Thoughts

"When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more powerful thought of love. "

-- Abdu'l Baha

Through this period of fasting, I have found myself ruminating on the above quote to a greater and greater extent. I find myself much more conscious of my thoughts, words and actions, and on multiple occasions have caught myself thinking/doing something which I probably shouldn't be - and have tried to change that. This has made me realize how much power there is in one's thoughts - and how, through the power of one's will and determination, one can overcome the most negative of emotions. And the key, as the quote says above, is not to just try and not think negative thoughts - but rather, to replace any negative thought with a more powerful positive one. If you dislike something about a situation - find something positive in it to focus on. If you feel turned off by something a friend says/does - focus on their positive actions instead. If you're angry at someone - think of the last thing they did that made you very happy. If you are repelled by some quality in someone - find some quality in them that really attracts you to them.

The more I'm able to incorporate this principle in my most routine daily thoughts and actions, the more I find it gives me peace of mind and a feeling of well-being towards all.

There is of course a looooooong way to go yet... :)