INSPIRATION

"I shall not cease to inspire" – Swami Vivekananda.

Inspiration = in Spirit.

Inspiration is living in spirit at all times and catching ourselves when we find ourselves disconnected from the spirit, from which all of us emanated.

Motivation is getting hold of an idea and carrying through to its logical conclusion. Inspiration is getting hold of you and taking you to where you originally intended to go.

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your thoughts break their bonds (bonds = thoughts that keep you separated from your source). Your mind transcends limitation. Your consciousness expands in every direction. You find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents come alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be”.- Patanjali.

When you are connected with your source-The Spirit, you are inspired and when you are disconnected from your source you are not inspired. When you are separated from your source you have your EGO. Ego is all about the illusory identity we build about ourselves, around ourselves. It is an unreal, non-existent barrier that separates us from our true self, the Spirit. It is a barrier that keeps us in bondage. The ego is nothing but the absence of awareness. To struggle to kill the ego is like struggling to push the darkness(simply the absence of light) out of a room. Instead of focusing on the ego focus on bringing a lamp of awareness into your being.

Ego means Edging God Out. There is no inspiration or joy in your ego state. But an average person cannot be convinced of this. He equates inspiration and joyful living with his ego. How can he be convinced that this is not what inspiration is about? The truth remains that none can find inspiration in the ego state.

The following example can perhaps help you examine the veracity of the statement. You sit outside in your garden on a full moon night. You ‘enjoy’ the beautiful moonlight. Just think. Does the moon actually produce light? Does it have light in it per se? No, not at all. Yet some believe that the light comes from the moon. Educated as you are, you know that there is no light in the moon. It only reflects the light of the sun. whatever arguments you put forth, the ignoramuses can never accept that there is no light in the moon. They see the light coming from the moon. They experience it. They enjoy it. So it becomes impossible for them to conceive that the moon has no light in it. Similarly, many lack the wisdom to accept the truth that there is no inspiration content in the ego. You may likewise hold on your views but just ponder over the moonlight example.

OUR LIFE

It seems that in modern times, more and more people today have the means to live, but less and less see any meaning to their lives.

We take birth, grow, become old and die. How many times in our life we have seriously asked,"what is the purpose of our life?". We are all supposed to be happy all the time. If we are not happy then it is the time for us to validate our life purpose. If our purpose is to earn good amount(it is relative and keep changing from time to time), be more healthy, to enjoy life, to have fulfilling relationship or something else, how many of us have achieved them? If we have not achieved our purpose, have we ever taken time to reflect as to why we have not achieved?
All of us are running day in and day out doing something which we are conditioned to do. When we have some major set back we take  time to reflect why we do what we do. Whatever purpose we thought once achieved will make us happy, most of the time we found the reality is otherwise. Why this is so? This is because most of our desires/objectives are not original but borrowed or conditioned. Most of us are conditioned in our childhood.


To comprehend the purpose of life we first have to understand what is life. 

Life is apparently full of unknowns. Inner knowledge will help us see, very clearly, that this is NOT so. Life is not a mystery. Life can be understood. It is our birth right to know and understand ourselves fully, our life and our purpose.Life can be considered as a totality of many different areas in which we constantly must act, areas of action and activity. Let's for example, arbitrarily divide life into several areas in which we constantly and continuously act or do something:
 1. career
 2. health
 3. fun & recreation
 4. family & friends
 5. personal development
 6. finance
 7. environment
 8. spirituality
We all have the fundamental need to improve our lives one way or another. To have a better life is a common desire of humanity. The only common aspect in all areas of our life is "Ourselves"! Wherever we are, our live is there. We can hide from everything or anyone except from ourselves. Our whole life and everything in it is Ourselves and nothing else but Ourselves.
Ask yourself how you rate yourself in several areas(as mentioned above 1 to 8)  and find out how satisfied you are on a scale from zero(very unsatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied) .If you can, mark your score on the lines between the segments - 0 is in the middle and works outwards from here - and join all the scores together. Look at the shape it creates - if it were a real wheel, how smoothly would it turn? How does that reflect on the way your life runs? You will realize that to be happy to need to balance among all areas of life.


