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Daily Question, February 18

What impedes me from shining my light? How might I work through that?

  • k'Care-Reena
    The thought of people I care about COMPLETELY disagreeing with me and secluding themselves. I also use to worry about finances and that would impact my confidence. I am able to work on that by reprograming my mind to understand my beliefs require revising and healing. I understand I am able to do whatever I want however my programing (beliefs made as a child) has shaped me into the person I am and I am grateful however I am wiser and able to be the BEST VERSION of myself and not force being an u...

    The thought of people I care about COMPLETELY disagreeing with me and secluding themselves. I also use to worry about finances and that would impact my confidence. I am able to work on that by reprograming my mind to understand my beliefs require revising and healing. I understand I am able to do whatever I want however my programing (beliefs made as a child) has shaped me into the person I am and I am grateful however I am wiser and able to be the BEST VERSION of myself and not force being an unhealed individual.

    Read More
  • Robyn Karima Grant

    the feeling that I have to “get it perfect” to contribute

  • Malag

    I’ve been shedding slowly the perception that something is not up to the mark and needs fixing. The light shines as it shines whether it is sunny, cloudy or a solar eclipse

  • Twinmom

    I am nervous about judgment and what if I fail? I am also struggling with depression and PTSD that holds me back sometimes.

  • Kristi

    My lack of confidence impedes me from shining. I’m always afraid of being wrong, and therefore I tend to keep quiet. I am trying to work through it by realizing no one is perfect and to not care what others think. I’m still a work in progress!

  • Elaine

    Thinking about the “crack in everything” (See my response to Ed’s post below) – non-acceptance of imperfections in myself and others impedes the light from getting through! As my friend BM says Pobody’s nerfect 🙂

  • Lauryn

    That’s simple —- Old habits and behaviors learned from my childhood. How to work through that? ….still working on that one…

  • Linda

    I am getting older (who isn’t?) and sometimes feel as if the best part of life is behind me. I know this doesn’t have to be true, but I am struggling to embrace that “second season” of life. What shall I do with it? Am I doing enough?

    • Anna

      You are not alone, Linda. I often struggle with the same thought.
      But we are here, in this rapidly changing world and we can offer what we have, especially our hope, and the will to live the change, to know it, to open our hearts and, sometimes, to let go of our experiences. and past ideas, both with suffering and with that profound joy that comes from hope. I’m sure you have a lot to offer.

  • lunaperra70

    My thoughts about the pasts and fears about the future. I guess in these moments I need to try and let go and and just be in the moment where I am actually ok.

  • Don Jones

    Getting hooked up on yesterday and maybe the day before.

  • Hot Sauce

    Honestly, I am very absorbed in my own head, and I think that’s the main thing that keeps me from shining my light. It’s hard to be fully present and “there” for others when my thoughts constantly nag at me. I think the ways I can work through that are to continue talking about it with my counselor; to find answers to my questions when possible so I can have closure about the thoughts that trouble me; and practicing “leaving it at the door” when necessary.

  • Antoinette

    What impedes me sometimes are chronic migraines and how I might work through that would be to do my best at pay attention to triggers.

    • Ana Maria

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I too suffer from migraines for as long as I can remember ( kindergarten). They are getting better as I watch for the triggers; and I get better at keeping the triggers in the forefront and resist their temptation. I pray for your healing.

  • pkr

    Some days it is my “to do list” that keeps me from shining my light. On those days I have to remind myself to breathe & “stay in the light”.
    It is a challenge to stay in the present moment. ✨🌟✨

  • Toni

    Anxiety, feeling the state of what others are in (their anxiety, fears etc) I might work through that by asking how the other feels instead of thinking that I already know. It’s hard to discern when someone is projecting. So instead of judging I could simply ask. That happened yesterday. It was clear to me that projecting was happening instead I pretended I didn’t notice. So I have to open up more by asking because I could be wrong.

  • Samuel

    My impaired health keeps me from physically participating in many of the activities that I used to enjoy helping others with. So instead I have looked for and identified ways and means of being helpful that don’t require the physical prowess that I once enjoyed. And I have been pleasantly surprised that there is no shortage of such things that I just hadn’t considered as being helpful before. All one has to do is look…

    • Holly in Ohio
      My parents were artists so my dad was often sharing stories in terms of art. Georgia O'Keefe was known for doing brilliant paintings in softened colors, but at the later part of her life she had lost her sight. So instead of paintings she switched to sculptures one could FEEL sensually. Matisse when he got older became confined to a wheel chair and he could not reach the canvases to paint in the way he used to. That is when he began cutting out colorful shapes out of paper and creating...

      My parents were artists so my dad was often sharing stories in terms of art.

      Georgia O’Keefe was known for doing brilliant paintings in softened colors, but at the later part of her life she had lost her sight. So instead of paintings she switched to sculptures one could FEEL sensually.

      Matisse when he got older became confined to a wheel chair and he could not reach the canvases to paint in the way he used to. That is when he began cutting out colorful shapes out of paper and creating the collages we know and love.

      These are just two examples of how their loss became treasures for all of us, because they did not give up, they just shifted.

      with love,
      holly in ohio

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    • Carol

      I relate.

  • Sarah

    That one thing. Looking to inner wisdom and not the world.
    The need to draw closer to God. Getting adequate rest.

  • Chester

    Three ideas stand out – the weeds that block the light (recalling an earlier question this past week); not fully appreciating the incremental light that I shine; and related to this last point, spending too much time in bright-enough spaces that don’t really need additional light.

    TO DO: clear or trim back the weeds, find the dark spaces, and engage.

