Step Into Your Light
Truth be told, I’m not big on watching TV. When my friends talk about what shows they’re binge watching I have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about. But like everyone else, TV has sort of been a God send for me during this pandemic. Watching a show or a series lets you forget, for a moment, about your own life and allows you to adopt someone else’s reality – even if just for 60 minutes.
I watched ‘The Crown’ which made me feel like a fly on the wall in Buckingham Palace, and ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat’ which took me on a culinary experience around the world. My most recent binge was ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ For those who haven’t seen it it’s a reality show modeling competition where contestants compete to win a modeling contract and a spread in a fashion magazine. What caught my attention in one of the episodes was when one of the judges told a contestant that she needed to ‘find her light.’ In her last photo shoot she posed with her arm above her head and it cast a shadow on her face. The judge told her she needed to be aware of where her light was and step into it.
Step into your light
I think those words are powerful. It’s possible the judge wanted the woman to change her physical position, but I’d like to think that maybe she was asking her to step into her ‘light’ more figuratively. In a yogi’s world, we might call that light our dharma. “Dharma” is a Sanskrit word that translates literally to “right direction,” “rightful duty,” or “righteous living,” but people have come to understand it as one’s life purpose. Your dharma is your true purpose in life – the reason you were put on this earth.
Your natural gifts can help point you in the direction of your dharma. But sometimes even the blocks we have in life – the obstacles that make us feel like we have suddenly fallen off track – are what bring us there. Perhaps the wounds from falling are the openings for light to enter.
At the beginning of the pandemic I read a book called The Great Work of your Life, by Stephen Cope. In his book, Stephen Cope writes about the 4 pillars of dharma. The first pillar is to name your dharma. What is your true calling? Name it and embrace it. You’re probably thinking, ‘Great! How do I do that?’ Think about what makes your heart sing. What is it that brings you joy? If this feels really foreign consider creating a ‘joy journal.’ At the end of every day reflect on what part of your day brought you joy. After a month has passed look for a pattern in your journal. This may help you discover something you didn’t know was there. Also, pay close attention to the signs that are around you. If your gut is telling you to do something and all the signs are pointing to it, don’t ignore the signs!
The next pillar is to do it full out! Do it with every fiber of your being. Sometimes that means letting go of other things to make room for your dharma – that could be a job or even a relationship. This helps to foster a life of passion and authenticity.
After you go all in, let go of the outcome. ‘Success and failure in the eyes of the world are not your concern.’ Your motivation should not be money or fame. Do it because you love it, because it speaks to you. Cope says, ‘It’s better to fail at your own dharma than to succeed at the dharma of someone else.’
The final pillar is to turn your action over to nature. Have faith! When difficulties arise see them as part of your dharma. Believe that you are taking steps every day to get closer to living your purpose and stepping into your light.
Have you discovered your dharma and want to share your experience? Please share in the comments below – I love hearing from you!
With love and light,
