Be Your Light

I’d rather be my own light than live in the dark. A lot of us say the world is ending, but if we slow down, we realize we don’t actually know that much. We only know what we see… and half the time we don’t even know why we’re seeing it.

Maybe it’s the algorithm. Maybe it’s what our friends talk about. Maybe it’s the stuff we’ve clicked a thousand times without noticing. Either way, it’s a tiny slice of reality. A slice we keep rehearsing inwardly and outwardly until it feels like the whole picture.

But even when we think we’re telling the truth, we’re lying. It’s our take. We’re projecting a story. Living in a dream. And the funny part is we walk through that dream convinced we’re awake.

So how do we know if we are?

One way is to step into a different filter bubble. Break your rhythm. Ask the questions you usually skip. Things like: am I sure? Why am I sure? If there’s even a small chance I’m wrong, would I still bet everything on this belief?

That’s what being your own light actually looks like. Turning the flashlight inward first. Looking at your thoughts. Where they come from. Changing your mind when you see you aren’t certain. Operating from curiosity, not conclusion. It’s easy to see life through a toilet paper tube and mistake it for the whole world. There’s a lot outside that frame.

So what I mean by adding light is adding awareness. Curiosity. Space to reconsider. And making that energy contagious. Breathing slowly, seeing more of the invisible ink light up through our attention.

There’s a line I love: it’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness. I think it’s a Chinese proverb. But it doesn’t matter who said it. The truth is the same. Complaining doesn’t change a thing. Light does.

Every action ripples outward. And every action starts as a single thought. A question.

What do you actually want to see happen? What would it take? Is it possible? What would make it possible?

And once you know your next step, or even a direction…move.