Jacob's Well, Wimberley, Texas Trust Yourself In any relationship trust is the first thing to leave and the last to return. And if you recognize that the most important relationship is with yourself, then perhaps it's time to start some trust building close to home. Make and keep a promise or a commitment to yourself, however small - in fact, start very small! Make one and keep one today, and then notice the surge of inner power as a result. See how much more you like yourself as a result. Trust is being built. Humility The magic potion for mixing and matching Sanskaars or personality traits is the precious virtue of HUMILITY. Humility brings harmony in relationships. When there is humility there is the ability to understand and relate to others. There is an acceptance of the other person as he is. There is no pressure on the other person to change according to one's own personality, but there is the ability to provide an environment for the other person's growth. When I am humble, I am able to see and relate to others with their specialities. I do not think about what I have given to the relationship, nor do I expect anything from the relationship. But I continue to enjoy and appreciate what I get. So this keeps me positive even when the personalities don't match. Understanding What Are Karmic Accounts We are not individuals acting alone in this world drama; we act in this extraordinary drama or play of life with other actors or souls who (along with us) play their different roles with different physical costumes at different times in the drama. During the process of interaction with other actors (souls) and according to the type of interaction with them, we create accounts of debit or credit that become the basis of our connections with others. The reasons for which a specific relationship goes well or not are in the so called 'karmic account' that I have accumulated with the other person in the past. The past could be in this birth alone or in one or many previous births. The souls that play the parts of parents, children, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, friends, office colleagues and others whom I know form a network for the giving and receiving of happiness and sorrow from accounts established in the past or being created in the present. The strongest relationships that I have now were established previously. We knew each other in other lives and but in different roles. The daughter of some births ago returns now as the father, the best friend comes back as the sister etc. As long as the account exists, the interchange of actions between two souls continues. When there is nothing more to give or receive, the paths between the two souls separate by death, a break-up, a divorce or simply by the loss of contact. An e.g. of this is our school friends. Many of our friends whom we were close to in our school days, we are not in touch with today. Another e.g. is when we change jobs; we might lose complete contact with our old colleagues. Soul Sustenance Effect Of Food On The Mind - Part 1 In harmony with our great spiritual, religious and wisdom traditions, the Brahma Kumaris places great importance on food. Whilst modern science tends to take a technician’s approach and sees the molecules, chemical compounds and nutrients that feed the body; we look at a more spiritual, holistic perspective which places a sacred significance on what we eat, seeing how the food’s energy can touch, heal and nourish the soul as well. The body needs sustenance but so does the soul: we must absorb, assimilate and integrate spiritual energy as well as physical energy from our food. Practitioners of the Raja Yoga meditation, which the Brahma Kumaris teaches, are typically lacto-vegetarians (diet is a vegetarian diet which includes dairy products). They believe that non-violence is an essential characteristic of the spiritually awakened individual and that the essence of the human soul is peace, tranquility and love. If the internal workings of the soul are disturbed, by eating the wrong type of food then the individual is not able to enjoy meditative serenity (peacefulness). The meditator sees that whatever food is eaten has an effect on the mind, in a subtle form, in a similar way in which alcohol or intoxicating drugs can dramatically change our mood and power of judgment. We shall be explaining the different types of foods tomorrow … Message for the day To be powerful is to destroy unwanted habits. Expression: To be powerful means to be aware of one's own hidden powers and to use these powers in destroying old unwanted habits. It is to apply a powerful brake to the thoughts in a second, so that there is the ability to master the situation. Such a person does not fall prey to the situation but makes effort to become a destroyer of the weakness in a second. Experience: When I am able to use my inner powers I am able to apply a brake to my thoughts in a second. I am able to finish old unwanted habits and be free from the burden of having to be with negativity. So I am able to be a master who is well equipped to face all situations in life. And I am able to be successful both in relationships and in my work.