565 thoughts on “Shopping in Singapore: Reflections on Racism and a New (make-up) Foundation”

1. To me Doug what we fail to understand is that we are fed these thoughts and yet we believe the thoughts we think are ours when they are not. This to me is the biggest lie that we sell to ourselves every second of the day. The worst thing is how we readily abuse ourselves in such a disregarding and disrespectful way because we think we think. We think we want the tan or we think we want to lighten our skin but have we ever stopped to consider where these impulsed thoughts are coming from to do this?

2. Pingback: Colour and Class Distinction – Where Are You From? – The Truth about Serge Benhayon

3. “Surely LOVE, the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour”. What a bold and yet true statements as underneath we all have that same makeup. Just because it can’t be visually seen does not mean it can’t really be seen or felt either, we just need another pair of spectacles to receive it. Somewhere along our lives, we will one day be able to come to a realisation that we are made of love and the world is going to look, feel and be a different place to live in.

4. What if rather than defining inclusivity as gathering everyone with differences together, we saw everyone as equally having the same essence? Thus you are included because you are already the same as another. It’s gonna take a while for that to happen but separation can only run for so long.

5. When we don’t know who we are by the essence, the image becomes the identifier. And the image is of creation whose sole purpose is to discriminate and separate, and not unify.

   1. Fumiyo, yes totally agree. We are so identified by images that we become lost in the unreality of illusions, that cannot and will not keep up with what is truely and equally inside of us. That call which cannot be denied as this is what is calling us home.

6. “the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as being ‘the same’ and surely it’s about celebrating this.” No cosmetic cover-up required.

7. Thanks Zofia, I hadn’t thought of it this way before, but so true – why do we not celebrate the core and essence – the love – that we all are?

8. I’ve been to a bunch of Livingness 1 presentations by Universal Medicine and there’s an exercise that is repeatedly offered whereby you partner up with someone (preferably a stranger), stand in front of each other, close your eyes and feel that other person. I’ve done this with people from all different cultures and backgrounds. Even doing this in my everyday life at times and each time I find everyone feels the same in their essence.

   1. Leigh I have also attended The Livingness 1 course and find it fascinating that as we stand opposite people we have never met before with our eyes closed how we naturally want to lean in towards each other and that to stop ourselves from lurching naturally forwards into each other we have to curl our toes to stop the forward momentum. When we feel from our hearts and do not allow our minds to rule our bodies we are shown a completely different way to live. Our hearts know more than our minds can ever know so why is it we rely on our minds and not what our hearts tell us?

9. We yearn for all being the same, and this is a good thing because at heart we are all the same but we need to understand that the world we are living in in the outer appearance we all look differently thus it is never about achieving the same look, the same colour of skin etc. but listening to our hearts and living to the beat of their truth.

10. I agree Richard, Zofia reflects the simplicity of how we all can be and live as the one we are from.

11. So much on earth is designed to keep us looking out at what we are not, what is different, comparing to each other and the excitement of being an individual. Connecting to the love that we all are is the only way we will re-unite as the one we are from.

    1. Connecting to the love we all are, and living that makes much sense.

12. It is true, that no matter how much racism there may be, we continue as a human race to mix ourselves up with each other, so there can be no real distinction between us and we all just become people.

13. People long to belong to oneness. You can see it in many segments of life. Yet, oneness is not a homogeneous thing. It is about movement. This is its true ‘foundation’.

14. “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.” So true Zofia, when we come from love there are no barriers to divide us, no borders to cross, no one skin colour better than another, we are all equal in the eyes of love, love is the universal (make-up) foundation…absolutely.

15. “exclusivity is in; inclusivity of all is out” – The Way of The Livingness presents a livid way practically to turn this on its head.

16. I guess as long as we are in a physical body, our infatuation with the way we look is to continue. Swapping and changing the vocabulary and devices does not change this fact. Not accepting our identity in truth will always drive us to seek something outer to give us one.

17. When we make life about Love it would not matter we have to provide 10 different shades of a certain foundation for a take home sample. Love loves to go to the details in making sure everyone is included, this is not a effort but a joy.

    1. Love includes everyone, true Lieke.

18. Racism and bullying are both hideous examples of the extreme of living a life where our own individual wants are perceived to be greater than those of another. Nothing but a deep division of society can happen in an environment where this is not only allowed, but fostered. Why? Because to do the opposite, to love and honour all has to begin with holding a deep love and understanding of one self.

    1. This is what I am trying to come to terms with this morning Leigh the utter disregard that we are willing to put ourselves through in order to resist and reject the offer of evolution which is all about oneness and true love to take us back to where we belong. We are resisting the law of the universe and in our arrogance and ignorance we are pulling in a huge disharmonious and brutally ugly force, with little understanding of what we are truly doing we as a human race pride ourselves on our intelligence when actually this same intelligence is so incredibly harming.

19. WOW that is shocking to read. I know it goes on – I know there are countries who actually want to whiten their skin – but as you say – this actually makes us less. This says that we should all be the same when there are so many gorgeous skin colors that exist in the world.

20. In today’s world I wonder if we focus far too much on the external appearance of everything rather than the actual integrity and quality of it.

    1. Much can be said in relation to this comment.
       Until we again value the integrity and quality in which we go about our tasks, before anything else, nothing will be adjusted, owned and understood.

       1. So true Leigh.

    2. Quality of energy and integrity are always super important.

       1. What we all need to deeply appreciate is that until Serge Benhayon started to present on these subjects we humanity were completely devoid of any true understanding of a quality of life or had any understanding of energetic integrity. Serge Benhayon constantly reminds humanity that we cannot do anything without God first, we live within his Atma which is the universe and yet we go about our lives pretending he doesn’t exist. Have we ever stopped to consider if we didn’t have the Sun to warm the earth we wouldn’t survive, have we ever stopped to consider why the sun is positioned exactly where it is? In our arrogance we take so many things for granted as we cling to our individualistic way of life, devoid of any true appreciation of what we are being shown and what we are all here on this plane of life to do. Instead to me we feel completely out of control playing with silly things like the colour of our skin or fighting over borders and nationality. We will literally do anything to distract ourselves to avoid the true responsibility of why we are here.

21. The colour tone of our skin is ‘only skin deep’ and within we all come from the same foundation.

22. The problem with a make-up foundation to definitely alter one’s look is that it reveals a lack of self-worth foundations that drive people to try to become what they are not. It is true that if there is demand for something, there will be marketing to support the meeting of that demand. Yet, supply will also incentive demand as well. So, instead of healing a problem, many women choose concealer to deal with it. That is the real issue at stake here. This reveals that banking on these unhealed issue is irresponsible, although it may profitable.

23. We celebrate and re-enforce cultural and ethnic diversity when all along we could be celebrating what we have in common, underneath the colours of our skin and the differing rituals and customs that we perform in our ‘own’ countries, religions or anything else that separates us. Great blog, thank you Zofia.

24. The quality of the colour of the Universe is Love.

25. You have my vote for a true LOVE festival, which celebrates the fact that we are all LOVE and actually celebrate what unites us all.

26. YES we are all one in LOVE, we are all one in TRUTH, we are all on in JOY, we are all one in HARMONY, we are all one in STILLNESS – these are the qualities of the Soul and what count and they add up to ONE!

27. Without doubt love is our make-up and the one that looks the most beautiful on everyone equally.

    1. I love that Nicola; there are many models I know that wear this makeup called love, and there is no doubt that it looks and feels so amazing on that more people are trying it out.

    2. Love is the make-up that supports us all to feel and look amazing.

28. It’s a great question ‘Is this kind of marketing what we truly want?’ If marketing is about supply and demand, in some way we are asking for this, we are asking for separation. You blog is glorious in the way that shows if we connect back to our true beauty we would not demand the separation but instead pull towards unifying.

    1. I agree Kim it is an important question as it is to look at the supply and demand. Most of us would agree that it is ridiculous and offensive for a darker skinned person to have light make up applied in this manner and be told that white is the universal colour, so that does pose the question as to why we invite and accept as normal so many separative things in our society?

29. Acceptance of our innate love, of the huge love we all are would be a great foundation, ‘Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.’

30. I have often wondered if the purpose of having people in the world with different appearances is so that we see and come to know that on the surface we may seem different, but this difference is an illusion. When we get to know people we see that they are people just like we are and that we are all from the same source, that of love. I wonder if the great movement of people we are seeing around the world is making this more and more possible?

31. A beautiful piece of writing Zofia Sharman captured from a simple interactivity of daily life — the “organised shells of man” = “illusions of betterment, improvement, privileged comfort, arrogance of differentiation, and cultural superiority;
    as determined by border, colour, race, religion or background and so on; intentionally harmful, multi-racial, ethnic origins, cultures or backgrounds
    fosters the ideal of separation; nationality, caste, class, tradition, or custom discomfort, exclusion, war and atrocity we suffer as mankind; country, geographic region and area.”
    That pretty much ‘nails it’. We have the outer shell of inequality Or we have the inner-most connection of Love and ALL of the above is a choice. “‘Being the same’ in this case is not about one’s ethnicity or race, but more about being love.”

32. A great question to ask, and a fact that many forget, ‘Isn’t our natural inherent way as a human race of beings one of unity and oneness, and not separation?’

33. Today at a Well-being group for Women, we were asked to explore and finish the sentence, ‘Did you know that women…’ We came up with a multitude of descriptive words like divine, gently, powerful etc. But then came the question – how many of us believe that of ourselves and live confirming those qualities? There is much for us to discuss when we scratch beneath the surface.

34. I think it says a lot about women’s self-worth in general also that the grass is so often greener on the other side as in many with light coloured skin wanting to get ‘that tan’ and others opting for bleaching to try and make their skin a lighter colour. When we don’t value who we are there will always be another picture of how we think we should look, just out of our reach, that we need to attain in order to think we are ok…

35. As individuals through inter-racial and cultural partnerships we show that we believe we are all the same. However systems and bureaucracies appear to be in resistance of this but this does not prevent individuals making their own choices. Hence power lies not with the systems but with the individual, if we only exercise that authority.

36. When we look to the outer to identify ourselves we are confirmed in our own created beliefs that we are all different. If we looked from within, from our inner heart at each other, we would all know that there is no separation only divine love that resides within us all.

37. “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.”
    If this was the title of a beauty products marketing they would have my attention and consideration that there was possibly products with integrity being offered that supported us to celebrated who we are.

38. Beauty is not just ‘more than skin deep’ – it is vibrational. True beauty comes from an inner emanation that goes way beyond colour, shape or form.

39. As human beings we tend to champion and forever try to improve on our outer shell when, as you describe, it is taken care of by what we hold dear and make real from the inside. Judging each other by our outer shell is fraught with danger and doesn’t reflect our divine origins. Our outer shells go to war and abuse each other, they wear themselves out in the pursuit of perfection and can’t get on top of the continual unsettlement and discontent.

    1. And when we pass it is very clear that we leave behind our outer shell – it is the vehicle that our inner being has used to simply get around.

    2. Yes gabrieleconrad, we have a huge investment in our outward appearance, but until we place more value on how we feel inside, and make the relationship we have with ourselves a priority, we are fighting a loosing battle.

40. Reading this tonight I can feel the essence of us all, and in that there is no desire to live in brotherhood. What is there is the knowing that we all naturally hold this ability within, the choice then becomes that of each one of us to live in line with our natural essence, and brotherhood with all.

41. We are all naturally loving people who have allowed ideals and beliefs to get in the way of truly loving each other and living without the ideals and expectations placed upon us by society, life would be very different if we accepted everyone as they are with no judgments or conditions.

42. We are never and can never be unified by the image of our physicality, for our unity is found deeper within, where the quality of love is what truly reveals who we are in essence. A quality that cannot be measured and as you say when we begin to look within and we will come to live and know ‘… that this Love is colour-less, race-less that it has no border or region and belongs to no county or one organised religion.’ Yes, and it is from here that we will begin to live the way of true Brotherhood, celebrating the unique expression of the love that resides within us all.

    1. Just as we can never find unity in celebrating difference. On the surface it may seem that way. But if in truth there is no difference then what is the purpose of celebrating something that is not true, other than to keep us separate from that truth and from each other.

43. The very thing that upholds this plane of life is separation/indivualisation. You raise here a great point, Zofia that I hadn’t thought about before – that celebrating our obvious difference is adding to this whole set-up.

44. I’ve often found it strange how westerners tend to like their skin to be darker while in the Far East and Africa there can be a desire to be lighter skinned. But you raise a great point from a simple make-up sample, Zofia – and it’s something we all know deep down: that it’s what is on the inside, Love, that counts.

45. Beautiful Zofia, this blog is showing us universality and the absolute exposure of all that is separation in our world – simply because of the withdrawal of the universality we come from. Hence we can live like everything is overcoming, or see as our responsibility. Which of the two will make us truly change for good?

46. ‘Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate’ very much so Zofia, and anything else celebrated is in fact a division or a differentiation.

47. The world is consumed by choices that promote and glorify the outer shell at the expense of what lies beneath. The inequality and separation that is caused from this lies at the heart of much conflict around the world for people are choosing to only see with their eyes and not their hearts… for from place of love, regardless of the seeming external diversity, we are all equally and beautifully the same.

48. Even though I’ve read this blog before it still shocks me that people would want to change the colour of their skin, it brings a whole new meaning to the term “feeling comfortable in your own skin”, and it totally negates the fact that every single part of us and every single cm, inch and cell of our bodies is perfectly designed to support us to evolve in life.

49. “If there was acceptance and celebration of an all-encompassing and unifying love, wouldn’t it make it not natural for us to champion, favour, sympathise, like, uphold differences of the outer shells of background, colour, nationality, ethnicity, race, caste, class, religion, tradition, culture or custom?” When I was 18 I was teaching some five-year old children – one of whom was black but who didn’t turn up for one class. .Another child, who didn’t know her, enquired what she looked like. Another child told her that she was the one with pig tails. Her blackness was not the thing that stood out for her – in a class of white children. Forty years on this has stayed in my memory. Racism is taught – not inherent.

50. Having spent much of my life feeling dissatisfied with my very pale skin I now recognise how much this reflected my lack of acceptance of myself generally and what a distraction it was from being true to myself.

51. Love is the universal ingredient in all our foundations so it makes no sense to constantly champion our differences but it feels like the marketing industry has a vested interest in keeping us all desiring to attain a certain look so that they can sell more products. It is only when we embrace all our similarities beneath the superficial appearance of skin colour, ethnic origin etc that we will truly celebrate the Love that unites us all.

52. When we celebrate the difference of colour, nationality, culture or creed we are reinforcing the separation but when we celebrate true love that unites us all then there is something for all to celebrate.

53. “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.” I love this Zofia as you say Love is the unified foundation for which we all know to be the catalyst for change in the world and bring separation to its knees and unites us as one, but this is only possible when we first connect to our own hearts and bodies. True change starts with the love we hold for ourselves first and that then has a flow on effect to all connections thereafter.

54. In a world where we are multicultural and of all different colours, shapes and sizes how can anyone say ‘white is the universal colour’ for that is not only blatant racism but has no appreciation of our true beauty that goes way beyond what we look like.

55. Great analogy – we are made of love, it is our true make-up!

56. What a truly inspiring piece of writing Zofia, one that cuts to the core of the what keeps us living divided from each other. The moment we decided to separate from our Soul and set foot upon this Earth, this idea of separatism has been sold to us, be that as it may in fancy packaging that appeals to our desires to be more, be the best, be different than the rest, stand out, be identified etc. While all the while we carry within us a love that is born of Heaven and as such is all encompassing and all unifying. But because we fear dissolving into the great and glorious ‘soup’ of the All that we come from, we fall for the advertisements every time. Buy this to be thinner, smarter, darker, lighter, bigger, better – all of it lies that we happily buy as our spirit continues on its self-fulfilling quest away from the divine truth we have departed from. Reading your words Zofia I feel this truth restored, thank you.

57. Beautifully said Zofia ‘ Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.’

58. We see this division every day, it may be a comment about a ‘different’ culture or even ‘oh that’s how a woman is or a man is’. I’ve really noticed this since moving to another country myself, how concerned people are if they think I’m from New Zealand or England, when I’m actually from Australia. It’s amazing how many have a hang up on being called a different nationality. They apologise and are waiting to be abused for saying such an outrageous thing… because they have in the past from some who are identified by their nationality. I always say it doesn’t matter and that we are all the same. And every single person then agrees.

59. I absolutely Love what you have presented here Zofia, it is something we need to realise as a one humanity rather than drive and pursue further more separation and division. Indeed – “In other words, the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as being ‘the same’ and surely it’s about celebrating this.”

60. What a powerful blog Zofia – “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or color.” More is not to be add except the one question – where can we buy this universal (make-up) foundation?

61. As you beautifully say Zofia, we can actually celebrate the outer differences when we let go of these being what define us. We appreciate each other’s beauty and unique expression — no two expressions and no two faces are the same, and in that we can see another aspect of God being expressed on the earthly plane. This is what we conveniently miss when we make it about the outer differences. We distance ourselves more and more from the divinity we are all innately from.

