I'm just going to stop right at the beginning, before finishing your essay, to comment on this line while it's fresh:
"...nature is a nonjudgmental, life-giving and life-taking container in which all expressions of life cyclically come into being and fade without clinging, unbound by our definitions but truthful to their own innate wisdom."
I just finished sharing to the Notes wall a quote by Robert Saltzman about how non-sensical it is to judge "myself," and now reading this, I am having a powerful deeper experience of the truth in both of your statements. Because we are that nature of which you speak. Judging ourselves, and anything that exists, is an unnatural state of psychosis, a confusion of brain signals, a trick of the mind in which it imagines a fragmented state of two, where there is actually only one (judge and judged).
Okay, I'm okay now 😊. I imagine this visceral understanding will fade, as they always do, but it won't disappear entirely. I will go back to finish your essay now. Thanks for the inspiration, Justyna!
Don, thank you so much for sharing this! I love how you described the act of judging as a "confusion" or "psychosis"—it’s such a clear way to capture the unnatural fragmentation we impose on ourselves.
I don’t believe this understanding will truly fade, as it’s already created an opening within you. Even if the surface mind forgets, that’s okay. It remains yours, quietly at work in the depths. I’ve found that these revelations often return, reinforced and reshaped, sometimes in an even deeper and broader form. They transform us in ways our thinking minds don’t need to control or fully comprehend.
Thank you again for sharing this—it’s beautiful and comforting to witness how these truths ripple through each of us. Sending warmth your way as you continue exploring! :)
Your replies are so thoughtful, Justyna. I appreciate your engagement with your readers. I hope you have a nice week. Is it cold where you live in Poland?
Thank you, Don :) It’s always a pleasure to engage in these conversations—after all, I have incredible readers such as yourself!
It’s cold here, yes, although not as cold as it would normally be at this time of the year. Climate change is noticeable. It snowed a few days ago, however, and it’s been very pretty :) How is it where you live?
The weather in Massachusetts is probably similar to yours, based on the fact you got some snow recently. But I live on the Cape Cod Peninsula, where the ocean insulates us a bit and we get less snow and the temperatures are a bit warmer than the mainland. In fact, some winters we’ll hardly have a dusting of snow. That’s OK with me!
This essay is heaven. I have been receiving a lot of lovely messages recently asking me very insightful questions such as "did your daddy cutoff your genitals with a buzzsaw when you were 9?" and similar messages from many lovely persons. Yes, real recent messages. I confess I love them all these people, but I don't know how to send love to them. My darkness is shared with them, and don't know what to do.
Thank you so much for your kind words about my essay, Forrest—they truly mean a lot to me.
I’m sorry to hear about the pain you’ve experienced. The fact that you’re holding love for those who hurt you is remarkable. It’s not always easy to know how to send love, but simply recognising and sharing this moment, as you’ve done here, is already a profound act of connection.
Sending you warmth and strength as you navigate this 🙏
thank you so much Justyna, but they did not hurt me with these messages, not because I am anything, simply because I am nothing. Pain is something we all humans share, and accepting the pain from others, recognizing their humanity and feeling their feelings is something I can do.. until I discover how to send them all my love... and they accept it.
The beautiful thing about love is that it doesn’t need to be accepted to be received. If you offer it to them, it will resonate with the love they home within their beings—even if they, themselves, feel cast away from its warm embrace. Sending much love your way 🤍
Wonderful essay! Congrats on discovering this new expansiveness. Did I introduce you to Satish Kumar? Such a wonderful being! Also I recommend Bruce Lyon’s video on shifting from “seeking love” to “being love.” Makes sense to me too.
Daniel, it’s so good to hear from you! Thank you so much for your kindness.
I had the privilege of meeting Satish Kumar when I was participating in the UNESCO Girl MOVE Academy, where he led a workshop for us. He is an incredible person, and reading your piece a while ago, inspired by his wisdom, reminded me of that workshop and his teachings on radical love.
