The Light in Me and the Light in You

The Light in Me and the Light in You

 

I have always enjoyed hearing the word Namaste at the end of a yoga class, especially when the teacher translates the meaning out loud.  May the light inside of me honor and celebrate the light inside of you.

 

What a beautiful phrase.  It reminds me of the song: This Little Light of Mine.

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,

            This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.

            This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.

            Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

 

We all have gifts and talents that we were born with.  And when we identify and cultivate those gifts and then shine them out for the world to see, great and amazing things start to happen.

 

Have you identified what your gifts are?  What is it that you are really good at that others might find difficult?  What is it that gets you all “geeked out” and can’t wait to spend more time doing?  If you were strolling through the bookstore, what topics are you drawn to?  What is it that gives you energy and makes you feel alive?

 

This year, I have spent a lot of time cultivating and tending to my gift of communication and connection.  I realized that my power and passion are ignited when I am connecting with another human being, person-to-person.  Sometimes that communication comes in the form of a face-to-face interaction.  Sometimes it comes in the form of a phone conversation or a text.  Whichever it is, I find that when I am spending time listening and reflecting on another person’s story, journey or struggle, I really feel this intense connection to them.  I often marvel at who they are and how far they’ve come.  As a family physician and a health and life coach, I have the privilege of working with people over long periods of time.  I see them in times of great despair and have the privilege of seeing them come full circle into times of abundance.  What a gift that is to be present and bear witness to their joys and sorrows.

 

Communication, connection, cheerleading people on.  That is my gift.  Holding a sacred space for people to share their inner most fears, their worries and doubts, their vulnerabilities, their raw and naked selves.   When I step fully into that space, it feels easy for me and I draw energy from it.

 

There is a wonderful Japanese diagram called Ikigai that helps to illuminate a person’s life purpose.   In this diagram, there are four intersecting circles.  Within each circle, there are words such as: gifts, passions, values, possibilities, where I excel, what I love, how I see the world and where I can make a difference.  The concept is that in the center of all these intersecting circles, there lies your life purpose.  Aka: the sweet spot.    This is where your gifts and talents meet your passion.   When we are tapping into that sweet spot, that is when the magic begins to happen.  That is where we are meant to be.  It becomes effortless and success becomes inevitable.

 

As you contemplate your sweet spot, I invite you to think about:  are you identifying your gifts and talents that you were born with?  Are you living a life that is in alignment with your talents and your passions?  Are you shining your light and sharing your gifts with the world?  And finally, how can I serve you to help you uncover your own gifts and talents?

 

May the light inside of me honor, celebrate and respect the light inside of you.  Namaste.