You have a light inside of you that shines so brightly that it makes me catch my breath. There are times that you are very aware of your light and you hold it high like a beacon for everyone to see. You stand tall and you just shine.

Other times, you try to cover it up so you can just blend in and not stand out.

Please don’t dim your light.

Don’t dim it to fit in. Don’t dim it because someone thinks it’s silly. And don’t ever, ever dim it because someone tells you that your light isn’t as bright as you know it is.

Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” Oprah Winfrey was fired because she was “too emotionally invested in her stories.” Lucille Ball was urged to try another profession because she was a failed actress. Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he was “too stupid to learn anything.”

When you were born, a light was placed inside of you and as you grow older, you will choose whether you want to turn the light down or light it up like a bonfire.

I hope you choose the latter. I hope you choose to shine.

Image by
Xan Griffin

The post Don’t Dim Your Light. Shine On. appeared first on Advice for My Daughter.

The life stage that we perform on is not a one-woman show. We all have parts to play and the better we support each other, the better life will be for everyone.

There is an unlimited amount of joy that can be spread around. Lifting one person up, doesn’t bring another one down.

Here are nine simple ways to make other people shine.

1. When you see someone who is having a rough day, give them a small compliment. They may desperately need it.
2. Give 110% when you go to work. When you make your boss look good, you also make yourself look good.
3. If you receive good service, tell the manager.
4. Praise publicly.
5. If someone makes a mistake, but they honestly tried, don’t beat them up over. Chances are they have already done that to themselves. Compliment them on their effort.
6. Ask people questions about things they are interested in, even if you know nothing about them. They will feel acknowledged and you will learn something new.
7. Choose one friend each day and send them a note about why they mean so much to you. It’s very easy to take our friends for granted and it’s rare to every let them know their importance.
8. If a friend has a special talent, recommend them to someone who could use their skills.
9. Tell someone that you think they are a good friend, a good mom, a good teacher, or a good person.

Lifting people up feels good and it is deeply meaningful.

It only takes a few moments to make someone shine brightly today.

Image: Martin Fisch

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