Also, thank you for the recommendation—I just watched it. An unusual delivery of a love message, for sure! But yes, I essentially agree with what he says as well. The shift from seeking love to participating in it by offering it freely is indeed nurturing and widening.
Great piece, might I offer da hope that through the ability of sharing news of devastation as well as creative activating experiences on such grander than ever scale does change humanity in its awareness, perceptions of environment & self, the animal doesn’t unite with its environment only in decay after dying, it always does, it ‘s integral as it is dependant on integration to be able to live, so people being able to add their feed toda stream without pissing in it might just clear da waters of da sea of subconscious as we try for ocean cleanups amidst it all. … The dynamics of radicalism are those of normalisation, that ‘s what abusers & imperialism exploit, it ‘s an expansion of the radius of action beyond da given, taking da liberty through the inherent freedom of choices, incl humans’ adaptive ways of making due with circumstances till an overarching alphavibe indicates enough dues have been paid … if radical today provides a bridge & waypoint towards future ability then that implies a power to identify with in the now&here, the nowhere, such identification leading to a normalisation by then of what now is (dis)regarded as radical, … the circularity & radius of radicalism, how consistent the viability of da logick, does it need an ennemy, to be an antidote, or is it part of a narrative that leads to bipolar acceptance, integration of potentials, bio-electric balance & grounding, ecosocial wholeness … Selfsurvival of the species amongst all other, entertwined, entangled, experienced …
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and poetic reflection—I had to take my time with it to let your ideas sink in :) The notions you touch on are so interesting and important.
The image of the "stream" really stuck with me. The idea of contributing to the collective without "polluting" it feels so relevant, especially in a time when it's easy to feel overwhelmed by both the devastation and creativity we encounter. Clearing the waters of the subconscious is such a beautiful metaphor—it speaks directly to what’s possible when we approach life with care and intention.
Your thoughts on radicalism as a bridge to the future also struck a chord with me. I love how you frame it as expanding what’s possible, the "radius of action", yet tied to balance and integration rather than conflict. That’s such a hopeful way of seeing it, and it really complements the ideas I’ve been exploring.
Thank you again for bringing your perspective—it means so much to me that my piece resonated enough to inspire these thoughts!
Beautiful. Shadow work has been deeply important for me. Blessings on your continuing journey. I think a secret is to find our interconnectedness, and how life flows through us
I feel it's impossible to appreciate your writings enough Justyna...
Also,
I feel somewhat lucky that I am/was not the only helpless empath here, which makes the impossibility at least understandable... From both sides :)(: haha!
So I will say thank you and let that be enough...
...
Uff... a lot harder than I thought it would be, (not) enoughness. Ok, well, if I allow myself to add a few more goodies/baddies in the mix... to give you a bit of context:
I am learning to set boundaries since very recently. Although I am not so satisfied with the all or nothing approach... in between doesn't seem feasible for me 'yet'.
A mindfulness colleague Claudia shared with me "Saying no to an other is saying yes to yourself"... Sounds wonderful in theory :) could I bring that into practice?
Let's say, I received some "help"...
Due to increasing health issues, where mental, physical and emotional often come together in a super sized pack... I (or my body) "decided" to downscale my social interactions even further, calling it a retreat without predefined timewindow... Allowing myself to just be with nearly zero appointments, only the spontaneous ones 1:1... no more birthdays, no more weddings, not that I went to so many in the past couple of years but still, saying no to my mother, my brothers, my brother from another mother, my niece, ... uff (not) enough (again)... felt hugely disappointing... and then...
~ not to let that be my inner nor outer value ~
Reading your essay helps me with that, and feeling understood.
Mik
P.s. to peace the pain... from today onwards I am spending the final days of the year in and around a house in the countryside with 2 adorable cats, a fireplace and a sky full of stars ;) also enabling the lovely person who normally lives here to visit her family and friends.
