|
By Karen Drucker
"It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,
fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be?"
Marianne Williamson
I have to admit - the songs I write, the talks I give, and
the retreats I lead are all about what I am wanting to learn, or affirm, or
change in my life. And the women's retreat I am leading this month is no
different. It's all about shining our light - having the confidence to know that
who we are makes a difference, and that when we allow that light to shine we can
heal the world. I recognize that I am being selfish. My motivation is that I
want you to shine your light because it also gives me permission to shine mine,
and I truly believe that is what this world needs right now -- to be healed and
for us to come together in peace.
It's taken me a long time to get here - and I am
still working on it. My fears included: Am I being too much? Will I be rejected?
Will I be liked if I show all of who I am? All of this and more! Whenever I put
myself out there, that voice will pop up and give me an earful and come up with
even more creative ways to squelch my expression. But in the 61 years I have
lived on this planet, I have learned over and over that it's always a choice of
what voice I listen to. The critical voice, the voice that makes up stories
about what other people might be thinking of me, the scared voice that just
wants to keep me safe - or - do I take a deep breath and say back to that voice;
" I know you are there. I hear what you say, but that is not my truth
today!."- and then go for it!
I remember one of my first shows where
I really risked and put all of me out there on the stage. I did comedy,
characters, I sang my original songs, and just went for it 100%. I was terrified
and yet something inside was calling me to express myself. Even though the
audience was giving me great feedback and supporting me, there was a woman in
the front row that looked like she was miserable. Instead of focusing on the
rest of the audience who were giving me love, my mind projected onto her how
horrible I must be, and anytime she yawned I thought I must be so incredibly
boring.
I finished my show and got a great ovation, but
that one person was like a pain in my heart. Later on, when I was leaving the
club I saw her outside and she stopped me. "Oh my that was the best show I
have seen in so long. I am going through a painful divorce right now and barely
getting any sleep and feeling so depressed and your comedy and heart-felt songs
were just what I needed - thank you!" Wow... lesson learned!
So, we never know... we never know how
shining our light, giving our heart, just showing up can make a difference in a
kindness to someone. Yes it's vulnerable, yes it can be scary, yes you risk what
people are going to think of you ...but.. on the other side of that fear just
might be love, peace, fulfillment and extreme joy. So, let's do it -- even if
it's just a step at time. Let's shine our lights and heal this world!
Free download: Shine
from my album Shine.
Visit Karen
Drucker's website for concerts, workshops, retreats, and music recordings at
Karendrucker.com.
(Back)
|
