The only way to bring peace to the earth is to learn to make our own life peaceful.

– Gautama Buddha

Egidio sends us a very timely, and beautiful challenge – Serenity. He says:

The world is in constant chaos. If not close to our doorstep, we just need to look around.

We are left with two options: to let things bog us down or to look for serenity to lift our spirits and calm our minds. Serenity alleviates today’s problems for me.

And for me, Egidio. Thank you for a wonderful challenge! My choices speak for themselves, so there is only a quote attached to each picture.

And joy is everywhere; it is in the earth’s green covering of grass; in the blue serenity of the sky.

– Rabindranath Tagore

We have forgotten what rocks and plants still know – we have forgotten how to be – to be still – to be ourselves – to be where life is here and now.

– Eckhart Tolle

Everything passes, nothing remains. Understand this, loosen your grip and find serenity.

– Surya Das

Journey with me to a true commitment to our environment. Journey with me to the serenity of leaving to our children a planet in equilibrium.

– Paul Tsongas

A garden must combine the poetic and the mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy.

– Luis Barragan

The trees, the flowers, the plants grow in silence. The stars, the sun, the moon move in silence. Silence gives us a new perspective.

– Mother Teresa

For this challenge, there are many possibilities – please visit Egidio ‘s inspirational site for more!

Last week, Ritva asked us to break the rules. Your beautiful photos taught us that photography can be emotional, and without rules. This week, the challenge is for us to find serenity in our photos. Don’t forget to use the “lens-artists” hashtag when creating your post so we can easily find it in the Reader.

Next week, it is Tina’s turn to share a new challenge. Stay tuned. But stay calm and kind as well.