Signal Fires

Let Your Soul Shine

“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, build signal fires. Struggling souls catch the light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumults, this is one of the strongest things you can do.”
Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Sometimes when I watch the news, I feel completely overwhelmed by the darkness in the world. Endless war, gun violence, political corruption, greed, leaders who serve themselves instead of the people…there is no lack of darkness. We live in it everyday. I am tempted to exempt myself from responsibility for change. After all, I’m just one old woman; not the smartest or the best at anything. I have no political power or significance beyond my one vote. What can I possibly do to make a difference in this dark world? And yet, I have experienced someone—an acquaintance, or a friend—saying to me, “You know, what you said there, what you did, really made a difference for me. It was just what I needed at the time.” Nine times out of ten, I don’t remember saying or doing it, but every time it happens, I know that what we say and do really matters. It may not change the world, but it could change our little piece of the world. It's important that we shine a little soul-light around us.

When we shine even a small amount of light, we may illuminate the way for someone whose spirit has been damped down by life’s circumstances. We do that by taking our God-given gifts and talents and sharing them with the world. If we have a voice, we can sing. If we have the ability to cook or sew, we can do that. If we’re good at making money, or teaching, or repairing engines, that's a gift. If we have the ability to create music or art, we can do that. The operative idea here is “to share.” Whatever our circumstances, we have gifts and talents that the world desperately needs. If all we have to share is a smile or a prayer, that's okay, too. Smiles and prayers make an enormous difference.

If each of us shares the soul-light we are given, we will throw sparks into the darkness, send up flares, light signal fires for guidance. When enough of us do this, the world will not be such a dark place. This I believe.

In the Spirit,
Jane