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[color:"purple"]Real Renunciation [/color]
On the path mapped out by the true spiritual philosophers and pioneers, there is great emphasis placed on the idea and need for renunciation. It is seen as the way to enlightenment, and freedom from the attachments which we misuse as sources of limited happiness and contentment. Renunciation does not mean giving everything away, shaving our heads, saying farewell to family and friends and finding a Himalayan mountain top. It means seeing our attachments and dependencies, our weaknesses and our evasions, and consciously giving them up. There is no sense of loss. The material necessities still come to us, paradoxically more will come. And when we renounce our own weaknesses and dependencies there is always a strength and a new freedom to be found hiding underneath. Renunciation is a pathway to a simpler life and a highway to spiritual freedom - one of spirit's deepest yearnings in 'the age of accumulation.' **************************************************************

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[color:"purple"]Cultivate Silence [/color]
Behind all creation is silence. Silence is the essential condition, the vital ingredient for all creation and all that is created. It is a power in its own right. The artist starts with a blank canvas - silence. The composer places it between and behind the notes. The very ground of your being, out of which comes all your thoughts, is silence. The way to silence is through meditation. When you arrive in your own silence you will know true freedom and real power. Stop, take a minute, and listen to the silence within you today. Then be aware of what disturbs your inner silence. It could be negative thoughts, memories, sensations. And when you are aware, you will know what is draining your creative power, and you will know what needs to change...on the inside!**************************************************************

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[color:"purple"]Trustee Consciousness [/color]
We all have a relationship with everything. Obviously the relationship we have with the people and objects in our immediate vicinity is more intimate than the rest of the world. For most of us the most common relationship is possession. In our minds we think we own and possess things like cars and houses and carpets and golf clubs etc. This thinking easily spreads into jobs and tasks and positions and perhaps even other people. "I want you", and "You are mine alone", is the essence of many romantic film scripts and song lyrics. What we forget is that this relationship is wrong. It is not possible to possess anything. Care for..yes. Use...yes. But possess...no. You can't take it with you when you go, so we say! And yet it's the idea of possession which lies at the heart of all fear, war and conflict. Can you see it? Fear of loss, fear of not acquiring what we have already decided is ours in our minds. So what is a better relationship we can choose which takes all the fear away. Be a trustee. Everything comes to us in trust, for us to use and then to set it free. The consciousness of trustee sets us free of the tension of grasping and guarding. To see ourselves as trustees of everything that we receive, including our bodies, encourages our innate capacity to 'care for with dignity'. It is a much more relaxing way of relating to the things which we are privileged to receive in life.
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[color:"purple"]Gentleness [/color]
Non-violence is a very deep philosophy. Not only does it require me to harm no one physically, but also to avoid harming anyone's self-respect. Such an ethic requires tremendous awareness and sensitvity. When I have learned to be gentle with myself, I can be the same with others.
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[color:"purple"]Think In A New Way [/color]
Your thoughts guide you to your destiny. If you always think the same you will always get to the same place. Think in a new way and you will be a new person. Give happiness to all and you will live in peace. Create peace in your mind and you will create a world of peace around you.
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[color:"purple"]Courage[/color]
Courage is to take a step forward into an area of difficulty without a solution in mind, but yet feeling that victory is ahead. **************************************************************

