Last week something unfathomable happened to me on Spotify...
I reached over 60,000 monthly plays!
I am overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation.
As a thank you, I will be doing a giveaway with Longtime Sun Apparel. They sell some of my favorite Kundalini Yoga attire, not to mention they named a pair of pants after me!
So stay tuned for that!
This video is a THANK YOU and a story of my journey from doing music "just for fun", to doing it as a super fun career.
May all your dreams come true. May you never doubt your vision.
You might be confused by my chosen title because you probably don't hear anyone going around saying: "hey there, what's right with you?"
So often people ask each other "what's wrong?" because as humans we have confused focusing on each other's problem with caring.
It's well-meaning, but it's not a productive use of your time, or someone else's for that matter, to recount all the things that went wrong in your day.
Do you believe energy follows attention? Do you believe you create your own reality by what you focus on?
And for the completely skeptical: if you had just one moment left to your life, would you want to use it to complain?
(I'm going to hope the answer is NO as I flow onto the next sentence...)
Then why would you want to draw your attention, let alone someone else's, to your problems?
There are literally millions of things at any given moment that are going amazingly RIGHT that you are completely ignoring. And it's affecting your ability to see clearly. It's affecting your ability to create the reality you actually want for yourself.
:: HOW TO ANSWER THE RIGHT QUESTION ::
Here are 3 categories of things that are certainly going RIGHT for you. While I cannot see through your eyes and notice all the things you could notice through them, here are some ideas to get you started at re-framing your reality.
Appreciation appreciates (i.e adds value) what you are experiencing. Appreciate something and you add importance to it. Add importance to it, and you'll talk about it more. Talk about it more and you'll have more of it to talk about.
1. NOTICE YOUR SURROUNDINGS: Have you ever considered how truly blessed we are that there is air to breathe, that the sun comes up every single morning, that the Earth continues to rotate on its axis? Too basic? How about the human ingenuity that has built structures that stand up straight (houses), house people vertically (apartment buildings), carry passengers miles up in the air (planes) to the furthest reaches of the planet... The things to notice will vary greatly depending on where you are, but they are there for you to notice nonetheless.
2. NOTICE YOUR BODY: I don't have a good enough knowledge of human anatomy to list all the magical components of your body! Even if you are laying in a coma right not (which you're not because you're reading this), your body is amazing. Your eyes, ears, eyelashes, mouth, lips, tongue, hair, legs, skin keeping it all together, all the sensors with which you see, hear, taste, touch, smell... all might not apply to you, but many will. The intricate system of internal organs that are functioning while you are simply sitting down is mind-blowing. And it all happens without you having to do anything. In fact, that's probably why you rarely think about how great your body is until you have something wrong with it, right? Don't wait until you're sick to appreciate your health. And if you are sick, notice the parts of your body that are still going RIGHT.
3. NOTICE KINDNESS: There are so many people out there doing nice things for others. Maybe they are letting you go ahead of them in line at the grocery store, maybe the bank teller smiled at you, maybe you get to witness a child laughing at the playground. This is all for your enjoyment. Don't dismiss the positive vibrations of the incidental people in your life. See what happens when you tell the story of the free coffee the barista gave you because they accidentally made an extra, or the toddler who drew a picture for you in the sand. It will change your life.
OK, THAT'S ALL for now. I do appreciate crystals. This set was given to me by my friend Nina at Sage Moon. I do appreciate gifts. And crystals. :-)
:: THE "RIGHT" MANTRA ::
The mantra for appreciation is "Waheguru." It has WOW (wahe) built into it. Chant Waheguru and become amazed by your life.
Have you noticed that most human concerns tend to fall into three basic categories?
Relationships
Health
Wealth
Prosperity encompasses all three.
Truly prosperous people are magnets to healthy relationships, a good-feeling and well-functioning body, and an abundant flow of money.
Bahuta Karam is a mantra I have admired for a long time. It is the 25th pauri (read: verse) of a long bani (read: poem/hymn) called "Japji Sahib." I have been reciting Japji Sahib every day for over 7 years.
You could say it's in my DNA now. I am blessed to have memorized it so that I have been able to make this 20-minute practice a consistent habit even while birthing babies, nursing them, running after toddlers, long plane flights, and all the unexpected and delightful things life has brought me.
While I have been reciting Japji daily, I will hone in on a particular pauri every once in a while. Before I put this one to music, I noticed I would often wake up chanting Bahuta Karam in my mind. Having to record this, also, selfishly, meant that I had a good excuse to fine-tune my pronunciation.
The version I recorded on my newest album -8 is two complete recitations. The way I learned Japji was actually from listening to the pauris in song form (mostly from Snatam Kaur), so I was excited to contribute to the Japji library with this one.
Bahuta is a map to prosperity. I feel very blessed to have it in my toolbox. And you can too!
:: RECITATION ::
When learning a new mantra (especially a long one, like this one) it is recommended to recite it 11 times per day for 40 days. I have done this a few times, and it (literally) pays off.
ਬਹੁਤਾ ਕਰਮੁ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਨਾ ਜਾਇ ॥ Bahuthaa Karam Likhiaa Naa Jaae || His Blessings are so abundant that there can be no written account of them.
ਵਡਾ ਦਾਤਾ ਤਿਲੁ ਨ ਤਮਾਇ ॥ Vaddaa Dhaathaa Thil N Thamaae || The Great Giver does not hold back anything.
ਕੇਤੇ ਮੰਗਹਿ ਜੋਧ ਅਪਾਰ ॥ Kaethae Mangehi Jodhh Apaar || There are so many great, heroic warriors begging at the Door of the Infinite Lord.
ਕੇਤਿਆ ਗਣਤ ਨਹੀ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ Kaethiaa Ganath Nehee Veechaar || So many contemplate and dwell upon Him, that they cannot be counted.
ਕੇਤੇ ਖਪਿ ਤੁਟਹਿ ਵੇਕਾਰ ॥ Kaethae Khap Thuttehi Vaekaar || So many waste away to death engaged in corruption.
ਕੇਤੇ ਲੈ ਲੈ ਮੁਕਰੁ ਪਾਹਿ ॥ Kaethae Lai Lai Mukar Paahi || So many take and take again, and then deny receiving.
ਕੇਤੇ ਮੂਰਖ ਖਾਹੀ ਖਾਹਿ ॥ Kaethae Moorakh Khaahee Khaahi || So many foolish consumers keep on consuming.
ਕੇਤਿਆ ਦੂਖ ਭੂਖ ਸਦ ਮਾਰ ॥ Kaethiaa Dhookh Bhookh Sadh Maar || So many endure distress, deprivation and constant abuse.
ਏਹਿ ਭਿ ਦਾਤਿ ਤੇਰੀ ਦਾਤਾਰ ॥ Eaehi Bh Dhaath Thaeree Dhaathaar || Even these are Your Gifts, O Great Giver!
ਬੰਦਿ ਖਲਾਸੀ ਭਾਣੈ ਹੋਇ ॥ Bandh Khalaasee Bhaanai Hoe || Liberation from bondage comes only by Your Will.
ਹੋਰੁ ਆਖਿ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਕੋਇ ॥ Hor Aakh N Sakai Koe || No one else has any say in this.
ਜੇ ਕੋ ਖਾਇਕੁ ਆਖਣਿ ਪਾਇ ॥ Jae Ko Khaaeik Aakhan Paae || If some fool should presume to say that he does,
ਓਹੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਜੇਤੀਆ ਮੁਹਿ ਖਾਇ ॥ Ouhu Jaanai Jaetheeaa Muhi Khaae || He shall learn, and feel the effects of his folly.
ਆਪੇ ਜਾਣੈ ਆਪੇ ਦੇਇ ॥ Aapae Jaanai Aapae Dhaee || He Himself knows, He Himself gives.
ਆਖਹਿ ਸਿ ਭਿ ਕੇਈ ਕੇਇ ॥ Aakhehi S Bh Kaeee Kaee || Few, very few are those who acknowledge this.
ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਬਖਸੇ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਸਾਲਾਹ ॥ Jis No Bakhasae Sifath Saalaah || One who is blessed to sing the Praises of the Lord,
ਨਾਨਕ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੀ ਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੁ ॥੨੫॥ Naanak Paathisaahee Paathisaahu ||25|| O Nanak, is the king of kings. ||25||
:: DELVING DEEPER ::
I actually don't spend much time reading or learning translations of mantras.
Whereas I have a completely different relationship towards positive affirmations in English, I have a deep faith in mantras and the vibration they help me achieve with consistent practice, without needing to know their exact meaning.
And while I might only vaguely know what a mantra means intellectually, I feel it's meaning deeply on a visceral level.
I picked two lines from this beautiful mantra to highlight, because I found them particularly pithy.
The first is this one:
There is a stream of infinite good that is constantly flowing towards all living creatures. Some are allowing this flow into their experience, and some are not.
If you are feeling lack, that is a vibration you are holding yourself in. It is not because "the Great Giver" is holding back from you. To receive is to achieve vibrational parity with "the Great Giver."
This entire mantra could be summed up with this beautiful line, I think:
Everything one could ever want is up for grabs. The GIVER is giving, and giving, and giving... are you RECEIVING it?
For me, this mantra is about realizing the infinite potential that I AM and finding as many ways as possible to keep myself feeling OPEN, WORTHY, LOVED, and TAKEN CARE OF so I can enjoy the fruits of Creation.
Bahuta Karam invites us to look around and see the world through the eyes of our Source.
You will receive what you are. When you recite Bahuta Karam, you become a magnet to prosperity.
Wah!
:: PROSPERITY PLAYLIST ::
This playlist contains 16 versions of another prosperity mantra--Aap Sahaaee Hoaa. Enjoy!
