The Light (part 2)
There is a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in.
– Leonard Cohen
The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.
– Ernest Hemingway
We are all broken. That’s how the light gets in.
– misattributed to Ernest Hemingway
The wound is the place where the Light enters you.
– Rumi
These quotes are among my favorites (even the one that Hemingway never wrote). I’m a big believer that where our cracks, or wounds, are is where the light gets in. When you are wounded, you learn things. You grow as you gain new insights and awareness about yourself: what you want more of in your life, what you don’t want in your life at all, how you contribute to situations, how you can do better next time, and just how strong you are. You also see how the people around you support you, and you are reminded of their love.
These cracks and wounds are also where your light comes out. I believe that where your wound is, is where your gift is. That thing you came to give to others is something you are experiencing yourself. What’s most profound to you will be important to others – not to everybody, but essential to the right people.
Belonging is my top core value, the thing that is most important to me. I didn’t always feel like I belonged as a kid – or as an adult; I struggled with self-acceptance and not feeling accepted by others. Over time, that wound has also been a great source of joy for me. It has driven me to invest in my relationships with others; today I have deep friendships with wonderful people and more loving relationships with family. That wound has also led me to my work; as I help my clients to learn about themselves, accept themselves, and create more belonging in their own lives, my sense of belonging also increases.
Where are the cracks that allow the light to shine in for you? And how do you use that light as a gift in your life and others’?
Keep shining!
p.s. Your comments are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching