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Be The Light

Updated: Jan 25

What is the importance of being the light?


We hear a lot about light in the transformative journey. But why?


It's time for you to live in the sunlight of the spirit...


How can we bring light to the world?

Being the light

When I go to my place of joy in the woods daily, regardless of the weather, there is always a divine light shining through the trees, dancing at it illuminates the ground. Bob Marley called us to “Light up the darkness.” We are born free and full of light. Georgia O'Keefe said “My first memory is of light - the brightness of light - light all around.” But our conditioned mind dims our light: We need to replenish it. This is a daily practice. We are the light for ourselves and for others. Being a lightworker means being someone who emanates light to lift others out of their shadow. It comes through meditation: It is a daily practice. Marianne Williamson shares a wonderful meditation on this (see below). But what does being the light mean? This relates to reminding ourselves daily to be the light, and recharging ourselves to illuminate our own shadow, our darkness, and that of others. This daily practice is so important: As John Hagee said “We are indeed the light of the world — but only if our switch is turned on.” Mary Anne Radmacher said “As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.” By being the light it saves us from being dimmed by our shadow and dragged down by negative thoughts in ourselves and the negative words and behaviour of others. It also allows others to do the same. The excess weight of darkness falls away. This is the miracle of the light. It heals, and all is new. The shadow is born of fear. Marianne Williamson said “Light is to darkness what love is to fear; in the presence of one the other disappears.” There’s no such thing as the light at the end of the tunnel, you must realise that you are the light."


Meditation for a light filled body by Marianne Williamson

The light in the mirror

You can look in the mirror every morning as a check in to see if you are being controlled by your shadow or if the light of truth and your higher Self is looking back at you. Anais Nin wrote “When you possess light within, you see it externally.” You can see it in your eyes. You can see it in the effulgence (the divine glow) of your reflection. I really reccomend looking in the mirror every morning. Check in and see how your light is doing, and who you are being: your shadow or your higher Self.


The mirror also has relevance to how we interact with others. Edith Wharton said “There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” Express gratitude when you receive light from another, and you will be reflecting it back to them. As Albert Schweitzer wrote “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

Be the light when confronted with darkness

Life involves challenges. How we behave during these times depends on our light. As Martin Luther King Jr., said “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Light makes you powerful: Maya Angelou said “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” Light makes you invincible: Wes Fesler said “No degree of worldly darkness can extinguish the glow of a soul’s inner light.” Yehuda Berg said “Love is a weapon of Light, and it has the power to eradicate all forms of darkness. That is the key. When we offer love even to our enemies, we destroy their darkness and hatred.” As Rumi wrote "If everything around seems dark, look again, you may be the light."


There is a Maori proverb “Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.” You can't change anyone else, and you should not try. As Sogyal Rinpoche wrote “Light must come from inside. You cannot ask the darkness to leave; you must turn on the light.” Your light may help others to see their true path. Ella Baker wrote "Give light and people will find the way.”


If you focus on being the light, rather than fighting darkness, you will not need to fight at all. Presence steps you out of drama. Desiderius Erasmus wrote "Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself.” The Bible affirmed “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness comprehended it not.” Light is in a higher frequency than darkness: The people and challenges simply disappear.


In darkness, the light comes from within: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.”


“An age is called “dark,” not because the light fails to shine but because people refuse to see it.” (James Michener) This is when we are called to our divine purpose.


Aristotle said “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” But once we see it, all becomes clear. Light can guide you when you are surrounded by darkness. As Sri Chinmoy said “Listen to the inner light; it will guide you. Listen to the inner peace; it will feed you. Listen to the inner love; it will transform you.” Similarly, Rumi said “If light is in your heart, you will find your way home.”


Trying to numb the pain of the toxic shame that we carry in our shadow is the cause of all addictions. But this dims our light. As Brené Brown wrote “Numb the dark and you numb the light.”


