Something I've been playing with lately is how brightly I can let my inner light shine.
"
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...."
We all have that inner light, inner spark, that space that some say Divine Light fills us, the space where consciousness resides, that thing that gives us life and, I'd say, purpose. We have this inner light and part of our journey is first to recognize it. To recognize it, to coax it out of hiding, to take ownership, to have responsibility, to play with, to discover how this inner light has blessed us with our own unique gifts to the world and then to figure out how to use those gifts in a way that is deeply fulfilling.
It is the light that, when cultivated and allowed to be expressed, brings sustained joy.
But here's something I've noticed. Maybe you've noticed it, too. As I start to step into my light, as I nurture and nourish and then shine the crap out of my light and feel SO GOOD in my body, other people notice. Those who have found their light say, "Wow! Welcome! We're so glad you've joined us! Let's shine together and create tons of amazing light!"
But those who haven't quite found, or nurtured, or accepted their light seem to want to extinguish mine. Or contain it. Or just push it out of sight. Because it's like I've shined a flashlight into their eyes first thing in the morning. It's just too bright.
I've experienced this in reverse, too. When I was still afraid to shine, afraid to be fully me, afraid to let myself out of the bag, those people who shined so big made me think, "Oh wow, she's so bright! This is kind of uncomfortable. Like a sunburn. I'd better make myself dimmer so that she doesn't notice how afraid I am."
Either we're afraid to shine in the presence of the brightness of others, or we start to push back. Why? Because our culture tells us that you cannot have something for yourself without taking from someone else. Our culture teaches us to have a mentality of scarcity. That only the quick, the rich, the popular, the good-looking, the name-brand and whitest teeth get what they want. The unspoken message is that the rest of us must go without.
That, people, is bullshit.
Our inner lights -- that piece of us that turns on our consciousness within our bodies and that piece that scientists still don't understand -- is unlimited. It is Source. It is in each and every one of us and connects us. It is this same light within me that is in you, and because of the light we share, we are one (Namaste). When I shine my light brighter, you do not have to be smaller. You can be big, and I can be big, or we can be small, or medium. The Source is unlimited.
Similarly, whether you shine your light like a candle or a spotlight, it is the same light, and it is still yours. The key is just not to let it seem extinguished, but to remember that it is yours and it is there no matter how bright or dim you shine it.
So what do you do when you notice that your inner light is being squashed? As an highly sensitive person, I can feel when my inner light is being asked or forced to be smaller because the ego or the human self of an someone else is afraid that my light might outshine them. There are a few ways to go about it. First, you can just keep on shining. This is the route I've tried to take in the past. But as an empath, I find it extremely difficult and painful when I'm shining away and then fall under attack from energetic darts that say, "Turn that light off!"
Second, you can hide your light. But if you've worked hard to shine your inner light, this will feel defeating. This might make you feel that you don't deserve to shine your light, which isn't true. So I will recommend the third choice.
Third is that you learn to cultivate your inner light, which is yours all the time, whether you can feel it or not. Learn how bright you can shine in different situations, around different people, until you receive negative energy in return. It's a practice. Then, learn tools to protect yourself from the negative energy around you, allowing yourself to be protected and unaffected by the energy thrown your way.
Something that I did while I learned and practiced my tools in different situations was to always remind myself of my constant inner light. I found that when negative energy affected me, I felt like my inner light was extinguished, but in reality I just couldn't see it because of the outside energy covering it up. I found a handy, fun and creative way to remind me the spiritual truth of my inner light.
Body art.
While you practice your tools, write yourself a lovely reminder that your inner light is there, that it's yours, and that it's unlimited. And have fun!
Love and Light,
Anna
P.S. If you're not sure how to protect yourself from energy, give me a call -- that's exactly what my services are all about.
