. At such times we don't really understand what the reason is. We do try to bring about changes but it doesn't always work and we find ourselves stagnating.

Solution: When on a journey, we are sure to come across many scenes that are beautiful or distracting. But when we know where we have to go we will never be distracted but will move on appreciating each scene that comes our way. In life too, when we are faced with a situation that is not in keeping with our aim we need to pay special attention not to get carried away with such side-scenes.

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Soul Sustenance 23-07-2010
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Anger Management And Prevention (cont.)

To be an inspiration to many is to be a hero actor.

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Message for the day 22-07-2010
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To be an inspiration to many is to be a hero actor.

Projection:-
When we see negativity in others, we usually think and speak about it. We then take no inspiration to think and act positive. The more the attention is drawn towards negativity, our actions will become negative too.

Solution:-
Whatever the situation we are in, we need to make effort to change our own actions and turn them to positive. We will then be free from looking at the negativity in others. And our actions will become an inspiration to those around us, which will inspire them to become positive too.

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Soul Sustenance 22-07-2010
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Anger Management And Prevention

To see ourselves in the mirror of knowledge

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Message for the day 18-07-2010
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To see ourselves in the mirror of knowledge is to bring progress in ourselves.

Projection: The usual way of looking at ourselves when things don't go right with us is to either look at ourselves with self-pity or to point out others' mistakes. When we do this we lose the opportunity of learning from whatever has happened and so there is no progress.

Solution: The ideal way of looking at ourselves when things go wrong is to look with a knowldgeful eye and see what we can improve in ourselves. We only have to look and we are sure to find something that we can work on and improve. This brings about real progress in us.
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Soul Sustenance 18-07-2010
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Positivity And Health

To see ourselves in the mirror of knowledge

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Message for the day 17-07-2010
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To see ourselves in the mirror of knowledge
Projection:-
 Each day of ours is usually spent in doing things for ourselves and providing for our needs and desires. We seem to have no time for others. We are usually caught up with a few people, which brings attachment and expectations. We then find ourselves getting caught up with the weaknesses of others.

Solution:-
 We need to check if our love for others is pure. Where there is pure true love there is kindness and the attitude of bringing benefit. With this attitude of ours we will be able to see each one's potential for perfection. They too will be able to then work towards their own perfection.
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Soul Sustenance 17-07-2010
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Stress Management

The practice of positivity

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Message for the day 16-07-2010

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The practice of positivity enables us to be stable under all circumstances.

Projection:-
Usually we find ourselves reacting negatively to situations. At such times we want to maintain a positive attitude but are not able to. We then work hard and think of ways to change the negative situation to a positive one. A lot of time and effort goes into it and we tend to feel tired.

Solution:-
 The solution lies in maintaining our own positivity rather than trying to change negative into positive. When we have a long time of practice of working with our inner positivity we will be able to be positive even in the most negative situation. Then we will be saved the effort of having to work at transforming our negativity.
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Soul Sustenance 16-07-2010
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Creating Positive Habits

To be able to bend means to be a giver.

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Message for the day 15-07-2010
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To be able to bend means to be a giver.

Projection:-
There is usually a demand from situations for us to bow and bend. Even when it is not our mistake we are expected to understand or adjust. It seems very difficult at that time and we usually stand straight continuing to do what we believe in.

Solution:-
When such storms come in our life, we need to learn the art of bending, just as a flexible tree would bend to save itself in the storm and straighten once the storm passes over. To bend means to try to understand the other person also and to adopt the value of flexibility.

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Soul Sustenance 15-07-2010
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Self Introspection (Self-Observation) (cont.)

Trust brings help from others.

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Message for the day 14-07-2010
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Trust brings help from others.

Projection:Many times we find that we are not able to get sufficient help from others. We seem to be struggling all alone. We do expect help from others and might say so in words too, but we find that we are not always able to get full cooperation from others.

Solution: We will not get help from others if we expect and demand from others. Instead we need to develop faith in others that they will help. For this we need to develop total respect for each and everyone. It is this respect that will naturally encourage the other person to help us.

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Soul Sustenance 14-07-2010
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Self Introspection (Self-Observation)

Humility helps us maintain good relationships with others.

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Message for the day 13-07-2010
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Humility helps us maintain good relationships with others.

Projection:When involved in something that we are doing, we naturally come into contact with a lot of people. We sometimes find that we are not able to get along with certain people. We find it very difficult to maintain a good relationship with them and finally avoid dealing with them all together.

Solution: The first thing to do is to avoid thinking that we cannot get along with someone because of their personality. When we remove this first block in our mind we will be able to see the good in all. We will no longer think that we are here to teach them but will humbly learn whatever we can from them.

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Soul Sustenance 13-07-2010
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Realizing The Law Of Karma

Where there is constant checking there is progress.

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Message for the day 09-07-2010
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Where there is constant checking there is progress.

Projection: Sometimes we find our mood fluctuating seemingly without any reason. At such times we do not understand why it is happening so. We try to change our mood at that time by doing something else. We do find temporary relief but the feeling reemerges after sometime.

