A recent New Moon meditation brought forth a deep insight into the relationship between light and darkness. These concepts may seem esoteric and have nothing to do with reinvention and growth, but they are not.
After the meditation a thought occurred to me; “To hold more light, one must not be afraid to experience more darkness.”
Afraid of the (flying) light
In my home country of Curaçao, fireflies are a rarity, unlike all the fireflies I saw in Costa Rica when I was on vacation with my family at the age of six. One time, when we were playing late in the playground near the jungle, the fireflies came out.
It causes overwhelming anxiety in me. I ran to our room and avoided the darkness of the jungle from that day on. I had no idea what the flying lights were and they terrified me.
During the meditation I was led to think of fireflies in the way I would normally think of them today; like magical, harmless creatures that light up the sky. That’s the opposite of what I thought about it at age six.
It has to be dark to see fireflies. The darker it is, the easier it is to see them. But how does this philosophy translate into practical terms? How can we integrate this principle into our pursuit of goals and intentions?
Easy, this philosophy urges us to recognize that setbacks, failures and inconveniences are not detours, but integral components of our journey. Just as success comes with challenges, it’s crucial to make room for both ends of the spectrum.
Success and its challenges
There is a proverb in Dutch that translates to “Tall trees catch more wind”. Tall trees that rise above the rest are exposed to more elements, including wind. It’s the same with high-ranking successful people.
They are more sensitive to challenges, hatred, opposition and failure. On the other hand, not pursuing success and growth means staying in your comfort zone.
We all know that to succeed, you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. However, most people are not aware that this is holding them back.
They are so used to avoiding and pushing through their feelings. Especially if it means dealing with ‘negative emotions’. Their fear of darkness is what keeps them from experiencing the light they long for.
At the same time, we are sometimes afraid of the light. Like my experience with fireflies in Costa Rica. I wasn’t afraid of the darkness, just the strange flying lights. The fear of success and the fear of failure are different sides of the same coin.
To experience more success and growth, you must be able to fully embrace the darkness. To dissolve the fear of darkness. To become completely fearless of the possible challenges that may arise.
“You will only fear darkness to the extent that you do not provide light yourself.” – Marianne Williamson
Persistence is not the solution
However, persevering or ignoring fears is counterproductive. It may work for a while, but eventually it will come back and bite you in the ass. Facing fears through mindset work works.
Understanding that fear is an emotion, that our bodies hold these emotions, and being able to turn these emotions into something positive is a next level experience. It truly allows everyone to hold more light and not be afraid of the darkness. Essentially, it allows us to expand our comfort zone.
The easy way out
We all want the easy way out. It’s easy! Not many people understand how facing our emotions makes things so much easier. That’s because on the surface it’s not easy. We weren’t taught to do it, it’s unpopular and it’s uncomfortable.
It is the darkness that we must walk through to reach the light. Sometimes with a lot of confidence while there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
Practical tools to solve the fear
Emotions are stored in our bodies as muscle memory. Even if it is a one-time event, it can remain in the body. Especially if it is a traumatic experience. Our bodies hold these types of emotions to protect us from experiencing uncomfortable feelings.
Somatic medicine is needed to release what is in the body. Things like breathwork, EFT tapping, shaking, yoga and meditation work well. Somatic healing modalities are anything that bypasses the mind and goes straight to the body.
Which can not only solve the fears in the body, but also activate our intuition. After all, it was a meditation that established the philosophy on which this entire article is based.
Don’t be afraid of the darkness
The dance between darkness and light is woven into the fabric of our being. Just as fireflies cast their enchanting light into the night, we have the power to discover deep insights and inner strength when we embrace the shadows within us.
As we pursue greater goals, let us remember that our ability to shine brighter is tied to our courage to journey through the darkness.
