Last summer around the campfire, I spent some time talking about mirrors and binoculars.
The idea is simple: we have a choice. We get to either stare at the world through a mirror, reflecting only ourselves and the people that are ‘with us.’ Or, we can pick up the binoculars and look outward, explore, and welcome others in.
(And, yes, I challenged everyone to do more of the latter.)
Bright Lights
I happened on a quote recently that reminded me of this lesson: bright lights don’t need spotlights.
In other words, if you are asking for all the attention (the spotlight), stop! You don’t need it – you are already bright enough.
Instead, you should be shining your light in order to illuminate the world for others. Sharing your light doesn’t diminish it. It does the opposite – you actually help your light (and the world) get brighter.
One of the best examples of this is our wishboat evening each summer. When one camper lights their candle and sets it off on Sly Lake, you notice but you can’t see anything else around its glow. Once we have 600 of them in the lake, you see a lot.
You may think it easy to spot the ‘bright lights’ around you. Odds are, they’ll be really funny, really smart, really creative, or really athletic. Not all of them want the spotlight. The ones that do, though, are takers – they aren’t giving in the relationship so much as they are taking from those around them.
Share Your Light
Here’s the thing – we all have a lot of ‘brightness’ in ourselves. Doesn’t matter if you are someone who loves to read quietly or someone who loves to be loud and interact with everyone. We all have gifts to share, light to lend. It doesn’t have to be much; it just has to be genuine.
So, if you are demanding the spotlight, you might want to change your approach. You are already shining brightly – you don’t need the extra light! Instead, make your light brighter by sharing your light with others.
On the flipside, if you are walking around hiding your light, you are taking something important away from those around you – your true self and gifts. We all have light within us – and we need you to share it!
Have a bright week ahead, everyone!