62. A true religion ‘not of the organised shells of man.’ I love these closing lines and the depth of truth the whole article imparts; that deep down we all know we are the same, from the same source, the same place and the outer differences matter nought when we connect to the universality of god’s son, accessible to us all.

63. When two people are allowed to look into each others eyes and given the opportunity to really see/connect with each other. Then it is impossible to hide behind the anonymity and separation of race,religion, nationality, culture, gender and so on. For the ill affects of disregard and abuse to be carried out and take hold.

64. Outer differences and appearances are not who we are. We have been taught to always look to a person’s outer appearance or personality. I remember before this, there was a time when I knew everyone and everything by its quality of energy, and this was way better than always pandering to what is on the exterior.

65. Thank you Zofia for a very powerful blog, ” Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.”

66. One only has to see small children together and they do not see difference at all. Even those that end up seeing and treating people as different in the harshest of ways, would never have as a child. We have so much more in common than we realise.

67. thank you Zofia, this message needs to be, especially in this age, repeated again and again because the divisions in society and cultures and civilisations runs so deep, and there are so many hurts their people choose to keep bringing up to keep the separation… But at the heart of it there is the deep interconnected heart of humanity which we can all turn to to reconnect and to know indeed that we are loved and love itself.

68. Your comment – ‘Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour’, makes everything about life so simple. Life is encompassing of all the small to large differences in the most inclusive way because all that matters is the love we are and living that love – and this is all and applies to all. There has been an explosion of true understanding within me that whilst I may look at another and see a different colour skin, shaped face, way of dressing or economic standing, there is and will always be a commonality in which we share and that is – that we are Love. The fact that we are all ‘Love’ means that in truth there can be no divide, and no matter what make-up colour chosen, there never will be and can never be separation of people.

69. I spent many years living in a minority ethnic community and one of the things I found most shocking was even though they themselves faced racism on a daily basis and felt the pain and hurt of this, there was still a strong prevalence for those that had experienced racism to then chose to express in a racist manner.

70. I feel racism stems from ones dissatisfaction with oneself and fear. Fear can be something that is slowly reinforced in us as we grow up and then becomes what we believe to be our own thoughts. Why I feel the dissatisfaction with oneself plays a big role is because rather than address that we feel this way about ourselves we start to project onto others this dissatisfaction. Racism is alive and thriving in today’s society and is one of the greatest means for separation of humanity.

    1. and creates so many more hurts than what we start out with in the first place.

71. In recent times, and in light of recent events, many people have looked to blame religion as the cause of most wars. However, what they forget are the equally divisive forces of nationalism, culturalism, and ethnicity, which have equally contributed to war over time. Anything ideal that we allow to create the illusion that we are different to another human being is a catalyst for us to perform acts of cruelty to another that we ordinarily would not dream of doing if we recognised them as our own brother.

72. Such an inspiring blog, Sofia.
    “Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes”. There is such an emphasis on culture to day and all I can feel is the racism it breeds. Love is the common denominator for us all and we are all equal in that love.

73. This is a bombshell of truth on the hidden ideals that be-lay in all shopping, purchasing and in fact all our day to day lives when it comes to racism and cultural division. It is clear our world is becoming more and more unified with the presence of more and more multi-cultural societies and countries everywhere across the globe. Yet, despite this there is a stubbornness the underlays our consciousness the views these apparent physical differences as differences between us, when they are exist only on the surface level

    1. What I have found quite beautiful is how it is on a surface level this attitude stems from , yet people who are born of mixed heritages are quite physically beautiful. It is as if nature is saying there is no difference between people who come from different backgrounds and when we conduct our relationships in this manner beauty stems from this.

       1. And a world unified through seeing culture and heritage in this way is a very very beautiful thing.

74. Beautifully said Zofia. “the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as being ‘the same’ and surely it’s about celebrating this.”.International sporting events pit one group of people from one country against another and there is elation or gloom when one side defeats the other and every time this happens it creates a separation between the two and equality takes another knock.

75. Thank you Zofia, you have given me more to ponder on the fact that we celebrate our differences in culture and race but “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.” Beautifully said Zofia.

76. Great contribution Zofia, it reminds me of the senseless atrocities that have happened in south east Asia and around the world and how the people who have lived through them must desperately search for reasons why. The colour of skin has been used as a convenient excuse for the arrogant spirit to make itself more powerful than others. An utter falsity.

77. Zofia, it’s said beauty is only skin deep, yet we get very caught in that outer rather than as you say celebrate what unites us, the love we all are. To celebrate those outer differences is a form of differentiation, a separation from others, it suggests a more and a less rather than the oneness we are all from.

78. Powerful Zofia what a strong blog – wow. Also your humor is wonderful: “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.” Yes I agree Love is for me the only ingredients what makes our lives more worth living – to miss love is really not a god option – we lived with this missing ingredients for too long. Thank you Zofia for reminding us . . .

79. ‘If there was acceptance and celebration of an all-encompassing and unifying love, wouldn’t it make it not natural for us to champion, favour, sympathise, like, uphold differences of the outer shells of background, colour, nationality, ethnicity, race, caste, class, religion, tradition, culture or custom?’ Yes Sofia, it is so often said that ‘Love is the way,’ but rarely is it said with the truth of the One and Unifying Love that we are all originally from.

80. The celebration of our ‘uniqueness’ goes “…against the truth of unity or oneness that we feel on a deeper innate level.” So true Zofia – we will one day all realise that “..LOVE is the real identity to celebrate.”

81. We need a unifying foundation to shine out the perfect beauty that we are in our essence equally so. The religion of love is our way there.

82. It is inarguable that racism remains prevalent most likely everywhere to a certain degree. You have really hit the nail on the head here Zofia by bringing it back to love and our responsibility to connect with the love felt within ourselves and others.

83. Your insight is refreshing Zofia, we do live with insidious prejudice every day. It never leaves us alone, it enters our conversations and permeates our thoughts without us even knowing. The world tells us to be unified is to celebrate the difference in others but what if that was the biggest lie of all?

    1. Well said. This is a great point that proves “good doing” can actually be the most harmful, keeping us from true brotherhood.

84. Wow Zofia – a very profound blog. And this is a powerful question – ‘If we stood unified as a race of human beings identified not by our differences of which country, geographic region, area, or ethnic race we are from, but instead by the universal truth of the Love that we are equally, how then would things be?’. It is crazy but also very real that today we are still so heavily invested in nationality, ethnicity, religion, class etc. and in celebrating our differences, even after all the atrocities that have gone down because of this in our history. Yes the quality of our lives would certainly be enriched if we chose instead to invest in celebrating our oneness, the divine love that we equally are and feel within and to not discount that we all want to love and experience loving connections with ourselves and others. Our family would be increased in a ‘worldly’ way and the joy of Brotherhood would be a constant living celebration.

85. One of the crazy things about body image is that it does not make sense. In Australia, women crave to have slightly darker skin, whilst in Asia, there is an obsession with white skin. It goes to show that our issue with body image actually has nothing to do with the way we actually look.

    1. Yes Adam, a real crazy world we live in where blacks want to be white and whites want to be black. Love is what I’ve got.

86. This is such a thoughtful blog inspiring and real to claim our oneness and equal love in all humanity. Inclusivity not exclusivity is the way forward for a one harmonious unified way living the love we all are in connection to our essence. Thank you Zofia for offering such exposing insights and claiming love for us all.

87. Wow Zofia what a powerful blog this is, thank you for sharing.

88. Is this the image we want our young people of today growing up to aspire to and fit in with? Absolutely not.
    Zofia, what you have shared here is profound and has shed so much light on the fact that love is our natural foundation.. in every way possible. What you have also shared is very powerful in calling out a way of being in our society that is not our true way of living and therefore only set to cause more hurt, harm and separation. It has been with much appreciation that I have taken the time to read your words and celebrate them for their power as conscious breaking in our world today. Thank you.

89. Love – the universal foundation that applies to everyone equally; so beautifully expressed in your blog Zofia. And by contrast, how insidious is it that top fashion houses / beauty brands promote anything but, and seemingly ignorant to the level of irresponsibility they wield with the enormous position of influence they hold.

90. God can be even found in the ‘foundation’ of a cosmetic product 😉 – either as an expression of the love that God is or in the absence of that love – in any way it is a reflection of where we are in relationship to our innate divine love and offers an opportunity to be aware and choose. In that sense everything we do, every product we manufacture, simply everything is either with or without love/God. Discerning what quality we want to experience in our life leads to the fact of our responsibility to choose this quality, live and express it and experience the repercussions thereafter, and so the circle completes, round and round again, choice by choice until we choose, build and expand the only true foundation – love.

91. It’s quite amazing to see just how deeply ingrained our beliefs are with culture and differences and like you wrote how we use even simply things for it to remain that way

92. The true foundation is love – such a powerful statement and when we realise that we are allowed to love ourselves and, when we do this that we can love others and love them equally, then we have a basis from which to build true brotherhood. So much love in what you say Zofia.

93. Very powerful experience and reflection of what is happening in our world today. A ‘NOT’ so ‘SUBTLE’ distraction from what the truth really is- that we are all in essence the same, we are love first and re-connection to self will make that clearly known. I loved your comment – ‘Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour’. Thank you Zofia for sharing.

    1. Yes ch1956 beautifully expressed. We are all connected by love but some may fight against that or choose to distract from it but essentially we all return back to one unified love. It is the universal (make-up) foundation that we are all bound too no matter what the world tries to put in our way.

94. As you say Zofia, “If we stood unified as a race of human beings identified . . . by the universal truth of the Love that we are equally, how then would things be?” If this came about things would likely be ‘Heaven on earth’. Bring on the Love for all, equally so!

95. Zofia you turn a popular response to racism on its head here, for how many years now has it been touted that celebrating diversity is the antidote to racism? There is so much to be ill at ease about when it is still about championing diversity. What you write about is a shift towards true freedom in our world – a unifying love within that is equal in everyone sounds far more intelligent to me.

    1. On one hand you have industries that idealise whiteness. Then there is a reaction to that overt racism. It talks about accepting people of colour and the diversity of cultures. The reaction is always the opposite to the ‘wrong’ in order to get it ‘right’. But celebrating diversity does not unite us, but separates us more. If we leave behind right and wrong and use truth as our compass, we will arrive one day to a oneness. Because the truth is that we are the same under the 3mm of skin.

96. ‘the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as being ‘the same’. Were this truly understood and lived as humanity’s unifying principle, the world would be a truly harmonious place.

97. I love your play on words Zofia where you say that love is the universal foundation. Its the only thing that can be applied to all colours and unifies us all.

98. I used to identify myself with my nationality and culture with all the arrogance that it implied. I married out of my ‘circle’ and have 2 beautiful daughters with different skin colours. I work in a very mixed environment so life has taught me that all the outer envelops are just that, envelops. Deep inside we are all equal, no one is superior to anyone else. Love is the supreme unifier.

99. Now here is something for us all to be inspired by and aspire to. Unification in Love – our innate and natural quality. Once unified we can celebrate our unique outer expressions but to do so before we accept our oneness is divisive. Thank you, Zofia, for this opportunity to stop and consider and take this incredible teaching into my day.

100. For me it seems that all of us feel that underneath everything else we are one and the same and the ever-growing strive to make our appearance less and less individual seems like a cover up for the fact of how far we have separated from each other.

     1. This is revelatory for so many people, ‘that underneath.. we are one and the same”. Sometimes when we uncover this hurt for ourselves we can deeply feel the hurt of our choices to hide our innate natural ability to conned with others, but when we do this from a place of acceptance and appreciation for our willingness to now reconnect we can easily let go of that hurt by supporting ourselves. Making the choices to know ourselves in full, and live this connection, quality and equality daily. Acceptance is the antidote! that and saying No to what does not feel right and Yes to all that confirms who we truly are.

101. Beautiful isn’t it that the true foundation and our true make up comes from the inside and out and doesn’t have to be applied from the outside.

     1. It is beautiful and also really simple. It’s amazing to ponder on the memory that I too was once deeply invested in this outward appearance and recognition for it, that actually set a foundation for me based on colourless and pale tones that never represented or reflected the true me at all.

102. This really goes to show that we still have such along way to go until we have true unity and how deeply rooted our separation is. I find it unbelievable that more samples in all the shades were not on offer and how they just seemed to think this was Ok. The fashion world has a lot to answer for with how it tries to paint a picture of how we should look with body size and shape. When will inner beauty become fashionable?

     1. This does show we have a long way to go I agree Kevmchardy – but now we all know that one by one we do and can make a big difference. I smiled as the other day I purchased an item of clothing and the label read “One size fits all”

103. Wow Zofia – this is such a powerful statement; ‘To know and experience racism or division on any level is to equally know and no longer deny the urgent necessity to return back to the core and inclusivity of the Love we are from..’
     You are so right that we have become very clever at figuring out how to walk away from love – even though that is what we really want.

     1. Agree hvmorden, super powerful statement! To know one, we must know the other and this is what we must come back to – deep down we all have a longing for the inclusive and all encompassing love we are from.

        1. Thank you Sara – a beautiful expansion

     2. so true ladies
        – this is such a powerful statement; ‘To know and experience racism or division on any level is to equally know and no longer deny the urgent necessity to return back to the core and inclusivity of the Love we are from..’
        and yes the spirit is extremely clever at figuring out ways to distract us from connecting with love.

104. What you have presented here Zofia is visionary!

     In your words, you’ve depicted the future of mankind. We can’t keep going the way we are – imprisoned by own own nationalist ideals and ‘only white foundation will do’ beauty culture. While nationalism is celebrated for keeping tradition, culture and the past alive, it also keeps us from the 1 unified loving way that is described here. While marriage, friendship, work and life might transcend ethnic groups in many countries around the world these days, frequently ethnic and cultural barriers appear to keep these connections from being as unified as they otherwise could be.

     While there is a lot of development needed to get there, eventually the only way of life will need to be as the unified people described here.

105. It’s amazing the depth to which we celebrate difference. It’s across the length and breadth of our communities. I have been caught in this paradigm, thinking that if we do this it will bring us all together. I know however as I consider this more deeply, when I am with someone from another cultural background I actually don’t love them for their differences and love them for who they are, that point of connection that we share and we all share this. Celebrating difference actually hurts us beyond measure, because we are not connecting or feeling the truth of where we are from.

     1. Thank you Zofia and Jennifer, I agree, the only teachings I have found that inspire all to love equally, as one unified brotherhood, are Universal Medicine presentations by Serge Benhayon!

     2. Amazing sharing Jennifer. Here you have described the covert crux of separation and how it has been glorified. Thank you.

     3. Great point Jen, the celebration of cultural identity and the upholding of cultural customs and practices have brought more harm to the world than good. And nonetheless we hold this separating differences so high to give as a sense of diversity meanwhile we long for unity based on tolerance and assimilation. All so wrong and misleading. As you clearly say Zofia there is only “one true religion not of the organised shells of man but of God and the oneness, divinity and Love being where we are truly from. This religion is Love.”

     4. Yes the ‘acceptance’ of other cultures and colours of skin in itself says that we are in separation.

106. Wow thank you Zofia this blog has really pushed some of my buttons. I had never payed much attention to how everything is so organised to create seperation. I love your recipe for unity so simply shared, love being the only answer. I for one will be revisiting some of my ideals and beliefts that I am somehow still holding onto that no longer serve me or humanity.

107. And beneath this surface our blood runs the same colour no matter who, where or what.
     I defy anyone to walk amongst the dead of war and to not to feel the true devastation that this deep separation has caused and as you say Zofia the very urgent necessity to return back to the core and inclusivity of the Love we are innately from.

     1. So true Lucinda. The fact that only white foundation is available is not just a marketing ploy or supplying an obvious demand. It’s directly related to how we have not accepted each other as members of the human race.

108. The lack of selfworth is enhanced by offering these products in the way the are presented. If let’s say, there would be no ‘white’ supremacy, it would be the other way around, ‘dark’ would be the only colour available. It such an insidious game that is played and we are all puppets trying to fit in as best as possible. So staying true to ourselves and our foundation of true love no matter what will be the only way out of the merry go round.

109. Great point you make here Zofia about how celebrating our race, culture, skin colour etc.- whether it be as a minority or the majority – fosters separation between people.I can feel how we are taught this separation and that as children we do not discriminate against others or even ourselves until something from the outside tells us that we should – surely this shows us that love and unity is our natural way of being?

110. “‘Being the same’ in this case is not about one’s ethnicity or race, but more about being love. In other words, the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as being ‘the same’ and surely it’s about celebrating this” Thank you for bringing it down to this Zofia it really is all about the love we all are rather then any outside physicality or perception.

111. Separation or unity? There is much in the world that encourages separation but I do feel our natural way is ‘unity’. The description of the make up counter is clear example of how ‘separative’ culture is embeded, this does not however make it true and articles like this expose the falsity in this, if we consider for one moment how we would rather interact with humanity it would not be in isolation or for ‘self’. I feel we have a natural true way to connect with one another.

