As I plant my bare feet firmly into the dirt, surrounded by the bountiful garden we have diligently and passionately tended and nurtured, the Earth gives all that love back to me. I wriggle my toes, digging them deeper into the rich soil; my nerves soften, my breath slows, my eyes close, and the weight of this life lifts.
I watch silently as the butterflies and bees flit and fly; barely landing before taking off again. Floating, darting, here to there and back again. I hear the crickets chirping, the locusts buzzing, and the leaves blowing in the breeze. I feel the warmth of the sun on my skin and the cool dirt beneath my feet.
Almost instantaneously, I am renewed. I'm grounded. My cup, completely empty just moments ago, is now full. I'm content, relaxed, and completely present. My doubts, erased. My fears, subsided. My questions, answered.
In these moments, I can feel the energy from the Earth both pulling me down and lifting me up; engulfing my spirit and reigniting my light, reminding me to shine. Yes, a few moments in the dirt can do ALL of that, and more!
It seems a lot of folks these days are struggling with finding purpose in their lives; asking themselves, "Why am I here?" "What difference do I make?" Here's the thing...most of us will NEVER understand the difference we make in this world or the lives of the people on it. But the beauty of life is in that acceptance; the knowledge that we have the POWER to make an impact, but may never realize how, where, or for whom that impact may occur. The imprint we have on others may be inconceivable, imperceptible, or even unrecognizable to us, but may literally change the course of someone else's life.
If our goal is to find our light and share it, the difference we make will be inevitable. It will happen without even trying. Our light, when nurtured, cannot be dimmed. It takes on a life of it's own and begins to seek out the light in others. Sharing our light does not diminish it, but rather makes our light stronger. Too many people get sucked into wondering if their light shines brighter than someone else's, when they should instead be concerned about the size of the shadow they are casting.
What makes me unique? What makes me special? What can I do, make, see, say, that helps someone else find their light? That's why we're here. You may be the ONLY one on this planet holding the EXACT skill set needed to talk someone out of making a life-changing or life-ending mistake. You may be the ONLY one who has the particular touch that can calm a specific person's fears. You may have been CHOSEN to carry burdens so heavy, your strength and resilience become beacons for the rest of us to follow.
So, shine on, my pretties!! Whatever feeds your light, find it, honor it, cherish it. And then share that light with the world!