Posted in Being Prayerful, Blessings from Appaji, Celebrate Today, Love and Blessings, Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji

Celebrating Appaji!

Jaya Guru Datta!

In this post I am celebrating His Holiness, Param Pujya Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji! 

To some He is Sri Swamiji but to many of us He is Sadguru Deva, Appaji and Tataji!

He is the bearded Master who loves all of us and mankind unconditionally! He is the one who takes care of us selflessly, whose love transitions everything. He is the one with the priceless smile, with the overflowing energy, who gives and gives and only asks when He needs us to do what is necessary for our own good. 

The past couple days have been a testimony of Appaji’s unwavering love and selflessness. His entire life is but this has been one microcosm of a much longer story that is representative of His life and transitions everything else! He is Nada Brahma, friend, teacher, Sadguru, healer, protector, Appaji, Tataji, and so much more in one physical form. He is Lord Datta!

In spite of health challenges, prior commitments, His extremely hectic schedule and so much more, Appaji came to Trinidad from Mysore for His devotees in Trinidad and Tobago and created history once again as His every action resulted in a most memorable visit that would forever be in the hearts of all whose lives have been touched by the events of this very short but blessed visit where so many blessed things have happened.

With Appaji’s Grace, an entourage of learned vedic pundits and scholars, all a part of Appaji’s mission travelled to Trinidad from Mysore, India and some from the USA and Canada to ensure that the Maha Rudra Yagam was conducted as it should be and from Day 1 of their arrival, they did excellent service. 

In addition to this, devotees came from several different countries to witness the very same and some also, to see His Holiness for the very first time and to do seva. While on one hand His presence is a testimony of His greatness, His every action is a testimony of His greatness! He is the epitome of Truth, Knowledge, Bliss, Grace and Humility! He is Sachchidananda. 

Appaji we pray for Your Health. Appaji thank You immensely for all You do for us moment after moment, day after day. Thank You for all that You do for all mankind! You are a blessing to us all! We love You more than words can ever say and value You immensely! You are our Appaji, Tataji to our children, Sadgurudeva to us all! Thank You for loving us, Thank You for guiding us constantly, Thank You for showing us how to live and all the reminders You share with us through social media platforms and Apps. Please accept our humble prostrations at Your Lotus Feet! 

Posted in Celebrate Today, Celebrating Life, Helping Others, Life, Love and Blessings

Celebrating Life: Lending a Helping Hand!

The focus of this post is on Lending a Helping Hand!

Why? This is necessary for so many reasons:

  • We cannot always tell what someone else’s circumstances are!
  • A smile does not mean everything is okay!
  • We cannot tell someone else how to feel or what to do because many of the times we cannot stand in anyone else’s shoes.
  • Hardly ever will two people treat the same situation the same way!

As you go through your life, people will always judge you no matter what you do! Let them!

As you go through your life, you will come across others that think they know your reality better than you do! Let them!

As you go through your life, some will put you through hell in order to feel better about themselves! Pray for them! God is with you and He always takes care of His children!

These are just some of the reasons why you should always lend a helping hand!

The reality is there are many who need your help though no fault of their own! The reality is many others may be going through some of the unfortunate things you are coping with! The reality is that there are many who may not be able to ask for help!

The reality- always be you! Always do the best you can. Live without regret and never do anything looking for something in return.

Posted in Celebrate Today, Celebrating Life

Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day 2023!

Did you rock your socks today? Trust me, it’s not too late and there is no better time than the present!

In celebrating this day, this is a video I think you should not just look at, but you should listen to intently and grab the opportunity to share it with others.
If you are not yet inspired, then you surely need to take a few minutes to fully enjoy this video.

Accept others for who they are!

Believe that you can make a difference!

Consistently move forward in the direction of your dreams!

Dive deep into your goals!

Enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to help others!

Face each day with courage!

Greet each day with a smile!

Hate no one, have no ill will or malice!

Invite peace into your heart!

Joke not about serious matters and remember jokes must not be at the expense of others!

Leave no one behind!

Make each moment count!

Notice the changes around you!

Open new chapters but close old ones.

Play your role in bringing about change.

Quickly keep up with the pace!

Rock your socks!

Stay sweet!

Thank God for all your experiences!

Understand that each action counts!

Valiantly view things for what they are!

Wishful thinking is nothing without action!

X-ray your goals

Yes is a sign of moving forward

Zero in on your strengths and weaknesses

Posted in Celebrate Today, Celebrating Existence

Celebrating Existence- 20,000 views!

Yes, it’s celebration time! March 18, 2018- Celebrating Existence has reached 20,000 views!

Another thing that is for certain is that there is a lot more to share! The mission continues:

To share positivity with people the world over, one country at a time! Let’s keep the energy going!

Thank you everyone for your continued support! Definitely a milestone! Certainly, a blessing! Surely, lots more to celebrate!
Posted in Celebrate Today, Celebrating Life, Love and Blessings

Celebrating the way forward! Growth and Experience!

