Don’t be discouraged by the impossibility of dispelling darkness from the world with your one little candle. Just light it! Step forward and let it shine with every step you take to help others.
— Amma

In a dark cathedral in France, I walked to the altar and lit a candle for the world. That one candle flame lit up the darkness and seemed immensely powerful. You can be like that flame too if you choose to. Each of us has a light to shine in the world. It can remain obscured if we ignore our heart calling us to follow it. But if we listen carefully and move into the new and sometimes uncomfortable places, it will ever guide and light the path. With courage and determination, decide to let your heart be your guide. Let it light the way and in this way you’ll help others to follow their inner calling too.

In times when it seems that darkness is heavy, you’ve never been closer to the light, Mystic, Meister Eckhart wrote. He lived in a time where the Inquisition sought to rule hearts and minds and he ultimately paid the price with his own life. But his words continue to bring light to us through the ages, some 700 years later. In our times where it seems the media focuses on all that’s negative, keeping a focus on the inner light of wisdom helps to maintain a sense of balance and peace.

A smile can be a symbolic way to light up someone’s world. Or you may say a kind word or offer a sign of hope to someone who’s suffering. Light can manifest in many forms. How would you like to shine your light today?

Bio: Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life. A visionary, dreamer and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices at the Sophia Institute and other venues in the U.S. and Europe. Her mind/body/spirit articles, essays and stories appear in publications around the globe and were broadcast by BBC World Services Radio. She has spent over fifteen years practicing meditation, working with dreams and doing spiritual practices. Visit her online at http://www.awakeintheworld.com.