It’s been a long time since I posted a message I am sure you will agree! In this post I am opting to focus on life’s experiences. The thing is that I have learnt the hard way not to depend on many persons. I am also sure this will be agreed upon.
My circle is small but the lessons I have learnt are many. Thankfully my faith has never been in man but in God! My belief has always been in Karma (not in thinking of others suffering for the wrong they do as I do not have energy for that- with me I just pick up and press on- but I believe that we are all responsible for our actions) and being good and doing my best. This is what I always give to the world.
Some things to remember:
Have confidence in yourself.
Never give up.
Know that many people will show you want they want but the reality of what they are depends on their words and more so, their actions.
Remember that with every negative experience you should always look for the positive that comes out of it.
Change comes when people make a conscious effort to want to change.
If anyone makes you angry do not give them that anger. You suffer the most as you work yourself up and they do not deserve that satisfaction. Take care of yourself and pray for them to learn from their bad ways or pray to have less of that to deal with.
Nothing lasts forever. Believe that today is a present and tomorrow will get better. Today is your challenge for tomorrow and helps you better appreciate the good things when they come your way.
Being afraid never got anyone anywhere. Believe in yourself.
Take it bit by bit and day by day!
Make every moment count.
Putting of something always makes it harder to do it.
When in doubt always work with what you are sure about. This helps to clear away the uncertainties.
Take care of yourself. Nobody can do this as well as you really well as you can.
His name, His messages, His teachings, His music, His divinity and His purity are known by Devotees the world over! He is praised by many and when devotees praise His name it is with prayerful supplication, humility and an abundance of love.
His presence warms the heart of many and from Him bliss and purity radiate. He is not just Swamiji but He is Sadguru, He is Nada Brahma, He is Maha Avatar, He is Appaji and He is Lord Dattatreya- the Holy Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
This post is dedicated to the celebration of Appaji’s 75th Birthday! Appaji- His Holiness Param Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji! Happy 75th Birthday Appaji!
Photo Credit: Datta Peetham
Some may say that I have missed it but Appaji’s birthday continues to be celebrated around the world in the various places He visits. This post has been in the making for some time now and it is finally published. My question is, ‘What do you give a Sadguru who has given so much? ‘
Appaji Humble Pranams to Your Lotus Feet! You have done so much for us that the words Thank You seem inadequate. What we can do is to listen to Your Divine Messages, say Thank You, practice what You share with us, heed Your instructions, lead better lives and become better people. As You say in SGS Posts, “Be good, Do Good”.
Appaji has given us so much and He has not only given so much but day after day He keeps blessing us with His messages and His Divine Darshan. What we need to be disciplined as we read, as we listen, as we put into practice what we read and listen and try each day to be our best versions of ourselves.
Those who read Appaji’s autobiography will know Appaji’s life, His struggles, His uniqueness and they will understand why He is Avadhoota. Those who follow His journey will also understand it and those of you who are Datta devotees will understand how blessed we are.
Following the start of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in Mysore, His Holiness Param Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji continued His journey of selfless service to mankind, His service to Dharma and to the world.
His Holiness was awarded Three World records on His 75th Birthday. These three records added to the previous five Guinness World. They were for:
1. The World’s Largest Hindu Smruti, Bhagavad Gita book in 18 languages was achieved by Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji. Measuring 7 feet by 5 feet this, the World’s Largest Bhagavad Gita book weighs over 800 kilos.
2. The most bird species in an aviary (Shuka Vana) having 468 species.
3. The largest display of bonsai trees (Kishkhinda Moolika Bonsai Garden) which consists of 2649 trees.
The previous five awards were given to His Holiness at the places listed:
1.Most people chanting (31 January 2015)-Hanuman Chalisa Chanting in Tenali, Andra Pradesh, India
2.Largest Music Therapy Session (6 April 2015)- Sydney Opera House in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Session lasted 2 ½ hours.
