Let’s just be honest here. The world as we know it has gone bat s#*! crazy! Things are up-side-down, backwards, inside-out and practically diagonal! No matter where you go, you can find someone or a group of people talking about any one of the many issues that are the source of conflict, aggression, animosity, and divisiveness in our world today.

For this empath, there are days when the energy of the world becomes more than I can bear. I feel it all, see it all and hear it all. All the feelings on the surface and beneath it. It takes some heavy grounding and a lot of “breathe breaks” just to make it through a trip to the grocery store. If I’m not careful, I can find myself getting lost in it all and it takes over.

But I have found that in spite of all the dissention and “pea soup thick” negativity, there is hope. As I walk through this world, I am blessed to see the lights that find their way and peek through the shadows. They come in the form of a bright-eyed smile from an innocent child, a friendly hello from a stranger, or a simple, “Hey I’m thinking of you!” message that comes out of nowhere from a dear friend.

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” -Carl Jung

We all have a right to our beliefs and opinions, and there is no question that we all differ greatly on where we stand on things. However, despite our differences, there is one thing that we all have in common. No matter where we stand on any of the issues we find ourselves faced with, and no matter how great our challenges may be with what we’re experiencing, each and every one of us has the same choice to make each and every day:

Do I choose to cast a shadow and dim the experience of this life, or do I choose to shine my light and make the gift of today a brighter one for myself and others? Do I choose to cast a shadow and dim the experience of this life, or do I choose to shine my light and make the gift of today a brighter one for myself and others?

We may not be able to control everything that is happening around us, and we CERTAINLY can’t control the actions and behaviors of others. But what we can control are the choices we make for ourselves and how we choose to respond to our experiences. We can control how we choose to speak and act towards others and who we choose to be. We can control how much we allow ourselves to be consumed by the fear and the darkness and how much light we choose to allow into our own hearts and minds.

“You can start changing the world for the better daily, no matter how small the action.” -Nelson Mandela

While it may be true that no one person can save the world and it can’t be changed overnight, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to do what we can to make it a little better. Change takes time, but all good things come to those who wait. Just as a piece of coal transforms into a radiant diamond after it is exposed to intense pressure over thousands of years, we have the potential to emerge from these trying times more radiant and luminous than ever before. All it takes is one positive and empowered choice at a time, one day at a time.

Ask yourself:

1. Who do I choose to be, and how do I choose to show up in the world today?

2. What can I choose to do today to bring light through the darkness in the lives of others?