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Positive Reflections messages from Awakening consciousness
Bringing Your Dreams Alive
Each one of us has dreams that we nourish right through our lives. Some are short-term dreams and some long term ones. Dreams keep changing as we progress through different phases of our life. Some are achieved, some are not. Some of us possess the ability to realize our dreams more than the rest. The most important and influential factor in this process is how much we believe in our dream and believe that it will be realized. Some of the factors that hamper this belief are:
- The influence of the past - the memories of our past failures, which sow seeds of doubt in our mind; as well as successes, which keep us in an illusionary consciousness and distance us from the present moment and our present actions. Also, sometimes we associate present temporary failures or ups and downs which may come in our way, with failures of the past.
- Lack of inner strength or power, when faced with obstacles in your path. Tendency to get dejected very easily and creating weak thoughts like we do not deserve it or we are not capable of it or are we not lucky enough or it is not in our destiny or maybe it is our negative past actions which are influencing our dream realization process adversely, etc.
- The opinions or comments of people surrounding you who sometimes, are not in tune with your consciousness and are not able to empathize with your purpose. Their comments easily de-focus you from your purpose.
- Lack of ability to mould or adjust during the dream realization journey. Any journey is always full of twists, turns and sudden changes. A rigid state of mind, which is not able to change its tactics as required, may make the path seem more difficult than it actually is.
- It is very good to dream but excessive attachment to the dream also may make the journey towards the dream stressful and bring down your self-belief at times.
Living Happiness The Right Way (Part 3)!
Happiness is a state of mind and not something based on external influences. E.g. you hear a great piece of news – you have got a promotion in your office. That feels very nice to hear and it gives you happiness. There is nothing wrong with that, but when our happiness starts becoming dependent on such events, that’s when the foundation of our happiness is a wrong one. After hearing a positive piece of news, after one day you are told that your favourite sports team has lost the final of a very famous tournament. You see your team losing and suddenly your happiness is lost. So, enjoy the positive events but don’t think that life will not have its negative events ready to reduce your happiness, if your happiness stands on the wrong foundation.
So what is the right way to be happy? Enjoy everything that life has to offer – all the good things but don’t make your happiness dependent on them. Also, if you are truly and internally happy in this way, as per spiritual principles, then that once in a while negative event or that shocking accident on the road or a sudden loss of wealth will not disturb you either. Constant happiness comes by increasing one’s inner spiritual treasures like peace, love, wisdom and power and not from outside events. That does not mean outside events will not make you happy. They will, but your rule over those events and not get ruled by their influence. Also, by increasing your treasures, you remain happy even when there is a negative situation in your life. That is living happiness the right way!
Living Happiness The Right Way (Part 2)!
Happiness for some people today is based more on materialism and enjoying different mediums of science and technology in every sphere of life. Do you know that there are two sides to this type of happiness. When the going is good in life i.e. when there are no negative situations in your life, you feel you are on top of the world. Also, when there is even a little negative event like a disturbance at home or a little change in your health or if a friend no longer co-operates and talks well with you, then the same material mediums of science and technology can no longer support you. You feel empty inside. This is a wrong foundation of happiness. On the other hand, true happiness is one which is based on your strengths and qualities and is permanent, even if life presents to you negative events once in a while, which is very common in our present day lives. Try finding one person who has only positive events in their life and you will not find a single person without some problem or the other.
Also, the world is in a way living on a false belief that happiness is increasing because of scientific advancement or because of better medical facilities or because of more wealth. It seems it is but it is temporary. Aren’t there so many people, in fact most people, who are not admitting to the world that they are in pain and unhappy? The richest of people, the most famous of people, the most educated people and the most advanced people are today looking to spiritual wisdom and meditation to get relief from life’s problems. They also want to be free from the pressure that comes in many cases, with being rich and famous and also successful.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
Viewing Situations Positively (Part 3)
Feelings of helplessness when faced with difficult situations are something that many people in the world experience. It’s as if life comes to a standstill and you don’t know where to look for help and whom to call out to. Is it so difficult to face situations? Doesn’t God know what we are going through and can’t he be made a part of the situation to cross it. Some say God is a spectator to our problems and he is too far away to hear our voice but is it so? God waits for His help to be taken because you are His spiritual child and you have a right to take His help. Also, God is not very happy if we say that He is insensitive to our troubles. Some people even go the extent of sometimes incorrectly saying that all the happiness and the sorrow in our lives is given by God, which is not true. But, at the same time to get us out of the sorrow is something that even God is always eager to do, but we need to take His help by remaining strong and stable in the negative situation. It is said that one step of courage taken by us brings thousand steps of help from God. God is our Father and taking His help is the first thing that should come in our mind when we are in trouble and not the last as sometimes it happens. We get so over-involved in situations and in thinking how to solve it that we forget that there is someone sitting out there who can be called by the power of thought and whose help can be taken. We can do this as we would do with our physical father, if we needed his help.
Some people assume that God should help on His own, but there are two conditions for receiving His help – one is courage and the other is remembering Him.
Remembering him is a way of giving Him respect, who is the Highest of Highest. Remember God, who is the most humble being that exists. But He will help us when we remember Him much more than if we are disconnected from Him. Taking His help makes it easy for you to face the situation at hand and hence view situations positively.
Viewing Situations Positively (Part 2)
Situations arise in our lives regularly and even suddenly at times. At those times we are not prepared for them and even the best of people who are generally very positive will at times become disturbed when they look at them. There are people who have had heart attacks or have died of shock when someone close to them died or when suddenly their business went down or when their favorite sports team lost a game or when they were told about a serious illness which they were suffering from. So, life can be demanding at times because we are not prepared for situations and at the same time we are not mentally strong enough to face them. So this makes it difficult for us to adjust to the sudden changes in our life and also we are generally attached to a perfect life in which no difficult situations exist. There are people who fear situations not so much because of the actual situation itself but more because of the fact that the situation exists in their life. This is called attachment to a particular lifestyle which we are used to, where everything goes smoothly and a little change in that can disturb us mentally.
Bringing spirituality in our lives is an important way of making our lives firstly free for the fear of situations existing. At the same time becoming aware of why situations arise in our lives and accept them easily. Lastly give a thought to what positive steps we can take on a physical and non-physical level i.e. at the level of our words and actions which are physical and at the level of our thoughts which are non-physical to reduce difficult situations in our lives. Also, the power to face situations fearlessly increases inside us when we have the hand of God to hold on to. Also, it increases when we have a very deep relationship with Him based on a spiritual understanding of who He is actually and how we can connect with Him. The connection becomes easy by experiencing ourselves as a soul or a being of spiritual light which is different from the physical costume we wear which we commonly call the human body.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
Viewing Situations Positively (Part 1)
If you look at the world around you and judge people based on how they respond to different situations, you will realize and know that there are some people who will look at situations from a negative view point very easily. A view point literally means – viewing from a point a particular scene in your life. Obviously the point of view as we say is different for each person i.e. the point from where someone views a particular scene is different for each person. It’s like a painting on a wall. I can see the same painting by standing at different points and I will see the same painting differently. That is what we mean by perception or the angle of viewing or the point of view. Sometimes one painting of life or scene in life will be seen by ten different people from ten different positions of the mind and they will see it differently or in other words they will react differently. And because we look from different viewpoints or have different perceptions, life for some is like a joyride and for some it can be a roller coaster ride i.e. a ride with ups and downs where you are shaken up and down very often. In other words you become unstable emotionally.
When looking at situations, choose the most positive mind position to look at them from. That is the secret key to having a mind space which you own, in which the experience of virtues like happiness, contentment and power exist and express themselves freely. How to choose the best mental position to look at a scene of life or in other words how to have the most positive perception for a situation? This depends on your personality, which the good thing is, can be changed. Meditation is the most beautiful technique of connecting yourself internally using the power of visualization to the sweet personality of God and absorbing His virtues. This brings the virtues inside your mind space in the form of good quality thoughts and on the basis of that creating positive perceptions or positive view points when looking at situations.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
The Four Pillars Of A Spiritual Lifestyle - Achieving A Balance
A balanced and fulfilling spiritual life is like a table. It stands on four legs and if one leg is shorter than the others then both balance and equilibrium will be difficult. The four legs or pillars of a spiritual life are given below in the form of four subjects. If any of the subjects is not a part of our lives or is a part of our life, but not to as great an extent as the others, then the overall balance of our spiritual life will be affected adversely (negatively).
1. Daily spiritual study (knowledge or gyan)
Daily spiritual study provides the right quality of nourishment for our mind and intellect, the two important energies of the soul.
2. Daily meditation (spiritual yoga)
Daily meditation provides the means to explore, discover and reconnect with oneself and with God.
3. The inculcation and development of virtues (dharna)
Giving some time each day to the conscious development of our character (virtue) helps to eliminate any negative sanskars or personality characteristics (vices) arid improves our ability to build positive and harmonious relationships. The quality of our relationships is a mirror reflection of our dharna.
4. The service of others (seva)
A life purpose based on some kind of service is the foundation of personal growth through the practice of giving. Finding appropriate ways to use our increasing spiritual power and understanding (through the three subjects mentioned above) for the benefit of others is the most satisfying way to use our energy today. It also ensures happiness for the present as well as for the future through accumulation of positive energy in the form of blessings of those who are served.
Tolerate With Pleasure, Not With Pressure
We are living in a world of constant change and increasing stress and dealing with many people with different types of personalities who are facing different types of challenges in their lives. In such a world it's commonly seen that people get angry and easily upset with us at times. How do we deal with such people easily and tolerate them without getting pressurized? Let's look at 5 steps -
1. Fill Your Mind With Spiritual Love For The Other Soul - The moment someone criticizes us, insults us or taunts us, emerge your soul conscious vision for them and see them as beautiful souls with beautiful original qualities and remind yourself that their anger and ego is a temporary form of impurity, that was not a part of their original, pure nature.
2. Surrender The Situation To God And Do Not Judge Or Analyze Too Much - The moment you face someone's negative behavior, tell yourself that you have surrendered all your relationships to God, and you don't need to think about the person or situation too much. Just be connected to God and experience His love and power and feel the right perception of the person and situation from Him.
3. Remember A Point Of Wisdom And Experience Its Power - There are various different points of positive self-respect in God's wisdom, which we read or listen to. Remember any one point and don't repeat the negative words or actions of the other person in your mind.
4. Give The Other Person Your Support And Co-operation - The best way to win the love, support and co-operation of the other person is to give the same to them through your thoughts, words and actions. Do this for some time and the other person will transform completely from negative to positive.
5. Radiate Vibrations To The Person In Meditation - For a few minutes everyday, visualize the other soul with yourself and God in meditation and radiate vibrations of goodness and positivity which you take from God to them. This will change their consciousness and bring them closer to you and help them finish their negative perception of you.
Say I Will, Not I Will Try
When wanting to do something, we often say Let me try, instead of Let me do. Trying is different from doing it. The word try radiates an energy of doubt to the mind, body and universe. It permits us to put ordinary efforts, to fail and to disown responsibility for the result. It is like accepting defeat at the starting point. Whether it is a change in your habit or a new project at work, do you convey your ability by saying Let me try? Do you sense the word try putting a subtle ceiling on your efforts, and negatively influencing the result already? The words will try and will do are at completely different energy levels. Trying is a low-energy word which slows down success or makes failure a possibility. It doesn’t let us give our best. Let us begin every task on a strong foundation by confidently saying I will do. It’s highest vibration becomes a blessing for us. It also sends the same message to the universe and attract success. Let’s delete try from our vocabulary. When our initial thoughts and words are powerfully positive, our determination makes us do everything accurately.
Remind yourself everyday many times that you are a powerful being. Do whatever you decide to do. Set clear goals and be sure how you will achieve them. Give your best as you work on them. Support your goals with a strong willpower. Think, decide and implement immediately. Don’t postpone, never say let me try. Be certain about your goals and purpose and make sure there is no element of doubt or fear. Always believe, don’t just desire. Take action, don’t just try. Own responsibility, don’t just hope. Always achieve in every sphere of life, don’t just attempt. Ensure that your inner conversations are positive, program your mind for success even before you begin an activity. Use only high-energy words like I can do it…it’s very easy…I will do it. As you will raise your vibrations, fear and doubts will fade away and your positivity will radiate to situations and attract favorable events and people and make you successful.
Living Happiness The Right Way (Part 1)!
A very important and influential aspect of our life which defines our way of living is hope and determination. Success in life is largely defined by these two powers. Very often we see a difficult situation effect people so much that after that they no longer believe they can succeed. E.g. a very successful person suddenly falls ill or loses an important relative or experiences sudden financial losses at work. Such type of events or similar to these ones can weaken the enthusiasm of many people and affect their confidence for future actions. Also, there are many different cases in the world when lives of many people have changed after a particular negative event in their life, which they found difficult to face. It is very true that most people in the world are today facing some negative situation or the other. These negative situations are either with the mind or with their physical body or in their role or very importantly in their different personal and professional relationships.
Hope and determination are two powers which we all require to face these different situations and presently the world has seen a decrease in these two powers in many people. Although the world is advancing in many different ways, at the same time people are no longer as internally powerful to face life’s different negative events, which are on the rise. Also, the power to control your thoughts, feelings and emotions is reducing and keeping them positive is becoming difficult for many. Of course, there are some who believe that life is all about ups and downs and also happiness and sorrow both are part of life. But, according to spiritual wisdom, experiencing sorrow is a sign of lack of inner strength and stability. Also, happiness is our natural state of mind, which we like and should experience all the time.
