Let Your Light Shine

With the passing of Nelson Mandela it’s tempting to reflect upon the achievements and contributions of your own life and wonder if you’re doing all you can to make the world a better place. This moment of pause may inspire you to stretch yourself further to make a meaningful difference, or you may choose, instead, to curl back into the comfortable folds of your life.

I hope you’ll choose to stretch.

I believe we all share a common purpose to be the best possible expression of our unique selves. We’re not always what we believe ourselves to be. We’re often much more than the arbitrary limits we’ve come to believe about ourselves, often because we’ve been told that’s who we are by others, or because we decided that settling into comfortable routines was easier than pushing the edge to find what was on the other side. As Rich Bach, the author of Illusions said, “Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.”

Mandela did not arrive on the earth as a fully formed inspirational leader. He discovered and honed those abilities over time by rising to the challenges and opportunities that life presented to him. He came out of prison a different man than he went in. He said that his prison experience “matured him.”

Challenges and obstacles as opportunities to discover more of what you’re made of. When you accept the invitation by responding with grittier resilience, more inspired creativity, and new depths of compassion, you access more of your brilliance.

Where is your life inviting you to reveal more of your true brilliance?

• Is there an old habit you need to let go of in order to be more present and engaged with the world?
• Is there something you need to learn how to do to share your thoughts and ideas with greater clarity and impact?
• Is there an old grudge you need to let go of to so you can role model compassion and forgiveness to others?
• Is there a project you need to undertake to make the contribution you dream of?

When we step up instead of stepping back we invite others in the world to do the same. That’s one of the things Nelson Mandela role modeled for us with the majesty of his life. May part of his legacy be inspiring you to stretch outside your comfort zone to let your own brilliance shine more brightly.

Dianna Anderson, MCC

CEO, Cylient

 

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How has Nelson Mandela’s life inspired you?