“The phase Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ comes from the Lakota language and was part of the language of resistance used in the Standing Rock demonstration. Translated to English it roughly means ‘All my relations.’ “During prayers and meetings at Standing Rock, the Lakota people used this phrase when they wanted to speak or when they finished speaking.Continue reading “Comforting Thought: Mitákuye Oyás”
Tag Archives: psychology
Comforting Thought: Hiding and hibernation are a part of the natural world
Hiding is a part of the natural world. It is in the protective quiet of the icy northern landscape. In the held bud of a future summer rose. In the snow-bound and slow pulse of a hibernating bear. We hide in our mother’s womb until we grow and ready ourselves for our first appearance inContinue reading “Comforting Thought: Hiding and hibernation are a part of the natural world”
Comforting Thought: Live now, as we think human beings should live @jhalifax
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history based not only on cruelty but also on compassion, sacrifice, courage and kindness. “What we choose to emphasise in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst,Continue reading “Comforting Thought: Live now, as we think human beings should live @jhalifax”
Comforting Thought: Shyness is your friend
Shyness is the exquisite and vulnerable frontier between what we think is possible and what we deserve. Without shyness it is not possible to understand the new. Total confidence in a new phase of life means that we are misinformed and mistaken – about what is going to happen and what we are about toContinue reading “Comforting Thought: Shyness is your friend”
Comforting Thought: The Awkward Swan
“You need something to which you can give your full powers. The swan doesn’t cure his awkwardness by beating himself on the back, my moving faster, or by trying to organise himself better. How does it by moving towards the elemental water where he belongs. You only have to touch the elemental waters in yourContinue reading “Comforting Thought: The Awkward Swan”
Comforting Thought: Loneliness is a doorway to belonging
Loneliness is a place from which we pay real attention to the voices other than our own. Being alone allows us to find the healing power in the other. The shortest line of an email can heal, embolden, welcome home and enliven the most isolated identity. Lonely human beings are lonely because they are madeContinue reading “Comforting Thought: Loneliness is a doorway to belonging”
Comforting Thought: Be the humble apprentice of life
What we recognise as honesty in an individual is actually the humble demeanour of an apprentice. Someone who pays close attention to themselves, others, life and the next steps they will take. Someone who does not have all of the answers but who is attempting to learn what they can. Someone who is just likeContinue reading “Comforting Thought: Be the humble apprentice of life”
Comforting Thought: The Five Precepts of Buddhism @jhalifax
“When I am not clear what road to take, I might ask myself: ‘What would Buddha do?’ This is not to ask the impossible of myself. Rather, it is a reminder that the seeds of freedom are already in me. My vows water those seeds, and this seemingly innocent question has helped me to avoidContinue reading “Comforting Thought: The Five Precepts of Buddhism @jhalifax”
Book Review: Standing Firm: Resisting The Self Improvement Craze by Svend Brinkmann
‘Standing Firm’ in the sense of this book means to counter the incessant drive towards more, more, more of everything. It’s a call to action to resist and stand firm against ‘improvement culture’, not just self-improvement and personal development, but also the constant acceleration and growth in our economic systems, and the overuse and destructionContinue reading “Book Review: Standing Firm: Resisting The Self Improvement Craze by Svend Brinkmann”
Comforting Thought: Disappointment is a measure of our courage
What we call disappointment may just be the first stage of our emancipation into the next great pattern of our existence. The measure of our courage is the measure of our willingness to embrace disappointment. To turn towards it rather than away from it. Disappointment is the understanding that every real conversation of life involvesContinue reading “Comforting Thought: Disappointment is a measure of our courage”
