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“When writing the story of your life, don’t le

“When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen." -Drake #drake #octobersveryown #ovo #toronto #selfactualization

"Artists can have greater access to reality; they

"Artists can have greater access to reality; they can see patterns and details and connections that other people, distracted by the blur of life, might miss. Just sharing that truth can be a very powerful thing." -Jay-Z #emmalynestrada #venicebeach #losangeles #california #artist

Mary J. Blige is legendary. #maryjblige #randb #so

Mary J. Blige is legendary. #maryjblige #randb #soul #music #concert

"When we are no longer able to change a situation,

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." -Viktor Frankl #chaos #pandemic #blacklivesmatter #protest #toronto

Last November, part of our team attended Mindful L

Last November, part of our team attended Mindful Living Barbados, in beautiful Bridgetown, Barbados, to learn about the country, mindfulness, meditation, self-care, the human condition, mindfulness programs that are similar to Operation Prefrontal Cortex in North America and the Caribbean, and more. Read about our trip and view my photographs of our adventure via my photography company's blog (https://ajani.ca/blog), and we strongly urge you to sign our petition to bring Advance Peace to Toronto through the link in the article or through Operation Prefrontal Cortex's Instagram account, so that Premier Doug Ford, Mayor John Tory, and the City of Toronto can implement a proven solution to the shootings that we are all concerned about. #bridgetown #barbados #mindfulness #meditation #advancepeaceto

"I got a grind, won't stop, hustle won't quit." -T

"I got a grind, won't stop, hustle won't quit." -T.I. #ti #tip #atlanta #georgia #hiphop

I wrote an article on what it means to be Black in

I wrote an article on what it means to be Black in North America, from my perspective, it features my photographs of the recent solidarity marches in Toronto, and the article is available through my photography company's blog (https://ajani.ca/blog). With that said, I have experienced overt and covert forms of anti-Black racism throughout my life, and I have been racially profiled by police while driving and on foot. Even though I take full responsibility for everything that happens to me in life, in accordance with a number of principles first developed through stoicism, different forms of yoga, and existentialism, racism is an obstacle that all Black people must face nonetheless. Being of African descent in North America, and more specifically, being a Black male in North America often means being a stranger to oneself, a threat to other Black people, a menace to law enforcement, and a danger to society at large. To be a Black male in North America often means being public enemy number one and consequently labeled a criminal at worst or a source of entertainment and laughter at best. Conscious as I am of my Black identity, the recent killing of George Floyd and the marches, protests, and riots that have followed in the United States and elsewhere have affected me deeply. #blacklivesmatter #activism #photojournalism #storytelling #colonialism

The United States of America. #america #usa #slave

The United States of America. #america #usa #slavery #savannah #georgia

As requested by Arianna Huffington, my essay on th

As requested by Arianna Huffington, my essay on the long-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic has been published through Thrive Global, and it is available by searching for my name via the Thrive Global site (https://www.thriveglobal.com). The article includes my photographs of downtown Toronto during the pandemic, in addition to various mental health tools and habits that are relevant and helpful to the vast majority of people, especially artists, entrepreneurs, and executives, as they navigate a global event unlike any we have faced recently. However, individuals that do not have their basic needs met, as per Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and individuals that experience untreated, severe mental illnesses or forms of trauma will need more support than the tools outlined through the article. #coronavirus #covid19 #journalism #mentalhealth #toronto

