Darkness is slowly overcoming all semblance of light. The world seems hopeless. The darkness and gloom, deep within our minds, is in a bloody and destructive battle for our souls. As the weather gets colder and the darkness gets longer, we must remember, more than ever, who we are, and the power we can embrace, that’s within our grasp.
We are powerful beyond measure. We are decedents of Kings and Queens. We were born to be Champions. To be warriors and defenders.
Protectors.
I don’t believe you.
I don’t accept your stubbornness and dejected resignation, when you tell me that that this is not how you feel; not with the mistakes you’ve made, and certainly not with the time you’ve wasted.
I accept where you are, but I reject your defeatist submission to failure.
You are not beaten. Far from it. At least you don’t have to be, if you choose not to be.
You are an ass kicker from way back. A black belt of love. A soldier of hope. A scientist of faith. So, reawaken your majestic spirit. Choose today to be the day, despite the many tears and years of hiding, to be counted, and reawaken your spirit to serve.
Don’t hide anymore.
Stand up. Traverse forward. Stop retreating.
Leap.
Leap in hope and trust.
Have you ever been camping?
Away from the noise and the hustle of the city?
Have you ever awoken in the middle of the darkness, on a moonless night? Perhaps to pee, as you get older, or perhaps because your blow-up mattress is making you terribly uncomfortable and cramped?
You walk outside your tent to a firmament of light. Light as bright as the sun.
Brighter and unassuming.
You look up and marvel at the billions and billions of stars. For a moment, you become breathless, when you realize that each one of those tiny little shimmering lights is a sun, a star, with its own set of planets and undiscovered mysteries.
You marvel at the distance between everything. The possibility of anything.
It has taken us this long to struggle in order to reach the moon, yet our human hearts long our fly among the stars.
You look up and are moved by the idea that some of those stars that impress themselves upon you, have long disappeared. They are gone. Gone supernova. They have disappeared, but yet, they continue to shine their light. They continue to be visible for all of us to see. They continue to give light. Light as bright as the sun.
You are also one of those lights.
An you matter great deal.
It doesn’t matter when you start or how you start. It doesn’t matter what people say, or how often they say it.
The truth is, the greatest evil resides right inside of you. Your soul gets devoured from within. Your unabashed demon conducts his sermons within your very heart. And you listen intently.
We are our worst critic.
We berate ourselves for every single mistake and failure we’ve ever made. We refuse to let go. We refuse to forget. We refuse to heal. To move on. To grow up. We refuse to love ourselves. To have faith in our own light. To take shelter in our own dignity and humanity.
I offer you words of courage this morning.
I am hoping to plant seeds of hope. Hope, that you will help you get over yourself. A hope that will inspire you to start making a difference. A difference, in your own life, but more importantly, in the lives of those who are deaf and blind. Crippled with doubt. Imprisoned in loneliness.
I hope you reach out to those that needs your kindness and your laughter. Those that depend on you for your spirit, and even those who have yet to meet.
I offer you courage. Courage to know that you are not alone. Courage to walk with your own loneliness. Courage to embrace your fear. Courage to leap into an universe of possibility.
Please, believe in your dignity.
Believe in the possibility of doing the impossible.
Take heart. Find courage.
Be a light for someone else.
You can’t do everything, but you can do something.
You may fail to do, but you can never fail to be.