(not necessarily in that order)
It’s taken me until today to finally feel the reality of starting a new year.
2022 was definitely another doozy of a year and we’re quite content to release it, with deep gratitude for its blessings, lessons, and tremendous spiritual growth.
Now it’s time to look ahead to 2023, which I pray will be filled with boundless love, infinite joy, vibrant health, and abundant prosperity for us all!
I was scrolling through Facebook this morning, when a friend’s post reminded me that it was the 21st of September — time to boogie!
Of course, I remember this Earth, Wind & Fire song from when it was released back in 1978, but I’ve never really tuned into the fact that many people all around the world have been celebrating the 21st of September like a holiday ever since.
When I put it on this morning (with earbuds, of course) I felt instantly happy.
Then I listened to it again this afternoon and even danced around the room a bit (making up for the walk I didn’t feel up to taking).
Then I found various videos of people dancing to the song and decided this would be the focus of today’s blog post: how a simple pop song can embody so much joy that forty-four years later people are uplifted when they listen and/or dance to it.
This video from Japan is particularly fun. So much energy!
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.
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.
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.
What a beautiful and joyous Easter it was…starting with this amazing altar!
Blessings and joy to all. 🌷🐥💗😊
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
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.
Wishing everyone a new year that’s happier, healthier, more harmonious, and more prosperous than ever before!
But also feeling a little like this….😂
God bless us all!
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.
