I had just finished recording this and I received this video from Dr. Elisabeth Crim (my best friend) in a newsletter that goes out to other mental health professionals. She is addressing them concerning the recent CT. tragedy, encouraging them. It struck me that we all have a job to do in the world.
This short video and the article that was published in Blossom Magazine will hopefully encourage you to be a bright spot in the world! Share this, if you like. Be sure and savor the holidays and all your loved ones.
What you do matters. How you show up in life matters. How you respond to life’s challenges and bright spots matters.
Here is why I think this…
Have you noticed how dark things have gotten?How entire TV shows are now based on insults and mean criticisms? Have you watched the trailers for movies that feature horror and devastation, all in the name of entertainment? Have you watched the REAL news, lately? I don’t know what to be more afraid of, new weather patterns or the new political atmosphere in the U.S. The are so many stories of people who are lost, broken and angry.
If you are bringing joy, creation, beauty into the world in any form, I applaud you. I believe you are an antidote to all the darkness and fear. I would heartily encourage you to keep at it. Keep showing up in your life and the lives of others to counteract what we are exposed to on a daily basis.
Every contribution counts no matter how small. You might be blogging about your life with small children, sharing crafts you do as a family. You never know who it might touch. Their may be a young mother who is suffering from postpartum and going to your blog everyday may be light at the end of the tunnel. You might be cooking up new recipes, sewing beautiful quilts to be passed down generation to generation, all I can say is, don’t stop. We need you. The world needs you.
You might be offering accounting to a new business or you might be the ring leader to a monthly girl’s night out. What ever joy, laughter and help you are bringing to the planet matters. If you can help another person on the planet get through the day with a smile or with helpful tips or lovely advice, don’t think for one second think you don’t make a difference.
I recall going through a rough time in my life after 9/11 when I would watch Sesame Street with my small son. I would drink my coffee to the sound of “Today is brought to you by the letter J.” It put a smile on my face every time. It still does. This day is brought to you by a letter in the alphabet! Who thought of that? Who dipped into their creativity and thought of something so charming? It was better than the news.
Bring on the beauty, bring on the fun!
Don’t let anything stop you. Part of being comfortable bringing your personal light in the world is liking and being comfortable with yourself. Don’t let the impossible, and self inflicted goal of perfectionism stop you. Thinking that you or anything you do has to be perfect doesn’t allow for risk taking and innovation. Don’t let other peoples criticism and expectations stop you. Gossip and the comparison game is running rampant in today’s society. Try your absolute hardest not to participate. Be outspoken about it. Do it for the self esteem of the next generation!
Lastly, don’t stop yourself. Again and again, I hear people speak badly about themselves. Tackling your inner critic is our generations’ final frontier. We put so many limits on ourselves. It is time to work at taking those limits off of ourselves. I am not saying it is an easy task to change the way you see yourself, in fact, I think it can be a daily battle. A battle at first but then it becomes a practice, then a habit then loving yourself comes as easy as breathing. That is when you are able to shine the brightest.
The example you set by shining bright, by having the courage to bring and create beauty, makes a difference. You are setting the pace for an entire generation that needs you. Bring it on, bring it on! Not for the sake of perfection but for the sake of people. Bring it on, for the sake of counteracting the darkness. Nothing you do is insignificant, and you really were meant to have purpose, to give and to brighten the world around you.
Open your heart to possibilities.