Thank you so much for sharing this so vulnerably! I’m also deeply humbled by your appreciation—please know that just being here and reading is more than enough. :)
I’m sorry to hear about your increasing health struggles. I can very much relate, as it has been my challenge as well over the past two to three years. I understand how disappointing and difficult it is to be forced to turn down invitations and meeting opportunities, feeling increasingly isolated by your own body, without even a remote sense of when it might come to an end.
For me, this period of withdrawal from the outside world led to a great expansion of that which I hold within. Unable to see friends, go out much, or travel, I spent most of my days in quiet contemplation—meditating, reading, and going on short walks in the forest. One of the outcomes of this forced retreat is this very publication :) I know you already see there is a gift in it, though it doesn’t take away the burden that gift is wrapped in. Removing layer after layer, I trust you’ll uncover the joy hidden beneath them—you might even be catching glimpses of it already in the process.
One thing I found helpful is to remember that when we first start learning how to set boundaries, we may overdo it at times. Since it’s all new and fresh, we don’t yet know how to apply them with gentleness and balanced discernment—and that is absolutely okay. We learn through trial and error, and over time, we discover which boundaries need to remain, which can be softened, and which can even be lifted entirely. Until then, I believe it’s essential to allow ourselves the space to figure out where they need to be placed, how it feels once they’re set, and—more often than not—that others will welcome them with respect.
Sending lots of strength and warmth your way! I’m so glad to know my writing helps you feel a bit less alone in this—because you’re not :)
It's so wonderful to know about this interlacing, the resonance of truths! The insights I share are never mine alone; they inhabit us all — which you have just shown so clearly through sharing your reflection. Thank you 🙏
Most welcome, I enjoy sharing through comments as the inspiration itself is already an interaction & acknowledgement of some shared interest, yr piece is quite engaging in style which is inviting to elaborate & share, adressing radicalism is vital in an age where practiced "normality" is unliveable, ...
As always Justyna this is so beautifully written and looks deep into the essence of being human. Thank you. So much to love and comment on! I was touched by your reference to gain "liberation from our tight grip". Now there is a pathway!!!! I need say nothing more because you already did so in this wonderful post.❤️
A stern yet kindred generosity that you may provide for oneself and that increases the multitude of actions when it is the goal of a people to do so. Then we can take up responsibility for how others ask and need our help, to say "This is what I am capable of" and not be blindsided by our shortcomings but expectant of our needs. Bravisima, escritoria!
beautiful piece as always. i particularly love this:
"This act of surrender, of seeing things as they are, is not defeat but liberation. It is the work of freedom, the work of love. And in the spaciousness it creates, we indeed come closer to a gentle truth: to let go of goodness is to finally hold it."
Thank you so much, dear Myq, for reading and sharing your reflection! The act of Holding without holding is at the centre of my attention and practice these days :)
I'm just going to stop right at the beginning, before finishing your essay, to comment on this line while it's fresh:
"...nature is a nonjudgmental, life-giving and life-taking container in which all expressions of life cyclically come into being and fade without clinging, unbound by our definitions but truthful to their own innate wisdom."
I just finished sharing to the Notes wall a quote by Robert Saltzman about how non-sensical it is to judge "myself," and now reading this, I am having a powerful deeper experience of the truth in both of your statements. Because we are that nature of which you speak. Judging ourselves, and anything that exists, is an unnatural state of psychosis, a confusion of brain signals, a trick of the mind in which it imagines a fragmented state of two, where there is actually only one (judge and judged).
Okay, I'm okay now 😊. I imagine this visceral understanding will fade, as they always do, but it won't disappear entirely. I will go back to finish your essay now. Thanks for the inspiration, Justyna!
Don, thank you so much for sharing this! I love how you described the act of judging as a "confusion" or "psychosis"—it’s such a clear way to capture the unnatural fragmentation we impose on ourselves.
I don’t believe this understanding will truly fade, as it’s already created an opening within you. Even if the surface mind forgets, that’s okay. It remains yours, quietly at work in the depths. I’ve found that these revelations often return, reinforced and reshaped, sometimes in an even deeper and broader form. They transform us in ways our thinking minds don’t need to control or fully comprehend.
Thank you again for sharing this—it’s beautiful and comforting to witness how these truths ripple through each of us. Sending warmth your way as you continue exploring! :)
Your replies are so thoughtful, Justyna. I appreciate your engagement with your readers. I hope you have a nice week. Is it cold where you live in Poland?
Thank you, Don :) It’s always a pleasure to engage in these conversations—after all, I have incredible readers such as yourself!
It’s cold here, yes, although not as cold as it would normally be at this time of the year. Climate change is noticeable. It snowed a few days ago, however, and it’s been very pretty :) How is it where you live?
I agree, Justyna. We have better winters than the mainland, but worse springs, where the cold wind persists!
I will say hello to the ocean for you. In fact, I’ll do it this afternoon, as I have a small remodeling job for a client with an oceanfront house. 🙂
Thank you! Replying a bit late — I hope that this day was kind to you :)
The weather in Massachusetts is probably similar to yours, based on the fact you got some snow recently. But I live on the Cape Cod Peninsula, where the ocean insulates us a bit and we get less snow and the temperatures are a bit warmer than the mainland. In fact, some winters we’ll hardly have a dusting of snow. That’s OK with me!
Oh, that sounds wonderful. I absolutely love the coastal climate—though maybe not the cold wind :) Please say Hi to the ocean for me!
This essay is heaven. I have been receiving a lot of lovely messages recently asking me very insightful questions such as "did your daddy cutoff your genitals with a buzzsaw when you were 9?" and similar messages from many lovely persons. Yes, real recent messages. I confess I love them all these people, but I don't know how to send love to them. My darkness is shared with them, and don't know what to do.
Thank you so much for your kind words about my essay, Forrest—they truly mean a lot to me.
I’m sorry to hear about the pain you’ve experienced. The fact that you’re holding love for those who hurt you is remarkable. It’s not always easy to know how to send love, but simply recognising and sharing this moment, as you’ve done here, is already a profound act of connection.
Sending you warmth and strength as you navigate this 🙏
Sweet surrender. ✨
Life is a full spectrum experience. 💔 ❤️🩹 💖
Experience and motion can only exist with differences. ⏺️ ◀️
.
“I've looked at life from both sides ☯️ now
From win and lose 🎭 and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all”
—Joni Mitchell
Beautifully said! Thank you for this contribution 🙏🤍
❤️🩹
From one
to another
See and
Seeing
Thank you for vulnerability
and for reclaiming beauty
Thank You — for bringing more beauty into this space 🙏
thank you so much Justyna, but they did not hurt me with these messages, not because I am anything, simply because I am nothing. Pain is something we all humans share, and accepting the pain from others, recognizing their humanity and feeling their feelings is something I can do.. until I discover how to send them all my love... and they accept it.
The beautiful thing about love is that it doesn’t need to be accepted to be received. If you offer it to them, it will resonate with the love they home within their beings—even if they, themselves, feel cast away from its warm embrace. Sending much love your way 🤍
I said your essay is heaven, but heaven is YOU!
Justyna, you're an incredibly good writer and thinker! This actually sounds like the chapter of a book. Well done!
Oh wow, Don! This is so kind of you—I’m truly humbled. Thank you very much 🙏 I’m so happy to know you enjoyed reading this piece :)
Wonderful essay! Congrats on discovering this new expansiveness. Did I introduce you to Satish Kumar? Such a wonderful being! Also I recommend Bruce Lyon’s video on shifting from “seeking love” to “being love.” Makes sense to me too.
Daniel, it’s so good to hear from you! Thank you so much for your kindness.
I had the privilege of meeting Satish Kumar when I was participating in the UNESCO Girl MOVE Academy, where he led a workshop for us. He is an incredible person, and reading your piece a while ago, inspired by his wisdom, reminded me of that workshop and his teachings on radical love.
Also, thank you for the recommendation—I just watched it. An unusual delivery of a love message, for sure! But yes, I essentially agree with what he says as well. The shift from seeking love to participating in it by offering it freely is indeed nurturing and widening.
