Brahma Kumaris

12.12.15 A 100 Year Old Tortoise at the Galapagos Tortoise Ranch Withdraw Just as a tortoise is able to withdraw into its shell at a moment's notice, we too can withdraw our attention away from what's happening around us. We can step back from our senses... and then step back again, from our thoughts and emotions. Reconnect with the self, as a being… A being, separate from the doing. Inner Beauty We all want to look our best but beauty is more than skin deep. So, no matter what we look like, we can enhance our outer appearance with our inner beauty. We all have inner beauty. Develop your inner beauty and feel beautiful. Here's how: - Beauty comes from liking yourself. Know, affirm and express your good qualities. - Avoid being negative about others. Instead, notice that qualities that make them beautiful. - Shift your focus to the world around you and give back to your community. A Journey To Happiness Or A Journey Of Happiness (Part 2)? It is worth wondering that obstacles on the life journey can be temporary obstructions in our achievements, but not obstructions in our happiness. Only then the journey of life will be a journey of happiness and not a journey to happiness. One of the most important ways of remaining happy during the journey with many challenges co-existing at the same time is increasing the wealth of our thinking. The right type of thinking will make us happy even if there are unfinished tasks or goals or life events which we are keenly anticipating to get over. Raise the bar of your thinking on a challenging day and see how rich and full you feel internally which will make you pure happiness conscious and not challenge conscious and also not date conscious , the date when the challenge will be overcome which you cannot wait to see unfold in front of your eyes. The source of rich thinking is a choice for you to make which we will not thrust upon you but do make a good selection and feed that source every day to your mind before leaving for work or starting any day-long activity which keeps you occupied. Also, have you heard the story of the woodcutter who used to work very hard the whole day but used to not cut much by the end of the day without realizing the reason for the same. This went on for many days until one fine day someone suggested to him that why don't you sharpen your axe? He did that and his tiring days got over. Likewise we go on and on the whole day in search of different life purposes without ever sparing a thought that our axe which is our strengths, specialties and skills, needs to be sharpened. Not a single day should pass without experiencing our strengths, positives and special personality traits including our unique talents. You might wonder how we will experience these? The path is simple - by bringing them into the playing field of practical action. This will not only make you fuller, but along with that, both - the practical application of these unique positives inside you and the pure happiness due to the high self-esteem experienced will pave the path for the faster fulfillment of your ambitions. (To be continued tomorrow ...) Soul Sustenance Pure Cooking (Part 1) A significant part of our lifestyle is to consider the quality of our thoughts required while making food. Living in a family may make it more difficult to have that quiet and ordered state of mind while cooking. Also, children, friends, husbands and wives have the habit of coming into the kitchen while you are cooking. So, see if you can re-organize your timetable so you can cook at a time when they are busy, and then you can properly concentrate on giving pure vibrations to the food. It also helps if you play some gentle, soothing music which reminds you of the Supreme Soul or God while you are cooking. Even better sit in meditation for 4-5 minutes in the kitchen before starting to cook. If you think of yourself while you are cooking then there will be a vibration of greed created. If you think of others while you are cooking there will be a vibration of attachment created. Think about the Supreme and there will be that feeling of deep love and freedom (liberation). Physical cleanliness before cooking is important. Walking off the market or crowded roads, into the kitchen and cooking can affect the vibrations of the food. Washing, changing and meditating is a good start for preparation of satwic food. The ideal time for cooking is in the morning, the mind is quiet and if one has read a short paragraph of spiritual knowledge sometime after getting up, the mind is filled with new gems of spiritual knowledge, free of waste thoughts. (To be continued tomorrow …) Message for the day To be merciful means to transform the pain and sorrow of others. Expression: The one who is merciful always has the feeling of mercy and is able to help those who are in need or in distress. Such a person is able to bring about transformation in others too because of his own pure feelings. He is able to put in effort that becomes a contribution for the progress of others. Experience: When I have mercy for others, I am able to accept their feelings, emotions and behaviour and provide them with the right kind of mental support. Then I am able to give them courage without being influenced negatively with their feelings of pain and sorrow. So my mercy influences myself positively too as I am able to keep myself positive under all circumstances.