112. I love your writing Zophia, and it so needs to be said that it is “not natural for us to champion, favour, sympathise, like, uphold differences of the outer shells of background, colour, nationality, ethnicity, race, caste, class, religion, tradition, culture or custom.” …. “Difference divides, separates and excludes.”. The school curriculum in Australia these days has a strong championing of ‘cultural diversity’, ‘cultural identity’ and ‘tolerance’. Kids, who naturally start life in total equality, feeling everyone from love as united equals, are asked to select an outer collective ‘identity’ with which to associate, brand themselves and get into ‘us’ clusters with…so placing everyone else in a separate ‘other’ category. A recent school project required children to say what cultural food they ate at home, what cultural symbols they identified with and more. There was no choice but to choose a limited cluster to identify as and ‘belong’ with. This was based supposedly on the notion of ‘tolerance’ but – and it’s a doosie of a but, I wondered if anyone else noticed how much ‘bullying behaviours’ then escalated on the back of this unit? I totally agree Zophia, that it is actually ‘not natural’ for us to champion difference, it ‘divides, separates and excludes’.

113. I look forward to the day when the ” Foundation” we use is the deep love of ourselves in who and all that we are – so we will never need to be fearful, uncertain or concerned about any other person’s colour, age, sex etc. – because we feel deeply the equality and exquisiteness of each of us – our connection to each other as being the SAME FIRST – before we are so beautifully different.

114. Zofia the way you write exposed to me a deep truth, that underneath our ethnic, cultural and geographic identities we all share the same essence and that is love. If we let go of identifying ourselves according to where we live and what we look like and instead celebrated the true amazingness that we are, what a different world it could be.

115. It is fascinating to see and hear that this is how people view themselves and what it is that they need to ‘do’ to be accepted. It is such a set up that we fall for, looking and finding the things that are wrong with ourselves and finding the solution to ‘fix’ this so we can fit in and be ‘normal’. I say no to this way of living and connecting instead to the inner beauty that needs absolutely nothing just being the beauty that I naturally am. It is so much more fun and enjoyable and I actually feel beautiful and full of life.

     1. Yes it seems to take a whole lot of effort to seek acceptance for our differences rather than building self-acceptance to our own inner beauty.

116. What makes us special and I believe that we all are is that we each have our own unique expression and having what we feel on the inside reflected in how we look on the outside is what makes the world an amazing place to be.

117. We are one humanity, and the separation that comes from so many old paradigms will be continually exposed for what they are, manufactured arenas of division that are not inherent to who we truly are, and one day will certainly no longer be there.

118. What a magnificent and profound blog Zofia… there are many great points but one I particularly loved was ‘promotion without any presence of love only further fragments or causes division, exclusivity and inequality.’ If love is our one unifying point, then this statement is worth deeply pondering for it essentially explains why the world is in the state it is in.

119. I love the picture you draw of LOVE as the “universal foundation” that should make us up. Love is the basis for anything else to unfold upon it – without love there is no smooth foundation.

120. Awesome blog Zofia.

121. Thank you Zofia what an informative read. To celebrate the love we all are and our unique expressions from this, what a polar opposite way to be, a true way to be, to the racist view the beauty industry carries as you clearly describe.

122. This kind of one track marketing exists everywhere. We are constantly being told how to be and what to own to make us different, better, higher up the human pecking order but it is also important to note that we have all created these industries by disconnecting to our awareness that we are all love and therefore equal at a very fundamental level.

123. When I was a late teen I used to teach in a Sunday school in my local church. There was one black girl in the class, I still remember a conversation between 2 white 5 year-olds, when one was asking the other who Cherry was – she responded ‘o she is the one with pigtails’, not mentioning the obvious fact that Cherry was black. Colour was a non-issue for these young ones. We ‘learn racism’ as we get older – depending on our surroundings.

124. ‘Being the same’ in this case is not about one’s ethnicity or race, but more about being love. In other words, the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as being ‘the same’ and surely it’s about celebrating this.’
     What you express here Zofia Sharman is absolutely true, however many would argue that you are totally naive, which is today’s tragedy when we witness countless lives being lost in hate wars waging in the rejection of this truth.
     Every connection we make and every time we confirm our equal love with another we begin to break down the barriers of the lie that we must hold each other out – we all crave the same love, no matter our colour, shape, religion or political affiliation and it is universally available because we are all made of it!

125. It is remarkable to find racism still alive at all and to have a presence in the beauty industry. Perhaps it has always been there throughout the ages but never exposed in quite the same way as it has been in this fantastic blog.

126. A great post Zofia. How a simple excursion to the make-up counter becomes a reflection of how separate we are as human beings. Racism exists there is no denying that! And as you say clinging on to national identities and celebrating cultural differences widens the divide between people. Connecting to the love that we are opens us up to the every other human being. There is absolutely no difference between one human being and another. And yes Love is the one true identity to cherish.

127. Zofia, you have raised many profound points regarding separation and non-acceptance but most especially the fact that underneath, there is only one point to return to and that is that we are all equally points of love. When we know this, sepration is impossible.

128. There is an old belief system that this blog has bought up for me; where I see someone with a seemingly different exterior to me, be it on television or magazines or in the street and I immediately think that I cannot relate to them because of this difference. I know this is an illusion keeping me from connecting to All of humanity so I remember our hearts and that we each have a beating heart in our body; what makes that heart pump is from the very same life force.

129. I find the word-play here interesting. ‘Make-up’ inherently implies that we are making something up when we apply make-up, and indeed we could be, for it will not be our real face if we apply it to hide our true self (e.g. to whiten or darken our skin). But, if we apply make-up as an expression of who we are, this is so different!

     1. I agree Anne, and this is a lovely experience to feel someone who does that as an expression of who they are.

130. “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.” – Beautifully expressed Zofia. Growing up as a child I was could never understand people’s racist comments to others, it was obvious to me we were all equally the same. It is sad to think that racism is still so prevalent in our society and that people arrogantly see themselves as being more superior to another and even kill others who they believe are lesser due to the colour of their skin. Thank you Zofia for highlighting this very important topic.

     1. I like this Anna – that love is the ultimate universal ‘foundation’ – to be applied daily!

     2. Well said Anna, it does seem an extremely ancient prejudice that surely we must have grown out of by now. We know so much about our bodies, what they look like on the inside and there is no differentiation between our blood or organs, they all look the same. Racism is something we are definitely taught, it is not a natural expression and your comment about not understanding racism as a child stands testament to this. I too have puzzled over why some choose to favour or uphold one skin colour as being superior to another, it has never made sense to me either.

131. It is quite extraordinary. I wonder what goes through the minds of people when deciding that their company will only create and offer a small selection of colours for foundation.

132. Awesome Zofia. The link between everyone and everything does exist and is certainly alive and sitting right at our fingertips. However, we haven’t, either globally or locally, quite been able to submerge ourselves into the Love that is already here. Those that have can see and feel the connectivity if this is chosen.

133. We think our modern world is more and more accepting of colour and race differences, but obviously not, as your experience shows here Zofia. We are probably more than ever still falling into the comparison trap and making it about outer appearances and totally dismissing the only thing that will ever tell you the truth of who you are. Our own tender, equal and universally loving, inner hearts.

134. A very powerful blog – thank you Zofia. I often reflect on the fact that while we all look different on the outer our bodies are all made up of the same particles, we all have the same organs, we all have blood flowing through our veins, take away the focus on the outer and focus on what is within and we can feel that we are all the same and that within we all have an essence that is love.

     1. I often think this way too Bianca, as I can sometimes cast judgement on the superficial layers of ones body and colour. Remembering the internals of the body calls me to go deeper into my own body to feel the unity between us all.

     2. Exactly Bianca. It reminds me of a video I saw where a large x-ray screen showed the skeletons of different couples together kissing or hugging and how you couldn’t tell what gender, race or culture someone was – again showing that we are all the same underneath!

135. Thanks Zofia for sharing, it shows that racism is still alive and kicking on so many levels there, to separate us from God and connection to ourselves first and then others. When in Asia 25 years ago I was amazed by the fact that people were also trying to make themselves look more white as it considered to be a reflection of higher class person. While we were doing the opposite and browning up.

136. A fantastic blog Zofia, and highly important questions you are posing. It is so true that if we accept that we all come from Love and choose to re-connect with it, we will no longer be at the mercy of our hurts and reactions or have the need to live up to an external expectation.

137. This blog has given me more awareness into being more open to racism, especially in the areas that are not so obvious in my every day life. Thank you Zofia for sharing.

138. I love this.. ‘By design, we are naturally loving and good people, not intentionally harmful.’ So true, and great to start talking about the things that take us away from this.

     1. I would also say that it is great to start talking about the things that make us the same because when it comes down to it we are all the same.

        1. Lovely comment Elizabeth. And that should be celebrated too.

139. “Love is colour-less, race-less, that it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion.”

     “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.”
     And it is only through the embodiment of true love for oneself first and then brotherhood can positive change occur.
     Very power-full blog Zofia.

140. I’m absolutely stunned that people would want to change the colour of their faces, and that this has become common place. There is such a deep self loathing in this and lack of appreciation for our own unique beauty – it completely misses the deeper truths of life.

141. Thank you Zofia for this very interesting blog. Isn’t it interesting in how much we use make up or clothing to turn us into something that makes us less unique and outstanding, instead of bringing this out more and support what we are underneath our patterns and behaviors?

     1. Yes Michael, and then we are free to dress exactly how we feel to on any given day. To dress in a way that celebrates our inner-beauty.

142. Comparison…. the grass is always greener, except for when you get over there and find out that it wasn’t as good as you thought, damn, have to find something else to fill the void.
     There was a story on the news lately about a little girl who didn’t get the part because, as she was told “the queen wasn’t black”, that is sad enough, but the follow story was worse – that little girl tried to scrub her dark skin to make it white!!!! How powerful are a few words, that come with a world of racism and comparison.

143. What a powerful blog. Humanity has such a huge focus on our differences and the celebration of them is seen as a good thing. The celebration of our oneness is not so common yet we are one humanity.

     1. So true Nikkimckee, it seems that we celebrate or denigrate our differences instead of celebrating how in essence we are all the same, love.

     2. When our difference are championed, is it any wonder that things like racism, low self esteem are so prevalent. Is it time to start celebrating that we are all equal but with unique expressions.

        1. I love that Rebecca Briant – “That we are equal but with unique expressions”.

        2. The human race is a perfect example of how everything in the universe is equal – for in truth we are literally made of the same particles, and yet the arrangements of those particles can change the physical appearance of the object. But no matter the physical appearance, it all comes from the same building blocks.

        3. Yes only when we live with the awareness that “we are all equal but with unique expressions” we will know we have nothing to prove, and we can start to appreciate our own glory as well as that in others.

        4. Exactly Golnaz – if this knowing is lived then comparison becomes a thing of the past – however it takes commitment daily to remember that no matter what, you are equal to all others and no one holds more or less than you.

144. Love it, such a great article! “‘Being the same’ is about equality with another. Choices to support or promote any particular outer shell because of the shell doesn’t ever do anything to truly support because promotion without any presence of love only further fragments or causes division, exclusivity and inequality.” This reminds me of the racial and ethnical struggles I observed while living in Guatemala. The celebration and longing for white superiority is paralyzing and brought massive violence and misery to this country. The struggle for unity in diversity will never be reached if the foundation is not love instead of ethnical identification.

     1. The behaviour in places like Guatemala needs to be seriously looked at. Just because racism isn’t AS obvious in countries such as England, Australia and America, doesn’t mean we can turn a blind eye on those places where it is still a major aspect of day to day life for everyone.

        1. Thanks for saying this Susie. England, Australia, America and Europe are by no means free of this but there are places around the world in very deep division – and consequently a very large number of the world population live with the threat and, as you said Susie, the’ day to day’ reality of horrendous violence. I find it incomprehensible to grasp the lived extent of all the wars and tensions around the world due to religious and race tensions, not to mention all the lived sexism in many countries especially India and China where millions and millions of women are treated as less. We sure have much to heal.

145. It is remarkable how such attitudes and beliefs that are so fundamentally divisive and unloving towards our fellow brothers and sisters have so insidiously seeped into all aspects of life. I consider myself very open hearted, loving and caring and at times I am shocked about how unloving some of my own beliefs and assumptions turn out to be when they are pointed out. It is great to pay attention to such outplay of love-less mentality that has been with us for eons and say no to them when we see them. Thank you for this blog Zofia.

146. this is such a great line Zofia
     “Just imagine that if we each learnt to discard identification or being owned by and invested in our outer shells as being who we are as a determinant of our worth”.

     1. The world would feel a very different place if everyone could see past the ‘outer shell’, straight to the beautiful soul, lying within.

        1. It would – and it all starts with how we are with the world.

     2. Rebecca I couldn’t agree more – just imagine.

     3. I agree Rebecca, great line Zofia and so true

        1. So true Lorraine, Rebecca and Zofia – an absolute game changer of a line – taking a moment to ‘imagine’ really shines a light on the extent the world largely operates from the ‘outer shell’ first as a ‘determinant of worth’. Time to turns things ‘inside out’.

147. This blog could be turned into a speech for humanity Zofia, it is so beautifully written and grounds the truth of the one unified way. At the start, what struck me was the girl who was applying the makeup was so disconnected that what she said was quite ridiculous, but also indicative of where humanity is at. As you so warmly shared, the universal colour is not white, it is love.

     1. Well said Jo, this ought to be compulsory reading for all of humanity… I love the line ‘the universal color is not white, it is love’!

        1. Hear Hear Jo and Jenny.

        2. Yes I love this suggestion that ‘love’ is the universal skin colour! Hear Hear

     2. What you have written, Zofia, delivered as a speech for humanity on a world stage. Yes please. Totally life changing in the madness it exposes.

148. Making it about love first so simply exposes the falseness of separation due to skin color, race, religion or even education or gender and so on and so on! Thank you Zofia, it was a great read.

149. ‘Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes.’ Great line. Your blog, Zofia has helped me to look at my own racism – I was born in the Middle East and will proudly assert that, because it is an ‘exotic’ beginning, and gets a great ‘wow’ response, but I am also careful to point out that my parents were both English, not British. It’s obvious when you meet me because of my blue eyes and freckled skin, but if it’s on a cv or on the phone, I am careful to point that out. Our identification with where we are born or our lineage can indeed separate us if we use it in that way.

     1. I resonated with your comment Carmel as I lived in the Middle East for a lot of my childhood. In my case, I looked more Middle Eastern than English, so the comments about where I came from were from my friends at boarding school, who found it didn’t fit the box to know I lived abroad but was English and I definitely didn’t have the roses and cream complexion that they thought I should have! At times I felt I didn’t fit in either country. As you say these things can bring separation – all because of the colour of our skin. Crazy but true!

        1. I raised my children in Bali where their friends came from every corner of the globe. It was so inspiring to witness how they interacted. There was a large community of expat residents, there were local kids and lots of mixed Indonesia – Western ones plus the kids that came as tourists every year between May and September. It was a place where their biggest concern was finding a way to communicate because they had so many languages between them. By the age of 3 these hundred odd children settled on English and Indonesian as their common language, with smatterings of French, German, Hebrew, Dutch and Spanish when a word from any of those languages just seemed to best describe the situation and ‘sound’ better. These children were well travelled and came with stories to tell of their adventures from all over the world, it was a community where skin colour, nationality and gender were investigated and celebrated. They wore ‘love’ as their foundation, naturally so. Perhaps we need to turn to our children to learn about true brotherhood and Oneness and stop imposing our separative ways upon them.

        2. My kids grew up travelling and speaking lots of bits of different languages and grew up without any racial prejudice at all. In my travels I got to see and feel that socio-economic status can also insidiously separate humanity. Some deal with both of these separative prejudices, an example is with the African and the Indigenous people of the world – they have had the wealth of their land taken away from them, and been given little or no money for their labour under the mistaken belief that one skin colour or way of living somehow makes one better than another… and there seems to be a belief that wealth can indicate that one is ‘better’ than another too…

        3. My experience Carmel, Lorraine and Shirley-Ann was to have been born in Africa of African parents but from the age of 7 lived in the UK with English and Welsh parents. The emotional separation from my birth mother was bewildering, but the transition to my new family surprisingly easy, We (my brothers and I ) just accepted the new and very different family. At primary school we, the only black children, were in the main accepted by our new Welsh friends. My skin colour became more apparent and an issue for some in adolescence and as a teenager. At times I felt confused when even those I considered to be my friends used terms that degraded black people in my presence. I questioned why things had changed and once asked myself ‘ If I had been born white would I treat black people the way some of them treat me?’ I now know that separation and racism is not the preserve of one specific race.

150. Make-up reflects -like everything- were we are at in the world. Racism makes no sense at all to me – People all over the world and in all colours are acting crazy…. Colour is just one tool we use to separate ourselves from each other and it is alarming how far and deep this goes – it is in fact a nearly perfect set-up we created to stay in separation. But. There is the fact that we are all love equally so. And this unites us all. Because there is a pull towards what we truly are and no make-up will cover this. True beauty comes from connection to what we are and expressing it. Make-up is just a tool. And it has the wrong name, because it is not about to make us up – it is about to celebrate us and use the tools we have for that. And it is not our foundation -as you said Zofia: our foundation is love! So even how we name things diverts us in untruth and separation. Great article Zofia – lets uncover all our crazy little games to hold us separated and meet energetically more and more unvarnished.

     1. What could we call it, express-yourself instead of make-up, it is curious when you start to look at words and how we use them and what that actually means, we use them with out thinking about it yet it has an impact on us and keeps us living a much smaller life than is necessary.

        1. Yes! Words are powerful – we should need a licence to use them.

        2. very good point Vanessa – make-up is actually just a form of expression, so what Zofia shared about racism being hidden in the beauty industry is actually a lot more serious than you might originally think..

        3. A great point Vanessa – make-up bringing forward the image that we have to create a face and in this example a skin colour, rather than ce-le-brate who we are. These products could easily be called ‘celebrate’ or ‘express yourself’ as you suggest. Maybe then we would have foundations that accurately represent the colour of our skin.

        4. Absolutely, Vanessa. We often accept words at face value, but do not actually look at what they are truly saying. As a result we end up using phrases that, as you say, keep us smaller instead of harnessing the true power of words which can be revolutionary and evolutionary.

     2. What you express here, Sandra, makes such sense to me. I agree, “lets uncover all our crazy little games to hold us separated and meet energetically more and more unvarnished”. Well said, thank you.

     3. Being attentive to everyday words and how they cement the ‘crazy little games’ we are playing that keep us apart from each other…I know this is worth some leg work.

        1. ..or tongues work ; ) …but in truth it is conscious presence isn’t it? Our Conscious Presence is a Conscious Present.

151. Reading this blog makes me realize that we as a humanity have a long way to go if we are still believing that one skin colour is better than another. It feels a bit like believing that the earth is flat.

     1. I totally agree Elizabeth it really does show exactly where we are at as a human race and, just like we realised the world isn’t flat, so too will we all come to understand and accept that we are all exactly the same and come from the same place. That the exterior make-up of who we are is only what makes us unique and the expressions that we have.

        1. That is beautiful, Natalie, and this knowing that ‘we are all exactly the same and come from the same place’ allows us to return again to this way of living with one another in true brotherhood.

     2. I know Elizabeth – quite shocking really, but very revealing about where we are at as a human race. Thank you Zofia for raising this topic, which I am sure is quite taboo. Your writing has exposed how backward and narrow it is to still hold these views. How do they support us to grow and learn?

     3. Elizabeth I smiled at reading the truth of your point. One day everyone will get to know that skin deep is a ludicrous assumption of who a person is, just like it was believed the world was flat. The question is how long will we take to wake up to the truth?

        1. Sandra lets hope it does not take too long for the world to wake up, because it is very lubricious how these way of thinking still goes on.

     4. Absolutely Elizabeth, I agree completely.

     5. I agree, Elizabeth, we certainly have a long way to go. How sad that we constantly compare ourselves with others, when we are connected with ourselves, we can feel that we are actually absolutely equal with everyone else. No one is ‘better than’ another. Yes another ridiculous belief that one skin colour is better than another.

     6. When you write that – believing the earth is flat – it shows how ridiculous it actually is and that we are in a transition, still a way to go, that it is not about outer appearance like skin colour, male-female, clothes, size of your breasts, but what we carry inside and that that is equal in all of us. That may still be like cursing in the church, but one day it will be accepted as natural. Let’s start ourselves by living that expression.

152. You raise some great questions Zofia, not just about ingrained racism but also about body image. Recently I went to Singapore I was amazed at how strong the culture is to make your complexion lighter and more western. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Australians and “white” english people spend money and time trying to get a darker complexion. Comparison is everywhere and what this exposes is the ludicrousness of the fact that we are never at ease with who we are and what we look like.

     1. Yes Adam, I too have been seeing this. That darker skinned people choosing to whiten and whiter skinned people seeking to brown. It seems that we as humanity, are not comfortable in our own skin. This then it seems, is taken full advantage of by the beauty industry.

     2. This is spot on with what I feel – the world of business and marketing RESPONDS to what humanity demand. This is a clear reflection of the fact that we do not accept ourselves, knowing that we are not living the truth of who we are innately, which Zofia defines well in this blog, so we look for outer aspects like to our body shape, skin tone, culture, religion, favourite sporting team etc to attempt to modify these to re-define what we know we are not but without ever being truly honest about what is going on at the core.

        1. so true Greg I agree with all of what you are saying and for marketing to be responding in this case with lighter foundations it is a pretty clear indication that woman are not accepting their skin colour and wanting to appear fairer than they are. Different cultures, countries, fashions it all that same thing a lack of self acceptance. Here is Australia lots of people want to appear darker than they are so marketing responds with a huge range of spray tanning products and edible malanotan.

     3. So true Adam. We seem to be always seeking the opposite of who we naturally are, a relentless seeking born from a deep separation from majestic inner qualities that we all inherently own. When we do begin to realise our own worth and beauty from the inside out, our whole relationship with our body image and colouring changes. There is nothing more truly delightful than meeting a person who is at complete ease in their skin and radiates with an inner joy that lights up their eyes and whole being. True love and joy is not a product to be sold over the counter or on a sun bed, they are qualities that can only be found and nurtured within.

     4. I agree Adam – we have become, as a society, so obsessed with our ‘outer shell’ that we can no longer see how ludicrous life is becoming. We adopt these different distractions to keep us from feeling the real hurt of becoming separate in the first place. When we are ready to let go of these hurts we will come together again in a harmonious way that does not strive for outer differences to better the way they feel.

     5. It amazes me too Adam – this constant dis-ease with our appearance and identity. It exposes deeply the loss of connection we (as a vast humanity) have to our innate divinity and beauty.

        1. Yes Amelia, case in point for the blog… we have lost connection to the love we are, and now identify ourselves by the outer appearance. How can we be at ease with ourselves when we aren’t connecting with what truly is us.

        2. Very true Amelia, and I think it definitely is time that we call this mass scale lack of self acceptance and problem with our identity a dis-ease. In the same way cancer has been taken apart and examined, this too needs to be looked at properly so we can try to find a way of living that doesn’t result in hating ourselves, our skin or our bodies.

     6. Adam you are making a great point – we are never at ease with who we are and consequently not at ease with what we look like.

     7. I agree Adam, this is also about body image and how we never are content with the way we look and are forever comparing with what we don’t have. When in fact if we were to stop and feel we would discover we are all made up of the same ingredient and that is love.

     8. Absolutely ludicrous as you say Adam, to be always wanting what you don’t have and constantly looking out for what defines who you are. Until this comparison and lack of self-worth is acknowledge and addressed this will continue. I know for me this is something that I keep catching but the more I focus on my connection with myself and feeling my beauty within then this doesn’t even cross my mind to look out.

     9. I’ve had the same experience in Vietnam, Adam. Almost every woman in the tailor shops I visited would compliment me on my ‘gorgeous white skin’… And I can tell you I certainly don’t share their opinion! Quite the opposite!

     10. Yes Adam, it is so rare to find someone at ease and the marketing is such a set up to play on that unease, you can look like this, more beautiful, yet when I look at the “perfect” model of what is beautiful I no longer see beauty as it all looks false and unreal. True beauty needs a large dose of love and that is found when we accept ourselves and all our imperfections, and also are willing to do the same for others.

     11. This is so true Adam. I first witnessed the ‘whitening’ craze when in Africa many years ago and was horrified by the damage done by some of the products women were using on their faces. Not unlike the damage caused by sunbeds and the like. The pursuit of an ideal of beauty but at what cost? How glorious the world will be when we can all embody our natural beauty.

     12. One step back and we see the madness of wanting to be paler or darker, depending on fashion and where you live in the world. And how exhausting and sad it is that so many of us are so unhappy with the skin we are in.

153. Marketing issues aside, Zofia what you present here is super-important. How glorious would it have been to hear had the shop assistant said the universal ingredient of the foundation was love, rather the universal colour of the foundation was white!

     1. I agree Victoria that would be something else!

     2. Awesome point Victoria – look forward to that day.

     3. Hallelujah!…..Heaven’s beauty salon

154. How amazing a presumably well-established and knowledgeable company would launch a product in Singapore suitable only for white skin tones where surely people with this skin tone make up only about 10% of the population. Stupid or arrogant, I’m not sure which!

     1. Perhaps simply deeply lost Victoria…

        1. Or just not aware of the all, it’s very compartmentalised thinking.

     2. I agree Jane, I have also now moved more to feeling my own way with what style and colour to wear and as you say it feels liberating to flow with what feels true for me.

     3. Great point Jane, if we follow the separating current of conforming to whatever is the dominant way to go we will for ever be in the cycle of not being good enough pushing ourselves for the next thing that peps us up to come. First comes love and then from there style finds its natural way and is all inclusive.

     4. I know that when I dress myself in ways that confirm me rather than going with what is fashionable I feel much more solid, open, still, confident and lovely!

     5. Yes, I hear you on that Jane and some days I forgo make-up altogether because I feel like it.

     6. Absolutely Victoria and my feeling is they are well aware of what they are doing and are going for the demands of what people are asking for. Something is deeply wrong if we are so far from your natural state of being when a race of people are trying to have a different complexion to meet ‘the norm’.

     7. I agree Victoria it is backwards – such poor business strategy and marketing is actually quite disturbing as it reveals how much we have allowed and accepted a narrow ideal of how we should look to infiltrate – the company could only do this because around the world we have fallen into line and tried to live up to the narrow benchmarks of how we should look and be. If we (humanity) were saying no to this the company and industry would naturally align.

155. Beautifully expressed, Zofia. “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate” – yes, I totally agree; celebrating what is the same that is our true identity = love, as well as our unique expression.

156. Thank you Zofia. It does amaze me that people still see what is on the outside, and not comes from the heart. Love is the way.

157. “If we stood unified as a race of human beings identified not by our differences of which country, geographic region, area, or ethnic race we are from, but instead by the universal truth of the Love that we are equally, how then would things be?” Wow, Zofia, that is the key to the elimination of racism. Bring it on! What a wonderful world we would then have on this planet, as a unified race of human beings. Well on the way to True Brotherhood, working together.

158. Zofia, I love what you have presented here, you have exposed a lot of the glamour we as humanity have been caught up identifying with, the way we look as a race and making one being better that another. This is because we are missing the love that we are but if we were to connect to it, we would realise our real make up is love and it is not the way we look but our own unique qualities that we bring regardless of skin colour and that’s worth celebrating.

     1. Very well said Francisco.

159. Great blog Zofia. I had not even considered that racism is expressed in the colour of foundation or that people can make a statement that the “Universal colour is white” when really the Universal colour is what ever colour you are. It seems to me we need acceptance and love for our selves first then what follows is acceptance and love for humanity then colour or race will not matter.

     1. Yes… white supremacy in another form?

160. I am starting to let go of the investment in the outer shell. It is liberating to see your actions and not react to them but rather take the necessary steps to become and live the love you naturally are.

161. “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate”, Zofia, this is a great revelation inspired by something as simple as being offered a free sample of face cream. Once we are open to observing what is happening around us, it is amazing how many seemingly small incidents can inspire us to see truth in the midst of so much that is not from truth.

     1. Well said Anne, the smallest incidents can give us the most amazing insights into truth, and as you said, that which is not from truth.

162. Thank you Zofia for sharing this amazing post and much needed as we tend to not address these types of things in our everyday life.
     Skin colour in the indian upbringing I had was such a big deal. It was talked about to the enth degree and a topic at the top of the agenda for arranged marriages. Of course this was because the babies would need to be light skinned if they were to be accepted.
     All of this stuff used to bore me and of course I didn’t have anything to worry about as I was light skinned. I know that the colour of the skin was at times more important than any other qualities. It always felt wrong to me and it certainly introduced a division of inequality.
     It was only after I met Serge Benhayon that I started to address my deeper issues and long held beliefs about the outside being important at the expense of our inner most beauty and essence.

     1. Bina, your comment reminded me of when I was in Thailand with a friend and her baby who was very white. She was lauded everywhere we went for her pale skin and they all wanted to touch her. I actually saw a mother slapping her child’s leg saying ‘wrong colour’. I was devastated that these beautiful people would feel that our skin colour was so desired over their own lovely skin! We have gotten so mixed up in humanity that we just want what someone else has. As Zofia has so beautifully said, all we need is one unified truth based on a foundation of love, so that all can feel who they are, not what they present on the outside.

163. Wow! all this from make-up…

164. There is so much to be inspired by in this blog. What stood out for me today was this line: Is it likely these increasing numbers highlight that on some deeper level we feel and know we’re all from ‘the same place’? There is an understanding throughout humanity and a general knowing if what is right and wrong and what it takes for a human to thrive and this is the same regardless of what the outside shell looks like.

165. Sometimes we are so busy celebrating our differences that we forget what keeps us the same – love. Thank you Sofia for presenting this simple truth; that the ‘universal colour’ is love and it blends with every skin tone perfectly.

     1. Wow, so beautifully, simply put. Thank you, Liane.

     2. Beautifully said Liane. Let love be all that makes us up.

     3. Liane I love our comment. What Zofia brings for us is the truth of what unites us all equally – love. In the true meaning love is equal regardless of where a person comes from or their skin tone. It is high time to celebrate what is the same across all 7+ billion people worldwide and then we will start to see all our brothers worldwide as our family.

166. Thanks Zofia, a very interesting read. I have travelled in many different countries and the one thing I can attest to is that when you genuinely meet someone you get to feel who they are and not all the separation that is there with nationality, race, colour, religion etc.

167. ‘If we stood unified as a race of human beings identified not by our differences of which country, geographic region, area, or ethnic race we are from, but instead by the universal truth of the Love that we are equally, how then would things be?’ ……. It would be AMAZING and it will be amazing, when we get there, together.

168. Thank-you for an awesome article Zofia, claiming the true unity we are from – a one humanity – and exposing such ridiculous yet pervasive notions…
     Visiting Singapore and Vietnam a few times in recent years, in both countries I always receive quite a lot of ‘praise’ for the paleness and texture of my skin, in a way that clearly shows it is valued over and above other skin tones by many… This always leads to interesting conversations with people about this – all have been women – and I continue to find out more about the skin whiteners commonly used, how imbedded such beliefs are, and the widely held disdain for a darker skin colour. No matter what I say or the appreciation I bring to these women, they look at me as though I must be joking when I say how beautiful they are, and that such a minuscule genetic difference (as it is) that determines skin colour, is a ridiculous way to rank ourselves as women…
     The shape of my bum is also, frequently ‘prized’ – makes one laugh in a way, but not for more than a moment… for this is indeed serious business that women can so demean themselves and hold so rigidly to such false ideals that they are forever blocked from their own beauty.

     1. I agree Victoria, it is such a shame that women from countries where people have darker complexions seem to feel less than ‘white’ women. I have experienced the behaviour of a woman from the Phillipines, a friend of my son) who stayed at my home for a few days. She would not venture outside without her black umbrella to keep the sun off her skin for fear of darkening her skin. To me, colour is completely irrelevant, beauty comes from within. Yes, holding rigidly to these false ideals means these women never realise their own beautify.

        1. That’s it exactly Beverley. It’s not until you see the impact of such (I have to say, ‘insane’) beliefs ‘in action’ that you are stopped dead in your tracks… How enslaving, and how perpetually diminishing of all that a woman (or man if he so aligns to such ways) naturally is – until, that is, she (or he) chooses to see through the miasma.

     2. Serious business indeed – and big business. How much time, energy, money and angst do us women spend obsessing about our own and other women’s bodies? Is this not designed to keep us diverted, preoccupied and small? And what is it we really need to be focusing on that we’re not?

        1. I agree entirely Victoria. How truly powerful must we actually be, that such a veil is placed so tightly over so many of our eyes, as to not acknowledge ourselves, our beauty and the power of our presence as women, at a fundamental level?
           There simply cannot be enough exposing of these shackles which so unnecessarily constrain…

169. This is a great blog and such a common experience that you encounter that beautifully exposes what is going on. Yes it is we as a human race that has created all these boundaries, pillars and separation. And yes it is we that can take them down and let go of them and return to the natural expression that we are designed to be in brotherhood and oneness. The religion of Love for all. What I have come to realise with attending Serge Benhayon presentations, courses and workshops is that for this to happen I need to bring that Love to myself first and then naturally this connection that I have with Love comes in all that I do and everyone that I meet equally so and there I feel oneness.

170. When I connect to my inner heart I know without a shadow of a doubt that everyone must feel the same way inside, so if we taught this simple exercise from an early age as a foundation for life, the whole concept of separation or ‘difference’ would be eradicated. Love is indeed the common denominator for all of us.

     1. So true Janet, it is that absolute knowingness that we are all the same , regardless of colour or shape love is who we are.

     2. I agree, janetwilliams06, “love is indeed the common denominator for all of us”. How wonderful if we could all live from that.

     3. So true Janet. Additionally, how many of us have learnt to wear our skin colour or nationality or cultural differences as a badge of pride? We need also to drop the investment in our differences. Appearance, nationality and culture are celebrated and up-held but they are only ideals – ultimately useless and by their separative nature, harmful.

        1. Exactly, Victoria, it is plain to see when individuals or groups celebrate their differences that there is not love for all equally and therefore no truth.

171. I can feel the absolute truth is this Zofia, ‘living and knowing that this Love is colour-less, race-less, that it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion.’ As a young woman I travelled to Asia, south america, australia, new zealand and I remember having the feeling that we are all the same, that no matter what our skin colour, our clothes, our traditions, where we live that we were all equal, that we are the same despite the different outer appearances.

     1. I spent 5 weeks in Japan as a home-stay student many years ago. It was interesting being immersed in a land where there was far less racial diversity. What I remember observing was that there were about five different basic shapes / sizes / looks across the Japanese people I saw but otherwise a great homogeneity between them. Yes, this was perhaps emphasised because I was in a country where most have the same hair colour, eye colour and skin tone but really it was telling me we are all the same and simply come in different ‘flavours’, so to speak. Today I would add that our appearances must reflect the choices we have made, in this lifetime and in previous ones, and what we need to master. I suspect as we evolve as a human race, we will start to lose the distinct and obvious physical differences between us.

172. To celebrate our cultural or racial differences is no different from championing our national sport team. I have never looked at it like this before. Thank you Zofia for opening my eyes this, your blog has made me take a closer look at the world and its obvious and hidden forms of separation and injustice.

173. A deeply reflective and powerful expose of the insidious ways that racism infiltrates every sector of society, Zofia. I love your way that unites and harmonises with acceptance of the love that we all are – a true foundation for our future.

174. I think its great how you picked up on this subtle and yet not so subtle type of racism and how it runs so deep in our human behaviour. How long will it be till the world wakes up to the fact that this sort of thing is so superficial and we are all glorious no matter what we look like on the outside.

     1. I attended a talk given by the sex discrimination commissioner here in Australia in Brisbane last night. She spoke of ‘gender asbestos’ – the absolute hidden, insidious, embedded and toxic sexism we harbour in our homes, workplaces and societies. This describes it perfectly. We could say we are equally affected by ‘racist asbestos’.

        1. Yes a great way to describe the insidious nature of both racism and sexism. Thanks for sharing Victoria.

175. Brilliantly exposed Zofia. Let Love be our universal foundation!

176. Any kind of separatism can cause conflict and we have a world full of it, the time has come to unify together as one race of beings.

177. Race and nationality are only skin deep, underneath those few millimeters of skin, we are all the same. I am learning to hold what I feel (the love that we are) above what I see.

     1. Awesome comment Carmin. You know, I will be honest and admit as a white-skinned person living in a country (Australia) where there are fewer people of dark skin compared to other western nations that have opened their doors, I sometimes still experience a tiny jolt (of fear? of an uncomfortableness of some kind?) when I see a person with very dark skin. To me this speaks of the awful narrowness of the Australian society and culture I’ve grown up in, and not to any true aversion I hold around people who might look different to me. What I see this reaction as is an indicator of just how much of the prevailing yet hidden societal view I have absorbed.

178. I agree and you have presented it very well. Love is our foundation, our make-up for all. Separation only needs to be subtle but it is still present.

     1. I love the way you expressed here Daniel “Love is our foundation, our make-up for all.”
        I find that very touching and feels true.

179. Zofia I found your article very uplifting as I clearly felt the truth in what you are saying about the love and brotherhood that is our foundation. There was another truth that I felt that was less uplifting and that was when I read your line ‘ racism continues to be deeply rooted in the psyche of our everyday shopping lives’ I would actually take out the word ‘shopping’ because racism is deeply rooted in our lives. If I am really honest then I have to also admit to feeling twinges of racism in myself at times. It is nothing that I have been taught and yet their have been times when I have felt myself separating myself from others based on our ethnicity. Where did it come from ? It is nothing that I consciously know and yet I can feel it.

     1. I just said something similar in response to Carmin below, Alexis. I feel it’s a consciousness we have unconsciously absorbed, fed to us via the collective unconsciousness. There are many similar such ideals and beliefs we have absorbed… about gender, culture, country, religion, politics, body image, etc, etc – not to mention the more personal beliefs that might shape a particularly family or group. These are worthy of identifying and calling out, whether they appear in ourselves or around us, as Zofia has done so beautifully here.

180. We are all like snowflakes, each with a unique beauty of design and shape, incomparable, yet its made of the same qualities ‘stuff’ which is snow….we are all made of the same ‘stuff’ LOVE and each of us in expression is divinely unique…not different, better, worse, its non comparable. Because each of our expression brings a part to the whole of our humanity!

     1. Such a beautiful description Karoline.

181. That old saying beauty is only skin deep seems to be the basis these companies work on to sell their products. Are they even aware that they are promoting racism and in a subtle way promoting division amongst people. True beauty is reflected by the way we live and has nothing to do with skin colour or from where we come. “Love is the real identity to celebrate – this is the universal foundation”.

182. There are so many great questions asked and great answers given as to why we celebrate or react to our outer shells and seemingly ignore the universal Love that we all hold within us. I particularly liked when you spoke of “a true religion not of the organised shells of man but of God and the oneness, divinity and Love being where we are truly from.” Here Here. Thank you Zofia.

183. “With the assistant’s reply:“the universal colour is white”…is a response that just doesn’t make sense, but culturally is the ideal. Universally we all different shades and tones and yet we have white Europeans wanting to tan each summer to look “healthier” and not be so white. As you say Zofia what if we “learnt to discard identification or being owned by and invested in our outer shells as being who we are as a determinant of our worth in the world, and instead carried acceptance of the innate Love we are –” Now that would be a game changer.

184. There are many ways that racism plays out, sometime the subtle ones are hurtful because it shows how ingrained racism is. Thank you for starting this conversation Zofia, there is much to discuss.
     I love to see children from different cultures playing together, naturally enjoying each other’s love. Children see clearly the external differences, can talk about them freely and innocently but usually don’t because they realize the differences do not matter. Anything that gets in the way of the playing does not matter. We could all learn a lot from our children.

185. Amazing, worthy, worthwhile blog. I can certainly see myself reading this in the weekend national newspapers. We are not skin colour as you so beautifully explain and the arrogance that allows that mind set to continue needs to be exposed.

186. Love what you have shared Zofia – and yes so true that it is the inside, our essence deep within to be celebrated first and then from here to bring it out. There is so much identification with the outer which does cause such segregation and separation between us all, and is so not necessary nor needed. Love is our universal foundation!

187. You nailed it, Zofia, thank you. Love is an universal make-up/foundation that unites everyone.

188. Absolutely spot on Shirley-Ann and Zofia, love is completely indiscriminate. When we focus on what is the same between us rather than what is different we can just be natural and harmonious.

189. I live in a multi cultural city where people can come from all over the world and bring their culture with them. What I have noticed is that strong identification with a religion, culture or nationality separates communities from each other, that could otherwise be united by another commonality. When we come together in a big multicultural melting pot we get an opportunity to really get to know people from different backgrounds and see that we are all the same and that we all have love in our hearts – our greatest thing in common.

190. It is amazing the inspiration and reflection that everyday situations can provide. Thank you for sharing this Zofia. There seem to be increasing numbers of “teams” that add to the separation and division that already exists in the world. These made up divisions provide further opportunity to prevent us from feeling the equality and foundation of love that we all have. If only they sold this foundation of love at a fashion counter, then maybe we could realise that it is the true foundation there for us all equally.

191. Zofia you have opened a whole new way of looking at racism. Who would have thought the colour of a foundation promotion can have racist undertones.

     1. Absolutely Vicky; it very surprising to hear about the racist undertones in foundation promotion, but actually I could almost guarantee that racism is still occurring in places and situations we would never guess… In my opinion it is quite an uncomfortable issue for people to talk about, as the world so strongly wants to think that it’s been stamped out and stopped, when it definitely hasn’t. A lot of people turn the blind eye to it.

        1. This is so true Susie and I myself as a black woman have not wanted to see or admit let alone feel, how I have been treated differently – for better or for worse – due to the colour of my skin and how painful this actually has been. To be met with Love and no judgement as I have been through Universal Medicine has freed me from feeling less in society due to the colour of my skin – where I now see that I am an equal player with so much worth to bring.

     2. Definitely Jane! This new way of looking at racism and diversity should be expanded and explored further – the areas of the world it still hides in need to be exposed.

192. “LOVE as the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’”. I can not imagine anything more gorgeous. Whatever make-up is applied after that cannot help but be in celebration of the beauty that is within every one of us.

     1. Yes, this feels absolutely beautiful Golnaz – a true celebration of the equality, exquisite beauty and connection that exists between us all.

193. Wauw , and wauw. Zofia , you amaze me, every single time I read your blogs. So powerfull. This one made my mouth fall open. Wow. I realised so much , and everything you write is just so true. I felt deeply how racist it actually is to sympathise.. A thing that I made as “normal” in my life. A big wake-up and it is opening up my eyes, and I know the urgency for me to absolutely let this sympathy go. It is not innocent. Time to be wise. I will work on this further. Thank you.

194. So true we see difference celebrated in the world and yet there is so much that could unite us if we choose to appriciate it “Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes.” Love, is what I would suggest we all seek over everything else, it is the perfect choice to build a true foundation of unity within humanity.

195. So true we see difference celebrated in the world and yet there is so much that could unite us if we choose to appriciate it “Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes.” Love I would suggest, we seek over everything else it is the prerfect choice to build a true foundation of unity within humanity.

196. I remember as a child watching a tv show depicting the slave trade in North America – I used to go to the toilet so noone could see me and ball my eyes out. I was devastated at the separation and racism in the world – through my innocent child eyes I knew and felt the one equal love we all are and the devastation I felt which was playing out in my body. On reflection as I write this, I can feel how interesting it was to find somewhere to ‘hide’ to release my emotions. I absolutely knew that those around me did not share this same awareness and perhaps the devastation was more that it was still playing out as much in the world around me as it was in the 1800’s.

     1. I too Gina remember as child how much it hurt to see the cruelty in the world where people were mean and unloving to each other…but i took salvage in ‘one day when i grow up it will be different…’ but it wasn’t…..but now i have developed the understanding how painful it is for us when we live in separation from each other and even ourselves. But when we bring love into our lives it over time changes everything, it brings us together….something we all have within us…just can get lost on the way…so we seek it in our differences outside of us…if i have white skin then I’m part of, ‘loved’…If i look a certain way…then i’m okay, worthy, loved…..racism etc is like a filler to feel better about ourselves by putting another down….coming from deep pain of lack of love.

197. Zofia, amazing article. Reading everyone’s comments is also great! You have really made a huge point for everyone to look at. How racism and separatism are still very, very active in the world and we have not advanced or fully moved past this. It all starts with us to actually notice it and then share it, like you have done here as the first step to making a change.

     1. So true Ariel, we have not moved very far from a very ancient belief that the colour of our skin somehow makes us different from each other. The animal kingdom does not differentiate, why should we? Zofia has brought it home just how normal it is for racism to still exist in our societies, yet we pride ourselves on being an advanced race. The two don’t add up. Definitely time to break the consciousness and choose to feel our commonality, the love within us, rather than focus on differences that are only skin deep.

198. When we see images of planet earth from outer space, there are no lines dividing up the continents. Being mixed race, I have often been asked if I feel more British or Japanese. I have always answered that I don’t feel to be either, I’m simply me.

     1. I love that Jinya, being of mixed race myself as a child I used to feel I somehow united the European and Asian cultures but in fact I never really felt a difference between them, just different expressions of the same essence.

199. Gorgeous blog Zofia. Yes racism is sadly still a big issue in our society – I often see it in College; people are still teased and discriminated against because of the colour of their skin. As you say we should be celebrating and appreciating everyone for their differences and the identity we should be celebrating is LOVE.

200. This blog made my whole body tingle. You express so beautifully on this subject Zofia and I can feel that racism is really no different to comparing myself to another and deciding I am more or less in any way.

     “it shows a true religion not of the organised shells of man but of God and the oneness, divinity and Love being where we are truly from. This religion is Love” So beautiful.

     1. Leone that’s an interesting point that you make about comparison being no different to racism. It got me to feel that when we return to true brotherhood we shall know in our bodies that we are all one and the same, it won’t be a cognitive thing which it is for me still a lot of the time. It also got me pondering on people with intellectual disabilities. I have worked with this group of people for a very long time and it is rare to meet someone who knows that they are equal love to us all.

        1. Yes great points you make Leonne and Alexis, that racism no different to comparison. In racism we are saying that one lot of people are better than another. It just doesn’t make sense. Inside we all have blood, we all have organs, we all breathe, we all have a heart. We are all the same from the inside. Why then judge a book by its cover? One day we will unite as a race of human beings, no one being better than another, but we will eventually see each other as equals. This can only happen when we connect with our inner-most because when we feel our connection with ourselves, we soon feel that it is the same in all.

     2. This is very true Leonne, ‘I can feel that racism is really no different to comparing myself to another and deciding I am more or less in any way.’ It is all separation, rather than knowing that we are all equal and all amazing beings, I have really held myself less in the past, but can feel how false and harming this is now.

     3. I love your point Leonne on comparison. Racism is exactly that. No matter what end of racism you are on, thinking you are better or being seen as less, you are comparing yourself to another and not holding yourself in love equally to all.

201. ‘racism continues to be deeply rooted in the psyche of our everyday shopping lives.’ for me Zofia the ‘token’ ethnic person in advertisements is just as inappropriate.

202. So beautifully expressed Zofia. We are all uniquely love, that is our universal (make-up) foundation.

     1. It is naturally in us all….we know how to love….its coming back to it!

     2. I love this line too. There is only one shade of love and it is becoming to us all, regardless of the tint of our skin.

203. In the absence of love we suffer from many things and the separation that sadly divides us for now causes much harm…. especially when ignoring the beauty of the equality we share in essence and the power of true brotherhood.

204. “….separation is created, reinforced and sold. Even a hint of preference of colour reinforces this separation, whether it be for a whiter than white skin shade or a tanner than tan – no matter which way we look at things, embedded are illusions of betterment, improvement, privileged comfort, arrogance of differentiation, and cultural superiority.” A ground and consciousness-breaking article, thankyou Zofia.

     1. I agree Sueq2012 this is a ground and consciousness breaking article. Zofia has brought to our attention to just how steeped in these ideals we are. Every where we look there are adverts, products, images that promote an ideal of being slimmer, browner, whiter, richer but never any that seek to unite us and celebrate our true and innate qualities of Joy and Love. It is time to be “living and knowing that this Love is colour-less, race-less, that it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion.”

205. Absolutely Zofia, and I particularly liked the fact that you did not hold back from including those that react to racism, creating a counter movement of equal separation: if we “carried acceptance of the innate Love we are – would this then mean we’d be able to let go of offense, reaction, or resentment to racist comments or ideals”? This is also a great question.

     1. It’s a very good point about the reaction to racism. I have a child of mixed race and I often find that people want to avoid acknowledging his skin colour. They think if they do it will be considered racist. But he does have darker skin and it’s an observation of fact. It is ok to describe someone with blonde hair as having blonde hair, but not ok to describe someone with dark skin as having exactly that. It is not an identification but a physical description. When there is an identification with the physical description it can take away from our oneness as humanity.

        1. I sailed eastwards through the Louisiade Archipelago in Papau New Guinea in 1980. The people on the Islands had no money economy at all but were beautiful, friendly and vibrant people. The children would come up to me and put their arm alongside mine and say look! They were as amazed by the colour of my skin as I was of theirs. Just a different colour, nothing else.

        2. Gorgeous story Nick.

206. interestingly enough I have a similar issue, just on the other end of the spectrum. When I shop for foundation i have a struggle to find a shade for pale skin that isn’t orange. Its like the researchers and marketers have never met a real human being – all the shades are varying degrees of orange. It shows a lack of connection to the people actually using the products, knowing women’s insecurities will push them to buy the foundation anyway. I don’t see any fountains for darker skin tones in the supermarkets or drugstores, even in the high end it can be rare, and yet these people make up a vast majority. A simple example perhaps, but profound it what it exposes in our mindsets.

     1. Good point Rebecca, it does seem like these products are produced to create insecurities within us rather than actually deliver a product that truly suits our wide and diverse ranges of needs. The one good thing though is that we clearly do not have an issue with people with orange skin!

        1. Not only does it cause separation, it also produces an unrealistic idea of beauty – instead of fostering a love for your natural beauty, it causes girls and women to cover up in foundation that is not right for them. Make up is super personal and should be an expression of you, not you attempting to fit into a box

     2. Good point Rebecca, you have a right not to be orange! It is so important to honour how we naturally are and not try to be something else.

        1. Exactly Rebecca – I see a lot of young girls battling against their naturally beautiful pale skin because its not really catered for by the industry and so is seen as undesirable.

     3. The only foundation I use is the sun on my face and salt air in my lungs. It make me feel good and when I feel good I look good and I love it.

        1. I believe there is a saying that a woman’s most beautiful makeup is her smile

        2. Absolutely Rebecca, and the same is true of a man.

207. Wow Zofia your writing is pure GOLD. It holds so much wisdom that I will come back to it every day!! Your all encompassing view of equality is groundbreaking and your clarity and simplicity brings it all back to life: a religion of love.

208. Love is the foundation of our society- such a simple way of being but in reality a challenge for most of us. It is not only on colour and race that we discriminate but also on voice and accents- this discrimination permeates our society. What you have shared here Zofia is so insightful- it needs to be published everywhere.

