I'm getting my November newsletter out a bit earlier than usual so that I can send you Happy Thanksgiving wishes. That said, it's shorter and a bit different too.
It is exactly one year since I started my evening gratitude list practice. Before lights go out, with pen in hand, starting with the phrase "I am grateful for..." one by one, I list 10 things, people, organizations, circumstances, etc. from the day for which I am grateful. It has been a peaceful and introspective practice as sometimes I can easily come up with ten statements, and other times I have to really review my day to meet the challenge. I've enjoyed doing it and it has felt like the evening bookend to my day, a complement to my morning bookend of journaling. In both cases, it is a time to pause, reflect, and connect with Spirit. I guess in that sense it's also a meditation.
On this day of Thanksgiving specifically dedicated to getting conscious about what one is thankful for in their life, I always love hearing people share. At today's celebration, I got to hear about 40 people share about one thing/person they were grateful for and a bit about why. We also got to hear inspirational quotes on the subject of gratitude. What a meaningful way to get to know a bit about a person and feel connected to one another, and hence, Spirit. For of course, we are One.
Trusting you've had a meaningful -- and not too stuffed -- Thanksgiving Day. May you remain open to noticing and appreciating the blessings every day throughout the coming year.
Happy Thanksgiving today and always!
Blessings,
On Gratitude
"When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around." - Willie Nelson
"There are always flowers for those who want to see them." - Henri Matisse
"Being thankful is not always experienced as a natural state of existence, we must work at it, akin to a type of strength training for the heart." - Larissa Gomez
"Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible." - Anonymous
"If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul." - Rabbi Harold Kushner
Being Grateful For It All
You may know that music is a huge part of my life, especially singing which serves as a way to connect with Spirit. I've become quite a fan of empowering music with uplifting and inspirational lyrics.
Daniel Nahmod is one of my favorite artists. In the video below he has collaborated with Nimesh Patel, a man with an interesting career path and not a musician I'd normally listen to as his genre is rap.
Going by "Nimo" for his music projects, his parents are first-generation Indian immigrants who raised him in L.A. Growing up, they didn't make much money, but they always focused on their kids getting a quality education. From an Ivy League education to Wall street to fame and fortune as a MTV Rap star, at some point along Nimo's journey he realized that he was walking a path of suffering. One day at the age of 30, he had a sort of epiphany. "It was like - 'What I am doing?' And this was in the midst of where I thought I wanted to be. I was not feeling joy in the heart," said Patel. For the past 7½ years, Nimo has been serving and working with the underprivileged communities in the Gandhi Ashram in India.
The combination of Daniel Nahmod's music and Nimo's meaningful rap lyrics (not an oxymoron) has expanded my musical tastes. But more importantly, their collaboration, I think, serves to reach a much wider audience in sharing their message of hope, gratitude, consciousness, and so much more.
See what you think...
GRATEFUL: A Love Song to the World
Websites and Coffee, so popular in Sedona, AZ, has made its debut in the Phoenix area.
Here's the workshops that are on the calendar for the remainder of the year:
Nov 28 | Wed | 6:30 - 8:30 PM
"Intro to WordPress: First Steps"
$ 49-
Dec 11 | Tue | 6:30 - 8:30 PM
"Intro to WordPress: Going Deeper"
$ 49-
Workshops take place in Gilbert, AZ
(Val Vista Dr near Baseline Rd)
Space is limited to
just 4 participants so that each can receive the attention they deserve.
To learn more and/or to register, please visit the
Websites and Coffee website.
Customized retreats and personal coaching are available too. Contact me to discuss further how I can help inspire and coach you to reflect your purpose and passion in business and marketing.
e-newsletter designed, developed, written, and published by Joyce S. Kaye
You, Me, and Spirit
I was a devout atheist until about 28 years ago when I "came to believe" in a Power greater than myself. Thanks to hearing the novel idea (well, at least it was to me!) that one could choose their own concept of God - and name too - and the workings of synchronicity, I embarked on a new way of thinking, a new way of living, a new way of being in the world and with others. It impacted all aspects of my life and relationships.
Since that time of commencing my conscious spiritual journey, I have endeavored to remember The Presence in all that is, all whom I meet, and all that I do - including working with clients in my own business and in the corporate world. I strive to be of service and to nurture the human spirit in all environments.