I hope you are well these days!
Great piece, might I offer da hope that through the ability of sharing news of devastation as well as creative activating experiences on such grander than ever scale does change humanity in its awareness, perceptions of environment & self, the animal doesn’t unite with its environment only in decay after dying, it always does, it ‘s integral as it is dependant on integration to be able to live, so people being able to add their feed toda stream without pissing in it might just clear da waters of da sea of subconscious as we try for ocean cleanups amidst it all. … The dynamics of radicalism are those of normalisation, that ‘s what abusers & imperialism exploit, it ‘s an expansion of the radius of action beyond da given, taking da liberty through the inherent freedom of choices, incl humans’ adaptive ways of making due with circumstances till an overarching alphavibe indicates enough dues have been paid … if radical today provides a bridge & waypoint towards future ability then that implies a power to identify with in the now&here, the nowhere, such identification leading to a normalisation by then of what now is (dis)regarded as radical, … the circularity & radius of radicalism, how consistent the viability of da logick, does it need an ennemy, to be an antidote, or is it part of a narrative that leads to bipolar acceptance, integration of potentials, bio-electric balance & grounding, ecosocial wholeness … Selfsurvival of the species amongst all other, entertwined, entangled, experienced …
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and poetic reflection—I had to take my time with it to let your ideas sink in :) The notions you touch on are so interesting and important.
The image of the "stream" really stuck with me. The idea of contributing to the collective without "polluting" it feels so relevant, especially in a time when it's easy to feel overwhelmed by both the devastation and creativity we encounter. Clearing the waters of the subconscious is such a beautiful metaphor—it speaks directly to what’s possible when we approach life with care and intention.
Your thoughts on radicalism as a bridge to the future also struck a chord with me. I love how you frame it as expanding what’s possible, the "radius of action", yet tied to balance and integration rather than conflict. That’s such a hopeful way of seeing it, and it really complements the ideas I’ve been exploring.
Thank you again for bringing your perspective—it means so much to me that my piece resonated enough to inspire these thoughts!
Beautiful. Shadow work has been deeply important for me. Blessings on your continuing journey. I think a secret is to find our interconnectedness, and how life flows through us
Blessings to you as well, dear Hans! I’m very grateful that you took the time to read and share your reflections 🙏
My goodness... this is just beyond goodness ;)
I feel it's impossible to appreciate your writings enough Justyna...
Also,
I feel somewhat lucky that I am/was not the only helpless empath here, which makes the impossibility at least understandable... From both sides :)(: haha!
So I will say thank you and let that be enough...
...
Uff... a lot harder than I thought it would be, (not) enoughness. Ok, well, if I allow myself to add a few more goodies/baddies in the mix... to give you a bit of context:
I am learning to set boundaries since very recently. Although I am not so satisfied with the all or nothing approach... in between doesn't seem feasible for me 'yet'.
A mindfulness colleague Claudia shared with me "Saying no to an other is saying yes to yourself"... Sounds wonderful in theory :) could I bring that into practice?
Let's say, I received some "help"...
Due to increasing health issues, where mental, physical and emotional often come together in a super sized pack... I (or my body) "decided" to downscale my social interactions even further, calling it a retreat without predefined timewindow... Allowing myself to just be with nearly zero appointments, only the spontaneous ones 1:1... no more birthdays, no more weddings, not that I went to so many in the past couple of years but still, saying no to my mother, my brothers, my brother from another mother, my niece, ... uff (not) enough (again)... felt hugely disappointing... and then...
~ not to let that be my inner nor outer value ~
Reading your essay helps me with that, and feeling understood.
Mik
P.s. to peace the pain... from today onwards I am spending the final days of the year in and around a house in the countryside with 2 adorable cats, a fireplace and a sky full of stars ;) also enabling the lovely person who normally lives here to visit her family and friends.
