Life, it’s full of choices. From the time we wake up, to the time we go to sleep, we’re faced with choices. And we can choose to let darkness rule our every waking moment, or we can choose to be a light unto ourselves and others. I try to choose the latter as often as possible.
If you follow along you know it’s not been an easy road. It’s definitely taken lots of awareness and many meditation experiences to get here, but I’m here more often than not now. When you become conscious of how your perspectives and reactions affect the way you feel, and ultimately affect how you make others feel, the choice to be a light becomes easier. And the other day I was reminded of why I choose to be a light. It was a normal jam packed day, with a couple of added stops. The first was a stop at the dentist – ugh I know – and the other was a stop to check in on a pending work order. After leaving the dentist though I contemplated whether I should stick to my initial plan. But after checking in with myself to see if I had some humanity left after a long day and a sore mouth, I decided I should be good to go. However, as soon as I stepped into my final destination, I noticed the line – you know, the kind that smacks you in the face as soon as you cram yourself inside. Again, I did a little check with myself to see how I was feeling and whether I could stay in my happy place as I waited. After a few minutes though, I noticed that the line was moving pretty smoothly, so I decided to stay. And after about 20 minutes of being in line it was my turn to speak to one of the customer service representatives. It was this encounter that reminded me why continuing to be a light is the only choice.
Yes, I was tired and my mouth was starting to throb a little, but that had nothing to do with the work order the person on the other side of the counter was going to help me with. Unleashing any negativity on this stranger would be the equivalent of a stranger greeting you on the street and saying “Hi, How are you?” and instead of you saying “Fine”, you go into a whole laundry list of what’s going on in your life. The same can be true about the energy you radiate when you enter into the room. Even when you don’t think others are looking or noticing, they are. That’s exactly what happened to me. As soon as I walked up, the customer service rep commented on my glow. Yes, he actually noticed a glow. Although I knew my light wasn’t shining as bright because – well life – I had mustered up enough humanity, compassion, and joy inside for it to show. He even went on to comment that it was a breath of fresh air because he’s used to dealing with the not so kind, but as soon as I walked up, he felt a lightness. And as we continued to chit chat and take care of my order, the rep stopped mid sentence and said “…that’s what it is, you’re a happy person.” I said, “I try to be, that’s how life’s meant to be lived right?” He agreed, and it’s what I truly believe.
I know life sometimes leads us to believe we’re not worthy of the best life has to offer – happiness, love, success, etc. – but that’s exactly what we were put here to be. We just have to connect with our true selves through consciousness and let go of the fear that we’re not enough – not skinny enough, smart enough, pretty enough, successful enough, rich enough, etc. We have to learn to embrace and appreciate everything we actually are, which is perfect, whole and complete just as we are, at this very moment, not when we’ve lost the last 10 lbs, won the lottery, landed the perfect job, etc. It’s definitely a conscious choice you have to make every day, every second, with every encounter, but it totally allows you to be in harmony with the universe. Allowing this awakening to be the normal flow of our life is what allows us to be a light to everyone we encounter.
Awesome right! But just like everything else that’s good for us, it requires some practice and a willingness to let go of old habits. And it all starts when we learn to love ourselves. Love of self is what allows us to be open, giving, confident, radiating love for everyone and everything we encounter. And it’s palpable, even magnetic enough to draw others who operate with the same passion and gratitude for all the good and beauty life has to offer. And it doesn’t have to be a huge act of finding yourself. You can begin making the shift by simply adding a smile to your day. There’s no brighter light.
I know this fast paced world has hardened us to believe that such a simple gesture can do anything toward changing our circumstances, but humanity is an amazing thing. Once one softens, the others you encounter have no choice but to respond in kind because they feel your openness and love, vs. the fear of judgement, disappointment, etc. And when you add that to letting go of any expectations of how others are supposed to respond to you, you in turn let go of possibly being hurt or disappointed by anyone’s reaction. It’s a definite full circle win, which is why I encourage you to give it a try. Cheers to loving yourself as you are right now and allowing positivity, gratitude, and love to rule your world!
How do you try to be a light unto yourself and others?
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Very nice article and easy way to understand ….. Thanks….
Thanks so much Farid, it always makes my day when I get comments like this! Thanks so much for stopping in. Have a wonderful day!