209. You are so right Zofia, in celebrating our different cultures and origins we are seeing ourselves as ‘different’, so, in truth, it all comes down to tolerance. Tolerance of skin colour, culture or ethnicity instead of true acceptance. Great blog, thank you.

210. Wow Zofia. Such power in your words deeply exposing the falsehood and separation that is celebrated and championed in the name of diversity.

211. Absolutely Zofia ‘Love’ is definitely a “Universal (make-up) foundation that can be applied to everyone – regardless of skin shade or colour”. Great sharing thank you.

212. That is an awesome peace of truth you are presenting here to the world ! Thank you!

213. White is the ‘universal colour’, when I read this Zofia it really brought home to me the depth to which racism and separation is still being promoted and accepted as normal.

     1. I also got to feel how much racism is still being prompted. It’s happening in subtle ways but I don’t feel racism will ever be completely gone until we all live as complete equals.

     2. Yes Alison, this is a shocking statement. It seems absurd that people are trying to whiten their skin or are happy to use foundation that is totally the wrong shade. There is definitely room for embracing our natural beauty, exactly as we are.

214. Wow Zofia – this is truly power-full. When we fully accept that the ‘make up’ of our beingness is Love – all of us equally so – then all those separative notions are rendered naught. What glorious healing this blog brings, thank you.

215. Much of the purpose of foundation and of makeup in general is to create a veil across the face, an illusion of the ideal skin. No matter the culture or nationality, this veil is what many women seek.

216. I love this statement ….

     “on some deeper level we feel and know we’re all from ‘the same place’? And with this, feel the natural pull and desire to be the same i.e. part of one humanity, and not separate or exclusive to this as determined by border, colour, race, religion or background and so on’.

     We feel this most strongly when something unites us like a natural earth disaster or we have a common goal to come together and be one putting aside our differences until such time the crisis is over and we start to make it about ourselves again and what we want instead of seeing how would we want it to be and living in a way that respects everyone at the same time and allows a greater understanding for other people not a judgment or a blame. We all have our things to look at, no one is perfect, but we can learn not only from each other but from past mistakes too – would it be possible that there is no right or wrong just merely an intention for why we come together and how we are together. We don’t need to wait for the next crisis to happen to have that unity in our life now.

217. “Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes.” Pure gold and wise words Zofia.

218. A very powerful and insightful blog Zofia. There is much to ponder upon here.
     “To know and experience racism or division on any level is to equally know and no longer deny the urgent necessity to return back to the core and inclusivity of the Love we are from: living and knowing that this Love is colour-less, race-less, that it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion”.

219. In equality there is true power. This is what I feel deeply when reading your blog Zofia. There can never be any true power in separation.

     1. Very true Joshua, well said.

     2. Absolutely Joshua, well said, and it can be clearly felt that Zofia writes from a place of equality for all.

220. What a great blog this is Zofia. We do need to open our eyes to all the hidden and obvious forms of seperations that are in front of us, we need to expose them, adress them for what they are and build new foundations of love and equalness.

     1. Absolutely katinkadelannoy and this blog exposes one of those more hidden and deeply harming tools of separation. By calling this out, we have the opportunity to replace that separation in our foundation, with equalness.

221. This post opened my eyes to more hidden areas that racism is encountered. Racism hurts everyone.

222. The thing that really stood out for me when reading this blog, Zofia, was that I could feel for the first time how celebrating racial diversity can easily turn into a separating action that keeps people from feeling how we are all truly the same at the level of the love in our hearts and from our souls. I have always enjoyed being with people from different parts of the world, but in my experience it almost always seemed that after speaking with them, in the end there were more similarities than differences, and they essentially felt like one big family to me. I can see now though how I too had championed diversity in a way that could separate one segment of humanity from another.

223. Thanks for sharing your story and your insight into the missing ingredient that is very much needed in our day to day life ie the love we all are, if we made it about people and not money or beliefs we come to an all encompassing way that is our very essence LOVE.

224. Racism is a huge issue in our world. Thank you Zofia for your article. “living and knowing that this Love is colour-less, race-less, that it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organized religion”. This aptly exposes the racism question. Living and working in a culture where one is in the minority always brings the issue of racism to the fore, which I have experienced first hand, living and working in PNG.

225. I really enjoyed reading your blog again Zofia and I felt my focus fall on your words “….the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as ‘being the same’.” This seems to be at the core of our evolving and if we are longing to be one unified in all aspects of life, in brotherhood, is it possible we may already know and feel we all are of equal love within.

226. There is a tendency to blame and admonish marketing and in general consumer strategies to not impose their divisive beliefs on potential consumers. Yet the onus of responsibility is on each and every one of us. It is those who choose change who lead the way, not those asking others to. Therefore it is great that this blog speaks of the catalyst of true change – Love as who we are and as an essential way of being there within us to connect with and live. We can take this message about love as something airy fairy or we can allow love to work its magic through our physical body and into our lives and be a catalyst in the world for change.

     1. Simon I agree with you taking responsibility and not blaming society or others because wea re part of society so it is important to speak up and Zofia has so beautifully in this Blog.

227. This is so true Sofia, if we were to stop and think about what the basis is for any fight between people we would easily dis-cover what is not love. We have been championing differences in our quest to seek identification without truly understudying how deeply harming and therefor separating this is. Once we find our common ground, which is love, then from this love we will all have a our unique expression but the quality in all will be equal. How then could there be any more fighting, comparison or competition?

228. I agree Zofia that it is easier to see racism as unloving and causing separatism and division of the human race, which most of us agree is not good. But what is harder for us to currently see or accept, is that championing differences and competition between cultures is actually also very divisive and damaging and maybe is even where racism first starts? We are all from the one ‘race’, the ‘human race’.

     1. This is so true Andrew, ‘championing differences and competition between cultures is actually also very divisive and damaging and maybe is even where racism first starts? We are all from the one ‘race’, the ‘human race’.’ I notice in pre-schools and schools that there is a lot being taught about different cultures and hence teaching differences between people, it is beautiful and feels much more true that we are all a one ‘race’.

     2. I love the fact you have brought it back to humanity Andrew, a unified group of people who all fundamentally have the same divinity with us. I’ve always been intrigued though by the way in language that we include “race” in this….

229. #LoveUnites! “Just imagine that if we each learnt to discard identification or being owned by and invested in our outer shells as being who we are as a determinant of our worth in the world, and instead carried acceptance of the innate Love we are”. Very insightful Zophia and a must read for anyone truly interested in ending racism and inequality. This is how our political papers should be researched, looking to expose the core issues underlying racism and inequality – address this and everything else is simple.

230. Thank you for calling this out Zofia! Racism runs deep in our societies (some more than others) and it is important that we start to raise the awareness of this insidious way of comparison and separation and remember where we come from, which is love – a power that unites us.

231. Wow Zofia…love can only be felt and never can it be owned, bought, sold or changed … interpretations and bastardisations of love, maybe, but not love in truth…there isn’t much in the world these days that we can say that about!

232. If it weren’t a rather insensitive (to say the least) undertaking if not a racist and potentially hurtful slur, the whitish blob of foundation on the back of your hand would just be funny and ridiculous. But it is more, as you elaborate – on the background of championing our differences and personal identification tags at the expense of the love that unites us in truth.

     1. Our differences and personal identification tags as you describe them Gabriele are more and more championed and are like a trophy to be obtained. Competition, comparison, obtaining whatever is the ‘new black’ – white skin on naturally darker skinned bodies- is true evidence of how as a global community we have allowed our ‘self respect’ register to become so broken.

233. “‘Being the same’ in this case is not about one’s ethnicity or race, but more about being love. In other words, the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as being ‘the same’ and surely it’s about celebrating this.” Zofia I love this and I love your blog. I agree with you absolutely, Being the same is more about being love. We are all love equally in our essence, that is our foundation, the All, and that is all that matters. I see beauty in the races of all colours, no one is better than the other, we are all truly equal on the inside and that is what counts, and that is what shines through.

     1. ‘I see beauty in the races of all colours…’ – a gorgeous example of what it is to be in connection rather than separation. Thank you Beverley.

234. “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.” Yes, this is definitely the true identity to celebrate.

235. Wow Zofia, your blog speaks truth and love with power and inspiration to us all. It is indeed division and separation that is causing us so much pain and disharmony. Separation is humanity’s biggest ill and destruction. Connecting back to LOVE is the way to bring back harmony, unifies us as one, we are all equal and the same. Your blog is absolutely amazing and it bring awareness to how much we are living in separation and are celebrating it. Instead, we can choose to connect to love.

236. Wow Zofia, such a powerful article.

237. “Just imagine that if we each learnt to discard identification or being owned by and invested in our outer shells as being who we are as a determinant of our worth in the world, and instead carried acceptance of the innate Love we are..”
     This would completely change the way we are with ourselves and others. Accepting the love we are shall be our way!

238. I love that, Kristy: “They just see another kid they would like to play with.” That is so much the essence of children and also our essence too!

239. An integral part of the education system is to celebrate cultural difference, a welcome step away from condemning other cultures, for sure. However, as Zofia has written here, could it also be the case that, ” No matter which way we look at things, embedded are illusions of betterment, improvement, privileged comfort, arrogance of differentiation, and cultural superiority.”? If this were the case, would it not be wise also to deconstruct those concepts that also serve to separate in a similar way to the analysis presented here?

240. You sum it up so beautifully Zofia. I agree, if we as humanity made love our foundation, we would start to see our true beauty, and in this way make up and heal our disharmonious ways.

     1. Love it Joseph. Love is the foundation from which our beauty is laid bare.

        1. Wow Liane, I love what you have shared – “laid bare” reminded me of the vulnerability and essence of the love that we are – no bells and whistles, no fancy flashing neon lights, no sales and marketing team, not even love in disguise as an emotion – just simple love from where our true inner beauty shines.

        2. The term ‘laid bare’ resonated within me Liane. No need for defense or protection, just the purity of who we are and who we innately know we are. We can never stop feeling, embracing and expressing the truth of who we truly are and connecting with that truth in others so we all eventually feel our ‘foundation from which our beauty is laid bare.’

241. I love what you have written Zofia. The deep awareness that oneness, divinity and Love is where we are truly from – and embracing everyone in that recognition – is a million miles from the consciousness that champions differences as a way of separating people. I had given up on seeing that level of love in society although my heart knew it and craved it. I feel very blessed that due to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I have seen proof of this in humanity. When we start to appreciate our self and everyone for the love and equal inner beauty that we are, we naturally start to honour every aspect of one another and live the true harmony and brotherhood we are designed to be.

     1. Beautifully expressed Golnaz.

242. ‘In other words, the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as being ‘the same’ and surely it’s about celebrating this.’
     I love the way you express yourself Zofia. Celebrating equal love is our way forward as there is no other. ✨ it is in fact our return.

     1. ‘It is in fact our return’ kathrynfortuna. It is oh so simple and yet we can complicate life so because of our own self identification and emotional attachments. We need to keep claiming the simplicity and gradually eradicating the thoughts that take us away from its truth.

        1. Good call bernadetteglass – if something smells complicated, it offers a great point to check in and see if we are following a thought that is taking us away from truth. If it is not serving of everyone, is it really serving us? It feels so loving to make our choices in this way – not about being selfless – but just remembering that each choice we make impacts on everyone and the responsibility in that.

        2. The word ‘truth’ is resonating more and more for me Simone. It is a beholding word that is unifying and immediately arrests any fight, external or internal about right, or wrong or ambivalence. It is expansive and undeniable.

        3. The truth certainly is “expansive and undeniable”. Just like your comment bernadetteglass. I feel like a bomb went off! Smashing the deeply ingrained ideas that there is a wrong or right, when like so many ideas in society – it is just an opening to separate from each other and from ourselves. I really love your expression of this in saying that Truth “immediately arrests any fight, external or internal about right, or wrong or ambivalence”.

        4. Feeling truth has become my one and only radar. It is where my defences, hurts arguments, protections of any sort are sorted – like separating the clean washing from the dirty clothes – you can smell the difference!

        5. Ha ha bernadetteglass – I love that analogy. Perhaps that is where the saying “I smell a rat” came from?! I am enjoying being more honest with what I am feeling and understanding myself more. The more I develop my awareness of what I am actually feeling and expressing from this feeling, the more honest I am becoming. It is a beautiful unfoldment and an amazingly powerful process.

243. This blog is so strong Zofia. ‘If there was acceptance and celebration of an all-encompassing and unifying love, wouldn’t it make it not natural for us to champion, favour, sympathise, like, uphold differences of the outer shells of background, colour, nationality, ethnicity, race, caste, class, religion, tradition, culture or custom?” To favour the very things that separate us and make that our normal does not makes sense! It is true that deep down we all know that we are the same but we seem stuck on the wheel of making our outer shells more important…
     Isn’t it time we celebrated our universal sameness universally?

     1. It certainly is rachelmurtagh1! Thank goodness for Serge Benhayon – someone who teaches about brotherhood and “universal sameness” through his work, and through his livingness. An absolute inspiration. And here we are living that inspiration and celebrating ourselves for WHO WE ARE and not what we do, look like or which team we barrack for.

244. Thanks for a very powerful blog Zofia. There are many beautiful quotes from it but I love this, “Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes.”

245. This is an incredibly powerful piece Zofia. You have completely debased a deeper, more hidden form of racism I had hitherto never considered before as keeping us separate and ‘at war’ with each other. I felt a seismic shift in myself reading this and know it is truth that you are presenting here. Your last paragraph brings tears to my eyes – especially ‘our one multi-mixed race of human beings’. This is exquisite.

     “With this love, the unity of our one multi-mixed race of human beings together in harmony and brotherhood shows the beauty and wonder of our diverse world: it shows a true religion not of the organised shells of man but of God and the oneness, divinity and Love being where we are truly from. This religion is Love.

246. This is an amazingly powerful piece of writing Zofia. Having lived a large portion of my life in the United States, a place where great effort has been put into trying to heal the divisions caused by racism (and as of late seems to be failing miserably at it), what you have written struck a deep chord with me.

     There is a very deep issue, especially within the areas of fashion, advertising, and most other Western media, where a white person being portrayed as the “everyman”. When a person of a different skin colour appears in those areas, there is a conspicuousness to it, as if they have been deliberately added to show “diversity” not because they are beautiful in their own right. Or not because they might have a story to tell that is equal to anyone else’s.

     This attitude of “you are different from me because you look different, or you live in a different place, believe in a different thing, etc.” is something that is a deep dishonouring of the One that we all truthfully are. Everyone looks different from everyone else, regardless of skin tones. Could it be that we all crave a connection and brotherhood, but have got lost in the superficiality of the physical, and used that as our measurement of oneness, while ignoring the fact of what we all actually are together?

     1. ‘Everyone looks different from everyone else, regardless of skin tones’. Yes, and whilst accepting that racism is indeed a big issue and needs to be called out as this blog has, there is also the deeper awareness that even within the same race we see difference rather than oneness. Perhaps this is because we rely too heavily on the ‘evidence’ of our eyes rather than the innateness of the connection we feel within.

     2. Naren, it seems the issue is very stark in the United States which is not to say it isn’t a global issue, and often a subtle one. When we step back we can see how clearly race defines opportunities and how diversity can often be forced without real equality. Yet it need not be forced when there is an appreciation of our similarities, not our differences, in this feeling skin colour becomes obsolete, completely irrelevant.

     3. Naren you make a great point – that people perhaps are desperate for connection and think they can find it in similarities- in this case the colour of one’s skin, when really they’ve stopped short of realising we are all one no matter the superficiality of skin, language, socio-economic group, culture, our beliefs etc.

     4. The championing of diversity is missing the point as it furthers embeds our differences and the tokenism of having a non-white person on eg a website feels so dishonouring. This was the case once where I worked and it felt like box-ticking rather than they had been chosen to be representative of everyman but I did not express this at the time and now realise the impact that this and many other instances like it have had on me.

247. Very beautiful blog Sofia, you make it so clear and simple, love is what unites us all. But without knowing this, there is so much hurt being done.. This is a very important fact.

248. As your article uncovers, it seems humanity as a race will not understand we are all equal until we first accept that it’s our energetic origins from the soul that are equal, not our physical bodies .
     When I read your words I am inspired again to express the love of the soul through my body, knowing that it triggers another to remember who they truly are and do the same. In these moments shared with friends/family and strangers alike I can tangibly feel the equality we truly share with another.

     1. well said Belinda… I was actually shown a photo today by a friend which is so in line with this blog and It had peoples arm’s next to each others with all different skins colours and said something about we are all blessed to have the fun of colourful people but our souls are the same colour. So even though we look physically different, inside we are the same.

     2. Love this comment Belinda, it is as if we are wilfully ignoring the fact we are made up of energy! And that comes first – fact.

     3. I love what you have written here ‘we are all equal until we first accept that it’s our energetic origins from the soul that are equal, not our physical bodies.’

249. Zofia this is so powerful and revelatory. Seriously amazing. Our society is so rife with ways for us to separate ourselves from each other. On the outside there is a ‘seemingly good’ intention where, as you have so eloquently and clearly identified, it actually seeks to drive each of us further apart from each other. As I have become aware of these “separations” – I see more and more. When simply, celebrating what we do all share in true Love creates brotherhood, unity and true connection with each other. Such an awesome sharing Zofia. Thank you.