Eckhart Tolle wrote “There is only one perpetrator of evil on the planet: human unconsciousness. That realisation is true forgiveness. With forgiveness, your victim identity dissolves, and your true power emerges -the power of Presence. Instead of blaming the darkness, you bring in the light.”

Light is truth

James Russell Lowell wrote "Light is the symbol of truth.” Marianne Williamson says "We see not only that we are one with others, but also that all of us carry seeds of the divine. We were created by God, in the image of God. We are perfect. We deserve from ourselves and each other the same mercy that God shows to each of us. When our minds are healed of the delusion that our minds define us, then showing mercy and forgiveness comes naturally. Yes we make mistakes, but the mistakes are not who we are. The shadow is not your true Self, your true Self is the light within you... It is our light, not our darkness that is real." Roy Bennett said “To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.” Authenticity and openness bring truth, courage and personal power. Augustine of Hippo said “It’s not in the book or in the writer that readers discern the truth of what they read; they see it in themselves, if the light of truth has penetrated their minds.”

Collective healing

As the Chinese proverb states “If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.” Light is the force that overcomes the war that lives in each of us - our shadow. Roy Bennett wrote “Shine your light and make a positive impact on the world; there is nothing so honourable as helping improve the lives of others.”

Light may be powered by our own shadow

Brené Brown said “Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy - the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”

Light is true beauty

Light is beauty and beauty is light. It is beautiful as it emanates from within, with the purpose of making others shine. “Gorgeous, glowing rays of light…This was what true beauty and goodness looked like – a spectral, luminescent gathering of beings so pure it hurt to look directly at them, like the most glorious eclipse, or maybe Heaven itself” (Lauren Kate). “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart” (Kahlil Gibran). As Victor Hugo once said, “To love beauty is to see light.”

We must not be afraid of being the light

Plato said “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Marianne Williamson elaborates so beautifully “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” When our light has purpose, we feel that the calling is larger than us.

Light gets in through our wounds

Leonard Cohen wrote:“There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.”

Coming from a place of needing external validation dims your light

Jim Carrey said “Your need for acceptance can make you invisible in this world. Don't let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all of your glory.”

Be the light of all lights

In coaching I see the divine in people, without judgement. Wayne Dyer wrote “See the light in others, and treat them as if that is all you see.” This allows them to be their higher Self.


So I say to you, echoing the words of Bram Stoker, “There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.” This happens when you find your true purpose. As Oprah Winfrey says “You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.”


We become the light of being with daily meditative practice, by telling our truth, facing and integrating our shadow, being immune to negativity and projection by others, finding our true Self, finding our purpose, being a beacon and a mirror, with love and gratitude, and expanding our consciousness through presence. Shine on!


Be a light. If others are unkind, remember it’s a reflection of their circumstances and not of who you are. Be kind to them. If others are hurtful, it’s a reflection of their pain and not of who you are. Be kind to them. If others are cold, it’s a reflection of the challenges they are facing and not of who you are. Be kind to them. The truth is, you can never fully know what is going on with others - the battles they are facing, the heartbreaks they are trying to find peace from - but you can always be kind. You can always shine a light.


Hurt people hurt others, but luckily, helped people heal others. Safe people shelter others. Free spirits free others. Enlightened people illuminate others, and love always wins. So shine your light of love on all who may cross your path in life.




When a candle lights another candle, it loses nothing of itself.


Plato wrote "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." We become the light of being with daily meditative practice, by telling our Truth, facing and integrating our shadow, being immune to negativity and projection by others, finding our true Self, finding our purpose, being a beacon and a mirror, with love and gratitude, and expanding our consciousness through presence. Shine on!


Namaste.


Sending you love, light, and blessings brothers.


Olly



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Hello,

I am delighted and enchanted to meet you. I coach men with 'Deep Coaching', 'Supercoaching', and Transformative Life Coaching (TLC). Thank you for reading this far. I very much look forward to connecting with the highest version of you, to seeing your highest possibility, and to our conversations. Please do contact me via my email for a free connection call and a free experience of coaching on Zoom or in person. 


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