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A while ago, my colleague asked me if I'd like to start a BIPOC thread in the forum, and at the time I wasn't too keen. I feared excluding people or coming across in an inappropriate manner. Today, I find this post necessary, because the truth is, I AM FURIOUS. I am furious that people are still being brutally murdered for no other reason than the colour of their skin. I am furious that those vile, trigger happy cops still get to go home to their families unscathed. I am furious that black parents have to teach their young children to fear privileged white policemen. I am furious that protestors are being arrested for taking a stand against this brutality while those killer cops are kept safe and unharmed. I am furious that in the year 2020, amidst everything else going on in the world, there is still racism. Yesterday, during #blackouttuesday, millions of people posted black squares on their social media in "support" of black people. But what was that post actually supporting? Social media is a great tool for activism, but when it's not used appropriately, it can cause more harm than good. Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin's murderer. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was used millions of times yesterday under said black square, completely drowning out the vital messages and videos shared by the movement. It also made it dangerous for anyone using that hashtag to find or share crucial information. #Blackouttuesday was a day to PROTEST. Black people in the US are fighting for their freedom for the umpteenth time, while others complain about the looting and burning of buildings and corporations built and run by the very hands of the oppressed. Posting and reposting on social media does not excuse the way black people are treated and interacted with on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s great that so many want to help, but there are other ways to do so. This is the time to LISTEN to those who’ve had their lives and voices controlled by white supremacy for generations. True allies are those who are willing to stand up, stand out, and stand alongside their black brothers and sisters, regardless of circumstance. True allies are those willing to educate themselves, their families, friends and acquaintances about racism and what they can do to stop or prevent it. Black lives are in danger, not only in the US, but all over the world. If you really want to help, ask yourself, especially if you’re privileged, “what can I do TODAY to stand in solidarity with black people in a tangible way?” There are many options. You can support black-owned businesses, donate money to black causes, protest, send resources, and most importantly, you can learn and teach others how to be anti-racist. From this week on, once a week I will share on this thread a book, business, or quote from a Person of Colour (POC) that I hope will inspire others to support and do the same. ✊? “We are all part of the same consciousness We are all connected We are all Brothers and Sisters No matter the colour of our skin No matter the shape of our eyes No matter the size of our body We were designed to LOVE and HELP each other To live in PEACE and HARMONY Nurturing Gaia, Pachamama, Mother Earth”

the tendency to buy can give you materialistic contentment but true happiness is all about finding peace and soul contentment.

I've had a lot of difficulty with sitting meditation in the past, and I'm fortunate: I worked at the Insight Meditation Society for years and got some great guidance! All the teachers say to not force it, if the body and mind are really rebelling. Sounds like you have some great insight into a new way to approach it, however. Wishing you peace!

Hi Jerome, I love anything by Thich Nhat Hahn (Zen Buddhist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner). 'How to Relax' is a good place to start. His writing is so simple, clear and beautiful. Warm vibes come off every page. Each chapter could form the basis of a meditation/mindfulness practice.

I couldn't agree more. As I wake up from the illusion of endless growth, the need to have more/ "better"/ newer/ trendier things experiencing sufficiency is so rewarding. It brings and abundance of peace and gratitude to my life rather than an abundance of things.

A Biblical Prescription for Depression I realize that depression may be the result of a physical or chemical imbalance, and I don’t want to discount these causes. However, for a great number of people, depression is a spiritual issue…and the Bible gives us great instructions on how to fight it. Philippians 4:4 says, Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! Praising the Lord in the midst of our pain is the greatest thing we can do. Why? Because when we choose to fix our attention on God and rejoice in the good things He has done, we make Him bigger than our problems. I love Psalm 16:11. It says, In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. When we worship God, we invite His presence into our lives. He replaces our discouragement and sadness with His joy and peace…giving us hope and breathing new life into our situation. The mind is also a major key to overcoming depression. Did you know that what you think about has the power to affect every area of your life? That’s why it’s so important to renew your mind with the promises found in God’s Word. The more time you spend reading and thinking about His Word, the more it gets inside of you and begins to change you from the inside out. Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word “is alive and powerful” (NLT). It has the ability to change the way you see yourself and even your future. As you fill your mind with what God says about you and claim His promises as your own, it will bring hope and build your faith. We can't control all of our circumstances, and we will never be completely free from experiencing pain or disappointment, but we don't have to let what happens today ruin tomorrow. We have a choice. We can actually turn things around by making a decision to let go of the situations that caused discouragement and depression, and move toward the good things God has planned for our future. Depression doesn’t have to rule your life. No matter what you’re going through, God is ready and willing to help you take your pain…and turn it into something great. Copied from Dr. Joyce Meyer.

