How do you get back in the Light?

There are two kinds of light--the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.
James Thurber (1894 - 1961)

Stepping back into the light after being in the dark for a long time, can be painful. Our eyes just want to close, they strain to adjust and suddenly can see! Eyes adjust naturally to the light, just as they did in the dark. Our eyes are capable of seeing the tiniest shard of light in the dark and will instinctively close when the glare hurts. We know intuitively what the right light is and can feel the power of it when we do.

Our physical coming into the light is evocative of our spiritual journey. Coming back into the light takes a bit of patience and a lot of faith. Trusting the process and knowing that the light you find will be the one that illuminates the way to joy is the blessing of the adventure.

I had been in the dark for a while and now have stepped fully into the light. This lovely place of hope, of possibility and God's grace. My dark place was an illness that robbed me physically and emotionally, yet spiritually blessed me beyond belief. I have become grateful for my courage to explore the dark in a way that allows truth and brings me to a deeper love of self, of God and others.

These days when the dark calls, I know there is wisdom there for me. If I am smart enough to be there, explore and move through it with grace, the riches will bubble forth. I have learned that there is a time for me to be alone with God in the dark and then there is a time for me to reach out and seek a hand to explore it and move through.

Debbie Ford, released a movie recently called the Shadow Effect. It features spiritual journeymen like Deepak Chopra and Marianne Williamson to name a few. They discuss the necessity to adventure into the dark with the faith that if explored with honesty, it will bear riches. We live in a society that is focused on running from the dark or we wallow in it. We avoid "feeling" bad. We seek escape and fantasy and end up numb. The movie compels us to bravely go into the dark and face the sides of ourselves that are craving the light of day. It is by going into the dark that the light can find a way there.

Elizabeth Lesser, one of the founders of the renowned Omega Institute, wrote a book called Broken Open. In it she explores what is available to us in times of brokenness. She shares her own hurts and exposes her frailties to herself and others in order to grow. Her honesty and willingness to be vulnerable inspired me greatly. I learned that through a willingness to be vulnerable with myself and the right people, I would be able to excavate the gold in the dark places.

And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
—Anaïs Nin

Lesser opened her book with Nin's quote. It makes a powerful statement. I am inspired by this quote to be honest with my own fear to blossom. I am evolving my business and finally launching my book. I am finding myself in the wonderfully incredible process of creative chaos, joy and fear rumbling around together.

We all have times of self doubt, fear, and weariness. It is how we respond to these feelings that makes a life or breaks it. This morning, I was having the dreary Monday blues. Feeling overwhelmed and confused, I reached out to my best friend. He reminded me of my strengths and brought a smile to my face by reminding me that he felt good cause I called him for help out of the dark. He got to be my light for a moment, while mine became stronger with a dose of his love.

We laughed at the nuttiness of the moment. Here I am the girl who wrote Who's Helping Who? A book all about reaching out for help and the grace that ensues because of it. There I sat feeling ashamed that I needed a bit of TLC, while he sat feeling blessed to be a beacon. OH right he reminded me, I am human...

It is hard to admit we're having a bad day or a bad spell in our lives. They come. Sometimes, you can go within and seek the strength to move through it, other times reaching out for a hand is what is necessary. What I know for sure, is getting out of the dark is so much easier with the loving hand of a trusted friend.

Which friend of yours sheds light in the dark? Give them a call and say thanks for being a light!!