They say in life you win some and you lose some. The reality is every experience is meant to be learnt from. From every experience whether it is negative or positive, there will be a positive and the positive you walk away with is the lesson you learn. Treating someone as they treat you is not the answer and it should never be. The answer is to treat others as you would want to be treated and more so, never do anything you would regret.

Quote by Mother Teresa; Photo Credit: Word on Fire

With experience you will be wiser or at least you should be. Do not let anyone take advantage of you and distance yourself from toxic people.

                                                                 

Now, to look back at 2022 just for example, is to look back at so much and also to relive so much- loss, pain, hurt and negativity. Being the person that I am, I don’t want to go down that road.

Those that we lost are no longer in pain and they are no longer suffering. This is my comfort.

If people chose to come out of our lives then I guess it’s safe to say they did what they wanted to. If people choose to judge us, then so be it. That’s on them, not us!

Also, if people chose to be unfair to us, that’s their cross to bear, not ours.

This being said, it means what you need to do more than anything is to keep your focus and be thankful for your blessings! Remember,

  1. An Attitude of Gratitude
  2. Be Positive 
  3. Carry Only What You need 
  4. Do not give up
  5. Enjoy each moment
  6. Focus your energy on what needs to be done
  7. Give your best always
  8. Have fun doing the things you love
  9. Isolate yourself from toxic people
  10. Judge no one- instead practice self-reflection and analysis
  11. Kindly treat people the way you want to be treated
  12. Live life everyday as if it is your last
  13. Make it your duty not to harm any human or animal
  14. Notice changes all around you- it’s inevitable
  15. Overcoming your obstacles is not out of your reach
  16. Placing yourself in harm’s way is never advised
  17. Quitting is not an option so quit quitting
  18. Realize this journey is yours and not anyone else’s
  19. Search deep within and find what you need
  20. Trust that everything will fall in place
  21. Understand that lots of people where masks and not all smiles are real
  22. Value those who are true to you
  23. Worrying about tomorrow doesn’t help.
  24. Xanadu is the Utopia you create for yourself. 
  25. Yesterday is gone! Learn from it, don’t dwell on it!
  26. Zero in on your tasks 1 by 1!

Surely, we can agree that Everyday Life shares several pertinent messages! Higher Power compliments it perfectly as well! Enjoy the music!

Posted in Celebrating Life, International Women's Day!, Life, Love and Blessings

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2023!

Happy International Women’s Day to all women the world over!

In this post I give thanks to the Divine Mother and I celebrate my Mom, all the special women in my life and all women the world over! As I always say, I am forever grateful and eternally blessed!

Far too often we sell ourselves short and this explains it perfectly. Let your inner beauty shine and always be true to yourself! Always do your best to be better and if others cannot accept you for that, then don’t let them get the better of you! Remove toxic people and anyone who is pulling you down!

Here’s another very positive message! Don’t lose your faith! Don’t lose yourself! Don’t give up your dreams! Don’t let anyone’s false perception cloud your judgement!

Life is never what we expect but giving up is never an option! Trust that you have come a long way and that the Divine Master is always with you and will never abandon you!

Further to this, keep your resolve and be resilient!

  1. Celebrate your journey!
  2. Celebrate God’s blessings in your life and all He has showered on you and spared you from!
  3. Celebrate your parents because your existence would not be possible without them! Celebrate them for the incredible people they are and all they have done and continue to do!
  4. Celebrate all that you are!
  5. Celebrate where you have come from!
  6. Celebrate the lessons you learned along the way!
  7. Celebrate the experience you have gained!
  8. Celebrate the illusions that have been shattered!
  9. Celebrate those who stood by you!
  10. Celebrate your present, be grateful for your past and look forward to your future!
  11. Celebrate you!
Posted in Celebrate Today, Celebrating Existence, Celebrating Life, Life, Local Wildlife, Nature and the Environment

Celebrating World Wildlife Day!

March 3, 2023

Hey everyone, Happy World Wildlife Day 2023!

World Wildlife Day is dedicated to celebrating the world’s wild plants and animals, the contribution they make to our lives and to our planet. In this post, I am celebrating World Wildlife Day with the rest of the world by celebrating our local wildlife and sharing some videos that help to highlight some of the excellent work being done in Trinidad and Tobago.

When we think of local wildlife here in Trinidad and Tobago, lots of local animals come to mind. One of these animals is the macaw. Here is a video from the Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust which you can thoroughly enjoy and learn something from.

In case you are wondering about the Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust, certainly this virtual tour would allow you to see just how precious this place is and how remarkable the work being done here is! In addition to being about conservation, the work being done here also focuses on so much more, both for our flora and fauna.