3.Longest Marathon Chanting (Team) of 24 hours, 10 minutes and 8 seconds- (1 August 2015)-–Hanuman Chalisa Chanting, Frisco, Texas.
4.Largest Breathing Exercise (Pranayama) Lesson- (July 10, 2016)- India Community Center, Milpitas, Bay Area, USA
5.Largest Online Video Album with over 40,000 people from 30+ different countries dedicating a prayer chant for the universal brotherhood (July31, 2016)- Dattatreya Yoga Center 85 ft Karya Siddhi Hanuman Murti, Carapichaima, Trinidad.
Following the ceremonies and festivities in Mysore His Holiness travelled to Bengaluru and Hyderabad in India then to Kenya, Frankfurt and London outside India for important tasks. Those who know His Holiness can attest to the fact that His travels are never for leisure but always to help mankind and His followers the world over. His return to India saw the continuation of such work as is always undertaken by Him (His Holiness) and Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji (Sri Bala Swamiji). It included the Nakshatra Ishti 2017 ceremonies, the Ati Rudra Yagya, the National Conference on the Shaastras, Hanuman Jayanti Celebrations and Dattatreya Jayanti Celebrations.
The year’s itinerary culminated with a Nada Geeta Raga Sagara Music for Meditation and Healing concert in Taipei, Taiwan on December 31.
Less than 2 months into 2018 His Holiness has continued to share priceless moments and priceless learning opportunities and opportunities to be eternally treasured with the world. Here are some events in 2018 which you surely would not have missed:
·Sankranti Festival in Vijayawada Ashram (His Holiness and Sri Bala Swamiji)
·Rapta Saptami Festival
·Hanuman Chalisa Parayana Maha Yagna in Vizag
·Music for Meditation and Healing at Ukku Auditorium Vizag Steel plant, Vishakhapatnam
To date Appaji has given us Kriya Yoga, Healing Music, daily Sri Chakra Puja, an abundance of bhajans, daily messages and discourses which have crossed the thousands together with 16 Mobile Apps which I have listed below:
·SGS Posts
·Hanuman Chalisa for Pranayama
·SGS Birds-Shukavana
·Bhajan Mala
·Guru Gita
·SGS MMS
·Vishnu Sahasranamam
·Lalita Sahasranama
·Bhagavad Gita-With Audio and Transliterations in Hindi, Telugu and Kannada
·Kavacha Manjari
·Shatashloki Ramayana
·SGS Quotes Mobile
·SGS Hindu Hanuman Chalisa
·SGS Telugu Hanuman Chalisa
·SGS Panchangam
·SGS Kannada Hanuman Chalisa
To access these apps visit either the Apple Store or Google Play Store (depending on your phone type- Apple/Android) search the App and download it.
It is my sincere belief that this video will help many further understand the great work His Holiness is doing and foster a greater appreciation and deeper sense of gratitude for both His Holiness and for Avadhoota Datta Peetham.
In closing I urge all readers to keep following Appaji’s teachings and to keep practicing what His Holiness teaches us. Listen to the messages in His discourses and messages shared through His apps. Practice Kriya Yoga, practice Satwick eating and practice all else that Appaji shares with us and asks us to do!
Appaji, Thank You for all that You have done for us and all that You continue to do for us!
Here is a description of our book: “To us food is the spice of life! We believe that the life of a vegetarian can be as interesting and as enjoyable as you want to make it. We firmly believe that you must enjoy what you eat and you should not eat just for the sake of eating. Eating should be enjoyable and the art of preparing food should be equally as enjoyable as well. The truth is that as a vegetarian there are so many things you can eat and they are so many different foods which you can incorporate into your diet.
This book has been compiled with exactly this in mind and for all the vegetarians the world over so that they can have meals they can enjoy but also meals that can be quite nourishing. It is our sincere hope that you will be able to find recipes in our book which you can try and share with others.”
On the other Amazon sites it is being sold for the equivalent of $2.99 USD. To those who are purchasing it thank you very much for investing in an opportunity to add to your cooking repertoire. Thank you also for giving us a chance to share our first compilation with you! Please feel free to provide a review!
