Feeling Deeply: Embracing Emotions for a Richer Life

Thank you Justine & Michael 💚

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.

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.

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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

[ReflectionsofLife]

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

[josiahamaze]

I'm starting to feel that feeling deeply is the ultimate truth and we're taught in society not to feel.

[JF-xqfr]

I love the universal similarities so many of these films share: Kind quiet people, pets, immersion in nature, raking, cups of tea, books... And we audience members share tears, immense calm and gratitude, and a feeling, knowing this is how it should be and should have always been. "Humanity did not create the web of life but is merely a single strand within it, and every strand pulled, pulls on every other" - Native American wisdom. Thank you for these beacons of hope.

[lisahinkofer]

This is where we should be living life. In peace and beauty. But we choose to live in chaos and the ugliness of negativity. Poems and long walks in the woods. An afternoon spent by the lake or a quiet day just reading in the peace and quiet of home. Simply beautiful

[WhiteWolfCZ]

I was born as a child from a loving and caring mother that felt deeply, her sensitivity was her profound blessing and her lifes most painfull curse. She tought me to experience and love nature, solitude, all earths living creatures in all theire diversity, to respect and to preserve, be gratefull for even the smallest things and what difference a smile can make. She found redemtion in poetry, litterature, the creativity she refined into art, the mountains, childrens eyes and trust in kindness and compassion as a life long strategy. Her mothers life motto was "We have come here to help, support and care for each other". I am forever gratefull for the legacy they passed on to me. I hope I'm worthy and able to pass it on. I can feel that anger and despair this messy world fuels me with - and I do hope it is love and compassion that is the core values in me. It is really hard to tell sometimes. Confusion reigns and Trust is fragile these days. As I'm pushing 65 I let go of fear. It don't serve me no more. Please accept my humble love - and take care!

[arlenecoury]

Beautiful! My mother would CRY when she saw a try cut down, even if she had to cut one in her own yard. The native American's had the right idea. We cannot OWN the the land. We are PART of the land.

[rebeccajourney]

I don't know how you find these wonderful, wellspoken people who teach us with every video. I laugh and cry, relate and wonder how others get through what they've been through. Thank you, and I thank each of them for making me a better human being❤

[jonathankipp]

What a gorgeous film and spirit. She is a wonderful example of wisdom. The headlines of Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and Washington DC do make me begin to surrender. A better word: give up. So her encouragement to stay in the game is well timed for this often deep feeling man. Thank you all!

[camellabailey]

I have deep affection for this woman. Please convey to her that the message resonates profoundly with me.😍

[ArtistGoneWild]

I’ve been monitoring my screen time and being more mindful about the content I consume, so I’m glad that within the limited window of internet time I’ve allotted for myself today, I stumbled upon this video. The delivery of this message was done in such a skillful and impactful way.

[pjsopinion]

When she spoke of the tree that was hundreds of years old having been cut down, it brought me to tears. Thank you for this important reminder of how precious this earth and all of her inhabitants are. Blessings and Love to all watching this. 🙏🏼💙

[Shaiyene]

I also live in constant grief for animals, nature, and suffering, vulnerable beings everywhere. It never leaves me. It never stops mattering. That's what happens when you truly love the natural world, the spirit of nature that lives in all of us. The suffering of the planet is our suffering.

[kimcunningham]

A powerful, moving and very IMPORTANT message that I can only pray, will touch the heart of all people. 💜💜💜

[anaraquel]

I thank God that i am a Woman who feels deeply. I resonate with her profoundly. She is Earthly divine. Thank you for having faith <3

[meskalokys]

Moved beyond tears. My heart aches from such beauty.

[hellodanbi]

Your life is so cool and the video gives me strength in my pain. Thank you❤
I took care of my parents with dementia.
Fifteen years ago, both parents suffered from dementia and Parkinson's disease
After that, he quit his job and had to take care of both of them by cleaning up urine and poop at the same time for a long time.

I am also a survivor of a violent family.
My father was violent, and my mother and I survived.

Last year, two of you died three months apart, and I was very stressed out.
After my parents passed away, all I had left was a sick body and heart.
I had a brain aneurysm and I still have two brain aneurysms in my head.
We also have other vascular diseases.
Anxiety that you don't know when and where it's going to explode.
I suddenly gained 15kg due to liver function, kidney function, and hypothyroidism, but it's hard to walk and move.
And I'm still treating depression, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and insomnia.
I got a job, but I quit because my health deteriorated, but the price has gone up so much that I'm at a loss.

I still can't control a lot of emotions in my mind.
I am in treatment and physically and mentally ill condition, but the path I walked is weak, but I want to share and communicate because I want to help, and I feel encouraged and encouraged to start YouTube.
I want to be healthy now.
I want to stand alone healthy and free.

I'm looking for myself.
I don't even know who I am.
The center of my world has been my parents until now.
My parents are dead, so they're looking for me.
It's only now that I feel sad and hurt.
My father was confident until his death and did everything for my children, but I was only hurt.
I'm particularly sensitive to violence and sound. I think lethargy is the biggest problem. It hurts.
I always wore a mask because I wanted to see it hard. After my parents died, my mask came off.
There's a weak me.
I'm crumbling and floundering.
The goal will be to get out of pain.

[The-Ancestral-Cucina]

This one touched me so deeply to my core. Our beautiful world, Mother Earth, has been speaking (and crying for her losses) and humans truly need to open their eyes and hearts and heed the call. Let's not place this beautiful planet in a palliative state. Let us heal her and live within the rhythm of life she provides for us 🌱💚

[ArunjeetSINGH]

we become wise when we face our pain and fear in real.

[daisyfieldparrks]

This morning, Mrs. Phoebe Barnard was the voice of God speaking to me. "Take the gift you have been given and honor it..." Thank you

[spmoran]

I agree with her . Nature, is most important . I love the dogs .