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Brahmakumari’s Daily Thought

Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

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Page 1: Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

Brahmakumari’s Daily

Thought

Page 2: Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

Patience brings harmony in relationships

Projection

When there is a misunderstanding in a relationship we hardly put in any effort in order to understand the other

person. We tend to become impatient and we don't listen to the other person to understand them. Because of which we

start inventing things about them. This only further increases the misunderstanding.

Solution

When we have a difference of opinion with someone, we need to give some time to understand and listen to the

other person. Only then will we be able to understand the other person's point of view. This practice will enable us to

finish any misunderstanding we have with others and brings harmony in relationships.

Page 3: Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

Understanding The Virtue Of Love

Love is normally associated with the heart. But what is the heart? You are your heart. Human consciousness is the heart. You have two hearts – the physical heart and the spiritual heart. Your physical heart is not a source of love, it is simply a very powerful pump. Your spiritual heart is a source of love and you are it. Why? Because you are spirit or soul. This is important because it reminds you that you are love and you are a source of love. In fact, you don’t need love because you already have it! However, you don’t feel it. You normally believe that love and happiness are physical sensations. This teaching is dangerous because it makes you reverse the flow of the energy of your own heart from giving and radiating to wanting and taking. That’s why attachment happens and our life becomes rather dry of real love. This false belief, that love comes from outside, eventually makes us turn our own life into one which is filled with sounds of ‘give me, give me, give me’! Its no wonder love is a rare experience because the moment our aim is to take we change the energy of our heart into fear. The fear that we won’t get, the fear that if we do get it won’t be up to expectation and the fear that when we do get we might lose what we got! And we haven’t even got it yet! If only someone had told us that fear is the opposite of love.

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Emotional Intelligence

Most of us create the following forms of disturbances inside our minds: anxiety, tension, fear, irritation, frustration, anger, sadness, depression, worry, powerlessness, hopelessness are but a few of the many painful emotional experiences! One minute the high of excitement and the next moment the depths of sadness. We have been taught to believe this is good, normal and healthy, but it is not – it leads only to addiction to the emotional disturbance in our minds and the chemicals they stimulate in our bodies. When people hear this they immediately think that without emotion life would be without feeling and meaning, a cold and boring existence. In fact the opposite is true. Free of emotional disturbance we are able to feel better, care deeper and better. We also learn how to truly motivate ourselves instead of being dependent on emotions to motivate us. Emotion is the lazy man’s form of motivation. There is very little power in emotion. It always fizzles out fast!

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Anger Management And Prevention

• Step One – Never struggle with your anger. Don't fight it, or resist it, in any way. That only either strengthens it, or suppresses it until another day. So face it and accept its presence.

• Step Two – As soon as possible, simply observe it. In the act of observation all emotion must die. Why? Because you are standing back from it within your consciousness in order to observe it. And as you stand back within your consciousness you are withdrawing your life giving energy from it.

• Step Three – Through the practice of meditation, return to your centre, that means the centre of your consciousness, the centre of your self. At the centre you will find inner peace, and that peace is your power. At the centre of yourself you will find your love, and that love, when you give it to yourself and others, is the healing balm of forgiveness.

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Self Empowerment• To fill your self with a virtue or power, which you feel you lack inside yourself, try the following exercise. Suppose

you feel that you lack contentment. To enhance this virtue inside you, sit comfortably in a pleasant room with your eyes open.

• Withdraw energy mentally from everything around you – not to reject or resist, but to turn your attention inward. You might think of how a tortoise withdraws into its shell to detach itself from the outside world, but carrying the experience of the world with it inside its shelter.

Create a point of consciousness. Focus on the centre of your forehead. Think of this point as a radiant star, a sparkling jewel, a flame or a being of light. This will transmit positive energy, making you feel good about yourself.

Affirm this positive energy through positive thoughts and images about yourself such as ”I am a contented soul, I shower everyone whom I meet with the virtue of contentment”, “I am a jewel of contentment”, or “I am the child of the Supreme Being, the Ocean of Contentment”.

Focus your energy on contentment, and let this become the object of your meditation. As you focus, you will give contentment life, turning a thought into a feeling.

Experience this feeling by giving your conscious attention to it.

During the entire day, you could visualize yourself performing each action in the canopy (shelter) of the Ocean of Contentment.

