Points to Ponder: December 29, 2017
In this journey of life, we have experienced both peace and peacelessness. We all love peace and love to be peaceful. However, what we always forget is that our state of mind, whether peaceful or otherwise is our own creation. Feelings are created by thoughts. While thoughts are fleeting in nature, feelings are more durable, they stay longer. Similar thoughts created over a period of time, transform into feelings. For example, if someone keeps me waiting for some time, then depending on my personality, I may start creating thoughts like “they do not consider me important” or “they do not value me” and then when these thoughts are thought over for a sufficiently long time, then a feeling of low self esteem sets in. Now, even if the person arrives and explains and I understand that they were genuinely not in a position to arrive in time, we are in the clasp for low feelings and it takes again a lot of thoughts to overcome that feeling.
Feelings are easier to detect compared to thoughts. People are more aware of their feelings. However it is worthwhile to remember that our feelings are a product of our thoughts. When we are in body consciousness, the mind creates thoughts based on ego. Then the mind is under the influence of sense perception and memory. Whatever our senses perceive is reflected in the mind based on a body conscious interpretation. Also, the mind thinks by association. Hence feelings of the past tend to be re experienced in the present under the influence of similar incidents, circumstances or things. However, if one is soul consciousness, then the capacity to detach from present ans past circumstances and create thoughts independent of them is enhanced. So the practice of being aware of our thoughts in soul consciousness and checking them to change them before they become feelings is a very good practice. This practice requires withdrawing attention from what is going on outside and taking the attention inside to check the quality of my thoughts and consciously directing them towards those which make us peaceful.
In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris
BK Shilpa 