The light shines brightest in the dark, yet often, we see the darkness and forget there is light.

Recently, as I spiralled into a dark funnel of believing there was no light, I came to a place where I believed only the dark and gloomy thoughts rattling around in my mind were the truth. I could not see the light above because I was so focused on where my thoughts were leading me, I forgot that I had control of where I was going. I had the power to stop my downward spiral into the dark.

And then, the thing that was causing me the most distress was lifted with the decision not to pursue a particular project at work. In that decision I felt heard, validated, appreciated.

And suddenly, my slide into darkness ended as I lifted my head and saw the light shining above.

“Where did the light come from?” I asked. And the inner voice of wisdom laughed and replied gently, “It was always there. You just got so lost in believing darkness was everywhere, you forgot to look up.”

In his book, The Road Less Travelled, Scott Peck, writes, “Life is difficult…  once we truly see this truth, we transcend it… Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”

There is darkness in this world. Once I accept there is darkness, the darkness does not matter as much as the light I choose to share with the world.

When I was sliding down into the darkness of my thinking life was difficult and that’s all there was, I was fighting against the truth that it is difficult, challenging and in the process forgot, it is also a beautiful, joyful experience when I stop resisting what is. In my unwillingness to keep my eyes and heart open, I was refusing to see that in this world there are people who behave badly. Even more importantly, I was pushing against the truth that I am not powerful enough to change their minds, to make them see the light, to make them change.

I am not that powerful.

And that is a powerful space to hold compassionately and lovingly in my heart.

I cannot change the darkness of others. I am powerful enough to create light in the darkness around me so that I can live with loving acceptance of all the world holds, dark and light, without fearing the darkness is all there is to behold.

In that acceptance, I am free to live fearlessly in the light knowing, the darkness is not my answer, unless I close my eyes to the light.

Namaste.

Thank you Mark and Val for illuminating the darkness in Love.