To work with the inner happiness

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Message for the day 30-08-2010
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To work with the inner happiness is to move forward with lightness.

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

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

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Soul Sustenance 30-08-2010
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Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation -
The Power To Tolerate (cont.)

Anger comes where there is discontentment.

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Message for the day 28-08-2010
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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 28-08-2010
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Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation -
The Power To Tolerate

When we are in the elevated company of the One God

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Message for the day 27-08-2010
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When we are in the elevated company of the One God, no bad company will influence us.

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

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

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Soul Sustenance 27-08-2010
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Being Impressed By Others – Is It Beneficial?

The fire of anger

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Message for the day 23-08-2010
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The fire of anger can be cooled with the sprinkling of the cool water of virtues.

Projection: When someone is angry, we come under the influence of the situation and we too get angry. It seems very difficult at that moment to remain cool. With our own anger we find that the other person's anger also increases. But we find that this is not the solution because it doesn't help either of us in anyway.

Solution: Instead of getting angry and aggravating the anger of the other person, we need to instead emerge our qualities or virtues of coolness and peace. We will then find that where anger doesn't work, only the cool water of virtues will help us put off the fire of anger.

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Soul Sustenance 23-08-2010
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Positive Consciousness While Performing Actions

Determination enables us to overcome our weaknesses.

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Message for the day 21-08-2010
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Determination enables us to overcome our weaknesses.

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

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

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Soul Sustenance 21-08-2010
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Stress Management (cont.)

To say yes is to have regard for all.

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Message for the day 20-08-2010
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To say yes is to have regard for all.

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

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

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Soul Sustenance 20-08-2010
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Stress Management

The one with true mercy

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Message for the day 18-08-2010
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The one with true mercy fills hope even in the ones who are hopeless.

Projection: When we see someone who is in need or who is totally negative, a case that is totally hopeless, there are a lot of feelings aroused within us. What we feel is pity or hatred, which are only negative feelings. Such negative thoughts don't help in anyway and the people remains as they are, unable to take any benefit from us.

Solution: Instead of having pity or hatred we need to develop true mercy for others. To have mercy means to have good wishes with love - combined with hope for them. It is our hope that enables them to develop faith in themselves too. This is the method to bring progress even in the most hopeless case.

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Soul Sustenance 18-08-2010
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Meditation

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

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Message for the day 17-08-2010
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Where there is humility there is the give and take of love.

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

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

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Soul Sustenance 17-08-2010
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Inculcating Powers Through Rajyoga Meditation - The Power To Pack Up (cont.)

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

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Message for the day 15-08-2010
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True progress brings progress in others as much as for the self.

Projection: It is usually believed that self-progress and progress of others are totally separate. It is believed that where there is thought for the progress of the self, there is selfishness and there is no benefit for those around. In fact, selfishness in an extreme form can also have a negative influence on those around.

Solution: In whatever we do we have to check and see if there is any benefit for others along with whatever benefit we are getting. If there isn't we can check to see if there is a better way of doing what we are doing which could have a positive influence on at least one person. Then we will find ourselves benefitting doubly. We will get the blessings from others along with the personal benefit we get.

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Soul Sustenance 15-08-2010
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The Power Of Thought

To be a donor means to give at each step and increase one's own stock.

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Message for the day 14-08-2010
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To be a donor means to give at each step and increase one's own stock.

Projection: Usually it seems very difficult to be a donor - to give from whatever resources we have. The thought often arises in the mind that we cannot give because we are ourselves not complete or full. We find ourselves constantly trying to fill ourselves and we then have no time or thought for giving to those around us.

Solution: We have a lot of treasures within us which we can give to those around us, our virtues, our specialities etc. Even if we have just a little and give to the others, we will find ourselves benefitting. For having given from whatever we have, we find that these treasures begin to increase within ourselves too.

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Soul Sustenance 14-08-2010
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Recharging Our Spiritual Battery

To keep the aim in front of us is to move forward with contentment.

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Message for the day 13-08-2010
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To keep the aim in front of us is to move forward with contentment.

Projection: Several times there are situations that are negative where we have to face things that are not really what we are expecting or wanting. At such times we tend to get disheartened and experience discontentment. Our state of mind becomes such that we can no longer experience peace.

Solution: The solution at such times is to keep our vision clear on our aim. When all our thoughts and energy are concentrated on our aim, we will be able to consider any negative scene that comes our way as only a side-scene. We can easily ignore all such situations and so our mind is at rest or peace.