Dear Goed,
Thank you so much for sharing this so vulnerably! I’m also deeply humbled by your appreciation—please know that just being here and reading is more than enough. :)
I’m sorry to hear about your increasing health struggles. I can very much relate, as it has been my challenge as well over the past two to three years. I understand how disappointing and difficult it is to be forced to turn down invitations and meeting opportunities, feeling increasingly isolated by your own body, without even a remote sense of when it might come to an end.
For me, this period of withdrawal from the outside world led to a great expansion of that which I hold within. Unable to see friends, go out much, or travel, I spent most of my days in quiet contemplation—meditating, reading, and going on short walks in the forest. One of the outcomes of this forced retreat is this very publication :) I know you already see there is a gift in it, though it doesn’t take away the burden that gift is wrapped in. Removing layer after layer, I trust you’ll uncover the joy hidden beneath them—you might even be catching glimpses of it already in the process.
One thing I found helpful is to remember that when we first start learning how to set boundaries, we may overdo it at times. Since it’s all new and fresh, we don’t yet know how to apply them with gentleness and balanced discernment—and that is absolutely okay. We learn through trial and error, and over time, we discover which boundaries need to remain, which can be softened, and which can even be lifted entirely. Until then, I believe it’s essential to allow ourselves the space to figure out where they need to be placed, how it feels once they’re set, and—more often than not—that others will welcome them with respect.
Sending lots of strength and warmth your way! I’m so glad to know my writing helps you feel a bit less alone in this—because you’re not :)
Dear Justyna,
Wanting to let you know that your response,
including your strength and warmth wishes,
have been echo'ing in my heart frequently...
For the real difficulties in life, I once wrote:
"...some gifts we prefer to keep wrapped."
Reading your response:
"I know you already see there is a gift in it,
though it doesn't take away the burden that gift is wrapped in."
helped me to evolve my previous line into:
"...although seeing the gift, surely helps with unwrapping it."
Thanks again for shining your light,
so I can see even better in the darkness.
Also wanting to let you know that
I'm feeling less alone - knowing that I'm not :)
Carefully softening boundaries,
Mik
It's so wonderful to know about this interlacing, the resonance of truths! The insights I share are never mine alone; they inhabit us all — which you have just shown so clearly through sharing your reflection. Thank you 🙏
Most welcome, I enjoy sharing through comments as the inspiration itself is already an interaction & acknowledgement of some shared interest, yr piece is quite engaging in style which is inviting to elaborate & share, adressing radicalism is vital in an age where practiced "normality" is unliveable, ...
"in an age where practiced "normality" is unliveable" — so, so true!
As always Justyna this is so beautifully written and looks deep into the essence of being human. Thank you. So much to love and comment on! I was touched by your reference to gain "liberation from our tight grip". Now there is a pathway!!!! I need say nothing more because you already did so in this wonderful post.❤️
Ian, you always find a way to be the kindest person around. And for this kindness, I thank you deeply 🤍
Love this Justyna. So insightful and wise. Always learn something new from your essays. Thank you for being so open and genuine. 🙏🤍✨
Grace, I am so happy to know this! Thank You for reading and receiving so openly 🤍
A stern yet kindred generosity that you may provide for oneself and that increases the multitude of actions when it is the goal of a people to do so. Then we can take up responsibility for how others ask and need our help, to say "This is what I am capable of" and not be blindsided by our shortcomings but expectant of our needs. Bravisima, escritoria!
Indeed, indeed! Such a sense of sufficiency and agency can truly go a very long way :) Thank you, Jeremiah 🙏
dear justyna,
beautiful piece as always. i particularly love this:
"This act of surrender, of seeing things as they are, is not defeat but liberation. It is the work of freedom, the work of love. And in the spaciousness it creates, we indeed come closer to a gentle truth: to let go of goodness is to finally hold it."
thank you for sharing.
much love
myq
Thank you so much, dear Myq, for reading and sharing your reflection! The act of Holding without holding is at the centre of my attention and practice these days :)
Thank you, dear Ngaire! 🙏