Light Source

Hello from my heart to yours.. 

"It doesn't matter how long we may have been stuck in a sense of our limitations. If we go into a darkened room and turn on the light, it doesn't matter if the room has been dark for a day, a week, or ten thousand years - we turn on the light and it is illuminated."

—Sharon Salzberg, Spiritual teacher and author

I love typing one or two subject words in the google search box and reading pages of quotes about it... so many times, the words of another are exactly what I am thinking... OR.. exactly NOT what I have been thinking, but they still cause me to reflect..... there are so many wonderful messengers in our world... so many blessed people saying things that cause us to stop and think for a minute... some quotes too deep for us to understand and we need to seek help from another source... and some quotes, like the one above, that is so simple really that it's almost an "a-ha" moment...

In my work, I go into many houses that are dark... dark because there is no electricity or dark because the previous owners left their shutters on or dark because there are simply not enough windows.. or dark because it is boarded up to keep squatters out... but when I flip the light switch, everything is illuminated... it's that easy really....

Sometimes, we are living in darkness because we are experiencing difficulties or have too much stress... we don't seem to find enough time to do all that we want to do.. there may be people in our lives who are draining us without us even realizing it... maybe we don't like our jobs.. or some of our friends are sucking us into their darkness... we might even be with a spouse or partner that is in the dark for any one of these reasons and slowly, we just start living in the dark with them instead of helping them turn on the light... or maybe, we are forgetting to pray and meditate and have strayed from the One true source of Light.... 

I have said this many, many times... WE carry the "light" within us... therefore, WE are light sources... what I think we need to do is remind ourselves of that everyday... when the light of the sun comes creeping through our windows in the morning, we have to remember that we have the opportunity to start anew with our light shining as brightly as the sun... 

I saw a movie a long time ago... and I wish I could remember what it was called, but it was about a guy (a politician I think) that went on a silent retreat of sorts... none of his colleagues could understand it, but he was an angry person and needed to find "peace" .. anyway, he loved the place where he was so much that he didn't want to return to his life.. when his ex-wife and friend go to get him and start aggravating him, he simply says out loud, "I am grateful for the sun. I am grateful for the moon. I am grateful for the trees......etc" .... I have never forgotten that and when I can't stand my boys and all the lunacy that ensues in my house, I start saying that... they know that I've had enough... and they slowly stop... the oldest says they stop because they just think I am crazy and I'm not engaging them anyways... lol.... but whatever..it works most of the time.....

What I want to illustrate with this movie tangent is that maybe if we woke up every morning and looked outside at the sun and said,

"Thank You, God, for the Sun. I am grateful that it is illuminating my world to remind me to turn my light on. I am thankful that I can be a light source for others. Help me to remember to send forth blessings of light always. Help me to remember that it is the "light within" that chases the darkness away always."

With that, I would, also, like to thank so many of you for being "light sources" for me... knowing that you are out there reminds me to keep my light on... 

May you always be aware that you are loved beyond measure and are a cherished blessing to me.

and as evening comes, may you be able to ward off the dark with your own lights... 

............Oh wait, and I almost forgot... at nightfall, my Jewish friends will be celebrating Shavu'ot.. it has been 50 days since Passover... today, they were "given" the Torah.. a marriage certificate between the Jews and God... therefore, it is the wedding anniversary of the Jewish people .. so, I'd like to say..."Happy Anniversary my Blessed friends..."  

With love,

Elena