Do you know the expression, “Don’t hide your light under a basket?”
That sentiment contradicts the words we heard growing up: “Nice girls don’t call attention to themselves.” Or “Good girls don’t need to be at the center of everything.”
As a confident, empowered, and passionate mature woman, I respond, “Yes, I was told those things and much more.” I realize that sometimes they were said to protect me from disappointment because people who loved me didn’t want me to get hurt. And sometimes, they were said because I was making those same people uncomfortable by reaching beyond the boundaries they had set for me.
I wanted more for myself and was willing to risk embarrassment to achieve big dreams.
Yes, achieve big dreams. It’s time to believe, to act with a sense of inevitability rather than hopeful fantasy.
I’ve realized that by stepping out of my comfort zone, standing in the spotlight, asking to be seen, and sharing my gifts, I also help you find your own light so you can shine bright. Shine bright as the star in your life instead of following someone else’s light.
No one can live your destiny for you. No one else has lived your life. No one else can share your story because you and only you are the one who has lived it.
How do we go about becoming the star of our own life?
What does It mean to shine in your life?
Shine your light and use your brilliance.
One way to approach it is to think about illuminating the shadows. Bring light to understanding those hidden parts of ourselves; ultimately, that light will extend to shining light on others.
Shedding light on those unacknowledged aspects of someone’s life, experiences, or emotions, we help them gain clarity and insight. Through empathy and support, we may be the answer to uncovering and navigating those hidden aspects of someone else’s life.
Using your gifts to light the way for those seeking a solution to something you have experienced in the past and has given you the skills you have today. A situation that has made you the person you are right now.
It’s how we respond to these challenges. It’s how we show up for ourselves that really prove our true self-worth.