What Makes You You?

The things by which we generally define ourselves – appearance, personality, abilities, work, relationships, etc – can all change. Our sense of self can be influenced by what people say, the situations around us and the problems we face. What is it, then, that defines who we are?

Much of the unhappiness and insecurity in the world is a result of our limited, external perception of ourselves. I believe it is the inner, spiritual, identity that people are searching for today. This spiritual identity can give me hope in a situation of despair, show me a solution to any problem and inspire me to change the direction of my life.  And it is through recognising and experiencing my spiritual self that I can connect with God and receive the strength and broader vision that I need to contribute positively to this world.

             “Start with the question: what do I really value in life?”

A good way to get to know myself on a deeper level is to start with the question: what do I really value in life? I will probably find that I value qualities such as love, happiness, compassion…the things that make me feel valued and bring inner happiness. I then think about whether or not the way I live my life reflects that – and what is there in my life that matches what I value?

Seeing myself as a spiritual being, I rediscover my natural, inner treasures of peace, love, purity, happiness and wisdom, which I tend to forget.  It’s like having a beautiful instrument in my cupboard. Well, why not play it?  When I experience these qualities within myself, I became a much happier, more stable person. Understanding my own value, I am able to keep my self-respect, even when someone is trying to bring me down, and so can help others come out of their limited perception.

This is why it is so important to spend time in meditation every day. It helps me understand myself, reflect in this deeper way and become strong in my spiritual identity, so that I maintain my happiness and inner strength - and can influence the world around me in a positive way.

by Maureen Goodman

Dealing with Conflict.

We live in a world where conflict is now the norm.  Why is that?

I think that we’ve lost our inner strength and the ability to exercise what we understand to be right and true. We know that fighting doesn’t get us anywhere and quarrelling doesn’t get us what we want - it just creates a lot of negative energy - but we just can’t help ourselves. What we need to do is develop our own internal strength, recognise our own value, recognise the value of other people and accept and understand the diversity in our world.

Is there a connection between inner conflict and conflict with others?

Everything begins with ourselves. If I’m fighting with other people, I’m battling with something inside myself. Perhaps I’m not able to put into practice something I believe in or am having to compromise my values. This battling makes me lose my inner strength and value. When I’m unhappy with myself, it comes out in my interaction with others. When a group of people are unhappy, it comes out on a bigger scale. The more understanding and peaceful we become, the more accepting and loving we become, and we reflect that in our relationships.

To stay quiet and withdraw in a situation of conflict might be seen as weakness. Can spirituality be a strength?

We cannot gain internal strength without spirituality.  By spirituality I mean to recognise that I am more than just this physical appearance.  My strength lies in my awareness of myself as a spiritual being – a living, thinking being, the essence of peace, of love and happiness.  The more I experience this, the more I experience strength inside myself. To be quiet doesn’t mean to run away; it means to evaluate my thoughts and feelings before I express them.

What if you know you’re right? How do you achieve what you want whilst keeping your spiritual awareness?

The main thing is patience. This is something I’ve really had to work on. I might be right but I have to wait for that moment when everybody else agrees. That way I also let people learn their own lessons. Maybe from where I am it’s possible to see quickly how things will happen, but others have to get to that place before they can see it. I have to learn to accept that what is right will eventually become apparentt and exercise my own patience.

We may recognise the need to change but how do we do it?

We eat to survive but if I want to survive mentally in a happy state, I have to feed myself with silence, positive thoughts, the qualities that I have inside me. I have to be conscious of these every day, as many times as I can, and so build up my inner strength.

P.s brahmakumaris.

Being in the Now.

 

These days people feel they don’t have enough time.  This causes a lot of stress and unease. ‘Multi-tasking’ often leads to reduced concentration and mistakes – which then take up more time. Some become so dispirited by their ‘to-do’ list that they put things off, hoping it will be easier another day - or unnecessary if left long enough - and so the list gets longer…  When time feels like this, everything seems an effort. Yet there are people who do a lot but don’t appear to be busy; they are carefree.  How do they manage that?  The secret lies in how much we understand and value ourselves and time.  This enables us to focus on what is important.

“The key is to be in the present and aware of myself as a spiritual being”

As human beings we constantly experience change – from being a child, to a young person, to an adult, then an older person.  Yet, ‘I’, the one who experiences the world and expresses myself through this ever-changing body, remain the same.  The key is to be in the present and aware of myself as a spiritual being, temporarily inhabiting the body I use, observing and taking part in the great drama of life. I play my physical role with responsibility but I can also step back mentally from that role and observe myself. The role then becomes more beautiful, more precise and more accurate, because, I can understand better how to play it objectively. I come into time - into the drama of life - but I can also step back into another awareness – that of timelessness, of eternity.  This practice we experience and develop through silence and meditation. 

I am sometimes asked. “Where do you get your energy from?”  If I use my time, energy and money in ways that are benevolent and useful I experience a lot of happiness and strength internally and in my relationships.  We can waste so much time and energy thinking unhelpfully of the past – or creating expectations of an ideal future. Yesterday is gone and it is what I do in this moment that will determine the future that I and others would like to see. So what I have to do is focus my attention on the present and the quality of my thoughts, words and actions now.

