We’re living in a troubled world—wars and humanitarian crises, democracy on edge across the globe, devastating shifts in weather patterns and danger from climate change—this is where we are as we come to the end of 2023. And yet I am hopeful. It’s all about calling forth light and possibility.
I spent last week on a beach in Florida—a welcome respite from a very full autumn season. My days began with early morning meditation on a mostly deserted beach and ended with beautiful sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. The first evening, as I stood on the beach watching the sunset unfold, I felt like I was witnessing a powerful metaphor for our times. The sky was filled with both darkness and light—a gloomy shroud of dark despair hanging over and around a golden orange light of hope. Even though dark clouds threatened to smother the light, the sun kept shining. And long after the sun dropped below the horizon, its radiant light was still painting hues of red and orange across the wide sky in every direction.
Joe Primo, CEO of Grateful Living, acknowledges the challenges of our times, yet invites us to seek beyond those challenges.
There are days — even whole seasons — when the realm of what is possible but not yet present appears increasingly less accessible, seldom part of political discourse, and far from our hearts. … There is a deep courage within those who seek the possible. These seekers teach us to be realistically present to our imagination and to take risks. This is because possibility is actionable. … Seeking the possible is not the pursuit of an unlikely miracle, even though the moment the possible becomes tangible may be quite a miraculous arrival. The possible is always among us.
Joe Primo, from his recent article article “The Possible is Always Present”
In these uncertain times, it is critically important that we keep our focus on the realm of what is possible, even when it feels far away or when we don’t know if it even exists. It’s up to each of us to find equanimity and grounding so that we are not overwhelmed by the realities around us. Just as the sun never stops shining, Joe Primo reminds us that the possible is always among us. Always.
Today in the global North, we celebrate the Winter Solstice—the day when the north pole reaches its furthest tilt away from the sun and begins to reverse its course. It’s the shortest day and longest night of the year. Traditionally, the Winter Solstice has been celebrated as the return of the light. We tend to think of that light as external—the light of the sun. Yet for me, the great invitation of the Winter Solstice is to call forth the light from deep within us and to shine our light out into the world.
In Transformational Presence, our guiding motto is:
Stand tall.
Be Love.
Shine your Light.
In its pure essence, the Light in each of us is Love. Sometimes we lose touch with it or forget it’s there, but it is. Always. It never goes away.
As we cross into 2024, dare to touch the Light within you and let it shine brightly. Recognize that Light as Love and walk in the world as the Love that you are. The Love and the Light within you are always there, even when you have a hard time finding them. Possibility is always there, even when you have a hard time sensing it.
In these troubled times, the world needs your Light. It needs your Love. Every one of us can make a difference in 2024. We can start by standing tall, being the Love that we are, and shining our Light. Together, we can seek the possible, let it show us one step we can take towards it today, and take that step. And tomorrow, we can do that again.
In this holiday season and the New Year ahead, may you sense the many possibilities that are always among us and walk towards them—possibilities for the good, for the well-being of all. May you know courage and compassion, strength and tenderness, and peace in the heart of your being. May you stand tall, be Love, and shine your Light!
