The path to understanding is there; it was just a matter of seeing it.
The light to awareness was shining, staring him in the face, but it wasn’t always easy to see the one thing that shone a light on the issues before him.
You know that time you went looking for something in the pantry, looked high and low, asked every household member for help, and still, you didn’t find what you wanted. Then the next day, you open the pantry, and there is the product sitting there looking at you.
Well, that’s one example of even when the light’s bright we don’t always see it.
The principle applies to our selves and where we find ourselves in life.
Emerson’s quote, above, is true for all of us. Within us, we have enormous potential. We live our lives participating in our respective workplaces, doing our job, some of us exceeding to the point of promotion and high honours but most of us dreaming of what we might achieve and never having the fortitude to realise our dreams.
We play the game to progress through life, we obey the rules and play by them, we become team players doing our bit to get by and create very few if any waves.
It’s a big question to ask yourself what you think is your hidden potential. It’s a risk being noticed.
We all fear failure, its tastes horrible, it shrinks us and puts us in our place, it extinguishes so often any light we might have believed we could keep burning.
The difference comes when we believe in ourselves.
Setting goals, when you believe what you are about to do will be a good thing.
I was a teacher for a lot of years, my light, if you like, was believing that education was about experiences. Textbooks had their place, but hands-on experience was always a winner.
I wrote plays and musicals for my students. Within my burned a light, a light that motivated me to provide my students, often from socio challenged backgrounds, with experiences they would not get sitting in a classroom.
I was lucky I had other staff who supported me and who offered great support to what I envisaged.
You might say that when the lights went on, my dream of what I could achieve was realised.
Written for: https://tchistorygal.net/2020/12/02/wqwwc-1-light-or-lights/
Morpethroad 
I love this! As a teacher I’m sure you lit a lot of fires in children’s hearts. Thank you so much for participating. I’m going to read some more in your blog. I want to know your name. – a fellow teacher!
I loved teaching and wrote plays and stories, too. My favorite thing was writing curriculum so I went back and got my master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. In my job at the county office especially for Migrant Education, I had the privilege of writing curriculum that has been used for probably 15 years or so by home teachers of pre-school students. I was so proud of MY students. Some of them went on to write curriculum and present at state-wide Migrant conferences. Teaching brought out the shine in this shy girl and took away the shyness forever.
Thanks again for your thoughts on Emerson’s quote. 🙂
Hi Marsha, thanks so much for your kind words. Teaching has left me with a lot of great memories and a few cring-worthy ones as well. Its good isn’t it to see your students succeed in life. Even better when they want to remain in contact. Thanks for the prompt I’ll try and particiapte each week.
Yes, I’ve had several very successful students and some that surprised me. Lots of teachers in the mix. I’ll see you next week.
This is so true Michael! The inner light is always there, we just need to realize it. A beautiful post.
Thanks so much Sadje.
You’re welcome
Might I keep this brief and say, Ditto to Sadje’s remark 🙂