With a better understanding of myself and time, I am able to tap into my inner power and the power and energy of the One above – and use that in a worthwhile way to help bring about positive change in my own life and in the world.

 

Resilience in Values

How have you developed values resilience so when you have faced a challenge to your values you have still lived them in your behaviour and speech?

It is important that we engage with our values at every moment of our lives. By doing so, we integrate our inner spiritual life with outer actions. This enables our core human values to bring about a lasting transformation in society.

The way to live our values is to integrate our inner thoughts, awareness, attitude and feelings with our outer expression. By empowering our values from the inside, we can live them, even in the most challenging situations. Empowering values from the outside, maybe by praise or recognition, makes them transitory and easily compromised by external influences or inner fears. Empowering values from the inside makes them lasting and consistent.

By taking time to reflect or meditate, I can begin to understand that I have all that I need inside my own being. Internally we all have the treasures of peace, love and wisdom. Reflecting deeply allows me to touch a deeper part of myself, which gives me the inner strength and resilience needed to live by my values, no matter what. Living our values realises our true humanity.

P.S..article from HT.

Peace.

 India today projects an image of a
fast-growing economy and an efficient
democracy sustained by its
robust institutions of governance
and judiciary. Look closer and
you will find it’s only a façade — a
deceptive calm concealing a growing
uneasiness that threatens to
polarise our society. The country’s
much-celebrated plurality faces an
imminent danger, and global threats
of terrorism like the Isis and related
violence are at our doorsteps.
The objective of the Walk of Hope,
which I am leading, is to restore
the togetherness that was once our
strength. Syncretic in approach, the
padayatra covers 7,500 km in 500
days, carrying a message of peace
and harmony.
Flagged off from Kanyakumari
on January 12, we have seen it grow
from an idea to a people’s movement.
Most often, communities are misled
by sectarian agendas that highlight
their differences and create rifts for
dubious purposes. But the Walk has
helped us realise that people everywhere,
without exception, want
peace and harmony.
We must understand that inspiring
acceptance, reconciliation and
respect for diversity in each individual
is not just the responsibility
of the political class. Each one of
us is a partner in this quest; it is
our collective responsibility to raise
awareness towards the great cause.
Privileged to draw upon India’s
longstanding spiritual legacy and
welcoming tradition, the Walk is
bringing citizens together in its
concept of Manav Ekta — the oneness of humanity

From:- HT

Happier tomorrow.

Make a start now; it is never too late
to do anything. That is what we are
told by our elders when they feel we
are lost and our goal seems nowhere
in sight. In a different context, we
also have the saying that it is better
late than never.
It makes great sense here to recall
American poet Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow: “Ah, nothing is too late,
till the tired heart shall cease to palpitate.”
We fail to go on a noble mission
or give it up soon after starting
because of our lack of confidence in
ourselves. Belief or confidence in
oneself creates a kind of magical
power within you that makes you
see even the most difficult task as
being possible.
Belief makes you gain the power
and the ability to start on a difficult
journey, to go through it and also
complete it successfully. It helps you
take the most important step — the
first step — towards your mission
in life that makes life’s journey on
this planet a meaningful and purposeful
one.
Every morning gives you a chance
for a new beginning — to do better
and live happier. There is no end to
doing better to make living purposeful.
Otherwise, as American entrepreneur,
author and motivational
speaker Jim Rohn says, “Either you
run the day, or the day runs you.”
One must keep in mind, always,
that the journey of life is laden
with thorns. One has to get ready
to face the difficulties on the way
as an inevitable part of the journey.
As Henry Ford, the founder of Ford
Motor Company, said, “When everything
seems to be going against you,
remember that the airplane takes
off against the wind, not with it.”
So, it is within us to make it happen;
after all life will be as good or
as bad as we make it.

From:- HT

Believe

Swami Vivekananda once said, “In
a day, when you don’t come across
any problems — you can be sure that
you are travelling in a wrong path.”
Difficulties are an inevitable part
of life, but often when we get bogged
down by them, we don’t see any ray
of hope in life. At such times, we
should admit that life cannot always
be a bed of roses. And sometimes we
create our own troubles.
Life is a continuous struggle and
we have to suffer ups and downs
every single day.
In fact, sufferings arise out of
our own thoughts and beliefs. They
come to us because of our imperfections
and inappropriate actions and
reactions.
No one describes the best way
to deal with a failure better than
Thomas Alva Edison: “I have not
failed, I have just found 10,000 ways
that won’t work.”
Take Amitabh Bachchan for
example. The superstar faced rejection
for many reasons in the early
stages of his career, but his hardwork,
determination and a positive
attitude made him successful.
Happiness is not something that
come to us — it is something that we
create. Anyone can live in favourable
conditions, but living in unfavourable
conditions with a smiling face
is the actual art of living. If we do,
even god will think twice before
upsetting us.
A positive attitude gives energy
and a negative attitude depletes it.
So, a positive attitude plays a pivotal
role in helping us overcome the problems
of life. Meanwhile, determination,
simplicity, humility and an
endeavour to achieve goals are some
of the tricks for leading a happy life.
Always celebrate the little things
that give happiness and see the difference.
Take failures as challenges
and try to overcome them by maintaining
a positive attitude.

From:- HT