     1. Great comment Simone. It really is true what you say and even though people are trying to make everyone ‘look’ the same we really are distancing ourselves from each other because we cannot be who we are in full.

        1. So true arieljoymuntelwit. There is an aspect of “trying” to be something we are not, or more than we are – when we are actually already everything and by “trying” we are actually not expressing who are we in full, as you have shared. Lately I am learning that the more I deeply accept everything about myself and celebrate myself – the more I see everyone equally for who they truly are and what they bring.

     2. The crazy thing is that true brotherhood is what we all crave. We know that there has to be a different way because we know that life simply isn’t living up to what we know, and yet we are so stubborn at hanging on to our what we feel identifies us as individuals that we can’t get ourselves out of the way of it! A new paradigm is needed and it has already been shared, but how many of us are truly open to making that shift?

250. Sofia your writing is very strong, and brings great truth to the fore. It is indeed time for the world to know true Religion and this Religion is Love.

251. Beautiful Zofia,Thank you. This religion is love, it is all of us as we are all that same love. It unites us, the opposite to the the old entrenched religions with their dogma and doctrines that separate.

252. ‘This religion is love’ and it brings us all together in a way that I have not ever experienced before in my search to belong.

253. Love is the universal (make-up) foundation, love is the true religion and love is what makes us all one. Beautiful blog Zofia, thank you,

254. Agreed Zofia, Love is the most beautiful make up and outfit to wear and it looks amazing on every single man, woman or child equally.

     1. Love is certainly Universal.

     2. How true Jeanette and Zofia – love will always be en vogue, is timeless and so fitting for every moment and occasion :o)

255. Zofia the irony is that we have been led down a garden path and marketers are great at keeping us separate, always offering us the next product so that we strive to better ourselves. If our skin is white, we want to be brown, if our skin is brown we want it to be white. If our hair is straight, we want it to be curly, if it is curly we want it to be straight. Why is this? Because there is lack of acceptance of the grand beauty that we are and have inside of us, we focus on the outside and not the inside. If we focussed on the inside then naturally the separation would dissolve as we would begin to see that indeed we are all equal.

     1. Yes, interesting that promoting a one ‘universal’ look on the outside, only creates separation… Whereas, a one unifying quality of love on the inside embraces us all inclusive of our varied appearances.

256. Differences in skin colour are illusionary, we may look superficially contrasting but we are by nature the same more than we are ever different, the divides of race, religion and culture are all learned and not something we are born with. To consider us to actually be any other way is to play the game that keeps us separated and in misery. I’ve never seen a contented, joyful racist, that misery in the hatred had to be learned to be acted out.

     1. I agree Stephen I have never seen a contented or joyful racist either and if you look at the superficial things we sperate ourselves on it becomes slightly ridiculous. Skin color is only skin deep and underneath it all we are exactly the same. We need to work hard and keep choosing to be blind to truth because if we go only an inch deeper into connecting to who we truly are the seperation will be exposed so easily.

257. “love is the real identity to celebrate”, Beautifully expressed Zofia.

258. Of all the things in this world that baffle me, racism is the biggest one. I simply can’t understand how it exists. It really is the ultimate separative force, up there with organised religions. The world will be a remarkable place full of so much love when we can all see these separative pillars for what they are and begin to watch them crumble as we allow love to be the way.

259. So true when you say that “Love is colour-less, race-less, (that) it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion”; and the sooner we all start to live this, the better for humanity and the planet we live on.

260. Thank you, Zofia, this is so powerful ‘With this love, the unity of our one multi-mixed race of human beings together in harmony and brotherhood shows the beauty and wonder of our diverse world: it shows a true religion not of the organised shells of man but of God and the oneness, divinity and Love being where we are truly from’ – I have re read these words four times and each time I can feel what you are sharing on an even deeper level.
     Just beauty-full.

261. Very openly said and expressed. Such a deeply embedded issue in society, and one which I too feel is a part of my life, and something which I am choosing to now not endorse or partake in.

262. I want to live in that world where we know everyone as love. So beautiful.

263. Zofia thank you for bringing to my attention the racism in ‘make up’. As a white person I just assumed you got a sample for your own skin type. It just goes to show that the company that sells the make up isn’t even connecting with their clients, because if they did they would be aware that they would need more than just one sample colour.

264. What a solid blog Zofia – So much common sense. I was born into a culture and i remember as a young girl always knowing that we were much deeper than our skin colour and essentially all the same. What you share here sums this up beautifully – “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.”

265. I love how you speak of love, how it is unifying and how we do not accept the love that we and all others are. How strange that we do not accept our own and each other’s love. Imagine what the world would be like if we all accepted our love and oneness?

266. Many beauty brands only provide foundation colours of lighter shades, including the brand that I work for. It is absurd in a world full of a wide range of skin tones. Racism is apparent right there.

267. Thank you for speaking about the superficial things that create the appearance of separation. As we look out through our eyes we can see differences but from our heart we can feel we are all the same. Working with people who are ill, has proved that we are all equal and the same on the inside. Everyone has the same concerns, pain, illnesses.

268. Well said Zofia, racism is said to be much less pronounced then it was 50 years ago. I fear that is exactly the case, it is less ‘pronounced’ (announced). As the subtleties of racism and separatism are with us strong as ever.

     As you say, until a point is reached where our one uniting factor is ‘love’, the underpinning of conflicts and wars will allows be able to rise with ease.

269. We do have a deeper innate knowing that we are all the same, all any of us really want is to be loved, you are right there Zofia, it is love that is our basic commonality. It is of interest that racism is playing out so blatantly, showing us how far we have moved as a human race from the love that is so naturally what we are and what we crave.

270. Thank you Zofia for your contemplation on the subtle and not so subtle racism we have tolerated on our planet. I love the way you bring it back to the simple truth of us, Love being the Universal Foundation, a colour-less essence can be applied to any of us.

271. Absolutley Beautifully expressed!~we are ONE unified LOVE ALL THE WAY..

272. As human beings, our minds want to really cling onto things like race, religion, culture etc and feel part of a group – especially the group that is better than the other ones! It’s a great topic to consider the subtleties we may each carry that we still use to divide and make us “better”. Thanks for your blog Zofia.

273. I love your play on words in the title and exposure of how our “make-up” foundation is chosen for us, in this case, and we accept it without usually questioning. The truth is we can question and if another foundation is available we can choose that too. I wonder how many women take the free sample and use it and how many throw it away and why? The set-up we are offered supports the manipulation we are already under to think we are all different and separate from each other when in truth, in essence, we are all the same and that same is not white but love.

274. Zofia, you have presented me with so much to contemplate; so much wisdom and insight into that which is used to keep us separated as human beings. We are a beautiful and rich melting pot of race, colour and all shaped and sizes, but peel back our skin and we are all the same underneath; we carry the same pain, the same hurts and the same deep ache to have love in our lives; a love as you say: “unites and harmonises.”

275. Zofia great blog. I really connected to the point about ‘celebrating’ our differences as in race and colour etc. Is this the more insideous and hidden side of racism and therefore condoning and encouraging seperation? Great point to ponder on…

276. Innately we are all equal, seperation comes in when we highlight the differences and give more or less value to these differences. We are master in this and you have made this very clear Zofia. ‘Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.’ Lets highlight LOVE which is equal in us all!

277. This is so true and so exposing of what is going on in the world in its separation and emptiness. Thank you Zofia for this great reflection and sharing. Yes the true way for us all is our oneness and love and this needs to be called out and claimed and the truth shared of what is really going on. Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine is leading the way for us all in unity with love and expression in everything.

278. I love this sentence Zofia– surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour. You are so correct in saying that we need to find a common universal point that actually describes everyone and LOVE is the perfect equalizer. We all know what love is not therefore we all know what love is. So let’s make our lives about love, I have and it works.

279. Absolutely Kristy children naturally connect and play together, ‘our true nature is to love everyone, children don’t see skin colour, race, religion they just see another kid that they would like to play with- to me this is our true essence.’ It is only when they are imposed on with ideals and beliefs that we shake that innate desire to connect.

280. ‘Love unites and harmonises.’ Definitely, love is very powerful, and as you say Zofia, it is the absence of love that brings the separation and atrocities we suffer as mankind.

281. Zofia, you have really brought to the fore what actually matters….Love! Without reaction you have clearly shown how aspects of our lives (such as racism) are really just a temporal reflection of the separation lived by many of us to varying degrees.

282. Thank you Zofia for shining a light on racism, every bit no matter how small has to be exposed for what it is, otherwise everything becomes acceptable.

283. If we are all divine and love in our core, and naturally designed to be equally harmonious with everyone than we as a humanity sure have created an existence that is far from that. Because I know that there are people that would not even accept that fact and would prefer the separation because it doesn’t challenge the WHOLE mess. If we are living in the existence of the world, and living in our minds then life will be full of uncertainty, drama and horrible suffering. But if we are infact divine in our core than surely the only way to live is by knowing that and letting it out.

284. Zofia what a great example of the fact that racism is so woven into the fabric of society that we don’t even consider it to be racist. It brings up an interesting point in the many pictures and photos companies use on websites it seems either the choice is to pick the most prominent or most desirable or add in token skin colours – yet i am sure the products are available for all in the same way as it is to purchase the foundation.

285. Zofia, I love the way you have used the reflection of your make-up shopping experience and broadened it out to a universal comment on the state of our world and the lack of expressed love within it. You show how the most seemingly innocent presentation of a foundation sample, can hold a seed of this lovelessness and unless these things are called out, as you have done so here, they will continue to foster the separation between us all and keep us from the unity that is brotherhood.

286. Is not the focus on the make-up all about how the outer shell (our skin in this case) looks in comparison to or in compliance with another out shell? There are so many industries, behaviours and practices in the world that bank on this desire to have the outer parts of us ‘right’ when underneath it all, there is discontentment and a plague of not-enough-ness. Only through the teachings of Serge Benhayon have I found the answers to this plague within myself. That as you write Sofia there is a quality that can be defined as love that can be felt by choice when we stop focusing on what is going on around us or within us, because even that not-enough feeling can be felt in the body. That quality of love can be tangibly felt underneath all of this and when focused on makes everything else seem crazy to focus on. It is taking practice to come back to but I have experienced that such focus is worth choosing again and again.

287. Stunning Zofia! Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes. No truer words have been written. Why can’t humanity see that what we have done in the past and present just doesn’t work and that without love and oneness we are all doomed to lives of misery hate and building walls of protection.

288. The outer shell options for changing our body’s appearance are like a not-new car. The car came as you received, fit for propose. What if the world only had white cars. London has always been known for its black cabs… now they are in a rainbow of colours, I have seen one that did have rainbows on it. What if we all decided we loved the not-new car we are driving just as it is… what would happen to all the people that sell to us change at a price for something we did not need.

289. Great question Zofia, ‘If we stood unified as a race of human beings identified not by our differences of which country, geographic region, area, or ethnic race we are from, but instead by the universal truth of the Love that we are equally, how then would things be?’ Very different I am sure, if there was the knowing that we are all love, equally then there would be no wars, no just looking after our own, there would communities that supported for and cared for each other, people would work together not in competition.

290. A great blog Zofia and a great point to raise this deeper level of racism that is showing up even in buying a foundation cream? As you say…
     “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.”

291. Beautiful how children naturally connect with each other and terrible how they have been indoctrinated to believe that, on this case, different religions mean they need to judge other children and find them unacceptable. Love sees no difference it just is.

292. Thank you Zofia for sharing the ongoing insidious nature of racism that lurks just below the surface of so much of our society and is deeply felt by everyone even if they pretend not to notice it. Roll on the day when Love is our religion and separation is no longer fostered and encouraged in any way.

     1. Hear hear Helen, I am with you a hundred percent.

293. “If there was acceptance and celebration of an all-encompassing and unifying love, wouldn’t it make it not natural for us to champion, favour, sympathise, like, uphold differences of the outer shells of background, colour, nationality, ethnicity, race, caste, class, religion, tradition, culture or custom? ” Beautifully expressed Zofia. Love unites us, not divides.

294. Thank you of this Zofia. There is an insidiousness to racism that is very poisonous. It can cut people down and make them feel that who they are is insignificant and worthless, simply because of the colour pigment of their skin. As you say so astutely, even worse when we champion our race differences as being unique then we are devolved as a race of beings – “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour”.

295. I loved this blog Zofia, How from a simple awareness and irony you have uncovered much about the separation we live in with regard to skin colour. We still live in a world that white is the given colour, and anything else is less. Love is the unity as you say it has no border or religion.”If we stood unified as a race of human beings identified not by our differences of which country, geographic region, area, or ethnic race we are from, but instead by the universal truth of the Love that we are equally, how then would things be?” A great question to ask

296. Well said Zofia for speaking up for truth. A powerful statement where you say “Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes.”

297. Thank you for sharing Zofia. It made me stop to consider quite how racism is still apparent in the society we live in today. Whilst some people outwardly ‘celebrate’ the difference usually this creates further divide. I was quite alarmed when the UK Independence Party had nearly 4 million in the recent election. They only won 1 seat because the votes were spread across the UK but it goes to show that a large number of people voted for separation. We all need to work together as a one-unified world not continue this incessant fighting and ownership we have. Only then will love truly prevail.

298. Thank you Zofia. Through reading your blog I found myself considering things in a way I hadn’t before. I would think I didn’t understand then go back and read it again and it then seemed so obvious. I cannot imagine not seeing everyone as equal yet it is embedded in places I don’t even think I have noticed yet. Thank you for the greater awareness.

     1. True Lucy, inequality is embedded everywhere, we miss it because we see it everyday, kind of like living in the Truman Show… here is to noticing it everywhere – perhaps another blog in this.

        1. Agreed – its so ingrained that it has become normal and we do not even question it… until reading a blog like Zofia’s.

299. People seem to crave fitting in. I see it everyday at primary school, where kids long to not stand out, not even if it’s for a so-called ‘good reason’. I wonder if that desire to be the same comes from deep within every one of us, being born with an innate sense that we are all the same under our skin, our ‘essence’ or core is equal. As we grow up, we learn that we are different on the outside, our skin, our shape, our hair etc, and the knowing we had when born fades. So we are then able to criticise, put down, or applaud the way another looks, leading to the billion dollar advertising system we have created today that makes people feel bad for looking the way they do. And it ends up ‘in-your-face’ in the shopping arcade 🙂 The idea that we are better if we look a certain way, browner or whiter is so very ingrained for many billions of people, but it is not true. One day this will become clear to us all.

300. Wow Zofia you opened my eyes to a deeper level of racism that is going on in modern day society. If love was the measure than I am sure all colors of foundation would be available as a sample as we would naturally be inclusive of all skin colors as it would be a true support for everyone.

     1. I agree Lieke, but my feeling is that even if all the skin shades were available non-white people would still yearn to be white/whiter. I am always reminded of this on the long haul flights I take through Singapore which have whitening face masks available to buy in the onboard shop.

301. You’re right Zofia our natural inherant way as a human race of beings is one of unity and oneness, and not of seperation.

     1. Perhaps this is why we are so sick as a race of beings.

302. As a Malay Singaporean myself, i can’t deny that Singapore is racist, i would say even institutionally. Over here there’s an unofficial rule that the Malays are not allowed to serve or work in the Navy and Air Force.

303. There’s so much offered in your writing Zofia, so rich and full. I especially love this – “Love is colour-less, race-less, it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion” So true. Love does not identify with anything. It simply is everything already.

     1. That line stood out for me as well Sara. Love simply is.

     2. Love that Sara, feels that when we identify with love, it becomes our identity, then it is all we are.

     3. Me too Sara, this was a phrase that stood right out in its simplicity and truth.

     4. Beautifully said Sara Harris, I also love the lines you have quoted. There is a lot in this blog to stop and ponder upon.

     5. I’d go so far as to say love is ‘all’ colors and ‘all’ races because as you’ve said Sara, love is everything…

     6. Sara, you last sentence is gold too (referring to love): “It simply is everything already.”

     7. I loved this part too, it is so true and simple. Love breaks down all barriers and unites us as equals. Amazing blog!

304. Very inspiring blog, thank you Zofia. No matter our race or colour, we are all an equal part of a universal foundation – love.

     1. Love it Helen. A universal foundation 😊

305. I love the way you’ve captured the game of separation that we all play in the name of many things like celebration, culture, colour, skin, boundaries & the list can go on..as you express here Zofia. It comes in such insidious forms, so cleverly disguised, as well. It’s time to talk about it more in the forms it gets presented, to call it out & set us free from this game we all keep playing & make it about true oneness with all.
     I love what you’ve shared here: “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.”
     Love sees no separation of any kind & this universal way is what we need to apply in our lives & that is to be celebrated.

     1. It is indeed time to talk about it instead of seeing it as it is, something normal, accepted, part of our daily life. Let’s call it out and lift the veil of ignorance and arrogance related to this separation. We just don’t ‘see’ it with our eyes. It requires an opening of the heart, like you Zofia, to feel it and then talk about it, like you do in this blog. Creating awareness is an important step.

