MOTIVATION

ABOUT MOTIVATION BY BRAHMAKUMARI BK SHIVANI 

Motivation is an inner positive energy, a combination of enthusiasm and clear perception (understanding) that enables us to accomplish (complete) a task.

Motivation keeps us determined and on course, otherwise it is so easy to be distracted by problems and laziness. What does motivation do? It moves us from one reality to another, from where I am to where I wish to be.

When we want to reactivate our motivation we need to examine the following:

* What do I want?
* What do I wish for?
* What do I value?
* What do I need?
* What do I enjoy?
* What do I understand? and, especially,
* What do I love?

When we sit down and think about the answers to these questions, they become the basis for activating new insights and tasks and for reactivating those insights and tasks, which I have forgotten to pay proper attention to and have not developed properly.

SELF MANAGEMENT

SELF MANAGEMENT BY BRAHMAKUMARI BK SHIVANI 

It is only in our relationships that we can truly know ourselves. We are a mirror for each other. What we give to others at the level of our thoughts, feelings and attitudes is what we give to ourselves, and will finally come back from others. Our relationships are the real workshop, classroom, learning laboratory of our life. Relationship is not simply getting along with others, it is about understanding, building, nourishing and caring. Every interaction carries a lesson. Take one relationship, look at it, explore it and ask yourself what does it tell you about yourself and your life so far. Let your relationships reveal you to yourself. As you do you will naturally learn what makes relationships work, or not work, as the case may be! And the more you get to know yourself in the mirror of your relationships the more easily you will be able to understand others.

THE STORY OF THE PENCIL

This is an article which was written by Paulo Coelho in his book "Like the Flowing River".

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:

‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’

His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’

Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’

‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, it will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’

‘First quality: You are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’

‘Second quality: Now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpner. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

‘Third quality: The pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’

‘Fourth quality: What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’

‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: It always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside &

Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.

Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.

Great truths lie in simple things… I want to be a pencil… do you?

THINK ABOUT IT

A scholar approached Kanchi Paramacharya and boasted that he was an expert on the Gita. The seer asked him if he could spare some time to hold a 10-day discourse at the local temple. The scholar assented. On the first day 50 people were came to hear him and the attendance dwindled on subsequent days. The scholar said to Paramacharya and said: “What sort of a town is this? No one seems to be interested in the Gita. On first day there was a crowd of 50, second day 25 and on the third day there were only two persons to listen to me!’

With a twinkle in his eye the seer remarked: “Why fret? When Krishna spoke the Gita there was only one person to listen to him!”

SOURCE:
Life, a laughing matter - Speaking Tree - Spirituality - Life & Style - The Times of India

EXCELLENCE

A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God.

Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage.

"Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...

4 LITTLE LESSONS IN LIFE

1. Once, all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer all the people gathered but only one boy came with an umbrella... THAT'S FAITH.


2. When you throw a baby in the air, he laughs because he knows you will catch him... THAT'S TRUST.


3. We go to bed every night, without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still we set the alarms in our watch to wake up... THAT'S HOPE.

4. We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future or having any certainty of uncertainties. .. THAT'S CONFIDENCE.

Image courtesy: Google images

A - Z OF STRESS MANAGEMENT

Always take time for yourself, at least 30 minutes per day.

Be aware of your own stress meter: Know when to step back and cool down.

Concentrate on controlling your own situation, without controlling everybody else.

Daily exercise will burn off the stress chemicals.

Eat lots of fresh fruit, veggies, bread and water, give your body the best for it to perform at its best.

Forgive others, don't hold grudges and be tolerant -- not everyone is as capable as you..

Gain perspective on things, how important is the issue?

Hugs, kisses and laughter: Have fun and don't be afraid to share your feelings with others.

Identify stressors and plan to deal with them better next time..

Judge your own performance realistically; don't set goals out of your own reach.

Keep a positive attitude, your outlook will influence outcomes and the way others treat you.

Limit alcohol, drugs and other stimulants, they affect your perception and behaviour...

Manage money well, seek advice and save at least 10 per cent of what you earn.

No is a word you need to learn to use without feeling guilty.

Outdoor activities by yourself, or with friends and family, can be a great way to relax....

Play your favourite music rather than watching television.

Quit smoking: It is stressing your body daily, not to mention killing you too.

Relationships: Nurture and enjoy them, learn to listen more and talk less.....

Sleep well, with a firm mattress and a supportive pillow; don't overheat yourself and allow plenty of ventilation.

Treat yourself once a week with a massage, dinner out, the movies: Moderation is the key.

Understand things from the other person's point of view......

Verify information from the source before exploding.

Worry less, it really does not get things completed better or quicker.

Xpress: Make a regular retreat to your favourite space, make holidays part of your yearly plan and budget.......

Yearly goal setting: Plan what you want to achieve based on your priorities in your career, relationships, etc.

Zest for life: Each day is a gift, smile and be thankful that you are a part of the bigger picture.