.png){kind=small}
“You have every excuse in the world to let your dark chapter suppress your light, but you also have every reason to find your light in the dark.” - Jared Yellin
I believe it’s fair to say that everyone will have a dark chapter and possibly a number of them…
The darkness might be the result of a divorce, bankruptcy, lawsuit, sickness, lay off, death, and a myriad of other events and possibly all of them at the same time.
And before I go any further I want to acknowledge that your dark chapter IS dark!
I am not here to try and convince you to just flip the switch to turn the lights on – it won’t work.
I am not here to try and minimize whatever event(s) you are experiencing – it won’t work.
I am not here to try and encourage you to scream mantras in the mirror – it won’t work.
But my hope and desire with this article is that you FIND your light in the dark chapter, because when you do, the darkness will still be present, but your light will shine through and provide you with THE path to overcome this event and become stronger as a result.
Because the benefit of your DARK CHAPTER is GROWTH…
You will have a better understanding of yourself…
You will have tapped new muscles which will serve you future events…
You will have more wisdom which will guide you and others when challenges emerge…
You will have defined wild supporters who are people in your world who truly have your back…
I know this might be hard to see if you are currently in your dark chapter, but please believe me when I say – you will always gain more during your darkness than you lose…
IF you embrace the 5 realizations below…
I have had DARK CHAPTERS…
Relationships that left me in a compromised state…
Litigious battles that caused severe destruction…
Partnerships which went astray…
Finances that ebbed and flowed…
Unexpected death of important people in my world…
I am no stranger to DARK CHAPTERS, but what I also have learned is that the darker it got, the more I focused on finding my LIGHT and here’s how I did it…
5 Realizations That Will Ensure Your Light Shines Bright In Your Dark Chapter
Realization 1: Your Dark Chapter is actually a comma and no story has ever ended with a comma.
Once again, I don’t want to minimize your dark chapter NOR do I want to give it more significance than what it actually represents…
Because what I have found is that every DARK “chapter” I experienced was not actually a chapter - instead - it was a comma in the memoir of my life.
And I am definitely not a grammar savant, but what I do know is that NO story has EVER ended on a comma.
I get it – in the moment of your dark chapter you feel like it’s the end, you feel like it’s over, you feel like it’s fatal but I promise you…
At most this is a chapter.
Probably a sentence.
And most likely a comma.
Which means - never minimize the darkness but DEFINITELY don’t give it too much power because you have many many many more sentences and chapters in the memoir of your life.
Realization 2: Every human is powerful beyond measure, so it’s important to not measure your power.
Humans fascinate me because they are so much more capable than they realize.
Think of it like this…
If you break your arm – your body will heal.
If you get the flu – your body will heal.
If you scrape your knee – your body will heal.
MOST events don’t require any outside intervention and instead, what makes the body, heals the body.
It’s such a phenomenon from my perspective.
BUT what’s even more fascinating is how most people don’t believe they have the power to find their light while experiencing their darkness.
They don’t believe they have all the resources within.
They don’t believe they have the know-how to overcome it.
They don’t believe they have the skills, abilities, or resources to make it.
The level of doubt is disturbing, but what I want to scream as loud as possible is….
Every human is powerful beyond measure, so it’s important to not measure your power!
What I mean by “don't measure your power” is DON’T limit yourself by measuring what you can or can’t do and instead just do it.
Believe in your innate.
Believe in a higher power.
Believe in yourself!
Realization 3: For every one person who is trying to slow you down, there are 100s yearning to catalyze you.
My mentor, Rick Sapio (who recently passed away on his own terms after battling like a true warrior against Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer - RIP my dear friend) told me….
“Every problem that exists or has existed in your life is because you let the wrong person into your life.”
More often than not, the reason for a dark chapter is because you did not take Rick’s advice from above…I know this has been the case for me too. And when you are operating in your dark because of someone who is trying to slow you down, impacting your ability to succeed, or downright looking to destroy you; it’s imperative to know that for every ONE naysayer, critic, cynic, or sociopath there are 100s of people who want to see you WIN and need you to WIN.
So here’s my advice…
MOBILIZE the 100s of fans.
Tell them what you are going through.
Ask them for support.
Empower them to take action which will serve you AND also serve them.
When people are in their dark chapter they often feel like they are on an island trying to figure it out all by themselves, but this is only because they have chosen to be on an island.
Invite the people who want you to win to help you win.
And watch how this one realization helps you find the light in your dark chapter.
Realization 4: Everything is “what it is” and the words you attach to “what is” become decisive.
One of the greatest lessons in my life is to recognize that EVERYTHING is what it is.
A diet is a diet.
A lawsuit is a lawsuit.
A death is a death.
A bankruptcy is a bankruptcy.
A fight is a fight.
AND the only way any of these events OR others become more than just an event is if you attach words to the event that make it more than just the event.
I know this is a mouth full so let me simplify it…
If two people committed to the exact same diet with the goal of losing 10 pounds in 30 days and…
PERSON A said “Diets are so limiting and so hard and I have tried every diet and nothing works.”
PERSON B said, “I am so excited to eat new and healthy foods so that my energy can soar and I will feel even better about myself.”
Who will stand victorious?
YES you are in a dark chapter but your dark chapter is a dark chapter. No adjectives necessary to make it darker than it is. It just is what it is and the words you choose to attach will become decisive.
Here are some words for you…
I have every excuse in the world to let my dark chapter suppress my light, but I also have every reason to find my light in the dark.
Choose your words wisely and watch what happens!
Realization 5: In the end it’s always great, and if it’s not great, it’s not the end.
I do believe that every high integrity and honest human will be smiling on their death bed, even if it seems completely unexpected when they leave us, I do believe they know it’s the end because in the end it’s great.
The contrary is also true…
If you are in a dark chapter and you would never even think of attaching the word GREAT to this chapter - then don’t for even a second - think this is the end because….
In the end it’s always great, and if it’s not great, it’s not the end.
Now What?
I am going to answer this question with a question…
“NOW WHAT?”
I am throwing it back at you because if you are IN a dark chapter – you NEED to answer NOW WHAT for yourself.
Will you find your light?
Like I mentioned above…
“You have every excuse in the world to let your dark chapter suppress your light, but you also have every reason to find your light in the dark.”
Will you make an excuse?
OR
Will you find your light?
I believe there are only two extremes and you need to pick one.
And I will PRAY that you choose to FIND your light in the dark chapter because when you do – the darkness will still be present, but your light will shine through and provide you with THE path to overcome this event and become stronger as a result.
I am here for you always - I mean always - because TOGETHER we truly achieve more.
Live with Intention,
