I know I am not the only one who goes through dark times. Many of us lose our flame in the darkness, our spark. The spark of our dreams, goals, visions and passions. The spark that keeps us going, is our reason for waking up each day and living with intention.
Many times I have lost my spark, my flame and passions. I get hit with challenges and don’t see a reason to keep going, to shine bright.
Recently in a mom’s group I attend we were asked to share what color best described our morning and why. It was fun to see how each of us portrayed certain colors and to see how each of us spent our morning thus far. One mom pointed out, when I replied yellow for my color, that she wasn’t a cheery person in the morning, but she loved the yellow leaves. She said they looked so bright, but maybe it was because of how gray it had been outside, “you just notice them more when it’s gray I guess.”
I then had a thought, yes the leaves looked so much more vibrant because of the darkness outside. They stood out, as bright, a flame in the darkness. If we could live the same way as the leaves in fall, being bright and shining even in the midst of our own darkness. If we could find our spark and keep our flame ignited in the midst of the storms and blackness. Our lives would be so different.
I think of the colors of fall, and how bright and bold they are, even in the gray. Yes, they do shine bright when the sun hits them, but we seem to miss they are there when it’s sunny, because we are taken with the sun, sidetracked almost. It seems the same holds true in our own lives. When everything is sunny and bright, we take for granted what’s all around us, what we have. It becomes commonplace, the norm, the expected.
It isn’t until darkness creeps in that we begin to hold things closer, we begin to grab a hold of anything left that’s bright. Searching for a flame from someone or something.
The truth is, we all have a flame inside of us, a spark. And in the darkness it can shine brighter and bigger, because that spark is bold, it’s cheerful, it’s fiery, it’s unstoppable. Nothing can change that about it, we only ALLOW certain challenges, people, trials to kill the flame. But in truth, we HAVE the power. The power to keep the spark shining bright or the power to LET someone/thing slowly fade it OUT.
I think of the yellow of fall, as cheery, happy, full of smiles and laughter, friendship, caring, energy, joy, loyalty and honor. When the dark cloud begins to hoover, we lose our smiles and laughter, the joy dies out.
The red, represents the fire inside us. It’s bold, fiery, strength, courageous, passionate and love. When dark slips in we forget our passions and boldness. We cower in weakness and begin to lose love.
The orange combines the energy of red and the joy of yellow. It becomes creativity, enthusiasm, determination, success and encouragement. It’s unstoppable in my opinion, because what can stop the passion of red and the joy of yellow? No not even the darkness, that is unless WE let it.
How interesting that these are the colors of fall, the season of dying in order to have rebirth. Eventually they fade and darkness prevails. But I thought this was supposed to be motivating? Oh it is, because the darkness turns to sunshine and those colors begin again.
They were never gone or lost, just hidden until it was their season to shine again. We are much like the reds, yellows and oranges of Fall. We seem vibrant at first in the gray, we can withstand anything. Eventually we are beaten down and weary of all the darkness, unsure we can make it, but then we remember our passions, we find the joy, we create determination again, and those colors shine through.
We are different then the colors of fall, because we HAVE the POWER!! It’s always in us, it was given to us. We don’t have to lose our spark, our fiery, joyful, determined flame. We don’t have to be afraid of the darkness. Instead, in the midst of all the chaos, challenges and evils of the world, we can shine brighter and bigger. We don’t have to search for a different flame, someone else’s yellow, orange or red.
What if we were more bold in the gray, had more joy in the challenges, stay determined in the midst of fear? Well this world would look awfully different. Our lives would be awfully different. I want to be the reds, yellows and oranges of Fall, shining bright when it’s gray, more noticed when it’s gloomy and life throws some curve balls. I want to know it’s “worth living” when a challenge tries to knock me down, because even in the midst of black when I can’t see where I am going, my spark shines RED, YELLOW and ORANGE. My JOY, PASSION, BOLDNESS, CREATIVITY, LOVE, HAPPINESS, and DETERMINATION are UNSTOPPABLE.
Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit