Last night I had a dream that I was in a house with a group of people I cared about. They thought I had left, but I was in the other room waiting for my ride to arrive. They didn’t know I was there. They all started drinking around the dining room table and their voices got louder. I could hear them talking and heard their conversation. They were all talking about me. They were making fun of me and saying cruel things. I walked into the other room and looked them in the eye so they would know I was there and know I heard what they had said. They all looked at me with innocent looks on their faces. I felt the deepest betrayal. Everything they had been saying was not true. It wasn’t me at all and it was deeply painful for me and hurtful that they didn’t understand me. That their perspective of me was so twisted. That they didn’t know who I truly was. I felt like an outcast in a house of sudden strangers. It was so lonely. I was trapped in that house, yet I did not belong there. I felt chained to it all, yet I yearned to break free.
I share this dream because a message keeps coming to me again and again lately. There are some people in our lives who do not understand us or who we are. Have you ever been around someone who was competitive with you, gloating at what they viewed as your “failures” and jealous of every good thing that happened in your life? We can struggle in anguish, attempting over and over to explain ourselves and find just the right words so we can get through to them, so they can “get us”, until we fall over in defeated exhaustion. Or we can be at peace with the fact that there are some who may never “get us”, understand us, or be on the same page. We can stop hoping and wishing, filled with expectations that they suddenly will- and be okay with what it is. If we do this, we can stop feeling continually disappointed. We can learn to let go of caring what others think of us and continue to be who we are. Being around those who are critical and judgmental of us and opinionated about our every action- does not serve our best interest and can squash our sweetest dreams in an instant. Yes, we can still love these people, but it would be wise to limit our time around them and not share our heart’s goals with them.
There were times in my life when those around me didn’t want me to shine. So I dimmed my light, slouched my shoulders, hung my head a little lower so as not to offend them. Tried to stuff myself in a tiny box that was more comfortable for them to be around. And I realize now that this is a great disservice to the world, for we all come here with a purpose. And to fill this purpose, we need to shine our light- freely and brightly. The world needs it. There are those who see someone shining brightly and somehow feel it diminishes their own light somehow, which isn’t so.

Letting go of what doesn’t serve us, suddenly creates room for what does. We can be free to soar to greater heights and make space for so many good things to pour in. With this new opening in our lives, as we shine and be who we really are, we will attract those who see us. They “get us.” We don’t have to grasp for the right combination of words because no words are needed. We can simply be who we are and they love us completely. They support our dreams, celebrate our breakthroughs, and give us their constant support. They seek purity, integrity, service and truth right alongside us. They embrace our expansion and grow with us. They don’t want anything from us, but the joy of our presence. They choose love and leave the cage of fear behind. They regenerate our cells, our very being. We can create powerful change together. I wrote a blog post about this here: Reach Out . Connect with these people and they will help you thrive.

When you see someone you admire- ask yourself what is it about them that you like? Then cultivate these characteristics in yourself. If they are shining brightly and proudly in the world, let them be the role model that inspires you to give yourself permission to let your own light shine. Then the goodness spreads because every time we shine, it can inspire those around us to do the same. We are all here to help each other do this, but each expands in their own time.
Then walk into the world, shining your light, doing what you love, following your bliss and know that every time you share your joy- you are making the world a better place.