Here are the links for each of these respective Amazon Sites:
This post is dedicated to celebrating our first book, Tasty Vegetarian Recipes which is an Easy to Follow Guide for Preparing Vegetarian Dishes is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079FHN8PM/
For those who don’t know it is a husband and wife team project put together by Shiva and me! It is a combination of both our expertise and it is a celebration of some of the foods we enjoy preparing, eating and sharing with others.
Here is a description of the book:
“To us food is the spice of life!
We believe that the life of a vegetarian can be as interesting and as enjoyable as you want to make it. We firmly believe that you must enjoy what you eat and you should not eat just for the sake of eating. Eating should be enjoyable and the art of preparing food should be equally as enjoyable as well. The truth is that as a vegetarian there are so many things you can eat and they are so many different foods which you can incorporate into your diet.
This book has been compiled with exactly this in mind and for all the vegetarians the world over so that they can have meals they can enjoy but also meals that can be quite nourishing. It is our sincere hope that you will be able to find recipes in our book which you can try and share with others.”
Here are the recipes we opted to include for this, our first book:
·Mango Chow
·Pakoras
·Vegetarian Bar-be-que Sauce
·Fried Mushroom Wantons
·Salsa
·Mushroom Tacos
·Bean Curd Choka
·Curried Mushrooms
·Stir-fry Tofu
·Tandoori StyleTofu in Bar-be-que Sauce
·Homemade Paneer
·Homemade Curds
·Jasmine Rice
·Basmati Rice
·Coconut Bake
·Homestyle Bread
·Spinach Lasagna
·Spaghetti Pie
·Veggie Hoagie
·Baked Vegetables with Potatoes
·Berrylicious Smoothie
·Strawberry Lassi
This is just the first of many books to come! Hopefully there are a couple of things in Tasty Vegetarian Delights that you can have fun with. From us to you, Happy Cooking and Happy Eating!
It is indeed a blessed occasion when I have the opportunity to share a post with you! This post is dedicated to Celebrating Nature and Recycling (mainly Trini Style) but it’s all about embracing nature, respecting it and protecting it!
We can all agree that protecting our environment and respecting it will help us to minimize the impact of climate change being faced throughout the world. Together, let’s do it!
Did you know that you can help recycling plastics, glass, paper, tetra packs and lots of other things right here in Trinidad and Tobago? Just imagine if we all do our part or we all do a little, our effort can make a difference and result in less pollution and maybe less flooding and unwanted diseases! Just imagine doing a little may mean that our effort can help save a live or lives as the case may be! Let’s all do something to help!
A simple search on Google for “recycling in Trinidad and Tobago” will produce very useful information.
The iCARE Project is a project of the Environmental Management Agency (EMA). This National Project is aimed at the Collection of Recyclable Solid Waste. At present there are a minimum of 58 iCARE Collection Bins throughout the country where plastic, glass, tetrapaks and aluminium cans can be placed for recycling. To recycle these items here is what must be done:
It provides a free cardboard and paper recycling service throughout Trinidad and Tobago and after calling to schedule collection waste paper or cardboard can be collected within 48 hours.
It is to be noted that glass can also be recycled at Carib Glassworks. For more information on this please visit https://www.caribglass.com/recycle
In searching through recycling here in Trinidad and Tobago I found the video that I have included below. Kudos to the students of St. Stephen’s College on this initiative!
In closing allow me to share this video from October 2017:
Did you know that there is a lot of History associated with January 6th? Like all other days on the calendar which are associated with a lot of History similarly January 6th is associated with a lot of History. In this post I am opting to share some of the history regarding January 6th with you.
Before continuing however please allow me to wish everyone who celebrates a Birthday on January 6th a very very Happy Birthday!
Photo courtesy WishAFriend.com
Photo courtesy WishAFriend.com
January 6th marks is the date marked as the Epiphany -the 12th day of the Christmas. It is a major Christian celebration around the world known as the “Feast Day” and “Three Kings Day”. It is also the date many opt to take down their Christmas trees and it marks the conclusion of the 12 days of Christmas!
