Shining Your Light

Have you ever seen someone and noticed that there was just something special about them? They seemed to radiate light. When you were around them you felt good. What is that and why don't you notice it with everyone, including perhaps yourself? 

Your spirit is the basis of your light. Wishing for spiritual peace and enlightenment when your mind and body are not well cared for is like expecting the beam of a flashlight to shine a straight line through a cluttered basement or closet. The beam of light can't bend around the corners of boxes or walls just as your light cannot bend around the clutter in your mind and body. When one or all of these are moved out of the way, the beam of light can easily travel from one end to the other while it lights up the darkness around it.

Loving and accepting yourself flares up your light, whereas negative self-talk and judgment can diminish it to a bare flicker. How do you know when your spirit is speaking, soaring and feeling alive? And what are you really saying when you talk about “your spirit is being crushed” or “you’re in low spirits?”

There is quite a difference between feeding your spirit and feeding your ego. Moving in and out of jobs or relationships or even going shopping to obtain that “high” from something new can leave you feeling great, but the feeling doesn’t last, leading you to look for the next new thing for that sense of exhilaration. Receiving honors or awards for your achievements may feel nice, but at the root of that success was your spirit dancing the dance it was meant to and allowing your light to shine through. Feeding the ego is a temporary fix; feeding your spirit is sustainable.

Begin to nurture your spirit by asking yourself this question before making any decision or taking action: “Will this choice help my light shine, or is it moving me toward darkness?” Whether your question relates to a relationship, job situation or even the food you are considering putting into your body, pausing for a moment allows you to recognize your spirit along with your ego. If your spirit is “heavy,” you may notice that you are sighing heavily, conveying the message through your breathing that your choice is a chore and a burden. This choice is more likely aligned with your ego, or fear. If you feel happy and content with your choice, though, you are likely to be smiling and breathing easily, as with this choice you have aligned with your highest self and deepest truth, which is always rooted in love. Then your light, your spirit, will come shining through.  

Carina Bachman / CrystalSpringsHealing.com
© 2014