When Light is Destroyed, Shine Brighter!

December 16, 2025

The Power of Your Light

“The first thing you have to identify when you are in the dark is light.”

~ Matshona Dhliwayo

I woke up yesterday, like many of you, to the shocking news of the murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. Immediately my heart broke and tears began flowing. All I could see was his genuinely happy smile, like it was burned into the back of my eyes, completely snuffed out, gone, vanished from this earth. I felt the loss of his light on this planet and the pain of the tragic circumstances. Such a senseless act and an unbearable pain for family and those close. And this was on top of the shootings at Brown University and Bondi Beach in Australia. There is so much heartache and pain and people suffering and people out of their minds. No one knows really what causes someone to be so reactive, plotting, and diabolical. Yeah, of course it is a mental illness. No one in their right mind would ever commit such a heinous act. But there's more. There has got to be. Trauma begets trauma- it's passed down and along. Hurt people hurt people, you heard this from me before. What about soul contracts? Who agreed to play what role for whom? It's all the above and even more.

So, what do we, I, do with this? How do we, I, sit with this?

I acknowledge my heart hurts. I honor the sadness within and feel for all those immediately impacted by the tragedies. I allow myself to grieve.

I recognize my ability to have compassion and care and try hard not to judge the perpetrators. Something is "wrong" with them. They cannot be in touch with any sense of self, divine or higher consciousness. They live from the head only, the heart completely void of anything by hurt. These perpetrators are completely unaware of the divine light within and in that, it is easier for them to destroy the light of others.

I watch people speak out causing more divide, and yet I am seeing even more unification. The person in the white house who I will not name, posted incredibly cruel, and disparaging remarks and my words are limited here in describing the insensitivity and selfishness of this man. Yet, again, his actions backfire. While he makes absurd and insane remarks, displaying his own mental illness, the party he leads is beginning to unite against him. The moral and decent of his party are speaking out against his remarks. I am glad they are, but why did it have to take this to cause them to wake up and stand up? I guess some people will only go so low- and this, his horrible post, was pretty dang low. It's hard not to see someone's true colors in the face of tragedy. How people respond speaks volumes about their capacity to love, their maturity and wisdom.

But I am not here to point the finger, because that does no good either. It is simply worth observing that we don't have adequate leadership in our country who can handle such incredibly devastating stories with sympathy, compassion and understanding. So, I look at this to be just that! I look for ways I can be a voice of reason or hope, a way to shine my own light. I share messages of others who are already out there on a bigger platform, inspiring and leading. Maria Shriver's remarks are worth sharing for one. You can watch that here. My guidance is to continue to look for those that inspire, that speak with kindness and care. Look for those speaking from their heart, shining their divine light to bring peace and comfort.

We can do better because we ARE better. When a light is taken, then our call of action is to shine brighter! We must!

If you are reading this then I know your heart hurts too. I know you are wondering what you can do from the little space you occupy on the planet. While we may not be able to reach everyone, we can reach someone through our kindness and presence and our light. We lost the light of Rob and Michele, the students and those celebrating their Jewish faith on this planet, yet we didn't lose ours.

Back in October I gave a speech called Illumination: Shining Our Divine Light. In the speech I broke down the essence of our Light into our Outer Light, Inner Light and Soul's Light. When we understand the nature and depth of our light, we show up better! If you want to know how you can step into the next highest version of yourself, how you can truly shine your divine light, then let's start here with what I presented about our Outer Light. Over the next two weeks I will share the Inner Light and Soul's light and what it looks like woven together.

The Outer Light is the most familiar. It is our energy, our aura, our expression, presence, and how we show up in our daily life. It is our glow, the living expression of love, truth and our vitality. Think of our earliest ancestors. The first-time fire was sparked; it was more than survival; it was a revelation. That flame turned the night into safety, turned the unknown into the known. It gave comfort and protection. Imagine a lighthouse, guiding ships safely to shore. In the same way, each of us has the ability to be that kind of light in someone else’s life. Have you ever heard the phrase, you can be the sunshine for someone else’s rainy day? Our Outer Light can be a kind word, a gentle touch, a smile at just the right moment. I call these sparks that can push back someone else’s darkness. Outer Light reminds us that illumination isn’t only something we seek, it’s something we give.

When we want to brighten our light, it is always helpful to look at what can dim it. When we know what suppresses the light, we naturally know the opposite is what revitalizes it. Having this information allows us to really take care of our light and adjust when needed. 

How we dim our Outer Light:

• People pleasing - suppressing authenticity to avoid conflict or earn approval.

• Overextending Ourselves - saying yes, when our soul says no which leads to feeling depleted.

• Neglecting self-care - ignoring the body’s need for rest, nourishment, movement or beauty.

• Comparing and competing - shrinking our radiance to fit in or not outshine others.

• Living behind masks - curating personas (social media or life) instead of embodying truth.

When our Outer Light becomes dim, we appear polished, yet we lose our glow. Our aura dims when it is not rooted in authenticity.

How we reignite our Outer light:

Ultimately, we must express ourselves boldly and care for our body as a temple of light.

• Radiate authenticity - dress and move in ways that express our mood, personality or energy.

• Honor our energy - rest, nourish, and move our body, whatever it needs; and do this as an act of reverence, as opposed to an obligation.

• Express joy –- play, laugh, dance, be creative. Be silly. The Guides will often suggest someone take a trip to a local toy store and pick out a stuffed animal or toy.

• Surround ourselves with light filled people and environments -

• Offer kindness freely - smiles, compliments, or compassion- they all ignite the aura, ours and others.

When we reignite our Outer Light, we transmit! Our very presence becomes an offering of warmth and acceptance.

In my talk, I gave time to reflect on these questions:

Who has been a light for you, maybe a friend, mentor or loved one when you found yourself in a dark time? When was the last time you were a lighthouse for someone? Can you see any areas where you have dimmed your Outer Light, and do you have ideas of how you can show up differently?

Let's work on our consciousness of our Outer Light this week and next week I'll share the perspective of our Inner Light. So go and be bright and be willing to shine in all ways. Light is how we heal.

As always, 

Expect magical things, 

Betsey

“There is a light that shines bright in every one of us. To see that light in others, you don’t need glasses, just compassion.”

~ Charles F Glassman