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Soul Sustenance 13-08-2010
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Stress Management

There are some false beliefs about stress that we have acquired:

"Stress is vital to perform well in all spheres of life"

Truth: It is a false belief that stress, or putting pressure on people, is necessary to get things done. Why? Because fear is being invoked and used as a motivator, and that always results in a drainage of energy, which eventually can lead to physical disease. Stressful thinking is fearful and angry thinking, if sustained, leads to illness, absenteeism, poor performance and the breakdown of relationships. The psychosomatic effects are well known. Tense thoughts lead to tight muscles and headaches, worried thoughts upset the digestion and can eventually result in ulcers, fearful thinking speeds up and wears down the heart, inducing the over-production of adrenaline, while anger has been identified as one of the major contributory factors in cancer.

Stress and fear, and therefore adrenaline, may appear to get things done fast and efficiently in the short term - but in the long term it all leads to burnout. This is why there is no such thing as positive stress. Those who advocate that stress is necessary to reach peak performance are demonstrating lazy thinking, or the avoidance of doing the inner work of self-change.


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

The more we experience peace

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Message for the day 12-08-2010
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The more we experience peace within the more there will be positivity in our life.

Projection: We usually try to change ourselves and our negativities by working on each of them separately. We might be able to overcome them also but being connected to the other weaknesses we find that they reemerge again. Then we find that the negativity remains in our life influencing all our thoughts, words and actions.

Solution: We first need to make a promise to ourselves to maintain our own inner positivity. Once we do that we also need to make an attempt to practice relaxing our mind and remaining calm before we do any important thing. When we practice in this way we will be able to keep our mind calm and this calmness will bring contentment through which there will be positivity in all we do.

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Soul Sustenance 12-08-2010
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Understanding And Overcoming Ego (cont.)

To be seated on the seat of self-respect is to use virtues in life.

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Message for the day 11-08-2010
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To be seated on the seat of self-respect is to use virtues in life.

Projection: It usually seems very difficult to use the virtues within us when the people around are not doing so. At such times using negativity seems much easier. In spite of not having that particular weakness predominantly, say of anger, when there is provocation from the outside we tend to react with that weakness.

Solution: In order to free ourselves from weaknesses and work with the virtues within us we need to make sure we are seated on the seat of self-respect. For this we need to recognise and appreciate some speciality within us. When we are in the awareness of this speciality of ours, we will be able to stabilize ourselves in the state of our self-respect.

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Soul Sustenance 11-08-2010
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Understanding And Overcoming Ego

To be experienced means not to be deceived by anything.

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Message for the day 10-08-2010
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To be experienced means not to be deceived by anything.

Projection: There are so many times when a situation takes us by surprise and we make the same mistake that we had made before. It is only when the situation has passed that we realise that we have actually repeated that mistake. What then remains is only repentance as the time has passed where we could have done something.

Solution: Whenever there is a mistake, we need to take care that we learn from whatever has happened. When we continue to move forward in this way there will be no repentance for the mistakes made but there will be learning that'll make us experienced. And when we are experienced we'll never be deceived by situations which make us commit mistakes.

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Soul Sustenance 10-08-2010
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The Eternal World Cycle

To have knowledge in the intellect is to be constantly cheerful.

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Message for the day 08-08-2010
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To have knowledge in the intellect is to be constantly cheerful.

Projection: When something negative happens, we find that there are only negative or waste thoughts about the situation or people. We try hard not to think about it but we find only those thoughts coming to our mind. With such thoughts the situation seems worse than it is and we find it difficult to remain cheerful.

Solution: In such situations instead of trying to cut out waste we need to give ourselves something positive to think about. When the intellect is busy thinking about the positive, there'll be no room for negativity. In this way we will be able to remain constantly cheerful even in the most negative situations.

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Soul Sustenance 08-08-2010
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The Mind-Body Connection (cont.)

The soul radiates mental energy to each cell of the body, thus the mind is intimately connected with each cell of the physical body. Whatever type of thoughts, emotions, attitudes and memories we have in the mind, the physical body (cells) cannot escape from its effects, good or bad. If we have a negative thought or emotion, negative neuropeptides (neuropeptides were explained yesterday) are formed in the hypothalamus inside the brain and they go to each cell of the body, especially the target organ (the organ which is most susceptible to disease in your body). It leads to release of various stress hormones e.g. epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, cortisol etc. Also the resulting effects are burning of energy and accumulation of catabolic products, toxins, oxidants inside the cells (especially the cells of the target organ) leading to disease.

