Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Gautama Buddha
Contrary to popular belief we are not candles in the wind, nor are we as fragile as the rumours we hear about the fragility of the human condition. If we choose to be, each one of us can be stronger than anything we can imagine, the problem is, that ever since we were children, all of our focus and direction forced our hand, we abandoned those dreams and traded it in for our turn in the real world. But the real world is not real either. We don’t get our turn. We have to fight for our turn. Things don’t run the way they were supposed to. You don’t always get to win, because people cheat, and steal, and the universe asserts her indomitable will upon us as well.
But we are not candles in the wind. We are free to help ourselves and help the world find a better way to live A more meaningful way and helping others will not shorten or take away from our own existence. Quite the opposite. I am not sure why it works this way, but the more you focus on other people. The more you try to solve their problems, listen to them, teach them, to lend them a helping hand, the stronger you become, and the brighter you burn.
You don’t have to look far or long for that matter. Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, Terry Fox, the Dali Lamma, and Malala Yousafzai. Those are just the famous ones and our lives are full of people we come in contact who light our candle and help to let us burn brighter.
Our lives will not be shortened by offering our light to others. Not only will it not be shortened, our lives will be longer and more meaningful. You don’t decrease who you are by sharing yourself with others. We live in incredible abundance but believe ourselves to exist is squalor and poverty.
You can’t write enough stories, sing enough songs, cook enough meals, create enough movies, teach enough students and share enough hugs. There will always be need for more and more and more.
I think it was supposed to be like that. We were supposed to be there for one another and the closer we get to realizing this, the happier we will become, not only as individuals but also as a human race.
But don’t think this will be easy. It will not be easy. People don’t want their candle to be lit. They will be envious of yours and sometimes even wish to stuff it out. But your light was not made for those people. There are over seven billion candles that need a light. We need a light all the time. You just have to find the right people, at the right time, to share who you area, and in turn become better than you are.
Don’t be afraid to give. In giving you will receive. A thousand times over and the world will finally see the light of night.