5 AM in Toronto. #drake #toronto #ovo #octobersver

5 AM in Toronto. #drake #toronto #ovo #octobersveryown #rap

I interviewed Julien Christian Lutz, professionall

I interviewed Julien Christian Lutz, professionally known as Director X for Thrive Global, which is an American company founded by Arianna Huffington in 2016 -- a company that provides behavior change technology and media to support individuals struggling with stress and burnout. The protégé of pioneering director Hype Williams, Lutz has been noted for directing high-budget, visually distinctive videos for popular artists, including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and many others. After his experience as a victim of public gun violence in Toronto, and with his childhood friend Danell Adams, he co-founded Operation Prefrontal Cortex, which is a program harnessing the power of mindfulness and meditation to help reduce the incidents of gun and mass violence in Toronto. I have been a part of Operation Prefrontal Cortex for over a year, recently I became the organization's Art Director, and throughout our conversation for Thrive Global, we discuss the evolution of Op PFC, meditation, mindfulness, violence in Toronto and elsewhere, childhood, and more. The interview also features my photography, and it is available by searching for "Director X" through Thrive Global (https://www.thriveglobal.com). #directorx #filmmaking #mindsforlives #meditation #toronto

The mental health, short-term goals, and long-term

The mental health, short-term goals, and long-term goals of many small business owners, entrepreneurs, and most of their employees have been compromised, and the mental health of marginalized communities and those that exist on the fringes of all societies have been unfathomably damaged. Among other variables, social distancing, isolation, and the lack of human touch have taken a toll on many of us, since human beings are social animals. The adverse psychological effects of loneliness are scientifically proven. Those with diagnosed and undiagnosed severe mental illnesses and addictions may not be coping well and may lack access to the resources that can help them during the pandemic. An article that summarizes my thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes my photographs of the downtown core of Toronto and mental health tools that can benefit the vast majority of people is available via my photography company's blog (https://ajani.ca/blog). #covid19 #coronavirus #photojournalism #toronto #portrait

CeeLo Green. #ceelogreen #goodiemob #gnarlsbarkley

CeeLo Green. #ceelogreen #goodiemob #gnarlsbarkley #atlanta #portrait

Since the beginning of this year, the Coronavirus

Since the beginning of this year, the Coronavirus pandemic has touched me, my family, my friends, my colleagues, all Torontonians, all Canadians, all human beings, and our planet as a whole. Nothing that I can write will do justice to the millions of people that have been traumatized by hospitalizations and deaths perpetrated by the Coronavirus, nor can anything that I say accurately describe the profundity of the confusion, existential angst, anxiety, fear, depression, racism, nihilism, suicidality, job loss, debt, and financial insecurity that has spread across the world at an inconceivable pace. The effects have been unprecedented for individuals, families, communities, businesses, healthcare systems, and many other networks. Visit my photography company's blog (https://ajani.ca/blog) to read my thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic, to learn about some mental health tools that may be useful to most people, and to view my photographs of the downtown core of Toronto as it presently appears to me. #toronto #covid19 #coronavirus #photojournalism #writing #icpconcerned

Tory Lanez is an essential worker. #torylanez #new

Tory Lanez is an essential worker. #torylanez #newtoronto #toronto #quarantineradio #brampton

I was interviewed by the Toronto Guardian about my

I was interviewed by the Toronto Guardian about my day-to-day life and career, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the interview is available by searching for my name through the Toronto Guardian website, or by searching for "Ajani Charles Toronto Guardian" via Goofle. With that said, mindfulness and meditation have helped me tremendously over the course of the last six years, and especially within the context of operating my businesses and projects. Coincidentally, mindfulness is needed more than ever before, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, otherwise known as the Coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has led to elevated levels of fear, worry, shame, guilt, paranoia, anxiety, depression, and irrationality amongst billions of people, so I encourage anyone reading this to download and use the Calm app, and to seek other tools that can help to mitigate stress on a daily basis. Without daily mindfulness practices, my recent interview would not have been possible, and I would lack the psychological stability to create new projects, new relationships, and new ventures during an obviously turbulent moment in human history. #toronto #photography #filmmaking #entrepreneurship #covid19

Protect Nas at all costs. #nas #nasirjones #queens

Protect Nas at all costs. #nas #nasirjones #queens #newyork #hiphop

"Develop flexibility and you will be firm; cultiva

"Develop flexibility and you will be firm; cultivate yielding and you will be strong." -Lie Yukou #beijing #china #acrobat #performance #flexibility

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