This Little Light of Mine was one of my favorite songs in Sunday School when I was a child. Little did a comprehend the full meaning of shining my light.

No matter how much darkness may surround you, there is always an ember that is never extinguished. If you walk into a dark room where only a tiny ember glows, you won’t see clearly what is in that room. That’s how life often feels when you are in a dark place. When you turn up the light, you can start to distinguish shapes and objects. Turn the light up even brighter and the world will be displayed in full color. You will see the doors that open for you and the opportunities waiting.

How do you turn up your light and shine brightly? A fire takes three elements: heat

, oxygen and fuel. The heat comes from the ember, no matter how weak the glow. When you want to ignite a fire, one of the first things you do is blow on the ember or use bellows to give it air. As the embers start to glow, you then start adding fuel. At first, just a little at a time.

The ember is the life-force inside of you. Even when your world is dark, that spark never completely goes out. It needs to be fanned into a bright flame. Your oxygen is your passion. Ever notice how much brighter the world is when you are engaged in something you are passionate about?

Your passion is as individual as you. It may be a passion to change the world, your town, or yourself. Or it may be to create art, music, writing, a beautiful garden, or to prepare a nourishing meal for yourself and loved ones. Your passion may be as simple finding joy in the little things of life and making the world a brighter, more beautiful place.

Passion is useless unless applied to activity. Sitting and contemplating your passion but not acting on it will not bring you joy nor bring about change. Purpose is the fuel that keeps your light burning brightly. It is forward momentum–the journey. Start small, but start. Get busy, engage, and you will be amazed how quickly your world becomes a brighter, more beautiful place.

The second verse is “hide it under a bushel, NO, I’m going to let it shine.” As women, too often, we hide our light under a bushel. We’ve been told not to shine too brightly nor bring attention to ourselves. The shoulds of being a good girl, a proper woman, and knowing your place are shoved at us constantly to dim our light. If you shine too brightly, you may just be too much for some people. Let no one judge how brightly to shine.

The Divine has placed the light in your hands. It is a gift and a responsibility. The world needs your light. Guard it and keep it shining brightly, lift it up to light the path for others who struggle to find their way and shine their own light. Don’t dim your light for ANYONE!