November 15, 2010
Can’t is the worst word that’s written or spoken;
Doing more harm here than slander and lies;
On it is many a strong spirit broken,
And with it many a good purpose dies.
It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each
morning
And robs us of courage we need through the
day:
It rings in our ears like a timely-sent warning
And laughs when we falter and fall by the
way.
Can’t is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and half-hearted work;
It weakens the efforts of artisans clever,
And makes of the toiler an indolent shirk.
It poisons the soul of the man with a vision,
It stifles in infancy many a plan;
It greets honest toiling with open derision
And mocks at the hopes and the dreams of a
man.
Can’t is a word none should speak without
blushing;
To utter it should be a symbol of shame;
Ambition and courage it daily is crushing;
It blights a man’s purpose and shortens his
aim.
Despise it with all of your hatred of error;
Refuse it the lodgment it seeks in your brain;
Arm against it as a creature of terror,
And all that you dream of you some day shall
gain.
Can’t is the word that is foe to ambition,
An enemy ambushed to shatter your will;
Its prey is forever the man with a mission
And bows but to courage and patience and
skill.
Hate it, with hatred that’s deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed ’twill break any
man;
Whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying
And answer this demon by saying: “I can.”
~By Edgar A. Guest
November 8, 2010
When we are positive, we find that our interactions with the world and ourselves become brighter, more productive and perpetuate the ‘feel good’ factor. This in turn makes us healthier and more peaceful.
But how do we develop this positivism. The answer can be found in ‘Attitudinal’ Yoga.
According to a concept of yoga, the path to a positive attitude can be found through a 3-step approach:
- Awareness
- Acceptance
- Attitude
Awareness:
The first step is to be aware of what and how we are thinking. We must train ourselves to be aware at all times of how our mind is working – the thoughts, thinking patterns and tendencies. Make this a habit. If it is difficult, the meditation technique of antar mouna and Yoga Nidra are methods which help us do this. These techniques help in the withdrawing of our senses to introspect.
Acceptance:
Awareness, however, brings about a heightened sensitivity to the issues. We tend to become judgemental and critical of ourselves or of others. This has the danger of sending us into a vicious cycle of negativity UNLESS we learn to accept what we see and understand.
Have an attitude that “it is ok” to think how we are. Just be a witness to this fact and believe that God likes us for what we are. This acceptance leads to a genuine love and compassion, which forms the bedrock of positive thinking.
For example, if you are angry with your partner for not doing something as per your wishes, accept that it is natural for you to face such emotions. Accept that it is because of certain archetypes or ‘samskaras’ that lie embedded in your subconscious. Likewise, accept that it is okay for your partner to behave that way, which is based on his perception and the elements embedded in his subconscious.
With practice, you will find that this helps in surmounting negativity to a large extent.
Attitude:
Once we have accepted what lies within our thoughts, we can actually start working upon how we ‘want’ to look at that particular person, situation or thing. Yoga techniques assist us in changing our attitude. The ‘Sankalpa’ or resolve that we set in Yoga Nidra helps in shaping our mind. This resolve in yoga is always in the nature of a positive statement – such as “I am becoming more positive every day”. Such inputs fed into the mind help in shaping our attitude into one of positivism.
Let us look at changing attitude with the following example. Suppose you have a negative attitude toward someone. So much so that he puts you in a bad mood the moment you see him. For a moment, find just one small thing or quality in him that you do like. Now remember that one positive thing whenever you meet or interact with him. Gradually, you will see that your feelings towards him will become more positive and things start looking up.
Following these three guidelines and you will find yourself becoming more positive. Remember that every thought generated in the mind is also experienced by every cell in the body. That is why on a ‘good’ day you feel yourself exercising better with more flexibility, while on a ‘bad’ day you feel stiff and lethargic.
Ultimately, positive thinking affects the body vibrations in a positive manner. This in turn, affects the vibrations around us, which, in turn, affect the situations around us. This helps in relieving our suffering and leading a harmonious life.
By ~ Arun Goel |
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