Look for the Silver Lining
Seek to 'see' the benefit in all events. That's
not to say, ignore the downside. See the
'reality' but, at the same time, deliberately
look for the upside. Find that silver lining.
Look for the lesson. Realize, nothing happens TO
us but everything happens FOR us. Shift, "Why is
this happening TO me?" to "What is the lesson
here FOR me?"
The Car-Driver Comparison To Aid Self
Realization (cont.)
If a good driver, while driving a car is
distracted by the negative and disturbing scenes
which he comes across and his attention is
pulled in many different directions, he will
make his journey unsafe increasing the
probability of meeting with accidents. When the
same principles are applied to the soul and the
body, I also need to take care that, while
traveling on the road of life, I am not
distracted by scenes that are not useful to me
e.g. when looking out through my eyes and I
don't have to take in all the images, scenes and
information along the way, otherwise I may meet
with an accident. When listening through my
ears, I don't have to take in all the words and
everything that people say, otherwise I may meet
with an accident. I can choose to take in what
is useful for me, but I do not have to register
distracting, negative and harmful images and
words. Just like a driver, I see and
understand situations, too I keep my eyes and
ears open - it would be unsafe to ignore them
completely, I need to be aware of them - but I
look only for the positive in them, so that I
remain focused and am not deflected from my goal
of experiencing inner contentment and bliss,
while making the journey.
I, as the driver
in charge of this vehicle, the body, also need
to take care that I do not drive rashly i.e.
I learn to monitor the feelings and attitude
that are transmitted outwards through my eyes,
my words and my complete body language.
Driving rashly i.e. transmitting negative energy
in this way could harm any co-traveler on the
road of life. When these feelings stay positive,
filled with sweetness, purity and respect, that
too helps to ensure that my journey passes
smoothly and enjoyably. When I stay alert and
aware in a driver conscious and drive carefully
as explained in this and yesterday's message, my
actions bring me closer to my spiritual truth
and I am able to share my positivity with others
around me. When I lose awareness for even a
moment, there's danger either from me to others
or vice versa.
Soul Sustenance
The Circle of Influence and Worry
Make a list of the things that worry you most
and decide if they are in your circle of
influence or worry. Think about what
you can really do to have an influence on each
of them in an effective way. By determining
which of these two circles is the centre around
which most of your time and energy revolves, you
can discover a great deal about your level of
positivity. Positive people focus on the things
they can do something about. If necessary, they
change their attitude. They are aware that
perhaps they cannot change the circumstances but
they can improve their inner attitude. This is
what positive focusing is all about: being
creative, thinking differently, being open to
listening, being more understanding, more
communicative and showing more solidarity.
Reactive people focus on the problems of the
circle and on the circumstances about which they
have no control. They react to the defects found
in other people. From this worrying,
accusations, destructive criticism, feelings of
blame, a reactive language and feelings of
weakness and frustration can arise. They want
others or the circumstances to change first and
when that happens, then they will change.
Whenever they think that the problem is on the
outside, this thought is the problem. The
negative energy produced as a result of this
approach, combined with the lack of attention to
the areas in which they could do something to
improve the situation, means that the area of
influence decreases in size. They give power to
what is external so that it dominates them. In
other words they think that change must come
from "outside towards the inside"; they think
that something that is outside must change
before they themselves change.
Message for the day
Love creates the right environment for others'
positive growth.
Projection:
Where there is love, a natural environment for
others' growth is created. Love gives the
ability to perceive the positivity in others and
gives the encouragement to others to bring about
that positivity and use it for the benefit of
the self and others.
Solution: When I
have love for others, along with perceiving
their specialties, I am also able to recognize
and use my specialties and inner powers more and
more. Knowing and using these specialties is
naturally for the benefit of those around me.
This gives me an inner experience of power which
makes me a constant giver and a support for
those around me.
Love
Live in such a way that love informs every
action! When we have learned to live like this,
nothing will disturb us. Our contentment and
good feelings towards others remain constant. We
become free. The power to live like this comes
from inside, not from outside. That is why we
stay free, with no expectations from others, no
frustrations. To live like this requires us the
let go of certain beliefs and habits that drain
us from this strength and interfere with our
ability to love. Sometimes they become so
deep-seated in us, that we are not aware of its
presence.