Solution: What we need to do is to first check the cause of our fluctuation in mood. Particularly we need to check what weakness is working within us. Once we discover this we would find it easy to change our thoughts and feelings.

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Soul Sustenance 09-07-2010
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Meditation

To use the treasures within is to increase them.

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Message for the day 08-07-2010
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To use the treasures within is to increase them.

Projection: Whenever there is a difficult situation, we always expect others to listen and understand. And so we feel helpless as the situation seems beyond our control and we don't feel we can do anything to change it. Then we don't make any attempt and the situation remains as it is.

Solution: Instead of looking at others we need to look within and we'll find a lot of treasures that we can use to change the situation. These treasures, our own inner powers and virtues are such that the as we continue to use them in situations, we find them increasing.

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Soul Sustenance 08-07-2010
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Stress Management (cont.)

Where there is courage there is success.

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Message for the day 05-07-2010
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Where there is courage there is success.

Projection: When we are involved in a task, we sometimes experience setbacks. Such setbacks often make us lose our confidence and we no longer have faith that we will succeed in the task. We then lose all courage to go ahead with the task and lose every chance of achieving what we have to.

Solution: We need to remind ourselves that we achieve success to the extent that we have courage. We need to make effort to maintain our courage even during the most difficult circumstances. Only when we do this will we continue to put in effort, which will bring us success at the right time.

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Soul Sustenance 05-07-2010
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Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation - The Power To Withdraw (cont.)

When I am too open to the world around me, it's as though the arrows of negativity that fly around can easily penetrate my being, so that I lose my power. What others say and do quickly affects me, and I become reactive. This causes a build-up of stress, and eventually burnout, which makes me feel my only option, is to retire from situations altogether, which is not always possible.

I don't want to react; I want to act with concern and reason and effectiveness. When I develop the habit of making a momentary withdrawal in situations of danger, I'm better able to achieve this. Turning within, I'm able to remember my link with the divine, the link of love, the link that fills me with peace and wisdom and good wishes. It's like an exercise: going inwards i.e. connecting with the self, then upwards towards the Supreme and then outwards (in the field of .karma.). Doing this repeatedly through the day as a discipline as well as at times of danger, I'll keep moving forward with stability and strength.

In order to maintain this power, I have to put a high value on introversion. If I'm too extrovert, I'll become caught up in external circumstances, and won't have power to withdraw available to me at the moment of need.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

To recognize the uniqueness of one's own role is to be free from negativity.

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Message for the day 04-07-2010
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To recognize the uniqueness of one's own role is to be free from negativity.

Projection: When we find things going wrong with us, we sometimes wish for a change in our role. We begin to compare ourselves with others or wish for something better in our life, which makes us lose all our enthusiasm. We, then, make no effort to better our role.

Solution: We need to recognize the importance of our own role. Like an actor who doesn't make effort to change his role but brings perfection to his own role, we, too, need to concentrate on our own role. The recognition of the importance of our own role and the desire to bring excellence to it makes us free from negativity.

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Soul Sustenance 04-07-2010
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Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation - The Power To Withdraw

Perfection comes to the one who is open to learning.

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Message for the day 03-07-2010
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Perfection comes to the one who is open to learning.
Projection: When we realize having made a mistake, we usually have negative thoughts about ourselves. This is because we expect the best out of ourselves, i.e., we expect ourselves to be perfect in everything we do. But this expectation prevents us from taking naturally the learning from the situation.
Solution: We need to realize that perfection does not come by thinking about it but by being busy in whatever we are doing. With every action of ours comes learning and this automatically brings perfection.

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Soul Sustenance 03-07-2010
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Self Esteem
The rebuilding of 'real' self-esteem is an inner process of self-realization, self-knowledge and self-awareness. We need to spend sometime seeing our own inner qualities and appreciating them, and most importantly expressing them for the benefit of others. In this way we slowly come to know our own true beauty. Are you ready to rediscover what is already there?
Imagine five people in your life were asked to identify a specific positive quality within you. List the five different qualities, which you think they would see in you. Now spend a few minutes with each of these qualities and visualize yourself expressing them in your life.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

The one who is truly fortunate is constantly enthusiastic.

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Message for the day 01-07-2010
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The one who is truly fortunate is constantly enthusiastic.
Projection: When we find things going wrong with us, we immediately find ourselves losing all enthusiasm. We then do nothing to change our situation but just begin to curse our fate. With such an attitude we can do nothing to change our fortune.
Solution: When things go wrong, we have to recognize the fact that it is the present that is in our hands. We don't need to think of what happened in the past and curse our fate. Instead we need to fill ourselves with enthusiasm to make the best use of the present to make our future the best.

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Soul Sustenance 01-07-2010
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Anger Management
Given below is a set of questions, the answers to which will help you manage emotions of anger, irritation, frustration, etc. more effectively:

During which event today did you get angry...even a little?
What were your thoughts at the time?
Which thought contributed most to your stress?
What thoughts helped you to regain your calmness?
How long did it take to regain your calmness?
Why do you think it took so long?
What would you do differently and more appropriately (suitably) if the same scene happened tomorrow?

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris