“Your willingness to look at your darkness is what empowers you to change.” ~ Iyanla Vanzant
After trying and dark times, we are often faced with difficult choices. Sometimes our difficulties make us bitter or we feel like dying inside. Another option is to turn the mess into a message that empowers others to make changes in their lives. Humans are rather simple creatures, aren’t we? We all need to feel like we’re a part of something like a:
relationship
family
team
community
What we also crave is a sense that we aren’t alone as we go through dark times. Having others to turn to during our messes, or at least look to someone who has powered through a similar mess and came out the other side - survived it, or grew stronger because of it. That’s why when you choose to turn your mess into a message for others, it provides even more healing for yourself.
Darkness Empowers Change
Darkness. No matter who raised us, where we grew up, the social class we spent our formative years in - darkness always finds us in some form or another. What one person thinks is just minor bad luck, is someone else’s worst experience. It’s all about context, but we all receive a visit from darkness at one point or another. That’s life! Good, bad, and all that comes between.
How we choose to handle it, is also unique to our situation. However, once we have walked through the trying times that have tested us to our limits (and, often beyond what we thought were our limits), it is safe to assume at least one other person out there is experiencing a similar difficulty. We can either keep our messes to ourselves, or we can share them, creating a bit of light from the darkness. Allowing the darkness to empower change in others.
Create Positive Change
Be to others what you desperately needed as you handled difficult times. Granted, trying situations are often unique to the individual, but there are always similar elements to each journey. Frankly, the darkness - the feeling that you’re alone, doing all of it on your own - that’s universal.
Why not create positive change using the parts of your story you choose to share, and even your experiences. Be the light for others. It can help you continue to heal from your life’s trials when you reach down to help someone else out of the shadows. This is so hard to do at first, but can be incredibly healing over time.
Share Your Story Often
Never believe there is shame attached to your story. Many times, people want to know what you went through, not to judge or throw shade, but rather to understand and learn from your story.
Inspire With Your Successes Over Trying Times
Your triumphs can inspire others. It’s just how the world works, so why not share the downs you overcame and how you overcame them. Be that light, especially if you never had that light.
Comfort
When you’re in a dark place, it can be hard to offer up comfort to others. However, you’re the best one to provide comfort - you know what others are going through and may be what they need in order to feel better.
Help Yourself in Order to Create Positive Change
Creating positive change isn’t always achievable without a bit of help with your healing process, so you can provide the best message from your own mess. The good thing is that you can learn to create positive change and empower your own mental health. Let’s work together and start creating what you needed when you were knee deep in your darkness.