Gratitude + Reggae: The Perfect Way to Start Your Day

I’m a wake up and meditate in the morning kind of girl. My husband likes to make fun of me because I will legit go to sleep and wake up to the voice of Deepak Chopra (my husband thinks he sounds like the crazy lemur from Madagascar. He’s not entirely inaccurate) Meditation gives me a sense of grounding that nothing else in the world does, and the way my anxiety is set up, meditation is a regular necessity. Luckily for my husband, my meditation (and what I consider meditation) varies and I’m not limited to think it has to look or sound a particular way. So today while listening to Deepak’s Gratitude meditation, my husband inspired today’s post by telling me that there’s a new Jamaica artist named Koffee who has a track called “Toast” that had almost the same message as the meditation by Deepak. Now you know if I can get my meditation to a reggae beat I’m here for it, so off I ran to find this Toast track and I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Peep the lyrics- for those of you who aren't fluid in Patois, loose translation italacized in parentheses under each stanza)

Say we a come in wid a force (yeah)

Blessings we a reap pon we course ina hand full

We nuh rise and boast

Yeah we give thanks like we need it the most

We haffi give thanks like we really supposed to, be thankful!

Blessings all pon mi life and

Mi thank God for di journey di earnings a jus fi di plus (yeah)

Gratitude is a must (yeah)

Mi see blessings fall by mi right hand

Buss a toast fi di friends weh tek off heavy load

(I'm coming through with a force, Im reaping my blessings in abundance. But when you rise, don’t boast. Keep giving thanks like you need it the most and like you are really grateful. I’ve been blessed all my life and the financial/ tangible blessings are an added plus. I've also seen blessings gets wasted so toast to friends who help make life less stressful or burdensome.)

One time did sit down ina class and we bored den oli say do road and mi gwan wid di road

Third form mi say mek mi try a ting, and you know it formed out to be a fire ting

Now a pon stage wid Chronixx I a sing, yea you zimme all Diggy soon gi di I a ring

Like ‘hello Proto'

Him seh "had to shout you, saw you post a spectacular photo

Keep it burning yes that’s the motto, if me deh bout I pass through you show too"

Cyaa bawl ina life man

(This is my personal favorite verse- She basically says she was bored as hell in school and decided to take a chance on doing what she loved or enjoyed, which is music. It worked out, her passion led her to the amazing reggae artist, Chronixx who she is now working closely with and who is essentially her mentor, just from her putting herself out there and sharing her gift.)

Jah shower blessings upon a me

And say me fi tell you me story

Jah shower blessings upon me

And dats how I made it, give him the glo-ry

And me delighted, Jah know say mi passion ignited

Cau di music get me excited, come in like a potion

(God’s blessed me and told me to share the blessings because that's how I give God praise by letting you know that God has been good. Music is my passion and I’m grateful for the blessing that is that passion.)

Reggae (almost) never disappoints. Literally, Deepak and Oprah put together a 21 day Gratitude meditation and they could have really just called Koffee. I’ve listened to this track on repeat and I’ve added it to my Gratitude playlist when I need a little reminder that having an attitude of Gratitude is always the first step to peace. The words speak to me and the riddim is wicked, hype enough to add a little bounce to my morning but mellow enough to stay focused on the message.

You can check out Koffee and the video to Toast here:

What songs remind you to be grateful?