No matter the kind, pain is as inevitable as life itself we all go through it in some way or another. Be it emotional, mental or physical it's going to happen.

Too often we shy away from admitting our pain to the world too ashamed to allow ourselves to surrender. It’s OK to be hurt, to be angry and to feel helpless. It is OK to surrender.

When we hear the word 'surrender', we often think of giving up, waving the white flag, and throwing in the towel. We associate it with gracefully bowing out and retreating away from our problems. But that’s not what we’re talking about here.

Surrendering in this sense means acknowledging that the pain is real and allowing those feelings to come to the surface. Allowing time and holding counsel with the pain. When we soften. When our mind softens. When we let go. It is in that state of surrender that we somehow become more powerful. It's a paradox, and one that we can learn to embrace.

In the meantime, remember that you don't need to be in pain to engage in empathy, compassion and gratitude. For we never truly know what those around us are going through.

Featuring Nicole La Follette (https://queenjesterpress.com)
Filmed in Seattle, USA.

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  

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

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

The following music tracks are used in this film:
Stumbling by Sleeping Vines (via Epidemic Sound)
Hopefully by Itai Argaman (via ArtList)
Jorja by Sam Will (via Epidemic Sound)
Thoughts in Motion by Tristan Barton (via ArtList)
Everywhere except Right Here by Hanna Lindgren (via Epidemic Sound)
Lighthouse by Michael FK (via ArtList)
A Place Beyond Belief by SLPSTRM (via ArtList)
White Dream by Yehezkel Raz (via ArtList)

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
Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) by ShunYing Lu
Croatian by Davor Bobanac
Czech by Katarína Borek
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
Indonesian by Ary Nuansa
Italian by Grazia Gironella
Korean by Hotae Devin Noh
Macedonian by Lidija Pusevska Markovska
Polish by Anna Konieczna
Portuguese by Sibylle Steinpass and Lucivani Valvassori
Slovak by Zuzana Beratsova
Spanish by Paty Aguirre
Vietnamese by Thi Le