I always get such a surge of messages when I write about the power I believe that good people have.  It’s interesting to note how many believe in the power of good, but not in their own power, although they are, themselves, good people.

I mean, I highly doubt one of those super greedy CEOs robbing us of our money and ruining the environment will be reading my blog.  But if they are: hi!  Can we talk?

Darkness Seems Omnipresent, And Yet It Doesn’t Even Exist

The thing is, there is no such thing as darkness; in the same vein, greed doesn’t really exist.  Greed is the absence of generosity, just like darkness is the absence of light.

That’s why just one person being generous in the darkness of greed is so powerful.  Imagine being locked in a dark room, and one person lighting a candle.  It’s just one little light – but how much hope does it bring, in that dark room?

Creating Light Instead of Fighting Darkness

The implication of this, when it comes to our spiritual education and the spiritual education of our children, is that we aren’t to get rid of negative aspects of our personalities.  Take impatience, for example.  We shouldn’t focus on getting rid of our impatience, just like you can’t get rid of the darkness.  You add light to the darkness; just like you add patience to your personality.

This might seem like a small detail, but think about the application of it.  When you act impatiently, for example, instead of telling yourself: “I shouldn’t be impatient”, you say “I need to learn to be patient”.  The first is disempowering, because how do you get rid of something that doesn’t exist?

The second, however, is super empowering, because even if you just do the equivalent of lighting one candle, it’s effect is huge.  You can tell yourself: “Next time, I will hold my breath for ten seconds” – and there you go, you are already ten seconds more patient.  A small candle has been lit.  Once those ten seconds because second nature, you can lengthen it to twenty second, then thirty, then a whole minute becomes second nature; three more candles.  By the same token, major world issues can be broken down into smaller, actionable bites.

Final Thoughts

Having an empowering self-language can make a huge difference in your life and, if you have them, in your children’s lives.  It also strengthens marriages because you know things are going to slowly but surely get better.  And, in the case of the current situation in the world, it also makes it clear that you may only be able to light a few candles by adjusting your day-to-day life, but that they are going to have a much more powerful effect that you can ever imagine.

What candles can you light in your personality, in your relationships with your family members, and in your day-to-day life?