Brahma Kumaris

22.07.17 Ego Destroys Love The difficulty with ego is that it is deeply concealed. Most of us don’t even know we have it. Ego destroys love. It destroys the ability to learn, so there is no more give and take. No more love. We go through many kinds of situations all day long so we should make sure we don’t stop exchanging love. Ego can be overcome by developing humility. If we don't know how to bow, love finishes. The Relationship Between Virtues And Vices When we are internally strong, our nature characteristics and skills are reflected, from inside us to the outside, to everyone we interact in, in the form of virtues. If we are internally weak, those same traits emerge and radiate as vices. Vices are just qualities or virtues that have lost their focus and strength. For e.g. if we take the quality of love - when a strong soul radiates love, it is unlimited and without any conditions. Such a soul respects and has good wishes for everything and everyone and under all circumstances, irrespective of whether love and respect is coming from the other side or not. When a weak soul radiates love, he/she tends to restrict the love to limits e.g. the love would vary from person to person and from situation to situation. In a sense, if spiritual might (strength) and spiritual light (understanding or knowledge) are taken away from the virtues, they get transformed into the six vices, which make us spiritually unhealthy or weak: Ego - developing an image of the self that is false, temporary or imaginary. Greed - finding short term fulfillment by acquiring material goods, a role in society or money or through the physical senses – eyes, tongue, ears, etc. Attachment - finding security by developing a feeling of possessiveness over loved ones and material objects. Lust - using excessive satisfaction through the senses as a means of fulfillment. Anger - the feeling of hatred and revenge when any of the other vices are threatened or being taken away from us Laziness - becoming inactive on a spiritual, physical or mental level. How fast can life become? How much can we do in the corporeal amount of time we have. There is only 24 hours in the day, but we're trying to fit 26 hours into it. If we could watch a movie of our average day we'd probably be amazed at all the things we try to do. And then there is the exact opposite. Some of us spend our lives watching others doing and achieving, and from these images we build such high expectations of our own life, and then sit around feeling utterly powerless in our attempts to meet these expectations. That powerlessness becomes hopelessness and hopelessness becomes depression. If we can just see this process and release these expectations. If we can at least be detached from any expectations, we will get back some of our inner power and self-motivation. It helps to stop watching others and their lifestyles, especially in the media, and then comparing yourself to them. It helps to eliminate all but one 'I wish' from your mind. There is only one valid and useful 'I wish' and it is simply "I wish to be me". For that is all you can ever be. It is all you can ever have. It is all that you are. And when you know it, you will be free of all expectation and desire, and able to enter the most relaxed state of being, at will. relax7 Message for the day To recognize my own uniqueness is to bring beauty to all I do. Thought to Ponder: Each one is unique and special and so am I. when I recognize the beauty of who I am, and what I can contribute, I will be able to appreciate myself. This is not ego, but it is talking positively to the self, encouraging and motivating to discover further specialties. When I learn to appreciate myself, I will also have the humility to learn from everything that happens in life. Point to Practice: Today I will appreciate myself. I believe I am like a jewel. No matter where I am, whether in a box or in a gold ornament, my worth remains the same. So, today I will recognize my own worth and make time to appreciate it in all I do.