Tag: joy

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Accepting and embracing it all

This was the message I received on my Momentum Dash the other day. Not surprisingly, it made me think about, not just the current challenges I’m facing, but how best to approach living in general and life itself.

I believe it’s basic human nature to want to deny and reject experiences that we find painful, difficult, or uncomfortable; I’ve done it myself time and time again throughout my lifetime. But it’s contractive, which is not a good strategy for actually rising above those experiences.

In order to accept and wholeheartedly embrace what in front of us — no matter how painful or difficult or uncomfortable — we have to raise our energy, draw on inner strength, listen to intuition, and be open and receptive to all kinds of help.

And that’s expansive, which is our best, most excellent strategy for creating a life experience filled with love, joy, peace, and abundance.

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Gardening ups and downs

The UP side: experiencing the satisfaction and joy of creating a beautiful, nurturing space in our patio area.

The DOWN side: the realization that I can’t just leave for six weeks without making arrangements for someone to water my plants.

Bottom line? Duality is manifesting itself through my garden.

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Choose well

Thanks to The Wise You for the meme

I find this fascinating. All extremely common words, but it would never in a million years have occurred to me to compare the number of letters in each one.

But I’m grateful that it occurred to someone (thank you, whoever you are), because it has caused me to reflect on how important it is to choose rightly.

So along those lines: I choose love, friends, and truth; I choose to be positive; I choose to rise above and to live in joy; I choose to be happy; I choose what is right; and I choose to heal.

And so it is.

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The Secret of Laughter

From Sunday service at Ananda Village on August 8, 2021

We had an all community meeting at Ananda Village last night. As usual we started with a couple of songs, one of which was The Secret of Laughter.

I’ve sung this song hundreds of times over the years, but last night I experienced — yet again — how much depth there is in these apparently lighthearted and fun lyrics!

In fact, I discovered how The Secret of Laughter pretty much covers everything I’m learning as I move through treatments for cancer: mainly the importance of laughing, giving, and especially singing.

I found so much meaning in the final verse last night:
Sing when the sun shines, sing when the rain falls,
Sing when your road seems strange.
In a tempest, seize the lightning flash,
And ride the winds of change!

We’ve certainly been traveling a pretty strange road lately, with lots of changes still ahead. But we’re managing to keep singing and laughing, and we’re finding joy everywhere.

LYRICS: The Secret of Laughter
The secret of laughter lies in the laughing,
Not in the search for joy:
It’s a swallow winging on the wind!
It’s innocence in a boy.

CHORUS
Luru luru lero,
Luru luru lye!
Joy will come to anyone
Whose heart has learned to fly!

Joy in the singing, not in the song sung,
Welcome, but never crave:
If you think that laughter lies in things,
To things you’ll be but a slave!
CHORUS 

Joy in the giving, not in the gaining:
Grasp, and you’ll never sing—
You could win the world and still be poor;
Win peace, and live like a king!
CHORUS 

Sing when the sun shines, sing when the rain falls,
Sing when your road seems strange.
In a tempest, seize the lightning flash,
And ride the winds of change!
CHORUS 

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My current favorite people

Jyotish and Devi have been on fire in their classes this Inner Renewal Week.

They express so much wisdom, love, and joy in their every word and action, it’s a thrill to be in the room with them.

And most wondrous of all, is being able to call such great souls our friends.

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Sweeping the patio

Late afternoon glow in our front yard today.

At yesterday’s Sevaka retreat, Jyotish spoke about how after Yogananda’s experience of going into samadhi (divine ecstasy or bliss) his guru, Sri Yukteswar, gave him a broom to sweep the porch.

Well, we’ve had a jam-packed weekend, full of satsangs, meetings, and rehearsals, and with lots of performing and recording. And while we didn’t reach the heights of samadhi, there was a whole lot of joy and really high energy.

Not surprisingly, by this afternoon I was pooped and not entirely sure what to do with myself.

But then I was inspired to take my broom and sweep the patio. Which was followed by finally potting (or re-potting) a number of plants that had been patiently waiting to receive some attention.

And it was the perfect balance to all the energy and intensity. Just me, my broom, flowering plants, sunshine, sky, birdsong, and peace.

Our little patio garden is growing.
I forget what this plant is called, but I’ve been admiring it for years in various cities around the world. I was so excited to finally find it at Weiss Brothers nursery in Grass Valley.
The one olive on our olive tree is ripening quite nicely. No idea how we’ll know when it’s fully ripe (or what to do with it then)!
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Immense gratitude

Sunday service in the morning and a celebration of Swamiji’s spiritual anniversary in the evening, followed by 24 hours of global focus on the chant “Aum Guru”!

A triple whammy of spiritual power which has impacted every level of my being.

I’m filled to overflowing with love, joy, and immense gratitude.

Thank you, Master and Swamiji.

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I get a thrill every single time!

Singers from multiple locations in India, as well as New Zealand and Italy!

We just finished collecting the videos for our fifth version of the Ananda Worldwide Virtual Choir.

We’ve come a long ways in terms of figuring out the best ways to communicate with, make backing tracks available to, and collect videos from our global choir, but it’s still a very labor-intensive project.

In fact, it feels like pretty hard work….until the videos start pouring in!

I get such a thrill every single time I see the joy, devotion, and sweetness pouring through every singer. We’re spread all around the world, but I feel the reality of our oneness in Spirit each time we do this.

Truly, it’s one the best parts of my job!