Let Your Light Shine

The excitement backstage was palpable. One little girl had already thrown-up and been removed, still crying, by her distraught mother. I was one of the six remaining little girls, aged 4-6, all dressed in perfect white dresses, with yellow hair ribbons. It was Easter Sunday and the church was full. My grandmother placed her hands on my shoulders and whispered in my ear, “You’ll do fine, my dear. I am very proud of you.” She gave me a hug and pushed me into line, second from the end. A moment later, the choir director motioned for us to come on stage. With much shuffling of feet and a minimum of giggling, we were in front of the congregation. This was my debut, my first time onstage, and I was terrified! I was also very excited. We began singing ,“Thislittle light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…”

We each held up an index finger, pretending it was a candle, with our other hand shaped like a basket that we removed. We sang the song, ending with a flourish with our hands fully open beside our faces, spreading our arms as we sang, “Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!”

The minister came on stage, and his rolling orator’s voice began his sermon with the words “From the mouths of little babes…”.The congregation smiled as we were led offstage to our waiting parents and grandparents who greeted us with hugs and kisses. “Grandma,” I whispered, “I remembered all the words!”

What I did not realize was that I had not heard the message.

For the next 25 years, I did my best to hide my light. I played dumb when others thought I was too smart. I carefully avoided anything that would draw attention to me, until my early thirties, when I wasn’t sure I still had a light inside. I even considered snuffing out that light completely,my existence had become so bleak. When life seemed to reach its darkest point, I was blessed by meeting someone who could not only see my light,but was able to make me believe in myself, once more. He was able to love me and help me kindle a new brilliance so that I could begin to shine my light.

Still, I was shy, and concerned that if I would “be seen” somehow I would be harmed. I continued to hide my light from most people. I still hadn’t gotten the message.

Then, one winter day, I had a very clear vision of myself as a lighthouse,shining a guiding light out into the darkness. What does this mean?, I wanted to know. My spirit guides told me that this was a role I could assume. How could I do this? “Teach”, they said. Weren’t there enough people already out there teaching? In fact, it seemed to me that there was an overabundance of teachers in the metaphysical world, why should I have to assume this role? Besides, other people were already teaching the subject matters I knew how to teach— how could I compete with these established individuals? What if I led people astray from their true path? “No lighthouse worries about any other lighthouse”, I was told gently,“Each shines their light, to the best of their ability, knowing that as a ship travels down the coast, it will encounter many lighthouses. Some of them the navigator will pay attention to because they are on the boat’s course, others he will not heed, for those are off course”.

I mulled this information over for a long time, not acting on it, still keeping my light hidden. All my insecurities came to the fore, and I could think of a million reasons not to follow my guidance. “What is the worst that could happen?” a voice asked. “I could fail.”I answered immediately.

Suddenly it was blindingly clear to me that I could not fail. By being on this earth, and living my life the best way I knew how, I was a teacher,no matter what I called myself. The lesson I had to teach was the one I had to learn. I realized my life’s mission: to shine my light as brightly as possible, knowing that for someone coming out of the darkness, this might be the only thing they had to guide them.

I began to shine my light, letting others see me. Soon more and more opportunities came my way, and I found the more I let others see, the greater the light I had to show. I began to realize that there were many others like me, hiding their lights under a series of bushel baskets. I began working with them,to help them remove the “baskets”, helping them create a new image of themselves. I found that I could provide them with the knowledge of whereto get more fuel, so that their lights could grow brighter and brighter. Today, when I am teaching before my student groups, I always hug that little girl inside me and remind both of us that we finally learned the message contained in that simple song.

Now, my message is simple: that each and every one of you let your individual light shine. You have chosen to incarnate at this time, because the world needs your contribution. You were born with a mission and it is an important one. Your mission is to be the best you can be as a human being, as an example for others, and as a steward here on earth. This is a mission only you can fulfill. There is only one of you, and you are indeed a chosen one. Let your light shine, let all of our lights shine, so that we may chase away the darkness. For the one who sees your light may have no other guidance to bring them safely back to home port. Become a lighthouse, and let it shine!

Gloria Taylor Brown is a Diva Developer & Alchemical Healing teacher in Seattle. For more info on Gloria see staff.

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