I CHALLENGE YOU TO WRITE ABOUT…
How are you a light for the world?
(Editor’s Note: I have company in town this weekend. I will only be publishing at most twice a day after tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 14th, 2020) afternoon. If you are interested in helping out with I Challenge YOU, let me know.)
Light. It can clarify a situation. It can reveal what is hiding in the shadows. It can change how things look. It can change how we see. But a light can only reveal if it is on. If it is shining.
We humans are much like light. We reflect what we see in others. We can brighten the corners of our world. We can be the thing that clarifies the situation or we can be the thing that blinds everyone to the truth.
I specifically picked this prompt for today because I believe we all need to shine in our own way. We need to find a a way to make a difference, to support each other, to make the world better. That’s hard for me at times. I suffer from chronic depression, PTSD, and chronic high level pain. Add those three together and you get someone who has to work hard to remain a light in the darkness.
There are days I give up. Days I can’t see a way forward. Days when the dark corners of my mind take over. On those days, I hope for a better tomorrow. I hope for a return to sanity for myself, for my country, for the world.
When I am in the deepest darkest corners of my world, people will reach out and ask if I am ok… whether I have said something about what is going on or not. Those people brighten the world for me, and for others.
Another light in my world? Humor. It doesn’t matter how bad things look — if I can laugh, or see someone laughing, I can get through it. The more pointed the humor the better. The worse the pun, the more likely it is to lift my spirits. The laugh may not last long, but it is there waiting for me to have a better day.
How am I a light for the world? I try to be a light by making a difference. By seeing something good in all the horrid. By hoping for a better tomorrow. I try to help others as I want to be helped. I write out my feelings in poetry, in hopes that someone in the dark will see the poem and not feel so alone. I volunteer. After all, no matter how dark my day is there is always someone I can help.
I am nowhere near perfect. My light flickers and dims at times, just as yours does. But my light will not go out. My light will shine for you when you need it.
The prompt for Thursday, February 13th, 2020 is “Light for the world”. Tell us how you have brightened the world for someone. How you bring your light to the world. How you keep it shining. (FYI: If you want to talk about something that is a light in your world, instead, feel free.) Poetry, photo essays, essays, stories.. send them our way!
Please be sure to give your piece the tag “Light for the world”. The other four tags can be anything you wish. If you are looking for our submission guidelines, you can find them here:
