Bringing the Light

Over the past weekend, I attended a talk presented by Youth Action International CEO, Kimmie Weeks. Despite be occasionally distracted by the fact that I kept thinking of Will Smith after seeing reminders of him in the speaker, Mr. Weeks described how the war started in Liberia and how he came to make his decision - his vow - to make his life about making sure another child did not have to go without food and other basic necessities. A vow he made after his body had been thrown into a heap of the dead because he had been so sick and therefore too weak to move; so much so that he was assumed dead leaving his mother to comb these bodies to find him.

Mr. Weeks was caught in the middle of a battle for life and therefore has a deep and personal understanding of what it is to really go hungry. From there he took that first step that started his journey. …He was 9 years old. At the end of his talk he quoted Nelson Mandela, who said "Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure." I had heard this line many times before but this time, for the first time, I heard what followed, "…We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?" Yes, vain as it may seem, it was the “gorgeous” that hit me.
That weekend my roommate jokingly led a group of girls in chanting “hot como” whilst laughing at the “you are not honestly doing this here in public, are you?” looks I shot them as I tried to ignore their chanting and general silliness.
What was my problem? Modesty? Disbelief? Embarrassment? Denial? Maybe it was a little of each.

Very often, by “powerful beyond measure” I saw Mandela talking about starting revolutions and moving people and helping great masses. And at the very least be the top dog at what ever it is you were involved in. I never thought he was also talking about the basic things that we have no control over. But! that is just small fry, I still believe Mr. Mandela spoke to the masses, telling us to not be afraid to achieve or to set high goals for ourselves for fear of what people would say.
Looking up that speech, Mandela continued to say

“Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. …And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same.”

So come out people! You may not be the CEO of a company on Wall Street but you are someone maybe with a fantastic laugh who makes people around you smile. Embrace who and what you are and show it off. Who are you not to be brilliant, or gorgeous or a Wall Street CEO? “It is our light and not our darkness that terrifies us.” But what good is a candle hidden under a basket? ...Come out from under there and let your light shine.

These Tears

My tears are falling, they streak my cheek
My emotions are churning, I cannot speak
A raging red, then a heartbreaking blue,
I’ve lost the way, I can’t find You.
These tears they fall; I feel forsaken,
These tears I cry; my heart is aching.

Each tear is from a different source, a different spring
But each one runs the same course, they all sting
Yes, I know without toil there is no gain
But this is going nowhere, it’s nothing but pain.

All I want: a refuge, a place to hide
His hand to hold, Him by my side
I want to stop the spring, to seal the hole.
I want Him to fill my heart, to make me whole.

Please hold my hand and keep me from the dead
Because I know where I finally want to lay my head.

- KuiDee
04/07/08