As we bid farewell to 2017 and welcome 2018 I wish you a Bright, Blessed and Happy New Year! I hope we can celebrate 2018 together and take it by celebration after celebration!
By no means do I want to make this a long post but I want it to be a true celebration of good things to come for all of us and a celebration of all that we have overcome in 2017! Let’s promise to take it one day at a time and remember that everytime you feel down this is one place you can visit to find something that may cheer you up or inspire you to continue!
All in all this blog comprises of 81 posts. What is my challenge to you for 2018? Find as many posts on my page that can inspire either you or someone you know. Then share them and make someone’s day better! Whether it is one line or one link if it can make a positive difference please share it.
I urge you once again to please download SGSPosts for positive and uplifting messages if you have not already done this. It is an app which delivers messages by His Holiness Param Pujya Dr Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji that are based on ‘peace, love, brotherhood and universal co-existence’ across the world. You can download it using any of these links:
Allow me also to share what ended 2017 for me on a high note. Below is the link to His Holiness Param Pujya Dr Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji’s Healing and Meditation Concert in Taipei, Taiwan yesterday (Dec 31, 2017). Sri Swamiji’s concert was a Nada Gita Raga Sagara and it was viewed by many Datta devotees the world over. Please remember it is a Healing and Meditation Concert so do not open this link if you are driving, going to drive, operating machinery or about to operate machinery.
Nothing beats sitting down with a great book and reading, won’t you say? If you can’t afford it getting it free is surely an option!
One pertinent fact is that many think that you need an actual kindle to read books on kindle! Truth is that having a kindle is fine but once you are already an Amazon customer you can download the Kindle App to your device (e.g. mobile/ desktop/ laptop) and what’s even better is that you can search for books, purchase them and download the books you have purchased directly to your device!
Finding the kindle app is not as difficult as it may seem! One option is going to Google. Another for Android users is going to the Google Play Store! iPhone users can use the App store.
More great news is that the Kindle App is free and comes at no cost to you!
Do you also know that you can search for free kindle books? Try it and you will see that you surely can! Free books on kindle may be free but you need to act quickly if you want to get it at $0.00.
Whether you are looking for a fictional piece be it for a child or an adult there should be something to pique your interest! Also if you want books on meditation or cooking or yoga here’s what you do:
Select the store option on the app and type in what you are hoping to find! For example you can type in the search bar these options- “free meditation books” or “free recipe books” or “free yoga books” or “free children’s books”. All of these options will yield positive results. Once you see a price saying $0.00 it means it is free. It also means no charge will be added to your credit card. Like your other purchases you will receive an invoice for your purchase and you can also find the proof of your $0.00 purchase under your digital purchases!
Finding this useful video will surely help you!
This is another way that will surely pique your interest:
One thing is for certain- this is a way of encouraging young and old alike to continue reading and it promotes leisurely reading!
Here are some books that are free exactly at this moment. If you are interested in them please purchase them now as they may not be free tomorrow. These are just some options of free books you can buy at this time (28 November 2017) but please use the pointers above to get other reading options from various genres to pique your interest. From me to you, happy reading!
“One space; one night to share in one goal under one banner-TTCME Awards”- Richard Cornwall, Executive President and Founder of Acknowledging Caribbean Talent (ACT)
The Lord Kitchener (Aldywn Roberts) Auditorium at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) came alive on Thursday evening with the presentation of the first annual Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean) Music and Entertainment (TTCME) Awards. It was a night to remember and we were happy to be there to see it all unfold as we have been following it since we first heard of it. Surely many others can agree with this!
The ambience in the reception area was one of celebration filled with several opportunities including ‘walking the red carpet’. In attendance were the British High Commissioner Mr. Tim Stew and Mayor of Port-of-Spain Alderman Joel Martinez together with well-known media personalities Nikki Crosby, Samantha John, Hans des Vignes, Michelle Xavier, Sophie Wight, Sunny Bling and a host of others.
