“I do not wish women to have power over men, but over themselves… The more equality there is established among men, the more virtue and happiness will reign in society.. Virtue can only flourish among equals… It is justice, not charity, that is wanting in the world.”

Mary Wollstonecraft

“Have you ever paused to wonder
How many breaths we inhale
In in this lifetime
In this body
In this miracle
Today… ?
Have you ever stopped to consider
The simplicity of life
The Divine energy that keeps us
Breathing in
Breathing out
And have you ever sat to appreciate
Your lungs filling with air
While sleeping
While eating
While smiling
While weeping…?
And after contemplating this…
22,000 breaths a day…
That’s 22,000 miracles
Just the gifts of today
Now focus on your breathing
Breathing in
Breathing out…
Gratitute for love
Thankfulness for life
Listen to the silence
Hear the beat of your heart
Now you are meditating
It’s as easy as that”

Gemma Star

“Dear life,
Grant me the courage
To change what I am capable of changing
And the grace
To accept what is beyond my control
And choose my battles wisely.
Please help me fix what has fallen apart and is broken in my life
That would benefit from being mended
And accept what would not
And move on accordingly.
Grant me the strength
To fully seize each day
And make the most of each moment
Savouring the ones that provide me with joy, meaning and fulfilment
And remind me to treasure time spent with those I love
And pursue my passions and what uplifts and energises me
And focus on all that lies ahead of me
Rather than all that lies behind me.
Please help me to embody love
And radiate it to all whom I encounter
Regardless of whether they remain in my life
Or are no longer with me.
Please help me to remain calm and at peace
During the chaos and shifting seasons of life
And flow with it
Understanding that everything is fleeting and temporary
But that the true nature of who I am is eternal
And more than this limited body
And transitory physical experience
Please show me how to let go of fear, pain and resentment
So I can feel light, unburdened and free
And prioritise what is important
While disregarding what is not.
Please comfort me in my grief
And reassure me with the knowledge
That I will one day be reunited with those I love who have left this reality
But remain in spirit with me
And in the times when I am hurt
May you show me how to heal and move forward
In the times when I feel small and fragile
May you remind me of my inner strength
In the times when I feel weak
May you remind me of my inner power
In the times when I feel lost
May you help me rediscover purpose and meaning
In the times when I feel lonely and isolated
May you remind me that everything is interconnected
And in the times when I have lost confidence and trust in myself
May you help me remember who I am.”

Tahlia Hunter, inspired by the serenity prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr

“The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity — then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.”

David Suzuki

“I found myself without desires
and without knowledge.
There was nothing left but love,
the state of witness was left behind;
there was only love, all pervading,
all embracing, absolute.
There were no crucial experiences,
no soul-shattering visions.
I just ceased imagining myself to
be what I never was and there was
nothing to replace the unreal with.
There was no need to look for
replacements – the nothingness
was the fullness of understanding,
love and silent peace.”

Nisargadatta Maharaj

“We all have different selves: There is a public self, a private self, and a core self. We all know the public self – it’s how we put our best foot forward, smiling and behaving. But the private self is a more fundamental self, and that is where we find our frailties, our fears. It’s like a clearinghouse where our demons are safe. Then there’s the core self, which is our pure instinct. That’s where all our goodness and capacity for kindness lives. You can feel it sometimes. When people say, “I feel it in my stomach,” that’s the core self. Our best comes from there, and we know how courageous and honorable we are. The core self is who we are.”

Sidney Poitier

“To have the ability to withdraw into oneself and forget everything around one when one is creating: that, I think, is the only requirement for being able to bring forth something beautiful. The whole thing is a mystery.”

Edvard Grieg, composer and Unitarian, who died on this day in 1907

Womb by Rachel Barenblat,

“At the bend of the river
there’s a pond we don’t call
the womb of the world, though we could —
this patch of deep water reflecting
tall purple loosestrife.
The pond is a womb, the world
is a womb. Emerge glorious
and dripping, emerge like Life
radiant and new. Then listen
to cricket-song’s rise and fall —
the One Who speaks us into being
the One Who enwombs all creation
is murmuring blessing over
and over, telling us who we are.”

“Do you know what you are?
You are a manuscript of a divine letter.
You are a mirror reflecting a noble face.
This universe is not outside of you.
Look inside yourself;
everything that you want,
you are already that.”

Rumi

“Love is the very foundation, beauty and fulfilment of life. If we dive deep enough into ourselves, we will find that the one thread of universal love ties all beings together. As this awareness dawns within us, peace alone will reign.

Once we develop the attitude that “I am love, the embodiment of love,” then we need not wander in search of peace for peace will come in search of us.

Love sustains everything!”

Mata Amritanandamayi, also known as Amma