It’s up to us to shine our light.
And that means every single one of us, no exceptions!
The world needs as many warriors of light as it can get right now.
Wisdom from Rumi
Vote and also let your light shine
It’s been so busy this past week that I almost missed voting today.
I finally filled out my mail-in ballot and dropped it off at the voting center in North San Juan right before our 6:30 pm rehearsal. That’s definitely cutting it close!
The concerning thing is that I had a moment late in the afternoon when it seemed useless to vote, and I was tempted not to make the ten-minute drive to drop off my ballot. It made me realize that I was being affected by the negativity and cynicism that is so prevalent in our world right now. This got my attention!
It also renewed my commitment to vote and made me determined to pull back even more from reading the news. Doing so pulls down my energy and makes it that much harder to be a positive force for good in the world.
Then, with perfect timing, a friend shared this quote from her guru, Amma:
Don’t be discouraged by your inability to dispel all the darkness in this world; just light your one candle, and let it shine.
Time to shine
When I saw this on Facebook, it stopped me in my tracks. The imagery so perfectly reflects my process of the past couple of years.
In 2022 I was largely turned in on myself as I moved through my cancer journey.
At the beginning of 2023, I was done with treatments, off disability, and back to work. So, I rather naively assumed all was back to normal. It wasn’t until about half or even two-thirds of the way through 2023 that I finally “got it” that, although progress was being made, I still had a way to go before being fully healed and integrated on all levels once again.
Now, as 2024 gets underway, there’s been a definite inner shift, which I’m experiencing as interesting new thoughts, choices, and behaviors (I’ll share more about this in future blog posts).
In fact, the above image (which can be purchased as a print) has inspired me to do something I haven’t done in over thirty years — create a little rhyme to affirm my vision for this beautiful new year. Here goes…
In two zero two four, I’ll shine once more! 🌟
From the trees: a mantra for the day
For once I’m writing my blog post before noon. Why? Because inspiration hit early for once!
My friend, Lisa — who feels, as do I, a deep love for the poetry of Mary Oliver — shared a poem that really spoke to me today. And I felt to distill its message down to these words to live by: Go easy; be filled with light; shine.
Trees remind us that we, too, have come into the world to do this. But how quickly we forget…
WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES
When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
@2006 by Mary Oliver
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”
Published by Beacon Press in Thirst, p.4