We Are The Sunshine... Not The Signpost
My job is to shine, to seek to be a source of light and warmth for others. That said it's up to them to find their own way and follow it.
When we let our true selves shine, we naturally bring joy and positivity to our community. But when we try to force others to follow our path, we may very well dim their light, or burn them out.
Keep Shining
I get slightly irritated watching my favorite influencers turn themselves into life coaches and eventually bore the snot out of me with the SAME messaging I heard from at least 30 other influencers.
Do I think these influencers should stop? Well… no, I don’t. They all have big platforms and the world is full of billions of people. Some of their followers may only follow them because they are a messenger the follower trusts. This follower may not hear these encouraging memes and personal affirmations otherwise.
Plus, my boredom is not more important than others doing and saying what they need to say. There is never a wrong time to bring encouragement and affirmation to others.
The Value of “Me, Myself and I”
There’s one important tenet I learned from a 12-step program I was in for ten years (I’m not part of it anymore). During meetings, we were told to keep everything personal when sharing. We were supposed to only use ‘me,’ ‘myself,’ and ‘I’ statements. We weren’t supposed to share our lives and experiences as something others should be doing and experiencing.
These meetings are super valuable because people get to listen to others and might learn something new or even have a ‘aha’ moment. It’s not about ‘shoulding’ on anyone to do anything, but rather about seeing if what’s shared is helpful for the speaker and might connect with the group. Each participant can choose to absorb the information that resonates with them and still respect the experiences of others that aren’t personally relevant.
For ‘me’ it can be tempting to jump on a soapbox and share my opinion, but it’s important to remember that I don’t always have all the answers.
I know, I know… shocking. :)
However, I should always speak my truth. But my truth may not be important or relevant to another person’s journey.
Growth
I love that billions (trillions? quadrillions?) of various plants all grow from the input of one thing, sunlight. The sun isn’t telling the plant how it should grow, where it should grow. The plant takes what it needs and grows to become what it is designed to be.
Everyone has their own journey and experiences, and it’s crucial to respect and support others as they find their own path to self-actualization.
Be and bring light; I believe that’s our only job.
More about Randy…
WHY: A Memoir
Helpful resources…