• Now perform this exercise for different virtues like cheerfulness, courage, humility, tolerance, forgiveness, determination, etc. especially for the ones you think are lacking inside you. For the virtues already existing inside you, you could use this exercise to strengthen those personality traits and bring them more into actions and interactions.

Page 7: Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

Leadership

The deepest and most important form of leadership today has little to do with leading the troops into battle, or leading the teams into the market place of competition, or even leading the nation or organization. Leadership is the ability to help others see and know themselves, know their own values, and their value to others, and align their actions with their values. It is called integrity, transparency, being egoless, humble, honest, caring, benevolent. In short, being ‘a good human being’.

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Happiness

• Most of us learn to live life reluctantly, (I HAVE to go to work, I HAVE to do this and that); few of us realize we drain our own power by forgetting we always have choice and free will. Instead we make ourselves feel like prisoners of our culture, our environment or 'the system', and as a consequence we fall asleep to our choices. Start to consciously choose the day every day, consciously choose to do everything you do. Even if you don't particularly enjoy what you do, choose it. Remind yourself that joy is not something you get from a particular place or activity, true joy is something that you generate as you give yourself whole heartedly to whatever you do. Be whole hearted in everything you do and watch how it transforms (changes) life from 'have to' a 'want to'. The first word on your lips as soon as you awaken in the morning … YES!

Page 9: Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

Meditation – Experiencing My Original Home (cont.)

• Along with reading over the following words slowly and silently, make a sincere effort to create corresponding images of them in the eye of your mind:

• I focus myself on the self, the soul, a golden point of light........ I reside between the eyebrows in the middle of the forehead........ I radiate golden rays of peace, purity and love in all directions........ In this awareness of I the soul, with the power of my mind I can travel beyond the limits of my physical senses........ I visualize myself gradually going out from this physical body........ I, the sparkling star like energy, fly into the night sky........ I see myself floating above a vast expanse of buildings and lights........ Slowly I rise higher and higher to enter space........ I am surrounded by millions of stars and planets........ Gradually I see myself flying beyond the world of five elements........ I, the golden star, enter another dimension, a soft golden-red light world........ A world of sweet silence and peace........ full of peaceful light stretching into infinity........ I feel pure warmth here, surrounded by light........ I the being of light sparkle in this sixth element........ I am free of all tensions, extremely light......... This is where I belong, This is my home........ I recognize this place........ I had forgotten it, but now I have rediscovered it........

Spend a few minutes in this positive experience and then gradually come downwards to take your seat back in the physical body.

Page 10: Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

Erasing the Details (Visualization)• The following visualization is designed to free your awareness from everything that is not the essential

self. It is not the aim to escape or avoid ourselves but an opportunity to be free of everything to which we surrender our awareness and our attention. The mystery within the exercise is simple, when you discriminate and detach from everything outside yourself you do not lose the world, it will always be there, but you regain yourself, which was also always there, but was lost in the world!

• Sit comfortably... Visualize an eraser in your hand... Take the eraser and imagine yourself rubbing out the desk in your office... Then rub out the building, which holds your office... Erase your car... Then the surrounding streets and homes... Then be aware of everything outside your own home...rub it out... Then inside .. your bedroom, the kitchen, the lounge... Erase them all one by one... Until you are sitting in your chair floating in space... Now rub out the chair... Then look down and rub out your entire physical body and facial features... There is now nothing left...except you, a sparkling being of conscient energy...floating in empty space It's not that you are no longer... As you float there you are very aware of yourself, very focused on yourself, powerful, peaceful and quite content... ...just to be...

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Self Esteem

• When we spend time watching others its too easy to become a little envious (jealous), to want what they have, to aspire to be what they are. Some say it's good to aspire to be like someone, achieve what someone else has achieved and then, when you get there you will be happy. But it's impossible. We want the lives of others, the achievements of others, the prestige of others, and in the wanting we will find the threads of discontentment, fear of possible failure, envy and jealousy. We cannot be someone else. We can only 'be ourself' and can only play our own assigned role.

• Question: Who is it in your life that you envy or would most like to be like or attain what they have attained? Reflection: What sort of feelings/emotions come up when you are watching them or thinking about them? Action: What will you/can you do to free yourself from aspiring to be someone else?

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Open Spaces of Silence • One of the aims of meditation is not to stop your thoughts but to

slow them down so that you may find and enter the silence between and behind your thinking. This is a little challenging at first but the more you practice the easier it becomes.

• Think of your thoughts as trains, just as in the saying we sometimes use, 'train of thought'. Each thought is a carriage and in between the thoughts/carriages is a small gap, a space. The train can arrive at different speeds. Our aim is to slow the train down and become aware of the space between the carriages, in other words between your thoughts. You may even be able to increase that space so that there is the experience of no thought. In this moment you reconnect with the silence that exists always between and behind your thoughts. Don't try to hold it or grasp it, or you will lose it.

Page 13: Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

Meditation - What The Scientists Say ....

• * Scientists used to believe connections among brain cells were fixed early in life and did not change in adulthood, but studies using brain imaging have shown that mental training through meditation can change brain circuits. It can also improve higher mental activity by increasing coordination between different brain areas.

• * Meditation can be an active rather than passive process. During the practice of meditation, brain areas dealing with input from the senses become less active, but other parts "light up" and the heart rate increases.

• * Meditation can free us from negative tendencies, letting us see both our true inner nature and the reality of the world around us.

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Anger Management And Prevention (cont.)

• At least twice in a day, withdraw yourself from your daily routine and visualize the following positive thoughts:

• I am a concentrated spark of life energy, located between the eyebrows........Gradually I fly towards my sweet silent home........Here I feel myself being drawn towards the Supreme Soul, a star-like entity with unlimited power.......Like a laser beam, powerful rays of peace from the Ocean of Peace fall on me which make me calm, centered and composed........As I release all negative emotions of anger from my system, I feel more and more relaxed........I acquire an attitude of acceptance towards everyone and everything around me........In the canopy (shelter) of the Ocean of Love, I forgive myself and others completely and release all resentments (negative emotions towards others) now.......I am now overflowing with peace and love and shall create harmony in all my relationships.......I am receiving the spiritual power from the World Almighty Authority to remain in charge of my energies......Nothing can disturb my peace now.......

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Anger Management And Prevention

• Practice the following techniques to help yourself become free of anger:

• 1. Future Consciousness Eighty percent of the content of your conversations is focused on the past. The past is like a filing cabinet. When you go to the office do you spend the day in the filing cabinet? Consciously shift your focus to the future in everything you think and say, not a future filled with desires and expectations, but one in which you simply see everything as going well.

2. Self Counseling Stop hurting yourself, for that is what you do when you get upset or angry about anything. How would you counsel (guide) someone who is determined to harm themselves? Similarly, talk to yourself and talk yourself out of the habit of emotional self-harm. What would that conversation with the self sound like?

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Anger Management And Prevention (cont.)

• 3. Transformation In Focus

• Find an area of life where you can focus your time and energy in positive ways e.g. meditation. This is like taking water away from the tree of your many anger, irritation and resentment making habits and the tree will begin to decompose and die.

4. Self Withdrawal

• In the meeting or kitchen or in the one-to-one at work, to become the master of your responses visualize and practice remaining peaceful yet aware, detached yet available, disengaged yet actively involved!

• 5. Transformation Of Company

• We make it easier for ourselves to change our anger habits, by not spending time with negative minded people, people who are always moaning and complaining. Send them your good wishes along with your apologies for your absence.

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Anger Management And Prevention (cont.)

• I am a concentrated spark of life energy, located between the eyebrows........Gradually I fly towards my sweet silent home........Here I feel myself being drawn towards the Supreme Soul, a star-like entity with unlimited power.......Like a laser beam, powerful rays of peace from the Ocean of Peace fall on me which make me calm, centered and composed........As I release all negative emotions of anger from my system, I feel more and more relaxed........I acquire an attitude of acceptance towards everyone and everything around me........In the canopy (shelter) of the Ocean of Love, I forgive myself and others completely and release all resentments (negative emotions towards others) now.......I am now overflowing with peace and love and shall create harmony in all my relationships.......I am receiving the spiritual power from the World Almighty Authority to remain in charge of my energies......Nothing can disturb my peace now.......

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Self-Empowerment

• To empower the self we need to realize and review our weaknesses or those aspects of life that are holding us back in some way and/or are causing us some sorrow or discomfort. The next step is to use techniques of meditation to remove these weaknesses . To know your weaknesses, perform the following exercise: A. Remember the darker times in your life, when you experienced failure. What was the common weakness present in your behaviour at those times? B. What are the negative or destructive trends in your behaviour because of which you or others experience pain or sorrow? C. Sometimes certain traits or behaviour of others can arouse a negative response in us. What is that negative response? D. What are you most frightened of? E. Now review your answers and summarize. What are your three main weaknesses?

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Ways to Stop Worrying and Start Living

• 1. Ask yourself that if what you worry about did happen what would you do next? Let's say all the evidence points towards your future being harmed. Take a moment to visualize what you would do next. What would be the next step, the step beyond what you do now? See yourself taking that step with ease while enjoying and learning from the transition to a new chapter in your life.

• 2. Put all your worries on a piece of paper and then set fire to it Write down your worries on a blank sheet and then have a 'sacrificial fire ceremony' as you send your worries up in smoke.

3. See worry as paying interest on a debt that you have not yet incurred Watch how your worrying is draining you. The thoughts are sucking away your life energy. It's like a debt collector calling to collect on a debt you do not have. Stop paying of a non-existent debt.

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Meditation And Visualization• The Supreme Being (Supreme Soul) is the seed of all human

souls. He has the same form as the soul, a subtle, infinitesimal (extremely small), point of light. The only difference is in the qualities that he radiates. He is an Ocean of peace, joy, love, bliss, knowledge, purity, power, etc.

In the practice of meditation, the soul, using its thought power and power of visualization links its mind to this Supreme Energy and spiritually charges itself with all the divine virtues that he is a source of. Knowing the Supreme Being's form and virtues, we can bring that image onto the screen of our mind and begin immediately to experience his qualities and powers by associating them with that beautiful form.

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Discovering Inherent Virtues / Values

• Meditation enables us to achieve self-awareness and self-realization (a true sense of who we really are), and discover our inherent virtues or specialties, which lay hidden within each of us.

• 1. Use a flower as a basis for meditation. You should be completely focused on the flower, and no other thoughts should enter your mind.3. How might the qualities of the flower reflect aspects of your self? 4. Now consider each different characteristic you have given the flower. Think about each of it in terms of how it might correspond to your personality.5. If the flower has any negative aspects (is one of the petals drying out?), what might this be telling you about yourself? Concentrate on mending the negative, making your self-image wholly positive.6. Connect with the flower in this way, until you feel that the beauties you see are a direct reflection of your virtues.

• In the above exercise, the form of the flower's many petals may be seen to correspond to your virtues; the fragrance may correspond to the quality of your thoughts; and the color may refer to some of your positive moods or emotions (green for your love of the world, red for calm assertion, blue for enveloping sympathy). What you see, in the moment of meditation, is what you are

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World Transformation Through Self Transformation

• Would you scold a young child for their mischievousness or mistakes? Though it's important to be firm in teaching discipline, a good parent or caregiver realizes that the child is innocent of how it should behave. Therefore, the approach is patient and loving. But what happens when we see adults making big-little errors? It's true that adults have to be more responsible for their actions but that's not always the case. It's in our best interest to accept that no matter how much we correct people, they are likely to change at their own time. At times, we all come under the influence of our personality traits (sanskaras), which compel us to act against better judgment. As we are in the same boat, keeping faith and good wishes for others (and ourselves) is the best way to guide and bring about good transformation.

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Stress Management

• It is likely that each day usually has a number of minor and perhaps major anxious moments. We tend to accept those moments as a part of normal life and do little to understand and resolve them. Little moments eventually grow into big moments and suddenly we are in crisis. By responding honestly to the questions you see here you will gain insight into whatever the situation is and as a result begin to see possible ways to resolve.

• Questions What was your most stressful moment today? What do you think was the cause of your stress? Were there any emotions present? Describe those emotions. Why do you think you responded in this way?

Page 24: Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

Letting Go Off The Past

• The most powerful anchor on our potential to soar high in life is the past. The past consists of our experience, learned beliefs and all our mistakes. Life cannot truly begin until we are able to say goodbye to yesterday at will. Like a filing cabinet, the past is a resource of information for learning, but it is not a place to live. When you go to work do you spend your day in the filing cabinet? How often will you/did you live in the past today? Say goodbye and make it final. Saying farewell to yesterday, last month and last year is the sign of a person who wants to live for today and is truly alive to all the possibilities of 'the moment', while fully aware that all they think, say and do right now, creates tomorro

Page 25: Brahma Kumaris Daily Thoughts

Self Awareness

• The soul is a small point of pure, spiritual light, which is conscious, and self-aware, whose eternal and true nature is peaceful and full of love. Located above and behind the eyes, we receive information about the world through the five senses of our body and the brain. If you find this hard to understand, just ask yourself quite naturally, "Where do I do my thinking?" The chances are that, if asked to point to where your thinking takes place, you would point to an area somewhere in the middle of your forehead. The brain is like your computer and you (the soul) are the operator.

• This awareness of your self as soul does not diminish (decrease) the value of your brain and body in any way. It simply corrects your relationship with them.

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One Thought One Feeling (Visualization)

• Create a positive thought about yourself. For example - "I am a peaceful being" or "I am a loving soul" or "I am filled with constant contentment".

• Now find an object, associate the object with the thought and meditate on both together. Allow the object to open and deepen the thought and the feelings, which may come with it. Use different objects with different thoughts.

• For example "I am peace" ..... and .... a tea cup! I imagine filling the cup, not with water but with liquid peace... It fills to overflowing... Spilling peace is not a problem for I have an unlimited amount of peacefulness to pour... I hand the cup to someone I know who is having difficulty with stress... I see them drink from the cup and smile... Already they are feeling more relaxed…

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Meditation • Exploration and experimentation of a few methods of meditation is

required before one decides which is the most appropriate method for him/her. One can know through a combination of intuition and experience. One may experience a few moments of peace while gazing into a candle flame but it is unlikely to help one change a pattern of negative thinking and acting. The rhythm of a mantra being chanted verbally, or even mentally, may erase anxious and angry thoughts (stress) for a while, but it won't change the hidden beliefs and perceptions, which are responsible for one's stressful emotions. A good test of any method is to ask yourself five questions: does it increase my self awareness, does it help me understand myself better; does it empower me to transform my deepest negative habits; does it help bring a lighter and more positive energy to my relationships; does it help me 'see' more clearly my values and my purpose in life.

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Restoring Freedom

• There is nothing more certain in life than the eventual loss of whatever you become attached to. If you cannot yet be detached then you can prepare for the moment the universe will come to take away your attachments. This is also a moment of freedom, although we do not appreciate it until after the event.

Make a list of all the things (ideas, objects, people, circumstances etc), which you are attached to.Take one item at a time and complete the following statement:

If the universe took away/changed/or altered (insert attachment)...............................then my response would be as follows. I would feel....................................... and I would (what would you do)..................

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Creative Consciousness

• Every day provides us with a rich resource of material and experiences, which we can use to empower and expand our own creative capacity as well, learn about ourselves.

I. Write a poem (day one and four) Based on your day today

II. Write a short story (day two and five) Based on three people you encountered today

III. Draw a picture (day three and six) Illustrate your experience of today.

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Self Management

• A fundamental principle of successful living is : Event + Response = Outcome. It may require some adjustments to our beliefs and changes to our daily behaviours. When we realize that we are not getting the outcomes or the results we want, what do we try to change in the above principle? Unfortunately it's the event. And the event is always in the past, and it usually involves other people, both of which we can never change (the past and other people). In order to change the outcomes we need to change our responses. By including a few minutes of reflection or relaxation in our daily routine, we can empower ourselves to do that.

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From Peaceless to Peaceful Moments

• Think for a few moments and write down three situations when you normally lack or lose your peace (become angry) during the course of the day.1.2.3.

Now perform this simple exercise. Use the term "Om Shanti" to mentally invoke and experience your inner peace in each of these situations. Experience the meaning of the words "Om Shanti" (I am a soul and my original nature is peace). At the end of the day, note down what difference it made to the interactions (situations).

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Positive Thinking

• Given below are some examples of simple positive affirmations (thoughts) that you can make about oneself, others, real life situations and the future, which will assist you in becoming a positive thinker. The self: I do like myself; I accept my weaknesses; I understand myself; I have special skills and qualities; I value myself; I believe in myself; I am lovable.Others: I accept others as they are; I look for the best in others; there is something good in everyone I meet; I appreciate others. A real life situation: I am capable of handling the situation; I have all I need; I am fortunate; there is a bright side to everything; nothing lasts forever. The future: I look forward to each day; every difficult situation is an opportunity/challenge in disguise; each day brings something new and beautiful, something to learn.

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Meditation For Experiencing Soul Consciousness

• Read over the following words slowly and silently. Using the power of visualization, aim to experience them in your mind:

• I withdraw my attention away from the physical limbs and sense organs........ I focus on myself........I am listening through these ears........I am looking through these eyes........This instrument of mine, the physical body, is a precious vehicle........a valuable instrument, a medium........But, that which is more valuable and more precious is the being making this instrument function........Within this assembly of bones and muscles and amazing organs is a being of light........In the centre of the forehead is a point of light ……I am this being of light........I the being of light express myself through this body........But the body is not I........I am light........I spread rays of peace in all directions........I become aware of the power within this point of light........Within I the being of light is everything that I am and everything that I have........Within my own being are my virtues, my powers, my talents........In the awareness of who I am I radiate this light within........and in the awareness of this inner light........I hold my head held high in dignity........

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Time Management

• The one who works in coordination with others is the one who can fulfill responsibilities well. Responsibilities can be fulfilled well when there is the recognition that each one can contribute something to the task. It is also essential to create a cooperative rather than a competitive environment. Then there would be no feeling of superiority or inferiority in anyone. When we are responsible to complete some task, we need to involve all the people who can help in it. When we do this we will find our task finishing faster. Also we would find that we would get the good wishes of all the people involved in the task.

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Happiness

• Most of the happiness in life today is UP happiness, and is closely followed by DOWN sorrow. UP happiness is usually influenced by and dependent on something outside ourselves – a person, an event or a substance. It's always followed by a DOWN sorrow. And that's why UP happiness is not real happiness. Its just stimulation. It's not true happiness, it's artificially induced, which means it can't last, it has no staying power. Very very few people have found true, stable, lasting happiness, which is why most of us live lives of UPS and DOWNS! You can choose to keep bouncing from UP to DOWN by saying that it's normal. And that's fine, because it's your choice. But watch carefully if you do make this choice – the DOWNS gradually become more frequent, deeper and longer, and the UPS become shorter and shallower. The other option is incredibly simple, possibly too simple if you are so used to roller coaster happiness. The regular practice of meditation helps you become content with whatever you are feeling at any given moment and with the way things are outside and around you. If you keep choosing this contentment, you will begin to experience real happiness, an inner happiness that has an enduring strength and stability. It is not a boring happiness it is a nourishing happiness.

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Symptoms Of Stress

• 1. Restlessness - We could have difficulty sitting still over even short periods of time and we may play with our hands, twiddling our thumbs or playing with the rings on our fingers.

2. Impatience And Short-temperedness - We could find ourselves becoming angry at any moment for simple reasons; or we may snap at people, too quick to assume that they are accusing us.

3. Obsessive Working - Treating work as a refuge can be a stress symptom, although stress can also manifest itself as absenteeism.

4. Loss Of Appetite - Food doesn't interest us anymore. Either we don't eat, or we over-consume junk food, or whatever is in the store cupboard or fridge.

5. Fear Of Silence - Silence may cause us discomfort, so that we "over-talk" when with other people or leave on the radio or television when alone. Alternatively, we may be intolerant of noise.

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Curing Depression Through Meditation

• We all at times experience symptoms like feeling tensed, nervous, restless, frightened, having difficulty to go to sleep, forgetting important information, palpitation, undue sweating in hands etc. The practice of Rajyoga meditation alone can be of tremendous help in overcoming these minor psychological problems known as “neurotic illness”.

• In the case of patients suffering from neurotic diseases such as anxiety, insomnia, insecurities, phobias, neurotic depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, addictions, etc. routine systematic Rajyoga meditation practice proves beneficial when combined with conventional medicines and psychotherapy. First of all write down all specific symptoms, which you experience. Also do some self-analysis and try to pinpoint the cause of your diseases. While meditating, use the subtle rays of light and might received from the Supreme Being to disintegrate suppressed dissatisfaction with self and others. At the end of the meditation practice, during the last few minutes generate positive thoughts to relieve the specific neurotic symptoms.

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Curing Depression Through Meditation (cont....)

