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It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. It’s a new life for me.

Writer's picture: Greater GroundsGreater Grounds
Sunrise in Crested Butte, Colorado
Sunrise in Crested Butte, Colorado

It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. It’s a new life for me…and I’m not necessarily feeling it. Do you know what I mean? I was doing my morning practice of centering prayer, which I’ve been doing now for the last six years, ever since I attended a silent prayer retreat at Benet Hill Monastery, with some good friends. (Note to self, don't go on a silent prayer retreat with good friends and think you'll keep your vow of silence for very long. But, you will get lots of opportunities to practice returning to silence, which centering prayer is all about. If you don’t know what centering prayer is you can learn more about it here.) Anyway back to the story. As I was closing out my time of centering, the sun began to rise and the song, “I’m Feeling Good” by Nina Simone, bubbled up in my mind. 


It starts off, 


“Birds flying high, you know how I feel

Sun in the sky, you know how I feel

Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel

It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life for me, yeah

It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life for me, ooh

And I'm feeling good”


The song just hit my core. Not because I was feeling confident or even feeling good. If I’m honest, I’ve been in a bit of a funk.  After putting in over 11 months on negotiating a land deal for a new venture I’m part of (more on that to come in the next couple of months), the seller decided they did not want to move forward with the deal. I was devastated. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love setting goals and then working towards seeing them fulfilled. I can develop a plan and execute it better than most people. But I've learned that most often in life plans rarely unfold in exactly the way we planned. In the words of Cory Doctorow, “The first casualty of any battle is the plan of attack.” I’ve learned this hard truth over and over throughout my life. Even the most well thought out plan will encounter unexpected events and that adaptability and a good dose of resilience are needed to actually fulfill any plan or vision. 


I’ve also learned that it’s okay to give yourself space to mourn and grieve the unexpected events and that’s where I’ve been for the last two months. So this song, "I’m Feeling Good" was a bit of an affront…I wasn’t feeling good and I wasn’t feeling the song. But I let it sit with me for a few moments and then pulled it up on YouTube to listen to the words and the music. 


And then it hit me, while I may not “feel” it, I could definitely let it be sung over me like a proclamation from angels. You know, those heavenly creatures that brought proclamations throughout the Bible? Maybe, just maybe they're still doing the same thing today...so I listened and let the words and the music sink in to my very core. I could feel the mourning and heaviness leave and hope start to creep in. Sometimes, when we are just not “feeling it” we can choose to receive a proclamation through a song and declare it over our life and let our feelings follow.


So friends, I invite you to listen to Nina as she sings this song and if it hits home for you and resonates, belt it out with her. If it doesn’t feel true for you at this moment, I invite you to receive the proclamation, sing and dance it out as a declaration over yourself and perhaps as you take this action, your feelings will follow, like they did for me.



May 2025 be a year in which we all may declare,


“Stars when you shine, you know how I feel

Scent of the pine, you know how I feel

Oh, freedom is mine

And I know how I feel


It's a new dawn

It's a new day

It's a new life for me

And I'm feeling good.”


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Email: greatergrounds@gmail.com

Phone: 512-522-9078

PO Box 1746

Blanco, TX 78606

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