Sometimes I get stuck in the dark. And I am so grateful for light.
I’m not talking about sunshine or lamps, although I’m grateful for those, sure.
I’m talking about Light with a capital “L,” the source energy that is everything good.
Which is to say, the source energy that is everything, since only light is real.
Only light and love are real. But darkness and fear sure can feel legit. Fortunately, “it only takes one spark to light up the dark.”
Only light is real
Maybe you’ve heard me say before that only love is real.
(If not, definitely check out this post, or this one, and keep an eye out for an upcoming explanation of spirit guides, which also addresses this truth.)
And since love in physical form is light, only light is real, too.
So how come shit can feel so damn dark?
Darkness (aka fear) is a persistent illusion
The thing about illusions is that they can certainly feel real.
And that actually makes sense: If something is false, but you don’t know it’s false, of course it could seem true!
That’s how it is with darkness and fear, aka the voids of light and love.
But just because something seems true does not mean that it is.
True love (aka light) is the truth
I understand that saying “true love (aka light) is the truth” is a bold move.
In fact, as a skilled journalist and longtime spiritual skeptic, I am especially aware of what it means to lay claim to truth.
And yet, here I am, telling you what I believe with every cell in my body.
That’s because I can feel this truth with every cell in my body.
That may not be true for you, and that’s okay.
But just like the truth of gravity affects everyone on this planet whether or not we’re consciously aware, the truth of love is always here.
Light and love vanquish darkness and fear
Where there is light, there can be no darkness.
That’s just the way light and darkness work: introduce enough light, and the darkness disappears.
Similarly, introduce love, and there is no room for fear.
“It only takes one spark to light up the dark”
Fortunately, we do not always need a lot of light in order to dispel darkness.
One of my favorite artists, MC YOGI, sums this up in his song “We Will Shine” (which happens to be on an album called Only Love Is Real, which I rave about in this post).
“It only takes one spark to light up the dark,” he says, and I could not agree more.
In dark times, sparks of light can save lives
Not to be a downer, but I have recently experienced some dark days.
It’s not super comfortable to talk about, but I also think too many people are afraid to be open about their pain.
So I’ll take one for the team with this confession:
One morning this week, I thought it might be a wee tad bit easier to, maybe, I dunno…not be alive?
Now before you get concerned about my mental health, rest assured that I am well.
I would never, ever harm myself. I just felt excruciatingly sad for a few minutes, my frequency dropped way low, and a dark thought consequently occurred.
But I did not let the darkness dwell.
Nor did I, like, try and drown it in a flood of joy.
Honestly, amid the depths of despair, the concept of love and light sounded like total bullshit. The idea of light was the opposite of my experience—aka my temporary (un)truth.
But I am a love warrior, and I have trained for victory in such situations.
“I am willing to see this differently.”
I meditate and pray every. single. day.
I’ve worked hard to make friends with my mind, even when it lies.
Therefore, even when I was almost totally engrossed in my pain, not all of me was.
Part of me was watching the darkness take hold. And that part whispered, “no. this darkness is not the truth.”
That part of me was just a spark, but it was enough to light up the dark.
It was enough to remind me of one of my favorite phrases from A Course in Miracles:
“I am willing to see this differently.”
So those are the words that I sobbed to my ceiling—I didn’t even mean them at first, but within the space of a breath, I felt relief regardless.
A shift in perception occurred. Which is to say, a miracle.
A minute later, I was out of bed and on the phone, creating connection, no longer alone.
Light and love is always, always available
If you’re reading this on the day it is published—December 21, 2017—then you’re currently experiencing the darkest day of the year. (At least in the northern hemisphere.)
Yet even today, there is light.
And tomorrow, there will be even more.
Love > fear,
p.s. Speaking openly about darkness can feel scary, but keeping darkness a secret can be much worse. If you have dark thoughts and don’t know how to dispel them, please remember you’re never alone. Even if you don’t want to call anyone you know, there are always humans here to help.