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In just three months and 15 days the TTCME Awards was presented to the world. It was a soulful ambience of celebration and breathtaking performances, marked by the announcement and presentation of awards to 26 winners. These winners were chosen by fans who voted in a text-to-vote system that provided 100 per cent transparency. In addition to this three achievement awards were presented and several companies and individuals who are consistent in their efforts in various fields were recognised.
The evening’s proceedings was filled with a perfect blend of rich cultural presentations from various musical genres that represent the diversity of our islands and the capture the essence of our people. The audience was treated to gospel performances from several artistes including Vanessa Briggs who won the Gospel Singer of the Year for Praise and the Gospel Singer of the Year for Worship. Also securing two titles was Aaron Duncan. He won the title of Soca Performer of the Year and also won the Song of the Year Title for his song “Born Ready”.
In addition to Vanessa Briggs there were several other performances. These include live performances by Blaxx, I-Sasha, Jason “Fridge” Seecharan, Krystal Khayne, Anokha Baptiste, Dane Gulston, the Alternative Quartet, Chromatics, Sally Sagram, Whitney Cummings, the Dayo Bejide Organic Music Movement, KI, Explainer, Inzey and the Dopeskis, Surge, Neval Chatelal and Nishard M.
Mr Richard Cornwall, Executive President and Founder of Acknowledging Caribbean Talent (ACT); Pioneer and Visionary of Trinidad & Tobago (Caribbean) Music and Entertainment Awards who made it a reality through his efforts and the help of his dedicated team. Photo Credit: TTCME Awards https:www.facebook.com/TTCMEAwards
For those who are curious about who came up with the idea of the TTCME awards here it is! The concept for this event was pioneered by Richard Cornwall, Executive President and Founder of Acknowledging Caribbean Talent (ACT). Its focus is recognising and rewarding persons in the entertainment industry for the contributions they have made in various areas. Collectively these areas contribute to the high quality that is evident in across the industry.
Commenting on the event Mr. Cornwall said, “We will continue to provide a platform for the voices in the music and entertainment industry and many other talents within it, be it against the grain or not and continue to move ahead and achieve via the TTCME Awards. It is here to stay.”
This view was echoed by Dion Heath, General Manager of Acknowledging Caribbean Talent. “The TTCME Awards was a dream and today it became a reality. Now we can shine the light on the talent of Trinidad and Tobago and by extension the wider Caribbean to highlight our uniqueness in this world. Even though we are small, we are mighty. ” said Heath.
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Overall the TTCME Awards has been described as “long overdue” and many are eagerly awaiting the TTCME Awards 2018. I fully agree with this and like many others, I am looking forward to 2018. The TTCME Awards continues to generate a quickly increasing number of followers on its social media pages. At present on its Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/TTCMEawards/ there are over 1800 followers.
Dennis Taye Allen, TTCME Social Media Marketing Consultant
Those who are eagerly looking forward to TTCME Awards 2018 will be pleased by the views shared by Dennis Tayé Allen, who is the TTCME Social Media Marketing Consultant. According to Allen, “The inaugural TTCME Awards can only be seen as an outstanding success. Yes, of course the process had a fair share of flaws and some of the industry insiders will see the missteps more than the strides and advancement. But that’s how we are as a people. Trinis are very critical—and that’s good, because that’s the standard this show has to meet and exceed. “
He further added, “ACT, the main outfit behind the TTCME Awards, knows and understands that this could easily be a one-pop…we’ve seen that happen. Shows come, shows go but Richard Cornwall has a vision and a team of dedicated, industry-leading professionals onboard. If you look at the lineup of who was involved in this show you will see there are no scrubs on the bench. Everyone is top notch and that’s what’s going to make this build, grow and stay a fixture on the cultural calendar. Red carpet season starts with the TTCME Awards from now on.”
We can agree that there is a lot to look forward to!
On this note I use this opportunity to share a full list of the winners from the voting categories and the names of those receiving achievement awards with you. I am also very happy to share with you the names of those who were recognised for their consistent efforts:
2017 TTCME Awardees Awardees (Voting Categories)
Gospel Performer of the Year (Praise): Vanessa Briggs
Gospel Performer of the Year (Worship): Vanessa Briggs
Gospel Band of the Year: Pure Worship
Gospel Producer of the Year: Joshua Kelly aka “Kelly On The Beat” & “Kelly Beatz”
Soca Performer of the Year: Aaron Duncan
Soca Producer of the Year: Black Starr Production
Soca Band of the Year: A Team Band
Chutney Soca Performer of the Year: GI
Soca Chutney Band of the Year: BMRZ
Soca Song of the Year: Aaron Duncan (Born Ready)
Soca Chutney Song of the Year: Chana Daye (ClimaxXx & Hitman)
Live Performer of the Year :Michael S’Obrian (Showtime)
MC of the Year: J Angel
DJ of the Year: DJ Darian
Sound System of the Year: XiXgon International
Steelband of the Year: Silver Stars
Tassa Group of the Year: Central Riddim Tassa Drummers
Producer of the Year: Lil Vill
Best Instrumentalist of the Year: Johan Chukaree
Hip-Hop Artiste of the Year: Rael Luvi
Crossover Artiste of the Year : Marq Pierre
Sound Company of the Year: Pro Audio
Lighting & Special Effects Company of the Year: Experience Effects
Mas Band Launch of the Year: Harts
Fete of the Year: Wet & Wild Cooler Fete
Dance Company of the Year: Shiv Shakti Dance Company
Achievement Awardees
Dr. Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool: 9 Calypso Monarch titles; over 300 calypsos; over 40 years of experience as a Calypsonian
Amrika Mutroo: 2016 National Calypso Queen; Theatre Arts Teacher; 23 years of involvement in the field of Calypso
Kevin Da Costa: Personal Bodyguard Services
Recognition (for Consistency in their Field)
Events & Infrastructure: Ricky Ragoonanan Group of Companies
Stage Management: Shane Medford
Sound Engineering: Sean Joseph
Events & Décor: Events Land
Largest Sound Company: Rent A Amp
Most Outstanding Transport Company (Carnival on the Road): Junior Sammy (Sammy’s Multilift Services, a division of Junior Sammy Group of Companies)
Product Provider (Carnival Season): Carib Brewery
For more information on the Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean) Music and Entertainment (TTCME) Awards please visit https://www.facebook.com/TTCMEAwards.
Today October 13, 2017 we celebrate with the First People of Trinidad and Tobago. In every sense this is an opportunity being cherished as it is an opportunity to celebrate existence with the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago. They may be a small community at present but they are a vibrant community and we applaud them on their many achievments and successes! They are the First Peoples who inhabited this twin island nation that we call home!
Though a one-off public holiday it is my sincere wish that this can be an annual holiday granted to the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago. Today (First Peoples Day 2017 of Trinidad and Tobago) is a day Trinidad and Tobago and by extension people the world over will remember on a yearly basis to celebrate with the First Peoples who inhabited our twin island republic.
This year the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival is hosting Indigenous Voices- “an afternoon of films presenting a diverse spectrum of indigenous storytelling and powerful narratives on the disappearing indigenous cultures of T+T and the Americas. ” This will be held on Saturday 14 October from 12.00pm – 5.00pm, at the Arima Town Hall, in association with the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community. Admission is free. For more information on this please visit https://ttfilmfestival.com/ttff-news-and-features/indigenous-voices-celebrates-first-peoples-in-film.
This is one part of an entire week of festivities by the Santa Rosa First Peoples Community.
To the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago congratulations and we will continue to celebrate with you!
As the First Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago have done and continue to do, I urge you to heed my call: “Celebrate Your Existence! Celebrate Who You are and All that You are!”
Happy New Year to everyone!
Celebrating Existence 