Power of Positive Thinking Course Feedback 9 Aug 2021-13 Aug 2021
Updated: Aug 30, 2021
Vivekananda institute of human excellence conducts various programs, amidst pandemic courses has been shifted to online platforms. The power of Positive Thinking is one among them. One of the participant and volunteer have briefed out the whole course
DAY-1: 9/8/2021
Power of Positive Thinking Course started on 9/8/2021. This is a 6-day course from Mon-Sat. It is a one-hour session from 8:30 am to 9:30 am. The session started by Swami Bodhamayanandaji Maharaj, the Director of VIHE with Pranam mantras to Holy Trio. Today's speaker is Dr. Vivek Modi Ji who is a Doctor by profession, a wellness expert, and a motivational speaker by passion.
He gave an introduction about Positive thinking, explaining what it is and what it is not. Positive thinking is looking at the brighter side of everything while l doesn't ignore reality.
He said that we should LOOK at CHALLENGES but STARE at SOLUTIONS. It helps us to develop a solution-oriented personality and to jot down the circle of possibilities & challenges whenever we are stuck in a loop and to focus more on possibilities.
Positive thinking helps in
Building good personalities
Increase chances of being successful
Improves quality of our Life
Helps in realizing the greatest gifts in one's life.
He also answered few queries by participants and asserted that when one is in a loop, one has to focus on one thing at a time, but not jam our brains with many things to give our 100% in it. It was indeed a great session by Dr. Vivek Modiji. The session ended with Shanthi Mantras.
DAY-2: 10/8/2021
Today Swami Bodhamayanandaji Maharaj, the Director of VIHE Hyderabad took the session himself, on The Power of Positive thinking.
He said...
To labor is to Pray
To Conquer is to renounce.
Life itself is a religion.
Henceforth there is no difference between Sacred & Secular.
Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest the divinity within by controlling nature external and internal. Do this either by work, worship, philosophy, or psychic control - by one, or more, or all of these and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details" - Swami Vivekananda. Then the Maharaj explained about Five kinds of Debts
1.Deva runa, bhuta runa, pitru runa, manushya runa & rishi runa.
Principles of Karma Yoga. which included
Why we should work, The Right attitude, Right action.
How we should work
How we should face the results,
How to face success with humility and failure with divinity.
And What we should avoid
Lethargy, Shortcuts, Self-pity, Procrastination. He also explained about YAGNA, DANA, TAPAS and how they help to Purify Men.
DAY-3: 11/8/2021
Swami continued the session, Maharaj spoke about a few teachings and lessons of Sri Ramakrishna & Swami Vivekananda.
The following points were explained in a detailed way.
"man is not traveling from error to truth, but from truth to truth, from lower to higher truth,"- said Swami Vivekananda
Whenever there is a weak thought, lustful thought, counter it with a positive thought.
Negativity should always be conquered with positivity.
The boat should be on the water, water should not be on the boat. "Live in the World, World shouldn't live within you".
Men are taught from childhood that they are weak and sinners. Teach them that they all are the glorious children of immortal bliss, even those who are weakest in manifestation. Let positive, strong, helpful thoughts enter into their brains from the very childhood.
Negativity should be conquered by positivity. Take weapon of positive thinking.
Never say 'No', never say 'I cannot.' you are the infinite.
Brooding over weakness doesn't remove weakness. Think of Strength. As "Strength is Life, Weakness is Death".
Meditate every day and focus on sukshma sharira. Then slowly plunge into Atman. Then one gets power and strength.
If one has Patience, Perseverance, Purity one can easily develop positive thinking.
One must have a higher purpose in life. That is how motivation is kept, that is how a positive attitude is developed.
DAY-4: 12/8/2021
Today’s guest speaker was A.S. Balaji Sundaram, a senior psychologist who used to visit central jails in Hyderabad to interact and deal with those who were under trial and who suffer mentally.
It was an interactive session as A.S. Balaji Sir likes it to be a two-way process.
He said positive thoughts allow us to free our minds.
The points of the session are:
Mind wavering is like a pendulum swing.
One has to approach one's problem with a positive attitude.
The first thing is identifying the trouble/problem that is disturbing our mind, then why is it causing?. One must have Self-awareness which helps us to rationalize things then only one can see multiple possibilities and directions.
When asked about how to sustain the motive of positive thoughts, he said, practice on the take-home points.
One has to find out his strengths from within. Then only he can come from darkness to light.
Always say 'I can do it. Remember what Swami Vivekananda said "Strength is life Weakness is death. "Expansion is life & Contraction is death".
He explained Paradigm Shift - the usual way of thinking about something is replaced by a new and a different way. It takes time & effort. But one can become positive.
The participants have learned a lot of points through this interactive session "Power of Positive Thinking".
DAY-5: 13/8/2021
The guest speaker was Professor Dr. Sumita Roy, Senior faculty at VIHE. She is a retired professor from Osmania University, Hyderabad. She is a devotee of the Holy Trio from her childhood. She works with Sri Sarada Math, Bangalore.
To practice Positive thinking or attitude we must follow some ideals/role models. She quoted the examples from the life of Sri Ramakrishna, Maa Sarada & Swami Vivekananda.
One has to identify his negatives and transform them into positives. It gives a new direction to life.
‘Don’t say bad things about people. Get to know them first’ said Sri Ramakrishna.
Maa Sarada used to treat every devotee alike despite caste, creed, or religion. Once asked, why she was treating the lower caste equally, though she belonged to a higher caste, she said "devotees do not have any caste !"
Once Josephine Macleod asked Swami Vivekananda 'What do you want me to do?' I will offer you anything you ask. Swamiji without any hesitation said "Joe, I want you to love India"
Asked about who is an Atheist Swamiji said, "one who doesn't have faith in himself".
There is so much to learn from life & teachings of the Holy Trio it gives immense Positivity.
Each one of us has to experiment in life. The internal dimension is most important says Prof Sumita Roy.
Positivity begins within ourselves. We have to look at our ACTIONS. Check how many negatives we are doing in a day.
One should never utter an Unpleasant Truth.
Coping Strategy- One should have the ability to handle difficulties and to face the challenges with a positive attitude. 'Face the Brutes' Swami Vivekananda’s quotation was quoted.
Always a negative situation needs a positive response.
Dr.Ashwitha Srivarshini
VIHE volunteer
Faculty:
Top left: Balaji Sundaram ,Top right:Dr. Vivek Modi , Bottom left : Sumitha roy ,
Bottom right: Swami Bodhamayanandaji Maharaj