For years I was challenged by depression and anxiety to a point of being unable to function in the world. At my lowest point, I was overwhelmed by the fear and worry and darkness of the world I was experiencing, things became unbearable and life to me at that time seemed unliveable. I had searched for any kind of comfort from the pain for many many years to no avail! An old friend of mine had sent me a link to a YouTube video of a guided meditation by Jason Stephenson (check him out if you haven’t heard of him, he is awesome) I listened to the 7 minute guided meditation with an almost closed mind, thinking (as I had for most of my life) that nothing would work for me. I have been involved with many therapies, I had been diagnosed with BPD and Bipolar, I have been prescribed so many different medications over the years that didn’t help me at all, I just didn’t respond to any of it (I understand that sometimes medication IS necessary, and it does work for people who do respond to it) I had nothing left, I felt lost and hopeless! I listened to the guided meditation, I allowed myself to just go with it. There were a few brief moments during that meditation when the heaviness I had been struggling became slightly lighter, allowing me to take a breath and sigh. I was relieved of the dark weight for maybe 2 minutes during the meditation, that 2 minutes gave me the freedom I had been seeking for most of my life. this was 2 years ago, and since then I have meditated daily (often multiple times) I now only have brief moment of the darkness that I used to live with daily. Most of my life now is filled with positivity, the meditation allowed me to create space for myself, to love myself, to enjoy life. The dance of life now is a two way thing. I can flow with life, I am able to grow both professionally and spiritually, my relationships are better, my ambition and drive are now a big part of me and, most of all, I am accepting of all that life is....that 7 minute meditation changed my life in such a profound way. I find my peace and solace in meditation, but because of meditation, there is also peace and solace wherever I am, whatever I do, in all the spaces in between. Meditation is free, it’s relatively easy to do, you don’t need any equipment, you can do it anywhere, make it as quick or as long as you like, it can be fun, it’s interesting, it’s a wonderful way to become alright with life, in fact, life will become your friend. Just like beauty can be found in negative spaces, peace can be found in chaos.

Such an interesting discussion. Personally I crave a hug more than I ever thought possible. In general I’m not overtly comfortable with someone I don’t know hugging me. I realised this quite recently when I was introduced to a new group of people, totally out of my comfort zone! They are a church group who help people in the community and wider area. I’m not really a church visiting person. They all greeted me so openly and most tried to offer hugs. I offered an extremely uncomfortable hug in return. It was alien to me. Yet sat in lockdown unable to interact on a face to face level with my family and friends I crave holding them and just touching them. It’s made me realise how truly valuable and undervalued the human touch really is. ❤️? hope all that read this is safe and well. Nothing stays the same for ever and we will come through this.peace and love to all❤️??

I am reading posts concerning anxiety, stress, sexual release, depression, etc. There is only one way out of these insecurities and that is by understanding that there is a spiritual resource. We must have knowledge, faith and trust in a higher dimension that oversees our well being. Of course we must take responsible action and learn from our experiences. In time we become more intuitive to what serves our highest good. Gratitude to God for Love and what's in the highest good of all concerned.?

Thank you Sue, I can always walk with peace, I enjoy re connecting with my me, but it's the lack of human connection, I have friends call round and we talk through the window, but it's not the same. big hugs मोहब्बत☮️☯️?X

Hi Simon..I'm sorry if you are sad and isolated..I hope things get better for you..I understand about being lonely..I hope that you can find peace.

