At this point in the year, many of us are planning and dreaming of something better than what we experienced in 2016. Maybe we are dreaming of more success in business, love and influence? Possibly we are planning for a better commitment to our physical wellbeing? And there are some who are simply planning to plan for a better future! Whichever category you have placed yourself in, I wanted to deposit a quick thought into your process…
Did you shine?
You are probably wondering exactly what do I mean by ‘shine”? You may be thinking, ‘If she only knew what hell I experienced this year1″, or ” How can I shine when I have no one to experience life with?” Well, I am here to share a simple truth with you…
Darkness can come in form of a loss in your life. I lost my grandmother earlier this year and that was a challenging time for me. Have you loss someone you loved in 2016?
Darkness can come in the form of health challenges. This was one of THE painful years for me in terms of health and wellbeing. Has your body suffered this year?
Darkness can come in the form of broken marriages, homes and relationships with loved ones. Have you experienced a broken heart or spirit at the hand of another?
Darkness comes into our lives and this is part of our human experience. But, it is not merely the darkness that causes us to shine.
It is what we DO IN THE MIDST of the darkness!
I am sure we all know people who collapse under the pressure of life and never recover. They focus on the darkness and not their light. They lose hope in the possibility of the darkness lifting. I am here to tell you this unwavering truth… The darkness will ALWAYS lift! It is a temporary condition with temporary impact…as long as you understand it’s purpose. And the purpose is to polish you…to perfect you..to strengthen you.
Oxford Dictionaries define ‘shine’ as to “make (an object made of leather, metal, or wood) bright by rubbing it; polish”. To the trained eye, a tarnished piece of silver with intricate detail, beautiful curves, and weight is a precious discovery! The tarnish does not diminish the value of the piece. The collector understands that the piece simply requires restoration. The rubbing off of the tarnish may be tedious, dirty and time-consuming, but with expectant hope and unwavering faith, the collector can already see the precious gift awaiting them.
Our lives are that precious gift! Resist the temptation to disregard your challenges. Allow your life to shine! The rubbing process is temporary! The darkness covering you right now will fade away. Shine brightly in the midst of the darkness! You will not only encourage and empower yourself, you will impact the lives of others in ways you can hardly imagine.
Shine.Bright.