It’s NOT OK to be upset. It’s NOT OK to be angry. It’s NOT OK to feel disappointed.

That’s what the world tells us. There's been a movement to watch our thoughts and feelings, making sure that we're positive at all times. We receive messages that we must shift these ‘bad’ feelings and find better ones. But when we do this, we close down and shut off parts of ourselves, suppressing the fullness of our emotions. To feel whole and be whole, we must honour all of it good and bad. All emotions are beautiful and create a fullness and wholeness in our experience.

They are powerful forces that our bodies can use as fuel for action and healing. Our thoughts create reality, not the other way around. So when our reality doesn't look the way we want it to and brings up emotions that are unpleasant to us, that is the message we are being given to start building a bridge between what is and what can be.

Taking time to be aware of our reactions, thoughts and emotions will bring us into a space of clarity and balance where we can make informed decisions guided and supported by our soul... decisions that will usher in release and healing for ourselves and all of life around us.

Featuring Phoebe Barnard (www.phoebebarnard.com)
Filmed in Mount Vernon, Washington State, USA.

The poem read at the start of this film is called 'The Peace of Wild Things' by Wendell Berry.

All of our films are made possible through the generous support of our patrons.
To be part of this journey :   / reflectionsoflife  
If you'd prefer to make once off contribution, our PayPal details are : paypal.me/reflectionsfilms

Join our YouTube channel to get early access to our films :
   / @reflectionsoflife  

In collaboration with iNous, we recently released a beautiful deck of 52 cards each card containing a quote from one of our films, paired with the activating visual muses of Lanon Prigge.  The aim of this deck is to rekindle childlike curiosity and creativity, helping to navigate the shared waters of our human experience with grace and joy. If you’d like to consider purchasing your copy, shop here https://tgc.link/reflections

Who is Reflections of Life? We are Justine and Michael (previously known as Green Renaissance). We use our passion for filmmaking and our love of storytelling, to remind our audience of one simple truth – that we are all human. The more that we understand and believe in this interconnectedness, the more we will treat ourselves, one another, and planet earth with a greater sense of compassion.

Filming by Michael Raimondo
Editing by Justine du Toit
Sound mix by Tamryn Breakey

The following music tracks are used in this film :
Small Strokes by Martin Gauffin (via Epidemic Sound)
Reflector by Alan Ellis (via Epidemic Sound)
Thistle by Vincent & A Secret (via Epidemic Sound)
Turning Point by Alan Peretz (via ArtList)
The Secretary's Daughter by Benjamin Monday (via Epidemic Sound)
And There He Was by Bonn Fields (via Epidemic Sound)

A huge thank you to these guys, who gave so generously of their to time to help with translations, enabling us to provide subtitles in the following languages:
Albanian by Denis Skendaj
Arabic by Frihat Oussama
Bulgarian by Polina Stoyanova
Croatian by Davor Bobanac
Dutch by Karla Greven
English by Justine du Toit
French by Amélie Macoin
German by Tanja Pütz
Greek by Vicky Polychroni
Hindi by Parul Sharma
Italian by Grazia Gironella
Korean by Hotae Devin Noh
Persian by Mona Zadsham
Polish by Anna Konieczna
Portuguese by Sibylle Steinpass and Lucivani Valvassori
Romanian by Anca Zaharia
Slovak by Zuzana Beratsova
Slovenian by Jasmina Kovačič
Spanish by Paty Aguirre
Ukrainian by Sofia Bespalova
Vietnamese by Thi Le