Questions to ponder:
1. What accomplishments must, in your opinion, occur during your life time so that you will consider your life to have been satisfying and well lived, i.e a life of few or no regrets?
2. If there were a secret passion in your life, what would it be?
3. What do you consider your role to be in your society? in your country? in the world?
4. If you could devote your life to serving others and still have the money and life style you need would you do it? How would it look?
5. If you trusted a Life-Coach(or a very good friend) enough to tell him/her how to help him/her manage most effectively his/her life what tips would you give?
6. If you had a 5-year goal(and money were not an issue) what would that goal be? what difference would make in your life accomplishing it?
7. What is missing in your life? what would make your life more fulfilling?
8. Do you believe in God or in the concept of a higher power? If so describe the most useful and empowering aspects of your relationship with God. If not, what reference points do you use?


Having acquired the human form of life, one must inquire about the Ultimate Reality. In the human being, consciousness , intelligence ,mind , senses  are fully developed. Thus, a human being is totally equipped to make the deepest inquiry: the spiritual inquiry. Inquiry is the fundamental quality of life. Everyone and everything inquires about something or the other. An amoeba inquires about the location of water and nutrients; a sunflower inquires about the location of the sun. In the course of human life, we experience different obstacles like sickness, unhappiness, old age, and many other varieties of suffering. We naturally search for solutions to these problems. Every question is a kind of inquiry. However unless a person is awakened to the position of questioning his true nature and the nature of the world, he is not to be considered a full human being. Humanity begins when this sort of inquiry is awakened in one’s mind. Inquiry is not only the beginning of wisdom, it is our purpose.
Good luck!!

IMAGINATION

Imagination is the ability to form a mental image of something that is not perceived through the senses. It is the ability of the mind to build mental scenes, objects or events that do not exist, are not present or have happened in the past.


The ability of the conscious mind is the use of visualization/imagination. Your mind can literally imagine something that is totally new and unique-something you have never physically experienced in your life before. By contrast, your subconscious mind can only offer versions of what memories it has stored of your past experiences.But the neat trick is that the subconscious can't distinguish between that which the conscious mind imagines and that is real so whatever is brought up by conscious imagination and intently focused on also brings up all the emotions and feelings that are associated with that image in your mind for you to experience.

Imagination is not limited only to seeing pictures in the mind. It includes all the five senses and the feelings. One can imagine a sound, taste, smell, a physical sensation or a feeling or emotion. For some people it is easier to see mental pictures, others find it easier to imagine a feeling, and some are more comfortable imagining the sensation of one of the five senses. Training of the imagination gives the ability to combine all the senses.

Imagination is a creative power that is necessary for inventing an instrument, designing a dress or a building, painting a picture or writing a book. The creative power of imagination has an important role in the achievement of success in any field. What we imagine with faith and feelings comes into being. It is the power beyond creative visualization, positive thinking and affirmations.

Visualizing an object or a situation, and repeating often this mental image, attracts the object or situation into our lives. This opens for us new, vast and fascinating opportunities.

This means that we should think only in a positive manner about our desires, otherwise we may create and attract into our lives events, situations and people that we don't really want. This is actually what most of us do, because we don't use the power of imagination correctly.

If you do not recognize the importance of the power of the imagination, and let it run riot, your life may not be as happy and successful as you would have wanted it to be.

By consciously being in charge of your own thoughts through directing your focus and using visualization/imagination you can influence what programs the subconscious mind constantly runs. Do this often enough(and with enough emotional energy) then it will start to reprogram your subconscious internal representation and belief system and when that happens you will experience change on a very deep level. Understanding how to use your imagination correctly, and putting this knowledge into practice, for your own and others' benefit, will put you on the golden path to success, satisfaction and happiness.

Reference(courtesy):http://www.successconsciousness.com/index_000007.htm

ANGER

Anger ranges from irritation at the lower end to rage at the higher end. It is the feeling of displeasure accompanied by antagonism. 

You become a little irritated when you are not going to get where you want to be on time, or you are not going to complete your task, as you would want. If the seed of irritation is watered it grows into frustration.

Unless you take some positive inner action to stop the growth of the frustration, it will grow into anger. And if you are not careful it will become a habit, a part of your personality, which you will finally come to believe is a natural part of your nature. You will even convince yourself you were born with it. That it is ‘in the genes’.

Every time you become angry you cause the production of certain chemicals in your body and you will become addicted to those chemicals – then you look for people and situations which will give you an excuse to generate the ‘anger emotion’ so that you can have your daily dose of chemicals. Not only do we become attached to things and people and ideas etc, we become attached to our emotions.

Anger will finally kill the body (not you, but your body). Don’t kill your body. Accept that the anger is never ever productive, know that it is just not necessary to be angry with anyone or about anything, know that it is entirely your own creation and know that you can choose a different response. Know and accept that, and you will be free!

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger- Buddha.

Mindfulness approach to anger:

1. Acknowledge our anger. Know when you are angry. When you are angry, your breathing become slow & shallow.

2.Accept our anger. Accepting means viewing things as they are with out any judgement.

3. Experience it's full dimension. We can allow angry thoughts and sensations to arise and allow them to fall away by sheer acknowledgement and acceptance.

4. Respond (not react) to the situation wisely and compassionately.

Caring for our mind helps us to handle anger effectively. What does it mean by caring for our mind?

1. paying moment-to-moment attention to our thoughts.

2. making an effort to keep thoughts wholesome.

3. creating a mind of non-attachment to our ideas, opinions, belonging etc.,

4. keeping the body healthy.

Understand your pattern of getting anger- what causes the provocation? Anger tells a lot about ourselves. Like pain, it is a signal telling us something is wrong. It is the indication something needs to change. Look beneath the anger for its cause. Karl Marx called anger as the "Revolutionary Emotion". If we know how to experience anger skillfully, it can help us to bring wholesome changes in ourselves and in the society we live.

We can deal with anger in 3 ways:

1.suppression.

2. expression &

3. forgiveness.

Both suppression and expression is ok in the short-term point of view. Both have their long-term repercussion. Forgiveness is less of an act than a way of living. it needs to be cultivated. it is a skill.

Forgiveness:

" I have been insulted".

"I have been hurt".

" I have been beaten".

" I have been robbed".

Anger and hatred never cease for those who dwell on such(above mentioned) thoughts". - Buddha.

Forgiveness means relinquishment of the power of anger over us. Forgiveness makes us free. It liberates us from the captivity of anger/hatred. Forgiveness is a gift we give to ourselves. "Forgive- they may not deserve, but you deserve the benefits".

When you begin to feel angry or upset, acknowledge the fact that you own your emotions. When you reprimand someone or express your unhappiness, do it privately and try to do so after the urge to fight or defend has subsided. The best way to get your feelings across is when you can speak in a normal voice, without all the warlike body language. Do speak your mind, but criticize the behavior without attacking the other person. When you speak about your anger or dissatisfaction, say, "I feel angry when I see that happening," instead of saying, "You make me angry when you do that." Only you can make you angry, by your reactions to events. When you are upset, go for a walk, or exercise, to release the sudden build-up of adrenaline in your system. And remember, there is no such thing as winning an argument. There is only winning an agreement. Don't engage in "all or nothing" management. If things don't work out exactly the way you had planned them, salvage a good situation. Be willing to compromise on a solution, but never compromise your integrity!

Anger leads to Danger.

Take responsibility for your emotions NOW!