On the other hand if we have a positive thought or emotion, there is a release of endorphins (morphine like substances released by various cells of the body), enchephalins, melatonin etc. Also the resulting effects are pooling (accumulation) of energy, removal of catabolic products, toxins, production of anti-oxidants leading to feeling of well being, health and happiness.

(The above research has been verified by the medical fraternity of the Brahma Kumaris)


In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

The wings of courage and enthusiasm enable one to fly forward.

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Message for the day 07-08-2010
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The wings of courage and enthusiasm enable one to fly forward.

Projection: While moving forward we sometimes find ourselves in a position where there seems to be no progress. We don't seem to understand the reason for this and we find success eluding us. We try different methods for success but if we look within we find that either we have no courage or no enthusiasm, which prevents us from giving our best to the task.

Solution: We need to have both the wings of courage and enthusiasm in order to succeed. If there is no courage we give up trying. On the other hand, if there is no enthusiasm we get tired and tiredness never lets us work towards success. So before we take up any task we should make sure we fill both these wings with such power that we will be able to work constantly till we succeed.

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Soul Sustenance 07-08-2010
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The Mind-Body Connection

The wings of courage and enthusiasm enable one to fly forward.

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Message for the day 06-08-2010
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To have true faith in oneself is to attain success.

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

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

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Soul Sustenance 06-08-2010
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Understanding Fear And Its Effects

True detachment is to be a master of all things that we use.

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Message for the day 04-08-2010
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True detachment is to be a master of all things that we use.

Projection: Detachment is usually mistaken as being away from things because usually while using the facilities available we tend to get dependent on them. Such dependency is troublesome and so we sometimes give up using these facilities thinking that this is detachment which helps us to be free from their control.

Solution: The solution lies in mentally detaching ourselves from the facilities we are using. That means we use them but we are not dependent on them. For this we need to remind ourselves that we are the creator and whatever facilities are available to us are the creation. This enables us to develop mastery and control over everything.

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Soul Sustenance 04-08-2010
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Principles for the Body To Make Early Morning Meditation Successful (cont.)

The power of positive thoughts

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Message for the day 03-08-2010
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The power of positive thoughts enables others to be free from their worries.

Projection: When someone is going through difficult times there would be naturally worry and tension. At such times it becomes very natural for us too to come into tension. However, we don't seem to be able to help the other person in anyway when we have such thoughts. Instead we only add to the negative thoughts of that person.

Solution: When we find someone who is having negative thoughts in a difficult situation, we need to remind ourselves that we are the only ones who can help them come back to his positivity. It is possible for us to do this only when our own thoughts are positive. When we train our mind in this way we will be able to maintain our own positivity which will enable the other person also to be rid of his worries.

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Soul Sustenance 03-08-2010
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Principles for the Body To Make Early Morning Meditation Successful

To be an embodiment of power

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Message for the day 02-08-2010

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To be an embodiment of power is to be free from effort.

Projection: When we are faced with a difficult situation we usually try to make our mind positive at that time, but we find it very difficult to do so. We then give up making effort thinking that we don't have the power to change our nature. We continue to work with the weakness and strengthen it further.

Solution: In order to win over our weakness we need to become an embodiment of power. For this we need the practice of a long time of being powerful so that we experience the power within. Then the power that we want at that time will emerge naturally. Like a master we'll be able to order our inner powers and be free from the effort of changing negative to positive.

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Soul Sustenance 02-08-2010
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Commentary on Anger Management

To think less is to remain happy.

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Message for the day 01-08-2010
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To think less is to remain happy.

Projection:-
 Usually there is a tendency to think more than normal when there is a challenging situation. Although it is considered to be good to think more, we usually miss out on the fact that thinking more means having lots of waste thoughts along with those that are necessary.

Solution:-
When we find ourselves thinking a lot we need to ask ourselves if all these thoughts are really necessary. We need to recognise waste thoughts and replace them with something more positive. With this practice we'll find ourselves thinking less and at the same time having powerful thoughts which will keep us cheerful under all circumstances.

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Soul Sustenance 01-08-2010
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Self Empowerment