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Daily Question, August 10

What helps me navigate the dark rather than turn away from it?

  • Carol

    Meditation, calling on the strength of my ancestors, praying for wisdom in all situations, nurturing a loving sense of humor, reaching out for professional help when necessary, doing my best not to take myself too seriously and being kind to myself and others.

  • Ed Schulte

    A candle burns just as bright in the darkness of night as it does in full daylight where it is not easily seen by the corporeal eyes. The candle doesn’t mind the so-called “darkness” around it…it just keeps giving the gift of light it is.

    Which is the best any human can do as well!

  • Howie Geib
    The shadow side is where the work lies. It is where light is needed. Light having a variety of connotations: new learning, bravery, truth finding and telling, growth and confrontations of weakness and fear. These confrontations and their composite sets of resistance are required in order to reveal my soul to my awareness. It is doing the hard things. Every time I break my word, let myself or others down, don’t live up to my own standards, it has been a result of laziness and laxity. Every sing...

    The shadow side is where the work lies. It is where light is needed. Light having a variety of connotations: new learning, bravery, truth finding and telling, growth and confrontations of weakness and fear. These confrontations and their composite sets of resistance are required in order to reveal my soul to my awareness. It is doing the hard things. Every time I break my word, let myself or others down, don’t live up to my own standards, it has been a result of laziness and laxity. Every single time. Knowing this in my bones from experience gives me the fortitude to put one foot in front of the other.

    I cannot do it alone. That’s why we have all come so far together.

    Read More
  • Amber

    The strength, maturity and wisdom I’ll gain after the darkness passes it’s course. I’m highly drawn to how I persevere and choose to continue forward or simply be still and recognize the guiding light from within me and move with caution and trust that being in the unknown lands the catapult of hope.

  • Patricia

    Knowing God is in the dark, too.

  • Nelson

    Knowing that I’ve been through tough times before, and yet, I’m still here standing. I’m a survivor. I’m resilient. I have evidence that I can overcome.

  • GratefulOne

    God. Yesterday a family member got a bad health diagnosis. There was anger, confusion and despair. At the end of the day after processing it all, I had some choice words for God. I woke up this morning and the sun was there just like every day. And I am coming to terms with the health issue. I trust God and myself to navigate the dark. A good light helps as well!

  • DeVonna

    Faith, pure and simple. If I didn’t believe in a loving God…I can’t even finish that sentence, it’s that scary to me.

    I believe.

  • devy

    My spiritual faith and my self love and compassion. Focusing on what I have, looking at why I feel a certain way. taking several deep breaths and focusing on the now to help me confront the darkness.

  • Kevin
    Many years ago, folk singer Arlo Guthrie, in the middle of a concert, stopped singing a song he was performing and said, “You can’t have a light without a dark to stick it in.” In his classic, impish way, there’s a simple truth in what he said. From a spiritual perspective, I learned many years ago that “Light,” spiritual light, that which emanates from an experience of that which is Divine, will land you smack-dab in the middle of darkness and sometimes evil, where oftentimes, ...

    Many years ago, folk singer Arlo Guthrie, in the middle of a concert, stopped singing a song he was performing and said, “You can’t have a light without a dark to stick it in.” In his classic, impish way, there’s a simple truth in what he said.

    From a spiritual perspective, I learned many years ago that “Light,” spiritual light, that which emanates from an experience of that which is Divine, will land you smack-dab in the middle of darkness and sometimes evil, where oftentimes, “Light” does its best work. Indeed, darkness, cloaked in fear, needs to be faced, understood, and navigated. The more light/Light there is in a place, or something we perceive as good, the more nearby is darkness.

    Read More
  • Holly in Ohio
    Understanding my limits of today, helps me to navigate the dark rather than turn away from it, and shrinks my limits of tomorrow. In recovering from trauma, I learned to find "the sweet spot" of gentle pushing to extend my limits without overwhelming myself. It is sort of like exercise. To do nothing is to atrophy. To do too much is to pull a muscle, injure oneself, or get so tired as to quit. So you have to find the sweet spot to feel stronger in facing the dark. This month I have been a ...

    Understanding my limits of today, helps me to navigate the dark rather than turn away from it, and shrinks my limits of tomorrow.

    In recovering from trauma, I learned to find “the sweet spot” of gentle pushing to extend my limits without overwhelming myself. It is sort of like exercise. To do nothing is to atrophy. To do too much is to pull a muscle, injure oneself, or get so tired as to quit. So you have to find the sweet spot to feel stronger in facing the dark.

    This month I have been a little overwhelmed and the dark seems threatening, but I keep to the edge of the dark without hiding from it so my world doesn’t shrink or take on an unreal quality, and I give myself love, gratitude, kindness, so that I can again erode the dark.

    Edges in nature are vibrant places. The edge between forest and field, the edge of pond and land, the edge between ocean and land, or even the first inches of soil, edges are teeming with life, activity, and diversity. They are a place for growth and fruitfulness. I think, perhaps, “navigating the dark” along the twilight edge is similar.

    Read More
    • Michele

      “navigating the dark” along the twilight edge’ – this is beautiful. I love everything you said about edges. I know I will look at them differently now:)

    • Katrina

      Holly, this is very profound for me. Thanks for sharing. It is not unlike liminal time or space – that time or space when something has gone, but the next has not yet come or is not yet known. But the edge is sharper, yet can be fluid. I really love this. Thanks so much for sharing.

    • Mike

      Intriguing observation–edges. I’ll take this with me today. Thank you.

    • Howie Geib

      I love your share…and relate so much to it. And yes….edges.

    • Amber

      I appreciate your elaboration. I’ll ponder on this some.

    • Patricia

      This is a very helpful picture for me, Holly. Thank you. I think about and notice edges in nature a lot, so “navigating the dark along the twilight edge” is helpful (I was going to say “illuminating” — there you go.)

  • sunnypatti

    Faith & trust. Sometimes the moon; sometimes a flashlight! Have a great day, y’all!

  • Mary Pat

    Knowing I am not alone, and asking for help if I need it. And again, you go through it and remembering there is Light up ahead.

  • Michele

    The moon and stars:)

  • EJP

    My faith walking beside me.

    • Gregoire

      Faith and trust in God as well as a sense of gratitude for the many times in my life that God has pulled me through.

  • Christine

    Just the knowing that the light is reaching out to me.
    Every time when I look at the profile picture from “our” Devy, I see a beautiful person reaching out to the sun. But what I also see, is the sun reaching out, with his/her sun beams to Devy.
    The light will never stop reaching out to me. ☀️

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