To say that Diwali is a glittering festival would be an understatement. From dazzling lights to sparkling fireworks, the festival is all about light and lustre. Around this festive season, Indians invest in glittering gold, new cars, sparkling fireworks and dazzling new clothes. However, the one big investment we often fail to make is in our own shine or at least in ensuring that no one, friend or foe, dulls our own shine.

 We Are All Unique… We have our own special place in the great, big jigsaw puzzle of life. We all have a purpose on earth; it is entirely up to us to figure out our rightful place in whose life, home or workplace. But no matter what, never ever underestimate your own worth or value of your work.

Poet John Milton famously wrote, in his poem, ‘On His Blindness’, “They Also Serve Who Only Stand and Wait.” Having gone blind, Milton mourns that he cannot use his God given talent (of writing poetry) because of his blindness and that it was now wasted. He initially expresses anxiety that he would have no answer to give God when He asks him how he used his talent. However, soon he relieves, that God does not need anybody’s work and He will not ask about his talent on account of losing his eyesight. Towards the end of his poem, he talks of angels – some who work actively and some angels who just stand and wait. Though the latter do nothing, they are still in God’s service. Similarly, he (Milton) is also serving God just by bearing his blindness.

 Ignore The Critics… Some may see you happy or succeeding and try to dampen your joy of achievement or well-earned happiness. You may be working confidently, and someone may come along to tell you that you are doing it all wrong and make you doubt your own competence. In your life, do you want people who will encourage you or people who will discourage you? Do you want people who will cheer you or people who will jeer at you? This is a choice only you can make.

Just before Diwali, every household is thoroughly cleaned, doing away with unwanted stuff and clutter, dusting off shelves used infrequently. But, how many of us go through a self-cleansing process and clear the clutter in our own mind and re-evaluate who or what really enriches our life and who or what negates it?

Writer and advocate for mental health and invisible disability, Daniell Koepke warns, “Don’t let anyone invalidate or minimize how you feel. If you feel something, you feel it and it’s real to you. Nothing anyone says has the power to invalidate that, ever. No one else lives in your body. No one else sees life through your eyes. No one else has lived through your experiences. And so, no one else has the right to dictate or judge how you feel. Your feelings are important and you deserve to be heard. They are inherently valid and they matter. Don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.”

Stay Passionate… Life is too short to not be passionate about travel, about people, about food, about nature’s beauty and bounty or simply about living. Hence, if you like travel, explore the world while your limbs are still nimble. If you love food, enjoy it – let your critics count the calories while you count your blessings. Don’t let the world define you or what you should become. Don’t let people’s opinions change who and what you love, or how you think, speak or act. Don’t let harsh words hold you back, or criticisms keep you stagnant. Don’t let the world try to mold you into what it feels is best. You don’t need to change yourself for the wrong reasons. DON’T LET ANYONE DULL YOUR SHINE!

If you’re passionate about something, stop relying on the oft unsolicited guidance of those around you. Simply listen to your heart. Often, people try to deter us from our deepest wishes out of jealousy, bitterness or their own insecurities. Sometimes, even those who love us fear for us, so unintentionally they hold us back. So, sparkle in the sun, dance in the moonlight and set fire to the world with the passion in your heart. Let the light of your life be beaming and brilliant!

As long as you stay passionate about what you love, as long as you listen to your heart (your inner voice), as long as you believe in yourself and your dreams, you can, and will change the world. Don’t let the world change you. You change the world around you!

Accept Imperfection… We live in a perfecting world so let us not expect our lives or people around us to be perfect. Once, when Bob Marley was asked if there was a perfect woman, he replied, “Who cares about perfection? Not even the moon is perfect, it’s full of craters. And the sea? Less because it’s too salty and dark in the depths. The most beautiful things are not perfect, they are special and every woman, as every man, is special and each person chooses who is ‘special’ in their life. So, stop wanting to be ‘perfect’. Instead, try to be free and live doing what you love and not wanting to please others.”

Life is not perfect. It never has been and it never will be. But this fact, is in fact, good news! It simply means we can stop pursuing unrealistic goals of a perfect life. We can stop chasing the perfect physique, the perfect job, the perfect house or the perfect spouse. It simply means we can find freedom to live within our imperfections in a perfecting world!

The sooner we realize that perfection is a myth, the sooner we can begin living better lives because of the imperfections of life and living. Of course, this is not to say that we should not endeavor to better ourselves or drop the pursuit of excellence. It simply means changing what we can, accepting what we cannot change and the wisdom to know one from the other.

Accept Occasional Lows… Even Asho Zarathushtra, in Yasna 46 (Ushtavad Gatha), laments: “To what land shall I turn? Wither shall I turn for protection? My relatives have left me alone and my friends keep themselves apart from me. My co-workers bring no satisfaction for me. The rulers of the country are all inclined to untruth. How can I please Thee, O Ahura, by fulfilling my mission.”

Of course, in the very next verse he affirms: “I am well aware, O Mazda, of my inability and insignificant possessions. My wealth is little and my friends and well wishers few in number. To Thee I appeal, O Ahura, like a beloved who expects love, kindness and perfect bliss from his lover. Let me enjoy the might of love and good thought, O Ahura, through Asha, the eternal law of truth and purity.”

Hence, to occasionally feel lost or down is natural. But, to be human, is to find your way around when lost and lift your spirit by attuning to Asha or the Divine Order! Remember, we are all ‘special’. Don’t depend on others to make you happy. You be happy and others will want to join in your happiness. Don’t expect to be loved. Be loving instead. Know who makes your emotional heart glow and who makes your mental fuse blow. Be in the company of those who cheer for you and not those who jeer at you. Walk out from places and away from people who make you feel small or demotivated.

To conclude, in the words of Steve Maraboli, “Let go of the people who dull your shine, poison your spirit, and bring you drama. Cancel your subscription to their issues.”

Enjoy a Shining Diwali and let no one, absolutely no one, dull your shine!

‘DON’T LET ANYONE…