Finding Our Light in the Darkest Hour

Photo by the author, Briar Rose

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Let’s talk about finding our light in the darkest hour.

When we’ve tried tirelessly to be a good person, it often feels as though we fall short of every definition we reach for. At times, we overextend ourselves in pursuit of that ideal, even at the expense of others. We are often left feeling like we’ve failed completely. Our deepest wounds are caused by their constant disapproval. This is often how we learn to view ourselves and navigate the world. And when that happens, we descend into our darkest hour.

While in our darkest hour, we must find the courage to ask whether we are truly becoming the person we long to be, even while carrying the weight of their ongoing judgment. If we truly want to heal, we must let go of what no longer serves us and begin living with a sense of freedom and wholeness. In pursuit of becoming who we are, without letting others get to us, we must create the life we know, deep down, we deserve.

We need to actively work to break the cycles that once confined us. Every moment we choose to invest in ourselves is an act of defiance against the voices that insist we are not enough. However, the criticism we receive might be discouraging. No matter how earnestly we show up, we are met with indifference or dismissal. We need to offer ourselves and others respect, even when it’s not returned. Yes, the loneliness of that imbalance is crushing. That’s how our dark hour feels.

When those feelings compound, we have to find it in ourselves to truly love who we are. Even in our darkest hour, something within us keeps reaching for light. There’s a voice inside, a quiet and persistent one, that insists that we are worthy of love, of healing, of being seen. We may lose sight of it some days, but we are committed to finding it again and again. Because we are not just trying to survive. We want to thrive.

This is what it means to find our light in the darkest hour.