Shine Bright in the New Year

On Hanukkah, the festival of lights, I felt exceptionally connected to the light and gained some new insights. Through the pain and uncertainty of Israel’s recent war, a conflict that shook our collective conscience, it became clear to me that the year ahead must be infused with more faith, a strong sense of security, and intensified light. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Just like labor pains are at their peak right before delivery, we know that light appears after the darkest period.
We cannot control what happened, but we can control the way we react to these events. We can choose not to dwell on the darkness, pain, and despair and not let it bring us down. If we change our attitude, we can become co-creators of our happiness. Nothing external will make us create the reality we desire, attract light, feel good, do good, thrive, and spread light without deep inner spiritual work. Only if we disconnect from our devices and connect to our light can we be our best authentic selves and connect to others on a soulful level.
To tap into this subconscious, this high wisdom awareness, we must take a quantum leap of faith. Shift our focus on hope over despair, joy over sadness, and light over darkness. But how do we get there?
Be grateful for the here and now. We all survived adversities, and we know that our challenges are growth opportunities. We feel thankful for what we already have and for the progress and achievements we’ve made so far. We thank the supportive people in our lives. By seeing the good, we attract more of it into our lives.
Changing from survival mode to abundance and empowerment mode helps us look forward to the future with confidence, curiosity, and hope. When we bravely become proactive about life and perform acts of kindness with a profound sense of purpose, we let our light shine, and we make a positive change in our world.
Wishing us all a new inspirational year infused with an abundance of light, goodness, and joy!
Naomi Young, a seasoned writer and multimedia artist, brings over four decades of experience as a Jewish studies and Bar/Bat mitzvah teacher in Santa Clarita. Connect with Naomi via email at naomiyoung7@yahoo.com or explore her creative endeavors on her website: www.naomiyoung.com