I have also had the opportunity to learn more about our local wildlife through the work being done at Corbin’s Local Wildlife in Tobago. This tourism story which I am highlighting below speaks volumes and I am sure many parts of it will resonate with you. It is a tourism story shared by Mr. Roy Corbin, the owner of Corbin’s Local Wildlife. All of the animals highlighted here are local and their existence is also critical in managing our local wildlife.

Surely, we can agree that this is very insightful and if we have an opportunity to make a difference, we should. A couple days ago I had the opportunity to look at their virtual tour and I look forward to an opportunity to visit in person. For those who would like to view it, please click on this link:

https://www.tobagowildlife.org/tour/ Furthermore, for those who wish to make donations, please use this link https://www.tobagowildlife.org/donate/ or the information below:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/corbinlocal or via Bank transfers to:

 Name: Roy Corbin
Account number 21105000033603
Bank name and address:
Scotiabank, Scarborough, Tobago
SWIFT No. NOSCTTPS

Irish Natural Forestry Foundation,
Allied Irish Bank, Skibbereen, Co Cork.
Account no: 01711-078; Sort Code: 93-63-75.
Iban IE86 AIBK 9363 7501 7110 78
Bic AIBKIE2D
Lodgements marked INFF(Tobago)

I am intrigued by the story of our leatherback turtles. Protecting these leatherback turtles is increasingly important and this video is one that you should surely take the time to look at. In addition to Grande Riviere, there is also Matura and some places in Tobago. Let’s all make a conscious effort to save our wildlife and understand that we can make a difference!

Happy World Wildlife Day 2023 everyone!

Together let’s make a difference! Let’s do what we can to save the wildlife of our beautiful country.

Posted in Celebrating Life

Celebrating Life! Anil Bheem (May 14, 1974- February 4, 2023)

“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” Bob Marley

When in just 12 hours over 352,000 people view one man’s funeral, it speaks volumes! When thousands gather to say a final farewell, it tells how great he was and how many lives he impacted and when social media gets flooded with memories, condolences, photos, tributes and people comforting each other, it means that he was a blessing and those who knew him were blessed to have him!

When he could bring so many people together- artistes, politicians, religious leaders and so many others, it shows just how unique he was. When he could reduce so many to tears it shows that we have suffered a great loss and this is the effect of “The Vocalist” Anil Bheem, a man who spent so much of his life doing what he loved and serving others.

More so, when his early song and his last official song sharing similar messages of his views on life, it tells of his wisdom and his humility. With his early Mastana Bahar rendition of Kishore Kumar’s Musafir Hun Yaaron (1972), translated as, “I am a traveller, I do not have home and address” and his recent remake called the Indian Anthem which when translated means, “The beautiful night has slipped away, Throughout the world the seasons have changed,” he has shared very profound life messages with us. Indian Anthem, it should be noted has gotten over 3.3 million views in just five months.

On the morning of February 4, 2023 people across Trinidad and Tobago woke up to the news that Anil Bheem had an untimely death and as the news spread throughout the world, thousands more were plunged into mourning. Hours before he had two shows, one at “The Rig” and the other at “Avala” in Heartland Plaza. Mere hours before his passing, a pinned Facebook post, “Ima band boi for life✊🏼BMRZ yo.Thanks all❤️TheVocalist Anil Bheem Nirmal Ramdass Singh Suraj Ramdass Singh Amir Amit Ramjattan✊🏼

Anil Bheem’s passing is a great loss for our nation and for his many fans across the world, but he deserves every title he has been given. I am sure that many can agree that in his music you could feel the energy and the sincerity. They are always filled with passion and love and surely these videos are just a fraction of his entire music offering to the world. His repertoire speaks for itself, and both his music and contribution tell his story to the world. He was gifted and God’s gift to mankind- an artiste par excellence.

Anil has reminded us of how quickly life can change and how everything is temporary as we all on this journey called life. As he always shared with his audience, “There is a spark of divinity within each and every one of us. Locate that divine spark and everything will just fall into place, it will be just mellow.” He has reminded us of how important it is to value each moment we have and to live well with each other, respecting each other and building people up rather than breaking them down.

He has, through his spark of divinity reminded others of how important it is for them to find their spark of divinity as we are all travellers. Worry and panic don’t help, but everything comes together naturally as it should because nothing is in our hands, but in the hands of the Creator and Master.

To his parents, his wife, his daughters, his grandchildren, members of his band, his 103.1fm family and his extended family, our thoughts and our prayers are with you! We pray for each of you to have courage and strength in this most difficult time. Anil Bheem, “The Vocalist” will not be forgotten! His voice, his music and his messages will live on!

Ram Naam Satya Hai

Om Sadgati

Posted in Celebrate Today, Celebrating Life, Life, Love and Blessings, Music

Celebrating Music- Spreading Positivity!

To the world with love! Surely you must need this, so let the music play! I am going to create a playlist with this on YouTube just for you!

As promised, here is the playlist everyone!