TGIM: Let There Be Light

Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!

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tl;dr “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” – Albus Dumbledore
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Cardinal Timothy Dolan is saying the Christmas mass at St. Patrick’s cathedral this year and was giving a sneak peek into what his homily will be about. Since Hanukkah and Christmas fall on the same day this year, he wanted to speak about the power of light. I thought during the darkest season of the year, it would be a wonderful topic to embark on.

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Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights symbolizing the miracle of the oil which was only enough for one day but burned for eight; and so eight candles are lit on the nights of the holiday. Similarly, in the season of Advent leading up to Christmas, candles are lit each week to symbolize joy, love, hope, and peace in preparation for the coming of Jesus, the “Light of the world.”

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If you’re not religious, the power of light is still most notable during this darkest season of the year. On December 21st, the shortest day of the year here in New York, there was only just short of nine hours of daylight, leaving most of us in the dark for all hours outside of the work day. Without the light, people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (that deep sadness that is in your gut you don’t realize is dwelling there until that first beautiful day of spring when a liberating weight comes off your chest). That first day of warm sunlight on the skin brings the earth back to life.

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As Albus Dumbledore so eloquently coined, we must learn to look for the light, especially in the darkest of places. In a world filled with negative click bait about all of the terrible happenings, we must remember to look for the places where we can find the light.

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Look for the joy that arises when you’re with friends. Look for the kind moments in humanity despite how infrequent they may feel. Look for the happiness in a family member’s face when they open a thoughtful gift you gave them. Look for the glee when someone laughs deeply. Look for the delight in small wins throughout your day. There is light to be found in all corners of the world, if only you want to see it.

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Whether you’re looking for Christmas tree lights or the lights on the menorah this week, seek to find the light in many moments throughout your day. And the more you look for the flickers of light, coincidentally, as if the universe was conspiring in your favor, there will be a drastic surge in the opportunities of light around you. And in turn, you will create more moments of light for others.

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So happy holidays to all those celebrating. And to everyone, I hope your week is filled with light, joy, and happiness.

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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
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This week, my podcast recommendation is from Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Podcast, “No Regrets, The Case Against Empathy, and Is AI Coming for Us All?”
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With that, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
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Until next time,

Shannon