Shine Some Light on It

This morning I was up in the wee hours. I only had one light on in my bedroom and the rest of my apartment was dark. As I was leaving the bathroom in semi darkness I flashed myself a quick smile in the mirror and freaked myself out.

I had some major self esteem issues growing up so I never thought I looked good at all, but even in that storm of self doubt I always felt I knew how to present a good smile, which allowed some of my genuine nature to shine through. This long standing belief being challenged is why I became so uneasy in the early hours this morning.

The smile that was reflected back to my eyes did not match what I have come to expect. My smile looked so fake, glassy and posed. It bothered me to the core. I asked myself has my smile changed? Have I changed?

Then I realized that my smile did not match what I have grown to expect because my face was so poorly lit. There was only direct light on half of my face. I was not seeing a clear picture because I did not have enough light to see properly.

I think this happens a lot in life. At times, people are too quick to judge and you never really know if you have enough light for the situation. First impressions can be misleading, a social butterfly could become Debbie Downer if her cat just died that morning and that happens to be the day you meet her for the first time.

This is not just a case with people; it is also the case with situations or decisions. Ask the universe or God to shine light to get a full perspective. The light will grace your situation.

Learn from my mistake. If you see something that you don’t expect make sure there is enough light to get a clear view of what is going on. If you conclude there isn’t enough light turn another switch on. If you can’t find another switch have faith that it will appear.

Light is like love, we can always find more, but we might have to wait for the sun to rise.

Strive to look at things from several angles and have confidence in your observations when it feels right.

We are all wonderful! Sometimes life tricks us into believing lies, but I challenge you to have the faith and courage to smile anyways.

Get your cameras ready. Make sure the flashes are on and smile big!

Thanks for reading
Chris