    • Anna

      Simply wonderful.

    • Ana Maria
      Wow! This is one powerful thought. I have to think about your comment. It really, really hits home for me. I do find that the bright space keeps me always on the go, it is good work, meaningful work that I do, changing lives kind of work, but it is exhausting none the less. Being in the forefront keep me in the bright space of attention, As I plan mentally for my retirement in 16 months, this is what I want to find a bit of; the dark space to refill, to breathe, to center. But for now it is the ...

      Wow! This is one powerful thought. I have to think about your comment. It really, really hits home for me. I do find that the bright space keeps me always on the go, it is good work, meaningful work that I do, changing lives kind of work, but it is exhausting none the less. Being in the forefront keep me in the bright space of attention, As I plan mentally for my retirement in 16 months, this is what I want to find a bit of; the dark space to refill, to breathe, to center. But for now it is the busiest of times. Thank you for sharing what its in my heart but did not know how to express it. Brought tears to my eyes to be able to write this. I thank you for the opportunity to reply. Blessings to you.

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  • GratefulOne
    This is an interesting one for me. I just had an epiphany about this. I do not shine my light when I... do not ACCEPT. WHAT. IS. Sometimes I get in a rut because I think: why does this have to happen? Or why does my daughter have to act this way? Or why cannot we all just get along. I have found that when I get to acceptance (And some days that takes a lot longer than others... :) ) then I can be grateful , and shine my light again. It seems the best way to get to acceptance for me is STOP ...

    This is an interesting one for me. I just had an epiphany about this. I do not shine my light when I… do not ACCEPT. WHAT. IS. Sometimes I get in a rut because I think: why does this have to happen? Or why does my daughter have to act this way? Or why cannot we all just get along. I have found that when I get to acceptance (And some days that takes a lot longer than others… 🙂 ) then I can be grateful , and shine my light again. It seems the best way to get to acceptance for me is STOP – take a deep breath, LOOK at the blessings and opportunities in my life and GO – towards the opportunities of LIGHT. Thanks for allowing me to share!

    Read More
    • Carol

      I used to sponsor a gal in 12-step circles who called me several times a week with her WHY questions. One Saturday morning, I said to her, “Do you have a dictionary in your home?” She responded, “Yes, WHY do you ask?” I sighed and said, “Please gather them up because I’m thinking about coming over and taring out the page that defines WHY!” Accepting WHAT IS frees so much energy. My sister and I have a saying: What is IS!

  • Ed Schulte
    There was a popular folk song from the 60’s which contained the phrase “The cracks are how the light gets in.” As an Esoteric Christian ( Non-exoteric ) I live by the principle that It is rather…. by the cracks that the light gets OUT” …not in. The “cracks” are the opposite of “what impedes you from shining OUT” …..and those IMPEDIMENTS are in the personalities conditioning developed during current and past life times …..aka …. survival techniques, layers of useless ...

    There was a popular folk song from the 60’s which contained the phrase “The cracks are how the light gets in.”

    As an Esoteric Christian ( Non-exoteric ) I live by the principle that It is rather…. by the cracks that the light gets OUT” …not in.

    The “cracks” are the opposite of “what impedes you from shining OUT” …..and those IMPEDIMENTS are in the personalities conditioning developed during current and past life times …..aka …. survival techniques, layers of useless education, mis-directed religious and spiritual teaching etc etc all adopted when young in order to “survive” in the current social conditions.

    Counter to the survival conditioning there is a “power” deep within that causes the non-acceptance [ “cracks” ] in those survival techniques…..some call it the “I AM”, others will know it as “the Holy Spirit”. Both are accurate because truthfully, it is a combination of both as far as the Soul is concerned.

    “How might you work through that?” is a vast question in a so-called Western (?modern?) Society ….the ancient ones simply said “Know Thy Self” but they lived much more consciously and could say that easily.
    But they also left the suggestion called “The 5 Golden Keys” to the Kingdom of the Heavens” which are Introspection, Observation, Visualization, Concentration, and Meditation. ….

    These are the keys to, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

    Read More
    • Malag

      Interesting, Ed. I had quoted a bit of the lyric in a post a while back. I hadn’t thought of it in the reverse sense you have stated. Wonderful perspective.

      • Ed Schulte

        HI Malag, the Sufis that it to completion when they prefer, “There is no inner or outer, just this breath breathing human being”

        Be Well Be Present

    • Elaine

      Ed, you are likely are referring to Leonard Cohen’s iconic song “Anthem” which preaches the acceptance of imperfection. It came out in 1992 on the album “The Future”.

      Ring the bells which still can ring
      Forget your perfect offering
      There is a crack in everything
      That’s how the light gets in.

      • Ed Schulte

        Hi Elaine, yes whenever I am at the Montreal Jazz Festive I stay near the square where he used to “hang out” and rose to ?fame? I am not a big fan of his, its a matter of music taste there but he did suit the time and space well. When he hooked up with K.D. Lang that was a true “French Canada meets Western Canada” (IMO), in an artistic sense and did appreciate that very much.! !HALLELUJAH!

        • Elaine

          Hi Ed, Yes KD’s rendition of Leonard’s Hallelujah at the 2010 Olympics (here in Vancouver) was a major musical moment —breathtaking!

          • Ed Schulte

            And yes that’s our Edmonton raised singer 🙂 at a very early age She had full access to UKUA ( co-op radio ) library ,,,have to put a advertisment plug in for them!

  • Patricia

    It’s often just the everyday irritations of life. So, I breathe. I remember that I’m held. And go on.

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