Happy Thanksgiving Day everyone!
I am sending you all a huge tiger hug:-)
I love the idea of having a special day of thanksgiving whereby we can express our gratitude for all that’s good in our lives.
Welcome to new readers and a big hello to old readers. It feels great to be back and writing on my blog. To be honest I have had some technical and health challenges and these are now all behind me.
The time away from my blog has given me great insights into how I move forward with my blog and the direction to take. More on that later.
Well, a lot has happened in the world over the last few weeks. Against all the odds, President Obama got elected again to a second spell of 4 years and the world can breathe easily – for a while anyway.
If you look around, the world faces umpteen challenges today and it’s really time for us to rise to the challenge and make it happen for a better world for all us. At the same time we have to make the most of our own lives and make the most of what we all have.
Earlier this week, I had another reminder of the need to make the most of each day and our limited time on earth.
An aunt suddenly passed away in hospital after a series of illnesses. Yet she seemed perfectly well when I spoke to her on Indian New Year’s day only a week ago. That telephone conversation turned out to be our last ever conversation.
Of course it is not how or when you die, but ultimately what matters is how you lived your life – and the legacy you created.
Life is so precious and it breaks my heart every time I hear about more senseless killings and deaths. I really hope that the current situation in Gaza gets resolved soon and peacefully.
Recently, a blog reader emailed me directly to challenge my way of looking at the world through “rose-tinted glasses”.
Well, as I replied to him, I am happy to see the world the way I see it. Of course it’s not about being blind to reality, but choosing to see how things can be different and in a way which uplifts and benefits everyone.
So yes, I for one am happy to be upbeat about our humanity and our potential to solve the huge problems we face today. There are so many inspirational people who are striving to change to things for the better – and their number is growing.
Earlier this week, I was honoured and privileged to be at annual presentation of FutureHope, a charity that’s doing incredible work amongst the homeless and down and out children of Calcutta.
It’s 25 years since an inspirational man called Tim Grandage left behind a secure and lucrative career in banking to follow his heart’s calling. And at their annual event earlier this week, it felt so right and inspiring for me to be amongst the wonderful and selfless people who have made FutureHope what it is today. I live for inspirational evenings like this.
It feels me with great hope when I hear of youngsters who are taking practical and inspired action to directly help those in need such as the young boys and girls in Calcutta.
My key take away from the evening was that though the Calcutta street children may not have much in material terms, they have so much more to offer us and teach us.
And yet we in the West who have a lot to be thankful for so often take life and all our goodness for granted.
We all have deep within us this calling and a capacity to help others, to make a difference in some way and to make ourselves count.
It is this belief that drives me to coach, to blog and to publish books. And this is why exactly 7 years ago today, I published my book “Get the Life you Love“.
It was 7 years ago today that I took a video of my book rolling off the printing press. Every aspiring author’s dream video!
If you are reading this via email, click on this link to see the video.
That summer of 2005, I spent many days and weeks in Regents Park and created something that been so fulfilling and rewarding to me. Having sold 1,000s of copies since then, I feel I have achieved my intention of helping and contributing to a lot of people.
Now I am pleased to be able to take this much further – this week I have edited and freshened up the book.
For this Thanksgiving period, the Kindle version is available on Amazon for FREE for 3 days until Saturday 24th November. As long as you are signed up on Amazon Kindle, you can get it.
So no matter where you are in the world, you can download my Kindle book for FREE right now. Just click on the appropriate link below:-
I am grateful to all of you for sharing this journey with me. The exhilarating thing is that the 7 years since I published the book have just flown by! It’s scary too!
I would love you to get my book and go through the many lessons and exercises. I can guarantee you that life will be impacted in a positive way.
Please do let me know how you get on with my book – and I would really like it if you would write a review on Amazon afterwards.
And I always welcome all feedback about anything I do or say.
Please also let me know how else I can help you get the life you love in 2013. On this day of gratitude and appreciation, this is the question I would like you to answer:-
How else can I serve you?
