Personal Proposal | Open Call for an awareness-raising campaign ‘Violence against women’ | Austrian Government | 2014

 

Take care of your thoughs

… because they become (y)our destiny.

 

In 2014 the austrian government called for proposals for a campaign raising awareness for “Violence against women”.

It got me thinking and researching a bit about violence. There are different kinds and of course they are not clearly distinguishable. Emotional, physical, sexual, psychological violence – they are overlapping and sometimes very obvious, sometimes very individual.

Despite that, I have always found that this famous quote (basically ‘by unknown’ as it cannot be clearly attributed to Ghandi or anyone really) has it quite right. I suppose violence starts in the mind, or rather the emotions. I dont’t believe that there are inherently bad people who like to cause pain. Most people have been victims of some kind before they became perpetrators. We all know that. And likely everyone of us, me, you, your mama and best friend, we all have been perpetrators at some point, in some little way – most likely without meaning to.

Most likely because we are hurt, frustrated, helpless, cornered, despairing – so we lash out (in our mind, with our words, or with actions). It’s a transfer of energy, energy that’s is weaponized and hurts the perpetrator as well as the ‘victim’. But at it’s origin lies a wound that still causes pain, or an old festering wound that we got so used to… or, unreflected obedience.

Whichever it is, violence starts in our mind and emotions and becomes our destiny if we do not take charge of and responsibility for our mind and actions. ‘OUR’ destiny meaning the individual and to some extent the collective destiny, as each individual influences that environment we live in, the people that are close to us, the atmosphere we pollute.

‘Take care of your thoughts, they become your words.
Take care of your words, they become your actions.
Take care of your actions, they become your habits.
Take care of your habits, they become your character.
Take care of your character, it becomes your destiny.’

 

I cannot help what I am thinking!

I know a lot of people still think ‘I cannot help what I am thinking!’ – but you see, you are wrong. You are master of your thoughts. Your intellect and mind are supposed to be your tool to help you navigate this world and shape it. But they subject to your Self. When you become still you can actually notice that you can observe your thoughts – you can become aware of them.

And you can only be aware of something if you are not IT. If the part that is aware of thinking is outside of thinking.

Remember who your are. Remember who you want to be. Life is challenging, and yet we have all the tools we need. Your sharpest tool is your mind, only if led by heart and soul. Take care.

Their is never an excuse for being abusive and violent. There always are explanations, causes that lead us to put the abuse on others, but causes are never an absolution. The full responsibility always lies with each of us. Self-Responsibility is a thing. And Karma is an all-seeing bitch. :)

Take care and enjoy with respect and appreciation of life in and around you.

Violence is a complex thing – as is everything in life. So I will not go into more of it, just have a look at my artwork, where I illustrated that simple quote, going for a bold and simple style.

Created in illustrator and photoshop CS6.