Let Your Light Shine

~ by Brittany Loberg

How do you make sense of the world around you? Do you believe that humans were created with divine purpose? Do you believe in a divine source of power? We all have beliefs we filter our experiences through. One of my personal belief frameworks is humanism. I believe that every individual holds the keys to their own growth and attainment of their goals. I believe that self-actualization is internally motivated and unique to each individual. Therefore, it is not my job to provide guidance or advice or project my own world view onto another. As a counsellor, this means my role is to help others tune into their own inner guidance system and learn to trust their innate ability to grow and move forward.

I like to make sense of the world through pictures and analogies. Apparently, I am not alone in this preference as research on cognition and memory suggests using pictures and analogies enhance memory retention and the ability to understand complex or abstract concepts. With this in mind, I want to share the mental pictures I use to understand the humanistic aspect of my world view.

The humanistic framework focuses on the inner agency and internal experiences unique to each individual. I picture this inner resource as a light. We are all born with our inner light burning bright. This light symbolizes our unique essence. No two lights are the same. This means, the light each of us brings into the world will only be experienced on this earth, once. Our light is fleeting and precious and it is our truest gift to ourselves and the world. It illuminates our path and provides inner guidance. It can provide a beacon of hope for others and make the world a better place.

If you are like me and your worldview includes a higher power or spiritual force, you may think of this light as your connection with and reflection of your higher power. You are a one-of-a-kind reflection of the divine! You were created with immense intention and design. When you embody the truest expression of yourself, you reflect the greatness and brilliance of your Creator. 

As we journey through life, we inevitably receive negative messages about who we are. We hear that we are too loud, too quiet, too fat, or too skinny. We hear that we are weird, or boring, unlovable, never good enough, incapable, worthless, broken, or a failure. Many of us, at some point, start to accept a few of these messages and our light starts to dim. Our light can even become so dim that we start to feel lost and wonder if we will ever find our way back.

Often, this is the point people are at when they walk into my counselling office. I am truly amazed at what happens next. Even if the individual is so low that they have lost sight of their light, they walk into my office and they bring their light with them! I can see it and I can feel it. Under the layers of self-hatred, or a myriad of other limiting beliefs, is their beautiful light! This is why there is always hope. Regardless of past horrors or current struggles, the light never left. It is still there, resilient and unwavering, waiting to shine in all its glory into the world!

How brightly is your light shining these days? Do you know what lights you up? Your greatest joy and responsibility is to tend to this light, and nurture it. When your light is shining bright, it melts away the shadows of limiting beliefs and misplaced focus and perceptions. It will light your path and align your actions with your values and goals. It will overflow and shine onto your family, your friends, your community. Only you can discover what makes your light shine brightest. On my own journey, I have found that writing is one of the things that lights me up. I enjoy channeling my creativity and thoughts into words. What do you enjoy? 

Alternatively, what is blocking your light right now? Do you have hurts inflicted on you by yourself or others? Do you have limiting beliefs? Where did those beliefs come from and how can you shift them? Many times our limiting beliefs cause us to feel unworthy of pursuing our own wellbeing. Perhaps this is your starting point. Can you allow yourself to believe that you came into this world full of light and potential? Can you allow yourself to believe that your value is inherent, not earned? Could you believe that you deserve to heal and live a life full of light and purpose?  

As you ponder these questions and ideas, remember, you can look at others who are shining bright and be inspired. However, you are not meant to shine in the exact way others shine. Admire those shiny humans in your life and then commit to shining your own precious light in its completely unique way.

Here is today’s invitation: find some quiet time to look inside and assess your inner light. You are continually on a quest to shine brighter. Tune into your inner sense of wellbeing. What do you need today? Let your intuition guide you and then take inspired action. You and your beautiful light have incomprehensible innate value. You were created to shine. Shine for yourself, shine for your family, shine for the world!