I dealt with numerous challenges yesterday… and this morning. Today, those challenges have been resolving one after another.
just after 8 a.m., I looked out of my dining room window and saw sunlight streaming through the trees. At the same time this was happening, it was raining. The sunlight made the raindrops sparkle. My photo doesn’t do this experience justice, but I hope, along with my words, it gives you a sense of the beauty I witnessed.
Then I got into my car so I could drive to the bakery to pick up the pumpkin pies I’m taking to a Thanksgiving dinner later in the day. As I drove out of the driveway, the first thing I saw was a beautiful rainbow. I parked the car so that I could take another photograph. The rainbow was already beginning to fade when I snapped the picture, but I think the photo offers a glimpse of its beauty. Fifteen seconds later, the rainbow was gone.
After I posted Grateful for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, I found a music video of Nimo’s that I hadn’t seen before. That video, Being Kind, may be my favorite. It is certainly what I need to hear and watch during these turbulent times.
I love Nimo’s music and what he stands for. For those of you who are new to him, know that he went to an Ivy League college and afterwards worked on Wall Street. Next, he became a well known MTV Rap star. In his mid-twenties, he realized that the “only path to light was through selfless service to others and his own internal purification.” For the last five-and-a-half years he has been living at the Gandhi Ashram in Gujarat, India. That ashram serves underprivileged children in the slums of Ahmedebad.
Nimo chose the title ‘Empty Hands’, because of the profound wisdom we all can gain when we understand this deeper truth: that we arrive on this planet empty handed and we will all soon leave empty handed. So then, how and in what spirit do we want to spend the time in between?
Empty Hands Music is offered in the spirit of love, peace and oneness. Download the free Empty Hands Music album here.
Here is the Being Kind video. The song’s lyrics will follow the video.
Written and Performed by Nimesh Patel
Beat Produced by Epistra
Song Mixed by Brian Nicholls
(Verse 1)
Well my heart starts sinkin’
And I’m thinkin whats the reason
Why we holding back from being kind
What’s the disease, but then I sense
We are fine, it’ll all happen
One small step at a time
When the world is full of violence
And it needs a little kindness
I just sit in pray in silence
And God shows me the signs
Open my eyes, realize,
We are fine, one small act at a time
Last night I’m walking home
And a homeless man says ‘hello’
With a smile to let me know
That he’s gotta lotta hope
He says have faith, young man, we are fine
The world is kind, one small act at a time
Small acts we do together
Even though may be alone
Changes the world for the better
So we can call it home
And this is life as know
When our hearts are aligned
The magic that unfolds
One small act at a time
(Chorus 1)
Throw your hearts up
Let it fly high
Let your love for all the world
Spread Through the skies
Let it drop down
Let it all go
Spreading kindness to every
Single Living soul
Can you see your love … for me shining through
Cuz what you see in me, I can see in you
And soon enough, you and me … we’ll be outta time
And kindness … will be all we can leave behind
(Verse 2)
Feeling grateful today, Never thought this day would come
Where I would feel it and say, That each and everyone one of us,
Has paved the way doing good and now we’re all just moving up
When I’m kind to you, you pay-it-forward, this is how we build trust
Never had faith, but now I’m seeing you eye to eye
Wanna gift you my life, wanna spread love before I die,
Thank you God … for finally letting me realize
When I serve man, I’m really serving you in disguise
Smiles everywhere, cuz now everybody’s got the bug
Ain’t no life, without the love, if it is, it ain’t no fun,
What we gonna do now, just grab a friend give a hug
Spread it out real wide, so everyone can be touched
(Chorus 2)
Oohhh …
All we can leave behind,
For you and I kindness is all we can leave behind
All we can leave behind
For you and I kindness is all we can leave behind
Ohhh … Behind, Behind, When all is said and done,
Kindness is all we can leave behind
Helen’s direction for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday is to share a song about gratitude. I was looking for a chance to share another one of Nimo’s Empty Hands Music videos so I’m very grateful she chose that theme.
The song I will share is Grateful: A Love Song to the World by Nimo Patel and Daniel Nahmod.
You’re my life,
You’re my breath,
You’re a smile
You my guest
You’re the earth
You’re the sun
You’re the grass
You are love
You’re my hands
You’re a bug
You’re my eyes
You’re a hug
You’re the light
In the dark
You’re the spark
You are fun
You’re my mom
You are water
You’re the stars
You’re my daughter
You’re my friend
Till the end
You’re my dreams
You’re my father
You’re the ants on the ground
The miracles that surround
I’m feelin’ it all around
The hemisphere and the clouds
You’re my pain you’re my sorrow
You’re my hope for tomorrow
You’re the strength when I’m hollow
You’re the path that I follow
You’re the blessings that exist
The small things that are bliss
The gift to realize that
Everything is a gift
Chorus:
All that I am
All that I see
All that I’ve been and all that I’ll ever be
Is a blessing
It’s so amazing
And I’m grateful for it all, for it all
Verse 2:
You’re the blessings
Every time I try to count,
You’re the lessons
That l learn
Every time I turn around,
You’re the water when I’m burned
Every time I think I’ve found
Everything I’m looking for,
You’re the sign sayin’
Stop to take a bow
And keep moving forward
And start looking towards your heart,
it’ll open all the doors
And only then you’ll start
To hear the world sing in chorus
With your mind and heart
Aligned in purpose
Everything will feel gorgeous
Chorus:
All that I am
All that I see
All that I’ve been and all that I’ll ever be
Is a blessing
It’s so amazing
And I’m grateful for it all, for it all
Breakdown 1:
Everyday I sit and pray
Cuz what I have is
More than I deserve
Or could ever imagine
How do I give back
To all of this magic
And spread the love
So everybody can have it
Doesn’t matter if I’m rich or poor
If I gotta family or if I’m all alone
Bad things happen I can just complain and moan
But there’s a million things that I can be grateful for
Breakdown 2:
So I lift up my hands now
And I open my heart
And my gratitude goes out
To everything near and far
Final Chorus:
Everything I am
And everything I see
Everything I hope
And everything I dream
Everything I feel
And everything I be
I Look deep down
And feel all the blessings
I’m grateful for it all
It’s amazing
All that I am
All that I see
All that I’ve been and all that I’ll ever be
Is a blessing
Its so amazing
And I’m grateful for it all, for it all
Outro:
You’re the blessings that exist
The small things that are bliss
The gift to realize that
Everything is a gift
Be sure to watch the fun outtakes at the end of the video. You will also be able to download the free Empty Hands Music album should you want to do that.
I am so grateful to Al, my ex-husband, who several years ago, on my birthday, gave me my first laptop. Al always recognizes Mother’s Day by giving me flowers but it is not our practice to exchange presents on birthdays or other events. I was so surprised, and delighted. I had wanted a laptop for a long time, but hadn’t made it happen.
I am so grateful to the friend, whom I know would want to remain unnamed, who has helped me with my various computers, year after year. For the last 15 years or so he has spent countless hours aiding me in setting them up, keeping them running and when it is time, guiding me in purchasing a new one.
I am so grateful to the laptop itself. There were many times during the last three years, when I felt like I lived on that computer; writing a monthly newsletter, corresponding with clients, family and friends, planning workshops, and organizing events. The laptop made it possible for me to begin blogging in March, so it has been even a bigger part of my life since then. For years, it has accompanied me around the U.S., and to Canada and India.
Over the last few months, it has become obvious that my laptop’s life span was quickly coming to the end. Last week there was no doubt that it was time for me to thank it for its years of service, say goodbye and move on to its successor. My friend once again helped me in making that transition.
So now I am so grateful for my new laptop. I love the feel of it and how well it runs! I anticipate that we will be working together for many years. I am particularly looking forward to all the blogging we will be doing!
I have been reading gratitude posts on SeasonedSistha2 for some time. She regularly participates in Gratitude Sunday and today I read her Thankful Thursday post. That got me thinking. Why have I not started participating in one of those weekly gratitude prompts?
To me, the ability to feel and express gratitude is an incredibly important component of healthy living. I once was taught that depression and gratitude cannot co-exist. I don’t know if that is actually a researched fact, but I believe it to be true. I know that when people begin to focus on gratitude, the negativity within them diminishes and their spirits lift. They also learn to see the positive in events that might normally be considered negative. Continue reading “Gratitude Sunday in Advance”→
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”-William Shakespeare
Living, Learning and Letting Go 