by Sister Jacqueline Russell of Brahma Kumaris
Everything begins with a thought and in turn my thoughts create feelings and attitudes which become beliefs and my perceptions of life.
How I live my life stems from this consciousness, this subtle inner world manifests in how I express myself, how I interact and relate with others, and the creativity I apply to the things I plan and do.
With the constant news of upheaval around the world, there is a need for me to find a way to remain stable and to maintain a feeling of hope in myself and my ability to cope.
I need to believe that it is within human nature to be good, kind and generous. That there is a well of strength and goodness that lies within.
I can use this strength when I become aware of how to change my attitude.
Attitude is expressed by the way I interpret what I see, what I think in response to what I see, and also my emotional response in the way I feel about something. Ultimately this is expressed in my behaviour.
Hope is an attitude of good will arising from my way of thinking.
To change my way of thinking is to have an attitude of seeing benefit in everything.
My behaviour often stems from resentment, reaction, and resistance. All of which are related to feelings of anxiety and stress.
How to keep my thoughts under control so that they are more contemplative, is possible when I can create a quiet space within the mind.
This can happen when I maintain good feelings about myself and my ability to be positive and hopeful whatever the situation.
Having a sense of my own inner qualities of peace, love and joy brings a stability to my sense of self that gives inner strength and hope when facing challenging situations.
It is amazing what an effect a positive feeling of good will can have on my ability to weather the storms of life.
It gives a freshness to the self which helps to allay fear and to strengthen hope. All begins with the way I think.
As I hold a thought of goodwill, such as peace, kindness or serenity, I begin to experience the feeling of it and the mind is quiet.
When I can unclutter my mind of worries about the situation and can think clearly then there is the ability to see a way out or to move forward with acceptance. “Such is life”!
Acceptance is not to sit down and do nothing, acceptance is to calm the mind and to change the way I think about the situation. This is an expression of hope and confidence in self!
