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Reflections: Pennies From Heaven
“I collect lucky pennies that I find on the ground. I keep them in a Ziploc bag.” Jessica Simpson
Reflections: Pennies From Heaven – 8 lucky pennies found on the ground
Bing Crosby – Pennies From Heaven (1936)
Pennies From Heaven – Bing Crosby via Metrolyrics
A long time ago, a million years BC
The best things in life were absolutely free
But no one appreciated a sky that was always blue
And no one congratulated a moon that was always newSo it was planned that they would vanish now and then
And you must pay before you get them back again
That’s what storms were made for
And you shouldn’t be afraid for… Contd below
Songwriters: Johnny Burke, Arthur Johnston
Published by: Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
This morning, as I was getting ready to enter my car, after doing some early morning grocery shopping, I looked down by my car door and found a bunch of pennies staring right back at me. There were 8 pennies in varying states of shine. I was surprised because I didn’t notice them when I parked my car. Frankly, I saw a single penny as I headed into the store, and since, like Jessica Simpson above, I collect lucky pennies, I was thrilled. The pennies brought back many memories of conversations with friends and family about where these “lucky pennies” come from, why some people are reviled by them, and why others, like me, see them as a blessing from the angels of good fortune. I don’t know how you feel about them but, I truly believe that these lucky pennies are reminders that we should treat all money with respect, especially and even more so, when things are hard for us. I took a few smartphone shots of my eight pennies, collected them, and headed home. What do I do with my lucky pennies? Sometimes, I leave them in my car’s coin holder, and at other times, I collect them in a small change cup at home. They definitely get used … with gratitude. Do you collect lucky pennies?
“Consuming less means throwing away less, while reusing things actually helps to save the planet as well as the pennies.” Sheherazade Goldsmith
Reflections: Pennies From Heaven – 8 lucky pennies found on the ground
Reflections: Pennies From Heaven – 8 lucky pennies found on the ground
Louis Armstrong / Frances Langford – Pennies From Heaven
Every time it rains it rains
Pennies from heaven
Don’t you know each cloud contains
Pennies from heavenYou’ll find your fortune falling all over town
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love… Contd below
Do you have musical memories connected to money? Collecting lucky pennies and the song Pennies From Heaven hold a few fond childhood memories for me. I’ve collected them as far back as I can remember, and, before you cringe, I always wash my hands after collecting my lucky pennies, and I say a thank you to the universe for them. YES, I do! That said, when I got home and checked my blog and the WP Daily prompts, I was pleasantly surprised to see that today’s assignment was about the songs we listened to at home when we were kids. Essentially, it’s about the music our parents listened to and how we think it influenced our taste. My parents were from a different musical generation, and they had their preferences; they loved the classics, jazz, the blues, and popular African cultural music. I enjoyed much of what they loved and still remember much of their music; however, I think my interests veered a bit to the left of theirs… It comes with the territory; different generations equal different interests.
As I thought about today’s prompt and my lucky money moment, my mind shifted to the popular song “Pennies from Heaven” (available on Google Play). It was one of many, many songs my parents enjoyed listening to at home. My parents listened to African music, music from the UK, the US, and anything that caught their fancy from around the globe. Even though we weren’t living in the US, Pennies From Heaven resonated with my dad, who knew what it meant to struggle from poverty and make huge leaps in life. Listening to it again today, I found that the lyrics spoke to a challenging time in the USA, during the war and the Depression era. It still holds tremendous meaning for anyone going through hard times. My Dad had a wide range of interests in many forms of music, so we heard a lot of different musical styles, genres, and voices at home. I must admit that I paid little attention to some of the lyrics of the songs they shared unless they caught my attention. I remember some songs we heard during my childhood, especially songs with a repeated chorus. When the song popped up in my head, I could only remember a few lines and decided to dig up the rest. I had no idea it was such a powerful song. Do you remember this song? What’s your memory of it?
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Motivation Mondays: SMILE #mondaymotivation
“A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside.” Denis Waitley
Motivation Mondays: SMILE – Smiley Faces are a symbol of goodwill
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Leo Buscaglia
Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life. Yoko Ono
Happy belated World Smile Day! What does a smile mean to you? Years ago, I learned that smiling while speaking to a prospect or anyone on the phone, for that matter, conveys warmth in our voice and can be felt on the other side of the device. It takes less effort to smile than it takes to frown, and a smile can work wonders for our body, our spirit, and our interactions with others. When we smile at others, we are sending an unspoken message of friendliness and goodwill. Before you raise questions about fake smiles, let me remind you that a fake smile is a real smile on hiatus and in training to become real. Sometimes, when we are feeling challenged or stressed, we might smile at the irony of our situation and, without being aware of the impact of our smile, it creates a shift in our struggle and reduces some of the tension that the stressful situation might have created.
A smile is not the same as a grimace or a sneer, and it is never wasted. We might start out with a half-smile over an unpleasant condition and, as things unfold and we relax enough to consider a way out, we find that we are able to choose better options and our half-smile flowers into a full, real smile. The point is that a smile can help us navigate through life’s challenges, adjust to the impact of difficult situations, and open doors to solutions that make sense. So when we feel stressed and dejected, let’s take a moment to think of someone or something that gives us good cheer and — SMILE. A smile conveys goodwill, joy and warmth. Like anything else we are motivated to do on Mondays and beyond, let’s add a smile to our Can-Do List.
