Shine Your Light

'Finding patterns is the essence of wisdom.'

Denis Prager

This week has been a beautiful one for me here at Bridget Austin Coaching.

I have been away for a weekend and explored a new town with a dear friend I had not seen for 18 years and we talked and walked creating new memories and sharing old ones.

I have been on some lovely dog walks with great company. I got my haircut, went to a choir for the second time (out of comfort zone activity for me but loving it). The song I am loving singing the most is 'True Colours' Cindy Lauper. A song about loving someone (herself or another?) when they allow their true self to shine and show.

I also caught the film 'Better Man' with another lovely friend. A film telling the rise, fall and resurrection of Robbie Williams. A recreation that allowed him to accept all he had experienced and learnt and share it in his lyrics/his music. He found the courage to ignore his inner critic, his insecurities to become his true self. The film was creative, different, it left me reflecting about how we are all on a journey, what people see from the outside isn't always what is going on on the inside, there are struggles, sometimes we show ourselves in the wrong way for us in an attempt to win others approval, we all have bright lights and flames within us that are our gift but we can struggle to see what they are, they can bring shadows and darkness.

Sometimes this can break us but if we are lucky, we can harness the wisdom, often this happens later in our life journey, the darker times become our stepping stone to help us grow back stronger into the light, they give us confidence to share our light and make a difference in a way that is authentic for us.

I went back to school this week as we went as a family to support our daughter in finding out more about the subjects my daughter would like to take at GCSE level to take her through on the next life stepping stone of exploring and shining her light.

Yesterday I went with my family to celebrate the 3rd Birthday of my friend's beautiful little girl who is growing, exploring and naturally sharing her light with us all. Candles were ready to light on her Birthday Cake. I am so lucky to have the light of these friendships come back into my life after my friends have lived abroad for many years.

Woven into the week has been some fabulous co-creation around dining room tables, over candles, lovely cups of coffee, involving amazing friends alongside some very new connections. I have met with other coaches, therapists, nutritionists, all passionate about supporting personal development, learning, health and well being. In a beautiful, natural and organic way they shared their light with me and I was discovering the light I had to share in my new world.

Essential oils I have been drawn to this week have included Peppermint oil 'Oil of Light Heartedness and Clarity' which supported me in feeling free, uplifted, purposeful and playful.

'To photograph: it is to put on the same line of sight the head, the eye and the heart.'

Henri Cartier-Bresson

The photographs I was drawn to take last weekend in Cheltenham shine a light too on the themes and patterns that have emerged in my week. They were all taken on the same day when intuitively exploring Cheltenham and part of the Cotswold Way (we had no map we followed our noses and what direction it felt right to go in). The first image is this:

For me I loved that this Trig Point was different. It was a way marker, pointing out the direction and landmarks on the Cotswold Way. We hadn't gone looking for it but it gave us an unexpected message, it was talking about inner peace and having the courage to shine 'the prime golden spiral core of our being', our light.

Upsy Daisy was a poignant image she was unexpected to see there. She has been lost from her friend, a small child who will have loved her and who will have been sad to lose her. Upsy Daisy was waiting to be found again, maybe her child would come back to her, maybe she would go on a new adventure and be picked up to shine her light in a different place.

The second image I want to share with you from last weekend is this:

I delighted in the image of the cosy, content little dog looking out from home on the outside world, maybe reflecting on the lovely things that he or she had done that day?

May be the dog could see or sense us looking up on the pavement outside and was curious about what other adventures lay ahead if it were to be outside finding its way as the day turned to night?

It was surrounded by soft cosy lights in the late afternoon of it's day, the clock was ticking on the wall behind it, the little dog had his back to it and was unconcerned that time passing.

He/she was taking in the world outside, seeing it from the new perspective of the first floor window, focussing on lights and images it could not see in the day that were shining out on the street and in other peoples houses opposite.

The lamps behind are like all the lamps that have shone for me this week, the friendships and connections, the new ideas that are beginning and feel exciting, that are taking me and what I know and what I have yet to learn into the outside world in a different way. I know too that I have the sanctuary of my home and my family behind me, where I can go back and rest as well as reflect.

Looking outside in to the window I also see growth from the greenery of the houseplants, peace in the dove's shadow over the head of the little dog (took me back to the Trig Point message), gentleness, light and shadow from the lamp lights.

The final Cheltenham image to share is taken looking into a shop window. The dark street is behind me and the window is full of the most beautiful glittering chandeliers, all shining their light, one there for everyone's taste. Also in the centre is a mirror reflecting all of those lights, I had fun seeing my reflection in it, I am all wrapped up from the cold and I am looking at the light.

I shared in my previous blog how last year had some difficult times for me and led to me taking the tough decision to retire from my corporate career. This image for me represents the beautiful room I found myself in at the end of this week. A room full of the light of other ladies passionate about what they do, making a difference and exploring different routes to take their light out into the world collectively and individually.

I am exactly where I am meant to be. The patterns in my week have been about exploring, connection, family and friendship, light, authenticity, resilience, connecting, fun, brightness, new paths and next steps.

Our lives are busy aren't they but if you can I invite you to take a few moments for yourself today to reflect on your week. Look through the photos you have taken on your phone and select one or two that have been the most significant for you. Consider the following:

• What are the patterns that emerge from your week?

• How does that make you think or feel?

• How have you shone your light this week?

• How does that make you think or feel?

• How have you felt the light of others shine on you this week?

• What can you weave into next week to share more of your light?

I will leave you with this quote from Gabby Bernstein, 'Don't be afraid to shine - the world needs your light.'