HOW FAR WE'VE COME...
Posted on January 09 2020
HOW FAR WE'VE COME...
We designed this bracelet for Day 4 of COLLAB Week at the Lotus Sky studio, inspired by @jentlepower's recommendation on Instagram that we take inspiration from the song by Matchbox 20.
Again, this was a song we had to look up and watch the music video for, however, we are happy with the ombre flame transitioning into uncertain static, capturing the plaintive mantra of the song, “Let's see how far we've come,” amid turmoil and difficulty.
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Sometimes it seems we are in the worst of all tests and a despair takes over- a sense of things being out of our control and the world being not quite right.
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All people contend with these emotions- no human escapes suffering and endings.
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However, this inescapable fact also means that we are all ONE and can unite to create meaning through love and kindness, embracing the knowledge that things as we know them will, eventually, cease for all of us.
As we face one of the biggest hurdles in Lotus Sky herstory, this has particular resonance for us.
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Yesterday we wrote that “Hurt people hurt people...” But these hurt people are not just others, they are also us. We too must acknowledge our own hurt and fear so that we can move beyond these primary emotions toward productive and healing responses.
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Any time our reactions to situations are motivated by hurt or fear, the result will be more hurt or fear. The only way to escape this cycle- to really see how far we have come both as individuals and as humanity- is to see that when others hurt us, they are just afraid.
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If we respond by wanting to hurt them, we are giving into fear, rather than finding compassion for our brother or sister who is hurting.
Although certainly not intended, we must face that something we have done HAS caused another company to feel hurt. In return, they have hurt us.
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But, the real question is, “How far have we come?” How can we dig deep into our souls and see them not as the “Other,” but as our own hurt selves reflected back at us?
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This is the task before us now- to find compassion for those who hurt us. This is the true test of “How far we've come..”
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As we reflect on this, tell us: How do you find compassion in challenging situations? How do you strive to love others, even when they cause you pain or suffering?
Your advice and thoughts are deeply appreciated. Thank you!
8 comments
I believe in one simple rule… and I try to live by that rule in every aspect of my life. “DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU” if we could all live by this simple rule… would life and this world simply be a better place? I think so. Blessing to you all.
We are all hurt by others during our lives. It happens. Whether it is accidental or purposeful, it happens. How we respond to it shows who we are, and eventually will define who we are.
It is sometimes very hard to consider the hurt as another test from God. But that is how we grow, how we mature, and how we become stronger.
Our answer to hurt should always be what is most difficult: peace, love, and patience.
Those are the three God-like qualities that allow us to withstand the tests that come our way.
I love the sisterhood you have created, as well as all thde lovely products you create. I recommend them to so many people because I believe in what you are doing through this company!!
I’m proud to wear your bracelets. They stand for you and this wonderful sisterhood.
Be strong. Share peace, show love.
Don’t ever stop believing in yourselves. You are all very strong women and have come so far with all that you have done! Don’t ever forget that and don’t ever give up your feelings and love for each other and the sisterhood! Don’t ever forget or doubt WHY you all started making bracelets to begin with!! I love your bracelets, I have many and hope there will be many more to come! My thoughts and prayers are with you and don’t ever forget to “Keep the FAITH!!”
