What It Really means to S.H.I.N.E [Part 2]
Does the Scale Balance?
March 11, 2015My Day on Oprah!
April 3, 2015“Arise and shine, for your light has come”
–Isaiah 60:1
Two things.
There is no middle ground.
On one part we have Shining.
On the other part we have Shrinking.
There is no middle ground in life. Either you are shining at the moment, preparing to shine, or you are shrinking.
In the previous post in this series, we talked about knowing what your light is before you can decide to shine it. We also talked about arising. Getting up from the darkness of shrinking to this great realization that you are supposed to shine.
But let’s ask ourselves this question again:
What does it really mean to SHINE?
A Life That Shines Is a Life that is Focused!
After discovering arising and discovering your light, the biggest challenge is to remain focused in shining your light. We live in the world where there are myriads of distractions every single second. In fact, some of these distractions have massive promise of Immediate monetary gain to us. It is very easy to pursue such “shining objects”
The greatest killer of potential in our day is the constant look out for money! Seldom will you find your light having an already recognizable path of monetary gain. Does that mean that you dump it and look out for something of obvious financial gain?
In our day today, what is the most direct way of getting cash? You guessed it: A job. It gives you “security” and assurance that at a particular time of the month, you will get a certain fixed amount of income, without fail. It is very predictable. Very dependable (as it lasts), and offers lots of certainty.
But in the end, after you have pursued that path, will you have been engaged, energized, fulfilled and deployed your potential? Will you have made a contribution to the world that can leave a legacy? Will you have been able to leave an inheritance to your children and their children? Most importantly, will you have been able to expend your God-given potential?
1. Learn To Say NO:
“A No uttered in deepest conviction is better and greater than a “Yes” merely uttered to please, or what’s worse, to avoid trouble”
–Mahatma Gandhi
It’s not rude. My parents wanted me to go to medical school at some point. I have never been so vehemently opposed to an idea!! Medical school? Me? I was never intended to go through that, so I said and emphatic “NO” and I am glad. But where the rubber meets the road is on the daily requests that we get in life. If you find yourself available for everyone and for anything, you are not focused. If anything, you are spreading yourself thin. Focus only on that which grows your light, making it shine brighter. Anything that does not make you shine brighter in terms of your purpose…say no to it, no matter how much it promises in terms of benefits!
2. Learn To Grow through Giving:
Relationships are where our light thrives and shines. If you really want to remain focused on your light shining, you have to learn to look at yourself and at all times focus on what you can GIVE! The other day I went to speak to a group of High School Students. Having run out of my own stock of my book, I “borrowed” 10 copies from an author friend and brother…and gave six copies out to the most attentive participants in my talk about dreams. My focus is what blessing can I leave in a relationship, not necessarily what can I get out of it! If we all practiced this attitude of giving, we all will be shining greatly. Believe me, there are millions of opportunities daily…to give, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be something monetary or tangible. Give a smile, some encouragement, a second chance, some advice, forgiveness, belief, and TIME.
3. Let Money be secondary:
“Not everything that glitters is gold” Absolutely true. Our pursuit in life in anything should not primarily be how much money we can make out of it. Money should not be the first thing of pursuit. Don’t get me wrong. Money is absolutely important. But what makes money is the reason behind the money. Ask any wealthy person. I think the greatest quote I heard on money was by Steve Jobs, and I Paraphrase:
“I think to me, money was not the greatest thing that has ever happened to me”.
Many people think that if there is no money to show in the path they have taken, then it is the wrong path. Well, not necessarily. The money question will be discussed later…but in short,
Money follows passionate value. Period.
So in summary, what does it really mean to shine?
Your light is shining if…