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[color:"purple"]Create Continuously[/color]
Every day is an opportunity to be creative - the canvas is your mind, the brushes and colours are your thoughts and feelings, the panorama is your story, the complete picture is a work of art called, 'my life'. Be careful what you put on the canvas of your mind today - it matters.
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[color:"purple"]Let Go[/color]
Just as the bird has to find the courage to let go of the branch in order to fly, so we also must let go of our branches if we are to know the exhilaration of soaring to the highest potential of our life. The branches we hold to are our inner attachments - our beliefs, ideas and memories. And then there are the outer attachments - people, possessions, positions and privileges are a few. But as long as we hold on to them we will live in fear (of letting go and loss) and we will never be free. And just watch those birds, by letting go of one branch they are able to spend the rest of their life alighting on a million other branches, and they enjoy the view from each. Are you flying and soaring in your life, or are you stuck on one branch, cursing others as they fly past. Go on, try it ...let go!
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[color:"purple"]Pure Living[/color]
When we look around to examine the state of our environment, which is what we leave behind after developing and exploiting the resources of the planet, many are quick to see pollution and waste. We are not slow in pointing out the damage and the impurities which will be our legacy for the future generations. We are not so quick to spot the impurities which we have allowed to develop and accumulate in our own personal lives. At the level of our thoughts, is every thought a pure and benevolent one, which carries the best wishes for our fellow travellers. Unlikely, as we mostly learn to criticise and complain, attack and blame. At the level of our intentions do we always mean well and want the best for others, or are our intentions sometimes coloured by selfishness or greed? At the level of outcomes do we celebrate the achievements of others as they grow to be all that they can be, or do we stand back in envy or jealousy. Our lives all begin within our own consciousness. The lakes and the landscapes of our mind and intellect are where we all live the most. Do we keep them clean and pure and unspoilt? Can beauty and harmony be found within? No! Then perhaps we need to clean up inside before we condemn others on the outside. Because what is out there is simply a reflection of what is in here! And we are all in it together. Perhaps that is why no one is to blame but we are all responsible.
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[color:"purple"]Near Contentment[/color]
When you can think of yesterday without regret and tomorrow without fear, you are near contentment. **************************************************************

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[color:"purple"]Humility[/color]
Humility means to understand the self and through that to understand others as well. Humility is the attitude where a person is not attached to his or her opinion and feelings. Humility is the most natural expression of truth. It helps in better understanding of truth. Humility is the basis for maintaining self-respect. Humility does not mean bowing down and being subservient to others. Humility allows you to see benefit in everything. Developing humility brings a lot of comfort and ease into your life.
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[color:"purple"]Thoughts[/color]
Everything depends on our thinking. If I think in the right way I will be light. If I think in a wasteful way I'll be heavy. Waste thoughts are dangerous. They waste my time. They allow the past to come alive, then I forget the present and question the future.
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[color:"purple"]Pure and Gentle[/color]
Success is merged in every step of those who have a pure and gentle nature.
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[color:"purple"]Recipe For Happiness[/color]
Recipe For Happiness
Two heaped cups of patience,
One heartful of love,
Two handfuls of generosity,
One headful of understanding and a dash of humour,
Sprinkle with kindness, add plenty of faith and mix well.
Spread over a period of a lifetime and serve to everyone you meet.
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[color:"purple"]Responsibility[/color]
The world is a stage and we are all actors. Each actor plays a unique part and is responsible for their own actions. Responsibility means doing the right thing no matter how big or small the task may be. Each one of us has a special role to play in the making the world a better place.
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[color:"purple"]Dream On[/color]
Why have we forgotten how to dream? With our innocence gone, and the entertainment industry doing all the work for us, we quickly lose our capacity to dream possible futures. Stop. Close your eyes. And dream again. Put the stars in your dreams. And then reach for them. No need to struggle. Simply nurture the dream, sustain the vision, and watch it come true. It must, it's the law.
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[color:"purple"]Bring Light[/color]
There is some darkness in most human minds today, so there is a darkness component in most scenes and situations. Why else is there so much unhappiness and sorrow in the world? So how much value can be given to someone who is able to bring light and lightness to a place or a moment, where others have brought their dark? Like a crown of sparkling jewels, their presence and their words are priceless. It may only be a gentle smile of comfort, an attitude of genuine interest, some words which diffuse an awkward moment. Those who stay light in spirit while others weave their dark are both illuminated and illuminators. Watch out for such a moment today where you may illuminate. Make that moment momentous!
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[color:"purple"]Contentment[/color]
Remain content by recognizing the benefit of every moment - and the beauty of every soul.
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[color:"purple"]Our Nature[/color]
Only a powerful soul can offer love. Only a powerful soul can afford to be humble. If we are weak, then we become selfish. If we are empty, we take, but if we are filled, we automatically give to all. That is our nature.
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[color:"purple"]Present Chances[/color]
If we get involved in fears about the future, we shall miss the chances that the present offers us.
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