As the days get shorter and shorter, and we approach the Winter Solstice, I find myself thinking about light. Sunlight, incandescent light, candlelight, the light from our computers and televisions and smart phones, as well as - maybe most importantly! - our own inner light. Depression in the wintertime is well documented, and many of us may notice a certain heaviness on very gray days.
If you’re going through difficult changes or a big transition in your life, that heaviness may be more accentuated and you may feel more stuck, overwhelmed, or unable to make forward motion.
Personally, I feel better when the sun is shining. I have always waited until the last possible moment at the end of the day, until I can hardly see what I'm doing, to turn on the lights in my house. Candlelight often encourages a quiet, meditative state for me. On the other hand, I find that if the television is on, I can't sleep (for some people, t.v. can have a soporific effect – maybe that is the case for you) or if I've checked my email on my smart phone or used the computer before bedtime, I also have trouble falling asleep. Television tends to leave me feeling empty and a little depressed, so I don't watch it very often.
But have you noticed that when you are feeling good, and at ease with yourself and open to others, people will say you are "glowing?" Your inner light is shining through. When we feel good about ourselves, others are attracted to us. It's our job to notice how our surroundings affect us, and at this time of year especially, how are we affected by different sources of light, or lack of light. Studies may have been done to support or negate our anecdotal findings, but in the end, we are the best judge of how our surroundings affect us each, individually.
What do you need more of in your life, and what do you need less of, in order to allow your own light to shine through in these dark December days? What helps you to be in a mindset to make the tough decisions and step into your life? What makes you glow?
Want to explore this topic? Take a look at how I coach my clients through tough transitions and times of starting over, whether the days are long or short.
I am an ICF-certified life coach specialized in supporting women in midlife who are having to start over. I, myself, had to completely start from scratch after the bottom falling out of my finances, a divorce, and having to move out of my apartment of 14 years with my two kids – all at once. It felt like stepping into the great unknown. I called upon all the resources I could find – books, spiritual teachers, meditation, friends, therapy, you name it - to help me get through this time and grow into the new person I needed to be to meet this moment. I would love nothing more than to help other women do the same, with as much self-compassion and grace as possible.