I was reminded last night of a quote I love:
“No matter how dark things are, you can always turn the light on.”
Sounds simple enough. But how do we do it?
It’s true that things can often get pretty murky, before we even realise there’s a problem. Often by the time we notice we’re feeling miserable, grumpy, angry, fed up or whatever our personal favourite is, it almost seems too late to do anything about it.
Yet nothing lasts forever; everything will change (the basis of Buddhist philosphy, for example). And we are always the ones with the choice to turn the boat around.
But how?
How do you turn the light on, when things are at their darkest?
I had to work this one out for myself when I hit my own personal rock bottom a while back. I was heavily pregnant with my second child when I ended up in a situation that pushed me beyond what I thought were my limits.
I found that I could create a personal rock bottom that got deeper and deeper, darker and darker, more and more terrifying, every time. Until one day when I decided enough was enough. I wasn’t at the stage where I was brave enough to walk away at that point, but I knew I had to stop putting myself through this bespoke version of hell every few days. I was an emotional wreck.
So I decided to turn my boat around and head back to calmer, happier, sunnier waters. Initially I managed it one breath at a time – literally – monitoring my thoughts which could so easily sweep me into the rapids of fear and panic. And when I had done this for a little while, I realised it was getting easier. Just a little bit. And that gave me hope.
And within a few days, I was feeling calmer, more settled and more able to cope with the “mess” my life had become. Within a week, I was actually feeling glimpses of happiness, though the rough seas still swept me away at times. But I kept going; trial and error showing me what worked and what didn’t.
I knew I had cracked it when I was asked, “Are you really saying you can be happy, no matter what’s going on around you?”
My response? I calmly, happily and lovingly smiled back, “Yes.”
The whole point of this site is to help you do this too. It brings you the short cuts, tips, techniques and tools you need to move from whatever emotional, mental and spiritual state you’re currently in to your own version of happiness in just 7 days.
Remember: no matter how dark it is, you can always turn the light on.
Enjoy the ride!
Clare x
