Be The Light - Tumblr Posts
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."—Mahatma Gandhi
For real. Be it.
The outer will reflect it once you make the shift within.
Volunteering is a great way to spread unconditional love. Also, a way to take action when we feel stuck in our situation.
“Turn within. See the truth. Become the truth. Do not look to others for advice, what to do, how to live. Be a lamp unto yourself as the Buddha said. All the answers are within you.”
—Robert Adams
This is actually how I met a dear friend of mine. I was on the train to class when some guy in a PRISON UNIFORM (in Australia the uniforms are green and look kinda like nurses scrubs) starts asking questions about me like where I'm going, which TAFE (basically trade school) I go to, what classes I take ect. He tells me he just got out of prison and he's getting out at the same station and I should get coffee with him.
At this point I'm afraid to move and my stop the still ten minutes away. Just as the guy is about to ask where I live, a girl walks and says to me "Hey! I thought you said you missed the train sillybilly. Lucy wants us to get off here and met her at the music store". So I follow her out and she grabs my hand and we run into the next train car. The guy tried to follow but didn't see us re-enter the train so he's left on the platform.
The girl turns around and says "Are you ok? That looked creepy and thought you might want help. I heard that you go to the TAFE as me so I'll walk you."
Ever since the girl, Heaven-leigh, and I have been close friends and always met up on the train to class to look out for each other.
Don't be afraid to help someone in this way. As someone who was saved by this method, I can tell you that the person you help will be so grateful that you were there.
It's not just girls being harassed by creepy guys that need this but anyone who is being harassed. Like a Muslim women being insulted for her religious beliefs, a teenage boy being bullied, an open member of the LGBTQI+ community and anyone else who is scared and cornered.
We are all human beings and no one should be afraid to go about their day. A simple conversation, even just a few words can help someone get out of at best an uncomfortable situation and at worst a life threatening situation.
Happy is easy when you know what to do. You got to love the world, try to be a friend. When someone asks just tell them again. - Austin Roberts "Love the world"
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 NKJV https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.5.16.NKJV
“Some years ago, I was stuck on a crosstown bus in New York City during rush hour. Traffic was barely moving. The bus was filled with cold, tired people who were deeply irritated—with one another; with the rainy, sleety weather; with the world itself. Two men barked at each other about a shove that might or might not have been intentional. A pregnant woman got on, and nobody offered her a seat. Rage was in the air; no mercy would be found here.
But as the bus approached Seventh Avenue, the driver got on the intercom. “Folks,” he said, “I know you’ve had a rough day and you’re frustrated. I can’t do anything about the weather or traffic, but here’s what I can do. As each one of you gets off the bus, I will reach out my hand to you. As you walk by, drop your troubles into the palm of my hand, okay? Don’t take your problems home to your families tonight—just leave ‘em with me. My route goes right by the Hudson River, and when I drive by there later, I’ll open the window and throw your troubles in the water. Sound good?”
It was as if a spell had lifted. Everyone burst out laughing. Faces gleamed with surprised delight. People who’d been pretending for the past hour not to notice each other’s existence were suddenly grinning at each other like, is this guy serious?
Oh, he was serious.
At the next stop—just as promised—the driver reached out his hand, palm up, and waited. One by one, all the exiting commuters placed their hand just above his and mimed the gesture of dropping something into his palm. Some people laughed as they did this, some teared up—but everyone did it. The driver repeated the same lovely ritual at the next stop, too. And the next. All the way to the river.
We live in a hard world, my friends. Sometimes it’s extra difficult to be a human being. Sometimes you have a bad day. Sometimes you have a bad day that lasts for several years. You struggle and fail. You lose jobs, money, friends, faith, and love. You witness horrible events unfolding in the news, and you become fearful and withdrawn. There are times when everything seems cloaked in darkness. You long for the light but don’t know where to find it.
But what if you are the light? What if you’re the very agent of illumination that a dark situation begs for?
That’s what this bus driver taught me—that anyone can be the light, at any moment. This guy wasn’t some big power player. He wasn’t a spiritual leader. He wasn’t some media-savvy “influencer.” He was a bus driver—one of society’s most invisible workers. But he possessed real power, and he used it beautifully for our benefit.
When life feels especially grim, or when I feel particularly powerless in the face of the world’s troubles, I think of this man and ask myself, What can I do, right now, to be the light? Of course, I can’t personally end all wars, or solve global warming, or transform vexing people into entirely different creatures. I definitely can’t control traffic. But I do have some influence on everyone I brush up against, even if we never speak or learn each other’s name. How we behave matters because within human society everything is contagious—sadness and anger, yes, but also patience and generosity. Which means we all have more influence than we realize.
No matter who you are, or where you are, or how mundane or tough your situation may seem, I believe you can illuminate your world. In fact, I believe this is the only way the world will ever be illuminated—one bright act of grace at a time, all the way to the river.“
–Elizabeth Gilbert
Be the light