A Story: Change Your Attitude & Smile
A Chinese emperor known for his foul temper entered the bedroom of his soon-to-be-bride, who was one of the most beautiful women in all of China. She was being made to marry him against her will, as her parents were forcing her into it. Little did the emperor know however that she had also been taught by wise sages as a child. She sat expressionless, staring at the wall. “Hello, pretty,” he said to her, but she didn’t respond. “I said hello to you, and you will respond when I address you, do you understand me??” he snarled. But still, she didn’t reply. Most people would have answered him by now, so despite himself he grew curious, and gruffly asked, “What is it you are thinking?”
Finally she answered him. “Two things. One, that I do not wish to marry you because you are so callous and mean-spirited. And the other thing, is that I was wondering if you have it with in your power to have a certain something changed.”
“What?!” the emperor exclaimed with outrage. “You bitch! How dare you question my authority! … But … I admit I’m curious. Since I have it within my power to snap my fingers and whatever I command within my kingdom will be obeyed, what is it you are wondering if I could change?”
“Your attitude,” she replied. And with that she got up and walked out of the room, leaving him in stunned silence. Zen Stories via Read.Goodweb
“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” Mother Teresa
Motivation Mondays: SMILE – Smiley Faces are a symbol of goodwill
Nobody needs a smile so much as the one who has none to give. So get used to smiling heart-warming smiles, and you will spread sunshine in a sometimes dreary world. Lawrence G. Lovasik
A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles. William Hazlitt
Happy belated World Smile Day! Did you know that there’s a World Smile Day? Have you ever wondered where the popular Smiley Face came from? As I was working on this post for my Motivation Mondays series, I did some research on the origins of the Smiley Face. Have you ever wondered where it came from? Harvey Ball created the symbol for an insurance company in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1963, as an employee training symbol. He was paid $45 for his effort and went on his merry way. As time went by, the symbol grew in popularity and more folks started using it in a variety of ways, especially for happy, cheerful occasions and events. Before we could say smile, it took on an international flavor and Harvey created the World Smile Corporation in 1999. Such is the power of intention and a smile
When Harvey passed away in 2001, the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation was created to honor his memory and since then, it has grown in strength with more people using and celebrating the smiley face around the world. This year, many joined the Foundation on Friday, October 4th to celebrate World Smile Day and to share their motto: “Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile!” Isn’t it amazing what we can achieve when we set a positive intention to do good in the world? Sadly, the same can be said for setting negative intentions that bring about tragedy and disaster globally. This is why we need to focus our energies on the positive, and align ourselves with others who resonate the same energy. There is much that can be accomplished when we are motivated to set intentions that uplift humanity rather than those that destroy life and nature. A smile is one of the finest gifts we can give to others and it costs nothing.
A Story: Smile In Contentment
There was a group of elderly gentlemen in Japan who would meet to exchange news and drink tea. One of their diversions was to search for costly varieties of tea and create new blends that would delight the palate. When it was the turn of the oldest member of the group to entertain the others, he served tea with the greatest ceremony, measuring out the leaves from a golden container. Everyone had the highest praise for the tea and demanded to know by what particular combination he had arrived at this exquisite blend.
The old man smiled and said, “Gentlemen, the tea that you find so delightful is the one that is drunk by the peasants on my farm. The finest things in life are neither costly nor hard to find.” Zen Stories via Read.Goodweb
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for September and October are:
09/07 – LABOR & LITERACY
09/14 – POSITIVE THINKING
09/21 – PEACE/INTERNATIONAL PEACE
09/28 – GOOD NEIGHBORS/GOODWILL
10/05 – SMILE – World Smile Day
10/12 – DISCOVER – Columbus Day
10/19 – COMMUNITY – UN Day & Make A Difference Day
10/26 – FEAR – Halloween Day
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Weekly Photo Challenge: BOUNDARIES
“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.” Brene Brown
Weekly Photo Challenge: BOUNDARIES – Collage of 9 Spots Across the Globe
Weekly Photo Challenge: BOUNDARIES – Pointe Du Hoc, France
Weekly Photo Challenge: BOUNDARIES – The Taconic Highway, NY
I think it’s important to keep your personal life to yourself as much as you can. It protects your sanity and you need to have boundaries. And it helps that enchantment of watching an actor. If you know someone’s favourite colour or what they like to do on a Sunday, you won’t fall for the character as much. Dianna Agron
Weekly Photo Challenge: BOUNDARIES Boundaries exist to keep things in/out and contained. They exist everywhere; we have mountains, bodies of water, rock formations and all types of natural boundaries. Then we have bridges, fences, walls and other man made boundaries. They all serve a purpose that can help us or hurt us. Like everything in life, we can use our boundaries to control our urges and uplift others or we can exploit them for selfish and harmful reasons. Come back later for a MESH selection.
“Boundaries are to protect life, not to limit pleasures.” Edwin Louis Cole
Weekly Photo Challenge: BOUNDARIES – Collage of 4 spots NY & France
Weekly Photo Challenge: BOUNDARIES – Sheep at Blue Hill Farm
Weekly Photo Challenge: BOUNDARIES – Straus Park in Memory of Ida & Isidor Staus who were on the Titanic
“Boundaries are to protect life, not to limit pleasures.” Edwin Louis Cole #boundaries #blog http://t.co/wHk4N68Gyi pic.twitter.com/zeqqNRbO9c
— elizabeth obih-frank (@ElizObihFrank) October 3, 2015
And this is one of the major questions of our lives: how we keep boundaries, what permission we have to cross boundaries, and how we do so. A. B. Yehoshua
Our computers have become windows through which we can gaze upon a world that is virtually without horizons or boundaries. Joseph B. Wirthlin
I love Edwin Cole’s quote above because it reminds us of the value of setting personal boundaries and respecting existing boundaries. In a world where there are those who focus on their own selfish or sick desires, we need even more reminders that boundaries protect life and that is imperative. What do you think?
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