It is currently winter in Australia, and I am living at the furthest southern tip of the mainland, in Melbourne. It can get very dark, very dreary, and very cold at this time of the year. Every now and then, however, we get a stunning winter day, and all of a sudden people are out, smiles are on faces, and there seems to be a more optimistic and happier energy. It reminds us – well, me anyway – that no matter how dark it may get, the sun always rises again.
I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like to live in parts of the world where, in winter, there is little or no daylight for the entire day. Even in those places, the sun does eventually rise again. So, there is always something to look forward to. Clearly, I am not going to be writing a blog entirely about the rising of the sun in different parts of the world. Instead, as you may have guessed, I want to use the metaphor to remind you that no matter how dark your day or life may be at any point, the light will always appear again.
I would have to say, of all the dark times in my life, the darkest was when my beautiful mother passed away almost twenty years ago as I write this, in December 2004. It was obviously a heartbreaking time, but even more so for two main reasons. The first was because, despite the fact that she had been battling terminal cancer for 15 years and the chance was extremely high it would eventually take her life, I kept my head buried firmly in the sand, just believing that everything would be okay. So, when it happened, I was not mentally or emotionally prepared, and consequently it destroyed me for a long time.
The second reason is one I think many people experience, so is a shout out to everyone. It is a regret I carry that I didn’t spend as much time or communicate with her as much as I would right now if she were still here. I was always too ‘busy’, too self-absorbed, too focused on my next goal, or my next aspiration that I neglected the people most important to me. This was reinforced to me just the other day as I came across a letter she wrote to me not long before she passed. In it, she told me how much she admired my ambition and achievement, but she also cautioned me. She advised me not to neglect my health or the people most important. As I was reading the letter, tears welled in my eyes and a chill ran up my spine, because I didn’t heed her words at the time, and I feel I neglected the time with her that I would spend if I had my time over. Well, I can never have that time over, but I can learn from it.
After many months of grieving, and heart-breaking pain I never thought would ease, I started to gradually find some joy again. I started to focus on my intense love for her and gratitude for her being my mother, at that time, for 40 years. I started to learn the lessons she was trying to teach me, I began making changes in my life, and I started to see the sun rise again. In fact, so inspired am I by her love, her life, and her courage, I wrote a book about her called Dance Until it Rains. Now, for almost twenty years, and far, far beyond, her legacy and lessons will live on and impact many lives, across the globe for many generations to come. Her light will shine in my heart and on this world forever. I didn’t believe it would, but the sun rose again.
What are you going through right now? What darkness are you experiencing that feels like it will never end? Is it a health crisis? Is it a relationship or family challenge? Is it a financial disaster? No matter what it is, the sun will rise again. How quickly that sun rises depends on what you believe and how you act on the situation you are facing. If it is a health challenge and you do nothing to improve it, the sun may take a long time to rise, if at all. When you say to yourself, this is an opportunity for me to take control, and you do just that, the sun will rise quickly. Relationship conflict? Be the one to resolve it and watch how quickly the sun rises. Financial dilemma? Get into action and you will be amazed how soon light will shine on your bank account. No matter what, the sun is just on the brink of rising and flooding your world with life-giving light.
In my podcast this week called, Just show up, I speak with the inspirational Kim Rahir. When faced with a very dark diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, Kim decided to train her way through it. She got into the gym, started lifting weights and focusing on her wellbeing. Not only did she heal herself of MS, but she also became European Weightlifting champion at the age of 60. The sun very quickly rose on her life, simply because of the focus she placed on her wellbeing. No matter what is happening today for you, the sun will always rise tomorrow. You will get through and trust me, something great will happen in your life. Just learn the lessons, find the gifts, and irrespective of what is going on in your life, have faith that the sun always rises.