A little bit of light can be a great thing, especially when we are stuck in the dark. Bewildered or discouraged, we can sometimes stay a long time in the same place, either not knowing what to do or full of doubts about whether doing something will really bring any desirable benefit. We sometimes behave as if we believe that nothing will do any good: nothing is going to change for the better; everything we've tried so far either hasn't worked well enough, hasn't worked yet or likely wouldn't work even if we tried. Or we are simply lost-not having any idea what it is that we could do to make a difference, unable to see any options to try, or confused about which option is "the right one." It's easy when we find ourselves in circumstances like these to stay right where we are, unable to move forward. At first, it seems the safe thing to do. Over time, we can even come to believe that there is no such thing as moving forward. This is just the way life is, the way it is supposed to be. We become comfortable in our surroundings, even if they once appeared to be somewhat miserable; or even if they have progressed to become very miserable. The dead-end job is the best we can expect, the problem in a relationship is simply something to be endured, or even worse, the intolerable situation is something we got ourselves into and somehow deserve. We come to tolerate the misery "for the time being, at least" because we see no good alternative. Adopting the belief that we have to wait for something to change, we are oblivious to the fact that keeping this attitude around will make us a victim of circumstance, unaware that our belief (or lack of it) has become a jail around us which will keep us locked in, unless we do something about it to break free. Then something does change. Somehow we become aware of a glimmer of light. We may have been completely in the dark, or we may have only been in the semi-darkness, but now we see more clearly a path before us that leads in a hopeful direction. We are urged by something inside us to take a step forward. There are no guarantees, but the prospect of relief is encouraging. Perhaps hesitantly, we take that first step, wondering what the result will be. Will it be good? Will it be great? Or will it be another disappointment? The result could be any of the above, but the only way to discover where it will lead is to take that first step and those which follow. Having taken one step in the direction of the light almost always results in our ability to see even just a little more light. Moving in the direction of the glimmer has the predictable tendency to bring us closer to the source, and looking around us, we begin to see even more clearly. More possibilities open up, our mind begins to expand, and excitement grows within. An amazing thing occurs as those around us also begin to notice the difference-they start to see us in a new light as well. Will we be content with just a little more light? Or will we see the opportunity to continue on, forward, toward even brighter potential? Is there another step to take? What would it be? Are you ready to do something new and different, something empowering now?
