This past weekend my Husband and I had the chance to step away from our busy lives for a little bit and slow down a little by going on an overnight backpacking trip up in the White Mountains. I love hiking and sleeping in the woods for many reasons, some of them being it gives me a chance to truly slow down a little, appreciate all the beauty that’s around us all the time, re-connect with the powers of the universe and the biggest one: to be with my own thoughts.
While hiking over an open summit above 4000 feet early in the morning, the sun shining it’s soft morning glow down on us, and the only sounds being the winds gusting around as the clouds rose sleepily out of the valleys, I marveled at the amazement of life around us. In that moment, while taking in the views all around me, these teeny tiny plants in the alpine zone caught my attention; it amazed me that life could exist on this mountain-top, and not only exist, but thrive through some of the most adverse weather conditions around. These plants, thought not big by any means (they just cover the ground topping out at about 1 inch or so tall) were glowing in the sunshine exuding all the beauty they had. These small plants were not playing small by any means, they were covering this mountain-top and showing up big time.
This got me thinking (without going into detail about how my brain works) about how we as people tend to not “show-up” all the time; we tend to play small and not let our beauty shine. At times we don’t even acknowledge our own beauty; it’s as if we are disconnected from it. It was in that moment, on top of the mountain in the early morning light, that I remembered a quote I heard while in chiropractic school. This quote struck such a deep chord with me the first time I heard it, and still does to this day. Let me share it with you now…
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
-Marianne Williamson
I challenge you all to begin letting your own beauty and light shine, to not think of yourself as small or inadequate. Do whatever it is that connects you back to your light, and liberates you from your fears. Just like those tiny alpine plants, you are all amazing and beautiful; let the world see it!
Health, love and light,
-Dr. Jen