Your question comes at a very interesting time for me. In this past month my sister died of cancer after 11 agonizing months of painful chemo treatments. The day after she died I learned my beloved dog of 10 years had cancer and I had to put her down just on January 2nd. My heart is totally broken. In also have some pretty serious health issues that cause me a lot of pain and all the emotional pain and loss just has made me worse. I am a very committed Christian. I am committed to Jesus Christ and His teachings. Especially to love others more than you love yourself. To lift each other up and encourage each others to be the best we can be and to be there when someone needs me. But my experience has been that when I am down and in need No one has been there for me ( except me husband – thank God, and God has been with me). Last year I was in the hospital for almost 30 days on life support, not expected to survive and not one friend or family member came to visit me, didn’t even send a card or a flower. My heart became bitter to those that I had poured so much love into just to be ignored when I needed them most. But God. My Pastor, by the leading of the Holy Spirit was emphasizing the character of Jesus Christ. No matter what we did or do to Him He loves us anyway. So my pastor asked “what do you want more of Jesus in your life and less of you. My first thing I asked for is “Jesus I want to love like you love and not get mad if they don’t love me back”. Even if I do something nice and they never say thank you I want to love with your love. Your love is always long suffering, patient and kind, thinks the best of others, never gives up, never fails. I what your love flowing through me. So these past few weeks which have been some of the hardest in my life again my friends have not called to check on me. I have received no condolences cards or messages but God is changing my heart and when I start to feel those feelings of anger and hurt I say “ More of you Jesus and less of me, more of You and less of me.” And soon I know that God is always with me, He feels all my pain, He Cries when I cry and laughs when I laugh. I can call on Him anytime day or night and never get an answering machine or text saying I’m too busy for you. He is always with me. He will never leaves me, and He will walk through every storm and hardship with me and we will get through it together. I remember Isaiah 53 where it says He was a man of many sorrows and well Acquainted with grief. And God made him sick. He took all of our sicknesses on His very own body so when we are sick he knows how it feels and his desire is to take our pain away always. I write this all with all sincerity. It is not a religious rant but something I am truly living. I feel Gods presence in a very tangible way and He has been giving me His peace. That peace that transcends all understanding is real and attainable we just have to ask for it and receive it. I hope this helps someone. This is truly from my heart. May you be blessed and know that you are loved and important and needed. Much love my sisters. Joyce Costa
What has happened? I love your jewelry and your customer attitude and everything please tell me what I can do to help.
Something I learned about compassion is, it isn’t a magic potion that if you give someone it will cure them of their negatively directed emotions. I used to think if I was kind and compassionate toward someone who was cruel or mean to me, they would stop. When they continued to be cruel though, I figured compassion doesn’t work so why not be mean back? It took me years to realize that, like how I was trying to improve their mood with compassion, they were trying to bring me to their emotional state with their aggression. In realizing this, I worked better to be compassionate despite how the other person responded and what I discovered is, even if my compassion didn’t fix this one person(s), it did get noticed by others around the situation, leading to connections with like-minded people that made me even forget about the original negative person.
Even though I am being compassionate to someone who is hurting me, I will not give them more of me than that. I have tried to love someone despite their cruelty and found I was loving myself less in the process. I didn’t like the person who I was becoming, still trying to love and understand this person who basically began to delight in finding me to be their new punching bag. In realizing this, I decided to remain compassionate and kind but, would not give away myself and my love as freely to them until I thought they would receive it, and not just use it against me. Ultimately, even if it put me in tough situations, I have gotten through it, slightly worn and weathered but, still happy and loving I who I see when I look at my reflection <3
That’s a hard question. The company that hurt you may be doing it not out of hurt or anger but greed. If you’re their competition, they’d make more profit if your company shut down. In the US that’s called a monopoly which is illegal.
In my own experience, the only thing that has changed my heart is letting Christ Jesus in. When you give Him control of your life, there are His benefits.
In Psalm 103:1-12
He saves you and gives you eternal life. He strengthens you. He loves you like no other. He supplies all your needs. And He never leaves you. He protects you. You can sense His voice as He guides you daily. He gives you His Peace or Shalom. He gives you health. So much more.
My wish for you is that you get to know Him personally. Ask Him to come into your heart, be your Savior, and give Him your life. You’ll never be the same!
I am catholic so I believe in the power of prayer. When I feel that someone has wronged me, my first instinct is to retaliate and hurt then like they hurt me. I know how wrong this behavior is, I try my best to just let it roll off my back and I pray asking God to give me peace, I try my best to forgive the offense, as God calls me to do. When you’re hurt and someone is trying to destroy your business I can understand how difficult it is to forgive. All I can say is stand back up, as you have done, brush yourself off and keep moving forward. Your customers that are aware of the situation and understand what is really happening will continue to support you and your business. You will continue to pick up new customers!! You make lovely bracelets and you have an amazing company. Pray without ceasing. God Bless you and your hard work and diligence.