A well-known biblical verse states, “Don’t hide your light under a bushel, shine it forth for all to see.” While I learned it as a child, I ignored the wisdom of that message most of my life. Like so many of you out there, I ignored it for a number of reasons. For one thing… life always seemed to provide one or more distractions. Secondly, the thought of achieving my full potential was a scary proposition, if not an impossible one. Yet even as I ignored my “light”, my self, my talents, and my full potential … all wanted to shine.
Recently all that changed when I started to attend a nine-month series of Dream-Believe-Achieve workshops facilitated by You Rock Academy. As a result of these workshops, I no longer fear my “light”; rather, I now embrace it. It all began back in February when I attended a two-hour retreat one Saturday afternoon. Soon after I found myself starting to attend these wonderful workshops. During the last two months, I have been asked to visualize who I am to my own self as well as to others. This meant I had to think about all the qualities … the good, bad, and the ugly … that make me unique. I was also asked to think about what I wanted my life to be like four years from now. Finally, I was asked to create two collages; one representing who I am today and a second one representing what I hoped to be doing four years from now.
I have to tell you… to see and feel who I am, my unique qualities and talents, as well as my dream of who I will be four years from now condensed on two poster boards somehow made everything … including my potential … very real to me. What’s more, I learned we truly do not reach our full potential until we share our talents, our gifts, and our selves with the world then invite others to do the same.
I started the new year hoping to make a real difference in the world as St. Therese did; doing many small deeds over time with great love. One way I am doing this is through this blog. While there are countless ways to accomplish this goal, it is hoped my words and deeds inspire, teach, guide, and provide a safe haven for others. Further, in recently discovering my own light and voice, I invite you to do the same. It starts by learning who you are then visualizing, following, and sharing your dream with others.
To help get you started, I offer you my top 10 quotes about following your dream.
- Magic has often been thought of as the art of making dreams come true; the art of realizing visions. Yet before we can bring birth to the vision, we have to see it. ~Starhawk
- If you can imagine it you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it. ~ William Arthur Ward
- To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act. ~Anatole France
- Dwell as near as possible to the channel in which your life flows. ~ Henry David Thoreau
- Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler. ~ Henry David Thoreau
- Within our dreams and aspirations we find our opportunities ~ Sue Ebaugh
- The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it. ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick
- The question for each man to settle is not what he would do if he had means, time, influence and educational advantages; the question is what he will do with the things he has. The moment a young man ceases to dream or to bemoan his lack of opportunities and resolutely looks his conditions in the face, and resolves to change them, he lays the corner-stone of a solid and honorable success. ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie
- You see things; and you say “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say “Why not?” ~George Bernard Shaw
- If you don’t follow your dream, who will? ~ Emeril Lagasse
So don’t hide your light as I once did as we are all meant to shine! What is your dream?
Remember … touch a life today “The Little Way” by following the lead and need of others. Also, if you ever thought to yourself, “I wish my customers, knew…”, then be sure to visit White Light Communications at http://www.tothewhitelight.com.
~ Theresa
Doing It "The Little Way" 