I am sorry to hear that JoRey. I hope you feel better and have adequate supoort. I will pray for your family's strength and your Son's Dad's peace. ?

This photo makes me happy because I LOVE to go to the Mountains . I live only an hour away so I go a LOT . This is in Rocky Mountain National Park where I usually go. I find my Peace and revive my soul when I am able to see such majesty and beauty. Mother Nature never disappoints.

The Peace of Wild Things When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. by Wendell Berry

I am sorry for what has happened in your life. Taking responsibility for what happened is very powerful. Now, you must move on. Accept your choices and realize what the lessons are. Your children need their mother. I don't know how old your children are, however you are setting them up with a "program" when they see and observe your reactions to what happened. Stay strong, count your blessings and keep making moves forward, no going back, no going over and over in your mind what happened, let it go. Stay in a attitude of gratitude for what you do have. You can't let your mistakes keep you from the wonderful life you are destined to have. Peace & Love.

Hi all! I've been practicing mindfulness for about 2 months now. Looking to connect with others who are also looking for inner calm and peace. Namaste!

Yep me too and I am a musician and this helps greatly. I need a lot of me time as I absorb other people's negativity or try to help out too much. I also write about peace and love in my music as an escape or opportunity for greater understanding. If interested you can check it all out at https://linktr.ee/markhamiltonmccaffer. There is a really interesting website in relation to personalities where you can take a wee test at https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test. It's really an eye opener. Stay well everybody, Mark x

I really like Thich Naht Hanh. His teachings on peace, mindfulness and loving kindness are very profound. His books are plainly, yet beautifully written and they've helped me so much. They are books one can read over and over and never get tired of it. ?

One thing I did that is truly amazing is I asked myself " what do I want most in life". And my answer was peace, love and joy. Of course this is what I have always wanted but I believed It was dependent upon acquiring things like money and a nice car and a great loving man. What I realize now is happiness is something we create from within our heart space. When you have this you will have everything because when you hold that vibration long enough the Universe has to yield everything good to you.

Forgiveness sounds to me like it’s omnipotent. What works for me is not blaming the person or situations for disturbing my peace but accepting them for whatever harshness I feel was done onto me

I find that so many of us are realising that being closer to nature brings more peace and helps with stress and mental health struggles. It's interesting that such a simple step as spending time by the sea, in a forest etc. brings us so much positive energy and calm, yet till many of us find it hard to prioritise doing just that. ?

well how does one become enlightened? I am on a spiritual journey to be enlightened and connected to God. I would like to know my Creator better. Im seeking peace from it so that I can function to best of my abilities. I am a 40 year old woman who likes prayer and meditation and am looking to learn how to do that so that i can cleanse and live with the right aura for me.

How nice it will be for us to receive your visit, you absolutely can get a hug, we live in a free hugs house ? hopefully you are visiting the north, if not I can also be found in parts of the south of our beautiful land. I hope you enjoy your stay here and explore the many natural and spiritual wonders. Safe journey, peace and blessings. Laina.?? Xx

Hi, I’m a 51 year old child at heart. I don’t look or act my age. I’m looking for others to connect with regardless of age. Since moving here from Buffalo NY 4 years ago I don’t have many friends. (Not close ones) so I sometimes feel a little lonely. From only being on here a few weeks, it doesn’t seem like there is much interaction between members other than to welcome them to the site. I’m a little disheartened by this. I joined because I thought I’d find some like minded individuals or even complete opposite individuals to form bonds with. If this is not the kind of site for such interaction, I may just delete my account. I hope this is not the case because I was really hoping to find genuine friendships. Thoughts? thank you for listening. peace! Krista

Hey Jack, Mindvalley is such a powerful community and I have dabbled in a few of their free online courses before. Always had an enlightening experience with all of Mindvalley's materials. Thank You for sharing that :)! I am going to try to connect my blog to this site so it starts to automatically load each Sunday I post :)! Peace and Love, Amanda