• Someone suffering from depression should experience some relief by picturing the following meditation commentary on the screen of his/her mind for 15 minutes every morning and evening:

• I am a soul, a tiny star, sitting on my throne between the eyebrows........I picture my destination, a land of soft golden-red light, beyond the sun, moon and stars........On the wings of thought I fly there........ Now I am in front of the Father of the soul, a star-like entity like myself but an Ocean of Bliss........Strong currents of spiritual bliss are radiating from this Supreme Point of Light in all directions........Like a sponge, I soak up this light of bliss within me........I am overflowing with happiness and super sensuous joy........

• Now, in a deep meditative state, repeat silently the following positive affirmations:

• I can be free of depression, right now........I am the master of my mind, my thoughts, my intellect........My thoughts create my feelings........I free my mind from all worries, fears and memories of the past.........I think only positive thoughts about myself.........I feel very confident, energetic and enthusiastic........I am very strong and can be a winner in every sphere of life........By understanding this meditation I have understood the true purpose and worth of life and am getting more and more interested in it........I shall now take interest in the activities of day-to-day life........

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Spiritual Vision

• A spiritual vision in the context of our relationships means we see the highest spiritual qualities in others despite what they say or do. This is difficult until we are able to see the same in ourselves. This simple exercise is a beginning. Write down the names of three people you know (family, friend, colleague) and then three positive qualities that you see in each of them.

• Now imagine they are doing the same with you - what would they write down for you - write down a few positive qualities you think they would see in you.

• Regularly affirm your spiritual qualities, which they generate. The more you learn to see them within yourself, the more you will see and appreciate them in others.

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Peaceful Listening• To be a peaceful listener:

1. Be peaceful within, calming the mind in order to listen deeply.

2. Listen with your heart by keeping an open posture, a receptive and calm expression, and a kind, non-judgmental attitude.

3. Listen with your full attention.

4. Only if the person finds it difficult to speak, be curious, encouraging them by making gentle, open-ended enquiries.

5. Be aware that interruptions (making comments, noises or facial expressions) are not necessary; sometimes they can influence or detract the person from expressing their feelings or telling their story in their own way.

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Positive Thinking

• There are some common held misconceptions about positive thinking. We mention a few of them here:1. There is a common notion that positive thinking makes one 'soft', a bit weak. But quite the opposite is true. The more we understand and experience our own inner qualities and powers and realize our own weaknesses, the stronger, more stable and less dependent we become on others. 2. Some of us also hold the belief that a 'positive thinker' walks with a broad smile on his face all day long and thinks 'everything is great'. But 'positive thinking' is an inner matter, a mental attitude. It is a way of looking at life's circumstances. It teaches us to act instead of only reacting; to get a firm hold on our life again, instead of being led by others or by circumstances.

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True Potential

• The potential of a good team is buried in the people that make up the team. It will emerge as a combination of talent, skills and character. It will be seen and felt in the quality of communication as the team rises to the challenge of fulfilling its purpose. Similarly, your potential is buried within, but in order to allow it to emerge you will need to stop putting blocks and barriers in its way.

While talents may be evident, and skills can be learned, both will be fine tuned with practice from 'outside in'. The deepest potential of any human being is spiritual in nature, and it comes from 'inside out'. The regular practice of meditation helps us in harnessing our true inner potential.

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Meditation

• When you start meditating, the important thing is to be patient with yourself. Many people try to meditate but find it hard to sit still and quieten the mind. Our journeys to this point are very different and, as a result, we all have different personalities. Some take to meditation like a duck to water, but if you find it difficult getting started, be patient with yourself. For others, it can take weeks or sometimes months before they feel they are really beginning to practice and experience the benefits. The main thing is not to expect anything specific. Some people see light, others feel more peaceful and others feel more powerful and in control. Never compare your experience with others.

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Re-discovering Internal Strengths

• Make a short list of your truest internal strengths, which you believe you possess but do not use in your practical life.

Ask yourself whether any of these strengths can be used to remove unnecessary stresses, tensions or contradictions in your practical life? Now determine that you will bring these strengths into practice at your workplace and at home - where everyone will see the use you are making of them.

Believe in these ideas as symbols of your essential character, rather than thinking of them as separate from yourself. Using this hidden wealth of your strengths in your practical life will help you realise your complete potential and fulfill your goals in your personal as well as professional life.

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

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

ProjectionUsually 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.

SolutionWe have a lot of treasures within us which we can give to those around us, our virtues, our specialties 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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THANK YOU