     2. It is interesting, if a senior person of that company would asked about this on TV, he or she would be horrified and may only then become aware of the unconscious racism in their choice.

        In a way it is quite crazy – you create a skin product and you limit a crucial part of it – samples – to one colour. I can’t see it as being overt racism but it is interesting what choices we make when we feel nobody is looking. On the other hand I encounter countless such thoughtless choices, though rarely this obvious ones and with such undertones every day. Most of the time it is people being neglectful and not caring.

     3. Totally agree Pinky. Time to celebrate the love that we all are. In those moments that we connect to that energy within us, our love, our essence – the preciousness of God that lives in every single human being.

     4. Zofia and Pinky well said, this separation is crazy, it surprises me to no end, how it’s still so buried inside of people. Love has no separation, no culture, no colour, no identity, love is that’s it, the universal oneness. Celebrating one as equal.

     5. Pinkylight, I love what you say here, I absolutely agree with you. It is awful how separation is still marketed through so many avenues. I find it absolutely ridiculous that people with a darker skin feel they have to lighten it in some way to be accepted. I love them as they are, they are beautiful to me as they are.

     6. Thank you pinkylight and Zofia, I agree, the only teachings I have found that inspire all to love equally, as one unified brotherhood, are Universal Medicine presentations by Serge Benhayon!

306. What a different world we would live in if we stood ‘unified as a race of human beings identified not by our differences but instead by the universal truth of the Love that we are equally.’ This reminds me of the responsibility I have to live love and be love in everything I do.

307. A big yes, Zofia to making love and self love the foundation. There are traits and qualities different culture and societies have that are worth celebrating, but when they become a point of identification or a way to make us ‘better than’ then this is where the true harm and separation kicks in.

308. This line is awesome Zofia. “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation.” It’s the fundamental ingredient for equality and humanity as a whole.

309. “it shows a true religion not of the organised shells of man but of God and the oneness, divinity and Love being where we are truly from. This religion is Love”. This is beautiful Zofia, a blog written out of true unity and equality for all. The missing ingredient being LOVE.

310. Great blog Zofia…A great link you made between how we are all trying to be the ‘same’ yet possibly what we are really wanting to be is one and together.

311. I feel your beautiful and astute message needs to be publicised and advertised universally Zofia, l completely concur with Shami, thank you.

312. Zofia, I love what you’ve raised here, how racism and the celebration of difference in whatever form is so prevalent, and how you take it deeper, it we do not come from a foundation of love then we are effectively held prisoner to those outer shells we all know. And it becomes a competition of one trying to out-do the other and deciding they are better than another for a particular reason, be it cultural, religious or racial. Underneath we are all the same, we all bleed, we all breathe and yet the one thing we all share that universal foundation you mention (love it!) is Love, and we have a world where this is not how the majority of us choose to live. The blog beautifully shows the mess we’ve created without it, life becomes superificial, about the outer and we miss that inner spark that is in us all. This is what we can all celebrate in equality and inclusiveness with one and all.

313. Beautiful wisdom Zofia. There is something extraordinary you have exposed here, a perversion of the pull to unity that is is innate within us all. It has been marketed as an external homogenisation, with no acknowledgement of the beautiful essence that ignites us from within.
     I had to smile on reading, because in Australia the Universal shade is a dark orange brown foundation, applied thickly to fair skin.
     It seems that the “universal” shade for makeup in the various countries is whatever sells to fill the local need…and never to celebrate the skin tone that is actually there, and the person we truly are.
     I love the universal foundation you have proposed, the foundation of love that is the source we come from.

314. This is a great sharing Zofia. It’s so true that difference separates us all from the unifying love that we all inherently are. What you are exposing is how we unconsciously buy into the “white is right and all there is” while at the same time pretending to celebrate our differences – all of this to cover what you so clearly express – that we are all the same “foundation” of love.

315. Zofia this is an incredibly powerful calling out of racism at the very subtle levels, the ones that the world still allows and let slide by. What you are offering the world is a new understanding of the truth of what really separates us and even more so what unites us, our equality – Love.

316. “That this Love is colour-less, race-less, that it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion.” Absolutely beautiful Zofia and I concur with you in full. All the distinctions and separations that are championed in the world of marketing and the media are fuelled by the opposite of love, they are fuelled by keeping us in a consciousness of supremacy where the silent implication is that one is always better than another. Equallness, our true way is lost, and we are also lost when we buy into it. But we do not have to, we can always call that out to be what it truly is, as you so eloquently have done here, and then claim what we know is true- – that we are all the same, beautifully so, and it is this divine equallness amongst us all that is to be celebrated.

317. Zofia thank you for your enlightening blog. Racism as you speak of it, is only something that we know of if we have experienced it, so it is vitally important for people who have experienced this to share what it means to them and how it feel when others see them as separate. As you say “To know and experience racism or division on any level is to equally know and no longer deny the urgent necessity to turn back to the core inclusivity of the Love we are from: living and knowing that this Love is colourless, race-less and no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion.”
     A truly inspirational sharing, I have learnt much thank you!

318. “To know and experience racism or division on any level is to equally know and no longer deny the urgent necessity to return back to the core and inclusivity of the Love we are from: living and knowing that this Love is colour-less, race-less, that it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion.” This sentence sums it all up Zofia, thank you for your superb observations and well written article. I agree, Love is colourless and it is our innate expression and one that I am learning to celebrate within myself and within others every day. I am finding that the more I bring my love to any situation, the more it dissolves tension and aggression in others. Real love is not gushy or sentimental, it is still, tender, un-wavering and very perceptive. When we re-connect to this inner quality, it becomes easier to see and feel it in others and therefore supports one to move on from age old hurts and create a new way to connect and communicate with others. Inclusivity is for me, what life is all about.

319. Alarming. What you have shared here makes me feel the absolute separation within ‘appearance’ worldwide. I was unaware of just how entrenched it was until your article. Thanks for sharing Zofia.

320. A very powerful blog, Zofia. I am reflecting on all of the ‘nice’ comments made about the simplest things, and can see the ‘Separation’ that is happening even when these comments are made out of an intention to – value, praise,include, acknowledge etc. To identify with anything from outside of our selves celebrates separation. The promotion of the ‘new’ foundation – ‘The universal colour is White’ is evil and that it seems many are allowing the promotion of this within their work. This is symbolic of the many other subtle ways separation and differences are glorified. I felt the power and truth in your comment – ‘Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour’. What seems like just a moment in your day has exposed yet another way of setting up people in opposition to each other using comparison and competition, something that has been playing out for lifetimes. Living the love that we all naturally are and appreciating and connecting to that in all others is the truth we can all chose to live.

321. Wow I hear what you are saying and this is a great discussion to have; I am sure I will be reading and re-reading this again but for now I just want to say one thing …. lightening a vagina! Realllly 😮😕😁

     1. There is a massive marketing drive to promote the homogenisation of this part of our bodies – from deodorising centres (in the US – true!) all the way through to reconstructive surgery. Yes, there is no end to what can be done to enhance our insecurities about beauty and distract us from how beautiful we truly are.

        1. That is crazy and just shows how far we have walked away from ourselves and the love that we are, writing this I am reminded of a story in the news I recently read of a girl dying from a bottom enhancing injection going wrong. We need to turn this around completely and come back to self-worth and deep self acceptance of ourselves (women and men, girls and boys).

     2. Lol Vicky, my face did the same expressions at the thought.

     3. I agree with your words Vicky, I also will be reading Zofia’s blog again and yet again, much to reflect on – and like your questioning remark at the end – Realllly? Is that for real – lightening a vagina – incredulous or should I say re-markable.

322. Zofia, this blog feels monumental in the issues that it is addressing. I love how from a simple observation in a beauty shop you have encompassed the entire world.

     1. Inspiring in it simplicity and freshness.

323. Zofia, your line: ‘In other words, doesn’t this celebrating go against the truth of unity or oneness that we feel on a deeper, innate level?’ says a lot for the state of humanity when this seems to be normal behaviour, to celebrate separation and comparison, when in actual truth we are all connected. Therefore any sense of separation that is felt or experienced is harming to humanity and is perpetrated as fighting against and reaction to the harm/hurt inflicted upon people resulting in more conflict. This is the macro result of a discriminating and separative ideal.

324. I love this line “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.”
     Thank you for sharing with us. I went to school in the Caribbean where I was the only white girl and I have experienced racism and being the minority…but why do we seperate when under that layer of skin, we are all the same.

     1. I too love this line. I’m also deeply shocked that this experience happened in the first place. Racism is not who we are. It is deeply upsetting and unsettling.

        I’ve also found nationalism to be very disturbing too. At school, during a war, other children called me many derogatory names because of where my father grew up. Nationality is separation. I’ve even felt it on holiday- the ‘locals’ resenting the holiday makers. I felt very threatened and unsafe. I lived in a holiday destination and holiday makers, if you listened to many who lived in the region, were tolerated only because the region needed their income, otherwise they were regarded as a nuisance and had a derogatory name.

     2. I love that line too, Rosie. Applying foundation in the morning will NEVER be the same again after reading this article! “

325. Zofia, you have brought to my attention something I have never considered before. The possibility that when we celebrate ‘difference’, we are choosing separation and not oneness. It makes complete sense, and yet I feel so attached to making a point of someone’s culture, race, nationality that is different to mine in an attempt to be ‘inclusive’, but now I’m pondering on what my idea of inclusive really means…perhaps I’ve been unintentionally exclusive this entire time.

326. Great blog Zofia Sharman, racism does not belong to the human race. When we come from love as being our basis we would celebrate all the different expressions of people, including their nationality and skin color, as we all together represent the whole. Love is our true nature and it is where we all belong.

327. Racism, is still alive in many places around the world. However, subtle, racism is racism; and no matter how subtle, in the awareness of what is innate and true for human beings, we all know racism does not feel lovely! Because we all know separation in whatever way or intensity, is simply not our true way.
     Racism is still existing because we know but are not yet expressing in full that the love we are.

     1. Racism is racism no matter how subtle – absolutely 1heart1love1earth, just like jealousy is jealousy or anger is anger or poison is poison…even if just a little bit. For me, racism suggests comparison and arrogance at being superior because of skin colour, country of origin or culture … the more I consider it, the more ridiculous it seems.

328. Zofia I agree – we are all innately equal by love – to celebrate that and not the outer shell of difference is the way to live. When I’m with people from different cultures it’s the person I am communicating with, not their skin colour or ethnic background. Thank you for bringing to our attention the insidious racism that still pervades society.

329. This is a very powerful blog Zofia. Discarding our ‘outer shells’ and knowing ourselves as and by Love would completely change the world as we know it. It would make skin colour insignificant and trivial as it is not our skin that matters nor our culture or beliefs, it is Love that unifies us, as the one constant, unchanging essence within us all.

330. You raise some big questions here Zofia and ones that I don’t hear talked about very often at all. It’s like people get this message – “Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes.” – but we are not choosing to live it. Your sharing here would spark some interesting conversations around tables no doubt.

331. Zofiam this line sums up everything for me in this incredible blog, “this Love is colour-less, race-less, that it has no border or region and belongs to no country or one organised religion”. Love just is and it is for everyone, thank you.

332. Such brilliant awareness raising of how the subtle ways of perpetuating separation filter through our everyday life, thank you Zofia. As you share the beauty industry does this so very well in many forms with reference to our outer shell no matter what colour, size, age etc. everyone is fair game. I love what you share here “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.” Lets make this the leading line in ALL advertising for make-up, as you say offer what unites and brings equality to All. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if every beauty product had a phrase that represented and connected people first before selling the product? People before product a concept that one-day will catch on when we can’t abide the lovelessness anymore.

333. Zofia, if we recognised each other as the equal love we are within, the world would be harmonious since the needs and beliefs and ideals would fall away in the light of the truth.

334. Zofia, your blog highlights the ridiculousness of focusing on what’s different about us at the expense of appreciating the enormity of what’s the same in us all beneath the surface.

335. Hello Zofia Sharman and the irony is not lost on me that it appears in Asia with skin tone we are wanting to be whiter while in areas of the world there are people trying to be darker. It seems depending of where you live in the world it governs the ‘sales’ pitch you will receive. This is a great point and question, “If we stood unified as a race of human beings identified not by our differences of which country, geographic region, area, or ethnic race we are from, but instead by the universal truth of the Love that we are equally, how then would things be?” Thank you Zofia Sharman.

336. Division, what an important topic Zofia. I, being a white woman, have never suffered from racism. Yet I know about differentiation for having applied it myself or being thought different. When I came to Australia many years ago, the mere fact of my nationality gave me a ‘halo effect’. I remember a fellow employee telling me I was not a wog, because I was (nationality suppressed)! I must say that although I was very shy and not in the least outgoing I did carry deep inside me the absurd arrogance that indeed WE are so much better at many things. I married outside my religion and culture and felt the impact of being different. Now the division was applied to me and it is a very uncomfortable feeling. I am lucky to work in a field where I meet people of many nationalities and skin hue. I have shed many of my prejudices and through the teachings of Universal Medicine I keep deepening my understanding of inclusivity and true love.

337. Thank you Zofia for this blog on true equality.
     ‘Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.’

338. WOW, Zofia this blog holds so much wisdom. I love how you explore separation from the make-up foundation and how you expose that it is in any detail of how we live. I call that true philosophy!! I absolutely love your definition of equality!!!! “Being the same’ in this case is not about one’s ethnicity or race, but more about being love. In other words, the presence of equal love is the ingredient that unifies us as being ‘the same’ and surely it’s about celebrating this.” Thats a blog I will reference to in future equality debates!!!! Absolutely awesome.

     1. Well said Rachel, Zofia has so adeptly nailed true equality, that it is the quality of love within us that makes us all equal, not our skin colour, size of our banks accounts, where we live or what we wear. Equality is about the recognising, re-connecting to and embracing our inner true, that we all contain the same vibrant essence of God within us. Roll on the day when we forget about trying to be whiter, browner, thinner, fatter and we focus soul-fully on expressing true Love we so naturally are.

339. However different we may be in terms of colour or race, Love has a way of feeling the same no matter what shade we are and, when connected to, the differences disappear before your eyes.

340. Wow Zofia, what a blog! Thank you for your powerful words. “Love unites and harmonises. Difference divides, separates and excludes.” Yes it does, and you have portrayed this beautifully here with your own personal story.

341. Your blog really gave me the opportunity to reflect on racism, race and what we hold onto to define and identify and divide ourselves the one thing that can unify humanity is acceptance of the innate Love we are.

342. Thank you for this very powerful blog, Zofia, expressing strongly and clearly how racism and separation still exist, and the dangers of the old way of thinking about diversity celebrating “different multi-racial, ethnic origins, cultures or backgrounds and say we enjoy all this because of their ‘uniqueness’ or ‘difference’.” That is so revealing, and I am sure is not not understood by most how equally divisive it is as open racism. It occurs to me that the celebrating of others is about the unique quality and expression we each bring to our lives and the lives of others, so that we can all live and work together in harmony.

343. Where solutions are sought instead of truth, societies are running lies and foul versions of what could otherwise be true brotherhood.

344. Thank you for speaking up and speaking so frankly about the current state of play. We can often think that racism no longer exists as most countries no longer have outright brutal acts occurring, but the subtleties that you speak of like in this experience at the beauty counter can be just as brutal. It is only from living a more loving life that I feel as a black woman a more equal part of society as in truth regardless of the colour of our skin, love loves regardless of what one looks like.

     1. I can see that most of our everyday life we are reminded of this way of living in separation, it has become so ingrained that these subtle harmful comments or actions are seemingly not an attack on any individual but when we stop to look a bit deeper and closer we can feel how destructive and harmful separation is in the more subtle ways. This blog highlights how racism still exists but expressed in less obvious ways but equally damaging and harmful. This blog reminds me to be more aware and observe what is love and what is not. Also reminding me to choose love and truth consistently.

345. We are all the same underneath no matter what the race, colour or creed. It is inevitable that we converge into one global culture though it may take some time yet.

346. We are all the same underneath no matter what the race, colour or creed. It is inevitable that we converge into one global culture though it may take some time yet.

347. ‘Just imagine that if we each learnt to discard identification or being owned by and invested in our outer shells as being who we are as a determinant of our worth in the world, and instead carried acceptance of the innate Love we are -…’
     I always enjoy it so much when I meet new people very much on face value. Building a connection in that moment with whatever it is that you are doing, not needing or knowing each other’s ‘identities’, just being human and enjoying a real connection with another.

348. A universal (make-up) foundation, love it Zofia. “Surely LOVE is the real identity to celebrate – this is the ‘universal (make-up) foundation’ that can be applied to everyone, regardless of skin shade or colour.” So true.

349. Powerful words Zofia that smash the ‘need’ for an outer shell to reveal our common inner most which is the one and the same LOVE that these shells protect resulting in the all sorts of divisional justification.

350. Zofia,
     Racism is still in so much of our society and is hidden in many ways that we have yet to see and expose. I love the way you have exposed it here and the way that you have put forward that love is the element that is missing when racism is present. Love is the only thing that can and will reunite everyone in our world as when it is present in our body it is impossible to separate any one human from another.

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