Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.
—Marianne Williamson
People are like stained – glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
—Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
—Edith Wharton
To see the beginning of this series, read about Hearthstones.
I made this video a few weeks ago but have been waiting for the perfect time to share it. Well, there really is no perfect time, but the start of a New Year comes pretty close.
My inspiration comes from two sources.
One is this quote:
“Religion is like a multi-colored lantern. Each of us looks through a different piece of glass, but the light is always there.” –Mohammed Naquib, a 20th-century Egyptian politician and author.
The other is a line I heard while listening to a podcast. Jean Houston talked about “crossing the great divide of otherness.” These two quotes intermingled in my mind and this is what emerged.
We let so much divide us.
Who we love.
What we believe.
Where we came from.
We put things into categories:
Good and Bad
Right and Wrong
Black and White
Categorizing is part of what makes us human. It means we can think.
But sometimes this kind of thinking can get us into trouble.
People don’t fit into neat and tidy categories.
Human beings defy categories because we are:
Complex
Textured
Messy
Broken
Whole
We need to drop the categories, that make us feel so adrift and alone.
Let’s cross the great divide of otherness,
and realize that we are more alike than different.
All we need to do is look up
to see that we’re all connected.
No matter what part of the glass you look through,
The Self-Compassion Project 