Finally, during this week of Thanksgiving, please remember that no matter what challenges you may be facing in your life, we all have so much to be grateful for.
To help you celebrate and appreciate all that you have got to be thankful for, check out my special articles about this special time.
Thanksgiving Lesson 1 – How To Embrace What You Already Have
Thanksgiving Lesson 2 – How To Let Yourself Give and Receive
Thanksgiving Lesson 3 – How To Add a Little Sizzle to Your Relationships
Thanksgiving Lesson 4 – How to Harvest the Wisdom from my Blogger Friends
Thanksgiving Lesson 5 – How to Serve Others at the Global Table
Thanks everyone!
PS Now please go and download my Kindle book on Amazon 🙂
Top Image courtesy of Kjunstorm
What a great question to ask, “How can I serve you?” I believe by asking that question you just did serve me. There is no giving without receiving, no receiving without giving. When you ask such a question, you put in an order to receive because it is only by receiving that you have anything to give.
Kenneth, I am so glad that I served you without even knowing about it!
Yes, coming from a place of giving means you are already receiving. Hence we should all be looking to serve always:-)
What an inspiring post Arvind!
And welcome back! I feel the same about Thanksgiving. To have a holiday that is all about gratitude and not about buying. You have a wonderful attitude and it shines through your blog.
Congratulations on your new book update, too. I downloaded your book yesterday and can’t wait to read it.
xoxox
Betsy
Betsy, thank you!
To me Thanksgiving Day is all about appreciating what we have and being grateful for all the tangible AND intangible things in our life.
I am glad that thanksgiving is becoming established here in the UK – but I am not too enamoured by all the “Black Friday” promotions that are now getting common here too – especially on the major online sites such as Amazon.
We need to appreciate what we already have and not seek our fulfillment by clamouring after more toys and gadgets!
I’m happy you are here, well and with clear new directions. Congratulations on revising your book and opening it up to more minds and hearts. Like you, I’m happy to look for the positive and work together to find ways to transform the world to the best place possible.
Sandra, yes it feels great to have a focus and a new direction!
And thanks to all those people who downloaded the book last week, my book has reached Amazon best-seller status:-)
Here’s to more positivity and working together to make the world a better place…
Hey Arvind!
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because of the emphasis it encourages on a trait that is more responsible for greater amounts of decency and happiness than most any other trait, I think.
Service is the greatest expression of gratitude we can communicate. Thank you for all you do, your example of service and this inspiring post.
And congrats on the book!
Hi Ken!
Good to see you again on my blog:-)
Thanksgiving is also becoming my favourite holiday. For 3 years running now, I have had friends around for a feast at my place. And next year I am going to organise a huge feast!
And Ken, thanks for all your kind words – much appreciated. I actually feel I am only just getting started!
As for my book, over the last week it’s officially become an Amazon Kindle best-seller:-)
That’s awesome, Arvind! Bet it feels pretty good to have a best seller.
Okay, gotta go read the article linked to your name: “How to be a Good Parent, Even if You Don’t Have Any Children.” I’m intrigued!
Congrats on your book update Arvind. Love your post. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays as well. Also love your post image – beautiful. All the best!
Cathy, thanks!
Glad you like the image – I wish I could hug a tiger myself:-)
I’m coming late to the Thanksgiving party, but so glad I’m here! Loved this post beginning with the tiger hug. I could feel the love pouring out of this post all over your readers. I could feel your sincerity and your energy. And your urgency. One of my favorite quotes is Henri Amiel, “Life is short and we have but little time to gladden the hearts of those who travel this way with us. Oh be swift to love. Make haste to be kind.”
Galen, welcome back to my blog!
Thanks for your kind feedback – I can really feel the urgency too. Got to do what we are meant to be doing before it’s too late:-)..
And thanks for sharing that amazing quote from Henri Amiel – I just tweeted a slightly shortened version of it.