The Power of Detachment You need power to remain free from the influence of others. Detachment is this power. If you can't stay detached from influences, you will not be able to keep your thoughts under control. From there it will be a downward spiral until all trace of inner well-being is lost. The first step in detachment is to understand who you are as a spiritual entity. This allows you to 'detach' yourself from your physical identity, and it's world of limited thoughts and feelings, and 'attach' instead to your spiritual personality, the being of inner peace and power. A normal day will be filled with challenges to this detachment. On the one side will be your spiritual awareness, but on the other will be the attraction towards human beings and the material world. Detachment is not a question of becoming separate from the latter, but of simply remaining conscious of yourself as a spiritual being whilst being in the world and playing your part. Detachment simply means to keep yourself centered in your spirituality. Contentment Wherever I am is wherever I am meant to be, whatever I am doing is whatever I am meant to be doing and whatever everyone else is doing is exactly what they are meant to be doing - this is contentment. If you do want to change where you are, or what you are doing, the first thing is to be content with wherever you are and whatever you are doing right now! Paradoxically that's what attracts opportunities and invitations to be somewhere else! Why? Because you are a living magnet, and contentment is one of your most attractive qualities. And the law of attraction says that according to your dominant thoughts so you will attract the people and circumstances into your life. Being content right now attracts the best possible future. What Is The Source Of Our Feelings ? The topmost area of the mind is the area of conscious thought. Thoughts arise in our awareness like bubbles. Many thoughts carry a feeling or a series of feelings along with them e.g. the thought at a restaurant - 'I love how that pizza looks', could be accompanied by feelings of hunger, or greed, or happiness, or yearning (longing) or anticipated satisfaction. The fact offered by spirituality and supported by experiences of many people who are spiritual is that feelings, as well as thoughts, originate from the soul. Feelings are clearly reflected in the form of physical changes in our body: I may feel my heart beat fast with excitement, my mouth salivate with joy, my stomach sink with fear, my hands shiver or goose pimples on my arms with nervousness, etc. This is because the soul and body are interconnected and work in complementary ways, so that what goes on in the soul is definitely reflected in the body, and what goes on in the body is reflected in the soul. The degree to which both these processes happen in each individual is different. It's not that feelings arise out of nothing, or merely as a reaction to external stimulation by people, objects, nature, etc. Thoughts are followed by feelings. So we can understand that both of them arise from the soul. Recognizing this is an important step if I want to break free from cycles of unwanted or unsuitable thoughts and feelings. (To be continued tomorrow ...) Soul Sustenance Filling Myself And Others With Invisible Treasures (Part 2) In yesterday’s message, we had explained how soul consciousness provides us access to the ocean of the qualities of peace, love and joy that lie hidden inside our consciousness. An important point worth noting in this regard is that along with quenching my thirst, I must also have a big heart, and pass on to others the qualities that I am receiving from my inner ocean. Otherwise, over a period of time my spirituality reaches a standstill and although I am making an effort to fill myself I do not feel as content and fulfilled as before. This is because; the vessel with which I fill from the ocean can’t be refilled unless I am also prepared to keep emptying it. That doesn’t mean I have to drain myself spiritually. It is just that each time I give or donate a quality from my inner ocean with a positive intention to someone; it flows from inside me and then gets transmitted to the other. Before the person experiences and benefits from the quality, I experience getting filled with it myself. Also, each time the person benefits from or even remembers the benefit in the future, he or she sends me positive energy, which, according to the Law of karma fills me with the quality that I had donated, further. Sometimes a person might benefit or remember the benefit after 10-15 years or even more than that. Even after such a long time has elapsed, I keep receiving a return from the pure donation I have made, and keep getting filled, even if I am not specifically or consciously aware of the same. Message for the day Honesty inspires trust. Expression: The one who is honest is clean and clear within. He is aware of his resources and uses them sincerely for his own benefit and that of others. Honesty also means to speak what is thought and to do what is spoken. So there are no discrepancies in thoughts, words and actions. So others are able to trust the one who is honest. Each action of an honest person becomes an inspiration for those around. Experience: When I am honest I break internal barriers. I am not caught up with the seeming negativity of the situation, nor do I feel helpless by the limitations set out by the situation. I am able to enjoy the gift of each moment and use it to the fullest extent. I find myself becoming an example for many, as others are inspired by whatever I do.