(To be continued tomorrow …)
Make 6 Types Of Contentment A Part Of Your Life
Am I Content With Myself - Being content with myself, my sanskars, my thoughts, words and actions and also how I feel is very important for progressing in life. Also, we need to realize that those who are always content with themselves, radiate positive energy and attract positive circumstances in their life.
Am I Content With Others - While playing my roles, responsibilities and relationships, we come in contact with different people, who have different sanskars. I need to check at every moment that am I content with each and everyone or is there someone I do not tend to like? Making each and every relationship beautiful gives me strength and makes me lighter.
Are Others Content With Me - While contentment with others is extremely important, we also need to check whether others are content with me. The more beautiful and perfect I am in my sanskars and the more I think nice and positive for others, the more others come close to me and I get their certificate of contentment.
Am I Content With God - Spirituality teaches us to make a beautiful relationship with God, without which our lives are incomplete and without fulfillment. As a Spiritual Father God gives us sustenance, as a Spiritual Teacher God shares wisdom with us and as a Spiritual Guru He teaches us how to connect to Him. While receiving these attainments from Him, I need to check if am I content with Him at every step.
Is God Content With Me - God fills us with various qualities and powers and makes us beautiful souls. When I always follow God's instructions and don't disobey Him ever, I get His certificate of contentment and become filled with His love and blessings.
Am I Content With My Life - We are the creators of all our life situations based on our actions of this birth and our previous births. This makes me content with my life and I accept every situation and create a positive future for myself by performing beautiful and positive actions in the present.
Making Concentration Your Nature
We all know how valuable, concentration is. Whether it is studies, a project at office or household work, we want to quiet the mind and concentrate on what we do. But often, we give in to emotional or sensory distractions. Our mind starts wandering and thoughts become scattered. Cultivating the ability to focus our thoughts in whatever direction we want, is crucial for success.
1. You know the endless rewards of concentration. But have you been at a meeting and your attention strays from the discussion to your family, to bills to be paid, or to your weekend plans? Have you experienced total concentration at times and a total lapse of concentration at other times?
2. Concentration needs our mind to create an energy of stillness and power. Nurturing the mind with 15 minutes of pure, positive information in the morning and thinking right during the day improves concentration. Distractions, overthinking or turbulent thoughts create disturbed energy.
3. Before beginning a task, keep distractions away, take a minute’s silence to answer any unresolved questions in the mind. Set a timeline and create one high-energy thought about the activity you are about to begin. No other thought will disturb you and you create a silent, still, concentrated mind.
4. Concentration needs to be a habit, a way of living. It is your mind and it obeys your instructions. You just need to master the art of instructing it. Remind yourself - I concentrate well to complete every task effortlessly and well in time. My mind is my instrument, it obeys my instructions.
#IAM
At Peace With Time - The Key To Relaxed Living (Part 4)
You choose whether, each morning, you want to get up and begin with watching television, reading the newspaper over a cup of tea, or you want to get up and meditate, listen to peaceful music, read a couple of pages of spiritual knowledge that inspire you and you begin the day with enthusiasm and by visualizing it positively: today will be a marvelous day, I shall enjoy it … yes!! Such meditative and spiritual practice will give you a feel of time being elastic. In such a consciousness, a minute will seem eternal i.e. time can seem to come to a standstill (if I am surrounded by a positive set of circumstances which are spiritually uplifting) or can seem an instant, i.e. I get a feeling of time passing very fast (if in a negative set of circumstances). Thus, I learn to be a creator of time; living in time without being a slave to it. True freedom lies in being content now. You can be content in the present moment by resolving the inner dialogue that generates stress and conflict in you. When you are content, enjoying yourself and having a good time, you don't realize how time passes. This means that, if we lived in a state of constant happiness, we wouldn't realize how time passes. Time would be at our service. We would be the rulers and controllers of time and not the other way round.
At Peace With Time - The Key To Relaxed Living (Part 3)
To live at peace with time is to live it with peace, trust and determination. It is different to living it out of conflict and forcing things. In order to live true freedom of being, we have to make friends with time and stop living stressed in time. We have to trust. Trust that you will arrive on time, that you will do it on time and, if not, that a particular problem will be solved. Don't let time be a stress factor. When we live stressed because of time, we lose the best of life. We stop living what is essential and important, and we get lost in the details: I have to go here, I have to finish this, I have to call up someone, and endless amounts of I have tos that consume our mental energy and make us get lost in the details of the trivial (ordinary). As well, in hurrying, we lose quality. You can do everything, but without losing what is essential; do it with love, with care, with interest, with enthusiasm, with motivation and with focus. That way every small action that you take will have a greater impact, will be more fulfilling and will bear a more positive fruit.
(To be continued tomorrow …)