The Milky Way is home to about 100 billion stars and only a fraction of those can be seen by the human eye. I believe that part of the reason we exist on earth is to recognize our worth and contribute to the well-being of our communities. We can be a beacon of light to others.
There is no one better than us. There is no one below us.
We all have value and possess divinely-bestowed talents. We are as good and have as much potential as anyone else. We may think that the brilliant techie or the wise religious leader are better than us, but they aren’t. Their stature is just more visible.
It’s counterproductive to rank ourselves among others. Instead, we must strive to determine our special attributes and use them in a way to spread light, love and caring in a darkened world.
Photo by Benjamin Earwicker, Freeimages.com
Every person has an important, unique role to play.
We are individual, yet necessary components of humanity. The more we recognize what we’re supposed to do and take the initiative to do it, the closer we’ll come to healing our world and our societies.
Teresa of Avila made this point well. “Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes with which Christ looks out his compassion to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.”
How can we radiate our brightest?
- Listen for divine guidance
- Develop an awareness of what feels right and joyous
- Heed our positive instincts
- Share our talents for the greater benefit of our communities
- Stifle that inner negative voice that says we aren’t good enough (or that we’re better than others)
- Realize that everyone is a divinely-inspired creation and treat them with respect
We can bring light into our world and it starts by appreciating our strengths and acting on them.
Kathy, there were so many incredible points shared in this post that stood out. One was: It’s counterproductive to rank ourselves among others. Instead, we must strive to determine our special attributes and use them in a way to spread light, love and caring in a darkened world. It’s funny, because when I first saw the title of your post, I thought how hard it is to shine in a darkened world, but then I remembered a Jewish saying: “It’s in the darkness you see the light” (paraphrased, I’m sure), and felt that the two thoughts fit, hand in hand. Your points on how to radiate our brightness were very inspirational and poignant, and I applaud you for helping to find solutions rather than focusing on the negative. If we can all do just one thing each day to better the world around us, whether that be our own lives or helping someone else, change for the better can come. I really believe that, and that has been my personal mission. Thank you for sharing your precious insights.
You’re very welcome. Thank you for such a well-thought out comment. I’m always fascinated by how different faiths mirror each other. You mentioned the Jewish saying that reminds me of John 1 that says there is light in the darkness, but the darkness cannot see it (I’m paraphrasing as well). So similar. Wish humanity could focus on our similarities instead of differences. Shine on, Virginia!!!