Diwali, the festival of lights, is almost here! As you light up the earthen lamps and brighten the night sky, hope that you have not forgotten to radiate your own light.

YES, YOU ARE THE LIGHT!

So, don’t just light diyas to illuminate the world and find light outside of you. BE THE LIGHT THAT YOU ARE & SHINE BRIGHT!

What does it mean to Be the light?
All of us are born as light, bright enough to illuminate the world outside of us. Like a candle does nothing but just ‘be’ for the darkness to disappear, we also have to just ‘be’ to shine from within and help others shine. As we become the light, we effortlessly illuminate the space and lives of people around us.

How to be the light?
Before you can light up the lives of others, you need to find your own light. Here are a few ways to find it-

· Be kind and compassionate to yourself.

· Accept, love and forgive yourself unconditionally, just like you would do others.

· Bask in your own glory, feel your own warmth and treat yourself gently.

· Trust your intuition, appreciate your efforts, and overcome your fears.

· Let all your colours blaze brightly.

· Be your vibrant authentic self.

· Express freely. Laugh often.

· Connect deeply to your core

· Be fully aware and fully alive.

· Just be you.

Light up the world

Having found your own light puts you in power to radiate it out and be the light to others. To light up the world means to be somebody’s hope and encouragement in their difficult times. It means to rekindle the spark within them and give them the confidence that they still can. It means to shine your brightest so that their hearts heal and glow in your presence. Sometimes, it also means to just be, radiating love and acceptance with all your might.

Though there are innumerable ways and opportunities that you may come across in your daily lives to illuminate & impact the lives of those around you, here are two simple steps that will help you do this largely-

· Recognize the opportunities to be the light. God will open many doors for you and you will come across many situations and people where you can truly make a difference. Someone might just want you to stop by and say hello while someone else might want you to hear his plight. Just recognize these as God-sent opportunities.

· Act upon the open doors. Once you have identified the opportunities, try to act on them instantly even if they seem a little inconvenient and demand you to go out of the way. Acting on them is what will really make the difference and help you to spread your light further.

From my light to yours, wishing that we shine bigger and brighter this Diwali and light up the world around us.

Happy Diwali!