It’s funny how a word can define so much. Throughout each day, words are exchanged at such volume and at such great speeds; it’s almost as if communication becomes an involuntary action like breathing, or blinking. A deeper dive into this thought can bring forth the realization that words, although they are capable of great power, can also appear empty when not accompanied by forethought and intention. Sadly, sometimes that forethought and intention is of a venomous nature or is associated with a deep traumatic experience. In an instant, a word that holds hope, warmth, and inspiration is overtaken by darkness and fear, which I believe are one in the same.
Fear is a word that holds tremendous power and, when left unchecked, can encompass every aspect of our lives. I know this to be true as I, for countless years, let fear all but consume me. I let it move in, pick a room, and get comfortable. Before I knew it, fear had taken over the entire house that is my soul. Every room became dark as night, the foundation started to give way, and I, the boy that held so much light within him and set no limitations on his dreams, became a stranger in his own house. Fear accompanied my every step. It walked with me, spoke for me, felt for me, and worst of all, it dreamt with me. On the occasions where it felt as if it had stepped out for a bit; it was there, lurking around each corner and in every dark alley. I let it follow me back home, every single time.
We all know what it’s like to continue doing something that we know very well is bad for us. Whether it’s a bad habit, a toxic or abusive relationship, or even a deprecating opinion of ourselves, we somehow begin to take comfort in darkness, and find safety within fear. That is fear’s greatest power, to manipulate us and convince us that there are no options, and there’s no way out. The gruesome, frightening monster that once knocked at our door now sits at our table. It becomes the new norm, and we accept it as our fate. Our house, now seemingly in a state of disrepair, grows even darker. Light from outside no longer penetrates the windows, and friends and family, although they still knock, are no longer welcomed in. You sit in complete darkness, with fear at your side.
Until one day, out of nowhere, there’s a spark. The light fixture above you flickers for just a brief second. It startles you, and you quickly look to see if your fear took notice, yet it sits there, unaffected. Though there was light for only a mere second, the images it offered are now burned into your mind. In that brief second, you saw glimpses of your surroundings that were once familiar to you. A sudden and once familiar feeling begins to stir within you… a feeling of joy. You crack a quick smile but immediately revert back to a look of solace as you worry that fear might take notice. As that long lost yet welcome feeling of joy keeps building and stirring, you slowly get up and slip away to another room. Your arms out in front as you stumble through the darkness, you slide the palm of your hand along the wall until you feel it… A light switch. You hesitate for a second, but then you flip the switch. With your house being in such a neglected state, the light struggles to turn on. It flickers a bit, then stays on, but it’s dim and not yet fully lit. You audibly gasp at the sight, your eyes wide open. The joy within you now breeds determination; The determination needed to KEEP GOING. You run from room to room, flipping every switch, creating the same dimly lit situation as the first room. Some of the lights flicker and, although there is now light, darkness still resides in the distant corners and in the shadows down the hall yet this time, you don’t hesitate. You check each bulb and every circuit and as each light improves, those dark corners and shadows, those fears, start to vanish. At long last, you twist the final bulb and, in blinding fashion, light is restored. Every nook, every cranny, now basks in warm, glowing, welcoming light. You drop to your knees, sobbing, and overwhelmed with gratitude.
As you rekindle your relationship with the light, you start to notice just how far gone your house has become. There doesn’t seem to be any item or area that does’t need some sort of repair. You gather your list of tools and materials, and you get to work, starting with the foundation.
The foundation is you. Not who you’ve become over the years, but YOU. The you that once saw the good in everything. The you that didn’t even understand the meaning of the word “limitations”. The you that loves YOU.
Just like any project, a house takes time to build. That list of tools and materials? The materials are the friends and family that you keep. They are the relationships that each provide stability, just like a brick in a wall full of bricks.
The tools are your actions and intentions, and the knowledge, the education, that you acquire as the build progresses.
The tools and materials go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. What good is a pile of materials with no tools to assemble them? What good is a tool chest full of tools with no materials to be used upon? The same goes for our relationships and our actions. Positive actions and intentions build positive relationships but dark actions and intentions can tear those relationships apart, just as fear almost destroyed the house that is my soul.
So if you’ve become acquainted with fear, even so much so that you too sit in darkness, I encourage you to get up and flip the switch. Turn the light on. In fact, walk into a dark room in your house. Stand in that room and take it in. Keep your eyes open and imagine that darkness is fear itself, surrounding you. Then, turn the light on. What happens? The darkness disappears. The light has cast out the darkness. If you take anything from this message today, please remember this… Light ALWAYS wins and darkness CANNOT survive in light.
I’ll leave you with this… If you’re struggling to find the power within you to create your own light, try this. Imagine you’re in the house that is your soul. Find your way to the fireplace, and start a small fire. Next, line your fears up one by one. Start with the small or less significant ones, and throw them into the fire. Suddenly, you’ll realize that your fears have now become fuel. Use that fuel to make that fire bigger and brighter. Before you know it, that fire is now a furnace that operates 24 hours a day. If darkness comes knocking (and trust me, it will), worry not. Just as a car needs fuel from time to time, so does the furnace. You’ll be pleased to see that it’s gone before it can get one foot in the door as it is consumed by your light. So flip that switch, start that fire, and rediscover the joy in all things YOU.
Brad Martin is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in managing people through inspiration. If he can get behind your product or message, an army will soon follow, on board and loyal to the mission.
Hiring inquiries can be sent here.