I believe there is so much light, potential and goodness in every one of you reading this. You have so much potential inside you that it’s scary. I wrote this article to help you see that light shining inside you and help you shine even more brightly. After all, your family and friends need your light, your co-workers and clients need your light, and the entire world needs your special light.
You see, I know for a fact every single one of us has a light to shine in this world. I live by a principle that when you have been blessed with a light— whether that light is in the form of a special skill, expertise, wisdom in a particular area, or even a story to tell— that you should let it shine. You shine this light not so you can illuminate yourself, but so you can illuminate others. By doing so you have the ability to inspire, lead, and help others in the greatest of ways! Don’t allow others to tell you to stop shining. Stop allowing negativity to rob you of your sparkle. Negative people will always try to smear their disbelief and doubt all over you in hope to snuff out any sign of sparkle you may possess. The darkness of this world will always fear the light. Why? Because a single, tiny candle will illuminate even the darkest of dark places. Your light, your shine, your influence has the ability to change the world around you!
When you embrace your call to shine, something beautiful happens. Your glow can be seen by others. It’s that luminous glow that encourages and empowers others to find their own light within. When you choose to let your light shine, you not only light up your own life, you light the path for others — who knows, maybe millions of others — to join you on the journey.
I know there’s at least one frazzled, overworked woman reading this right now, thinking to themselves that sounds crazy! They look at their over-crammed, busy schedule and wonder how they will even make it through this week, let alone embark on a quest to live their dreams. Trust me, I get you! In my past I lived busy and swamped and overwhelmed 24/7. I was the typical woman who said YES to everyone and everything — except my own goals and dreams. Oh sure, I always seemed happy and put together on the outside, but inside and behind closed doors I was drowning in anxiety trying to do and become more. I knew I had a calling upon my life to shine, but all my “to-dos” and mundane tasks of life were suffocating my ability to shine.
Sometimes the craziest, out there, what-was-I-thinking ideas create the greatest emotionally empowering experiences of your life! For example, a few months ago I was invited to participate at the Ms. World Pageant. At first I literally scoffed at the fantastical idea! How in the world could I, a 37 year old mom of three kids, who works full time running my nutrition clinic, filling in as the Master Nutritionist when my full time nutritionist suddenly quit, all while trying to finish this book, manage to compete in Ms. World?! Not to mention, the other women competing are drop-dead gorgeous and a decade or more younger than myself and probably had not birthed three large babies! Plus, I would need to somehow become graceful in high heels. I brushed it aside as a far-fetched fantasy and unattainable for someone like me. Even if I wanted to go for it, it seemed impossible with all my current responsibilities of life. So, I respectfully declined the offer saying I was just way too busy to fit this “dream” into my life.
Weeks passed and the idea of Ms. World kept creeping back into my mind. I could not shake the idea that I was making a mistake and missing out on a really rad and life-changing opportunity. But then another crisis would pop up— like my website crashed, my son got stung by a scorpion, our watering system literally exploded and flooded our neighbor’s yard, I discovered one of my employees was secretly recruiting my patients to build her own practice on the side, our electrical wires on our house suddenly exploded and had to be rewired, my mom fell seriously ill and went into the hospital for multiple life-threatening issues, the kids were heading back to school and all needed back to school supplies, my husband even developed a random allergic reaction to our family dog, Maverick, who we had for over five years. By the way, this is just a short list — there was more, so much more! It was as if life decided to throw every damn curveball it had at me and all at once! Have you ever experienced one of these seasons where a tsunami of crises bombard your normally peaceful life? The idea of adding one more stressful thing — even one that was really awesome like Ms. World — seemed irresponsible and inconceivable — yet it seemed like every quiet moment the idea of doing Ms. World was lingering in the back of mind.
I spent weeks going through the emotions of grieving the loss of Ms. World. I felt like I had lost this incredible opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and try something radically out of my spectrum. I even began to feel bitter towards my daily tasks — as if it was my watering systems fault I declined the opportunity to compete at Ms. World. The truth was, it was not anyone’s fault as to why I was not going to compete. It was 100 percent my decision and I chose to say no — but that was too large of a pill to swallow. It was so much easier to be grumpy, sad and throw a itty bitty pity party for myself and my overburdened schedule. That’s right, it was “life’s” fault, not mine. Life said no, that I could not follow this dream of mine!
In those weeks I felt sorry for myself and played a victim to my busy life and overtaxed schedule. Finally, my husband spoke up and confronted me about why I was so down and grumpy for the last few weeks. I had not even brought it to his attention that I had really wanted to participate in Ms. World. I had played it off weeks earlier as something that was not even in the cards — like the same way I would if someone suggested we sell everything, pull our kids out of school and move to Fiji to raise our island babies on the beach. (But hey, if that’s your dream, go for it! Don’t let my limitations hold you back!) He had no idea I was having this internal mental battle and was shocked that I hadn’t share it with him.
Oftentimes, we hide our big dreams and goals from the world — especially from those we love. It’s as if we are afraid to share them with the world because we worry that we are not capable of achieving it. Not to mention how much we worry about what others will think. That was how I felt about Ms. World. I questioned if I was actually “good enough” to share the stage with some of the most gorgeous and graceful women on earth. Was I too old — after all, many of these women were in their mid 20’s? Was I too busy — could my business thrive without me being physically there? Did I have the gusto to step on stage in six inch high heels and walk confidently in front of a panel of judges? Yes, I had lost half my body size and overcome my battle with obesity, diabetes, thyroids and autoimmune disease, but to be judged in this capacity scared me! I was afraid I would not measure up, so I kept this little dream locked up safe and sound in my mind.
You see, this seemed so BIG and so beyond my current situation that I didn’t think I had a chance of winning in any capacity. On top of that, how in the world was I going to be able to fit in all the preparation that goes into getting ready for a pageant of that magnitude. I felt so overwhelmed with all my current responsibilities that I could barely get enough sleep each night. Can you relate? That is when my wise counselor of a husband stepped in. Derek reminded me that life is what I make it, that we only get one shot on this Earth and we might as well make it exactly what we want it to be. He stepped in and offered to take a lot of tasks off my hands so that I could focus on preparing for Ms. World. He also reminded me that if this was something I really wanted to do, then we should find a way to make it happen.
Within 24 hours we had lined up childcare for our three children, thanks to our amazing family members who were more than happy to support this dream of mine. I had also secured not just one, but half a dozen sponsors to help me prepare for Ms. World— including a gorgeous, one of a kind, hand sewn gown from Italy! I also had everything lined up with my clinic team to step in and fill in while I was away for the week. As soon I made the decision to try, it was as if the world opened up and a flood of love, encouragement and support came rushing in to aid me!
Was everything perfect and smooth? Not in the slightest! My gorgeous gown ripped during a photo shoot two days before we were set to leave and needed over $300 in emergency alterations. It also turned out the week of the Ms. World Pageant was scheduled over my kids first week of school — so my mom-guilt was on overload! I also had just three weeks to learn how to do my own makeup, style my own hair, learn to walk gracefully in high heels, as well as memorize the walking patterns. Despite it all, I knew I had made the right choice and felt a sense of peace and fulfillment in my decision to step out of my comfort zone and try my hand at something new.
I made the decision to let my light shine and try my hand at Ms. World. I practiced for hours daily to work on my stage-walk, I hired a makeup artist and hair stylist to teach me how to do my own makeup and hair for the week of interviews, mixers, parties and pageantry. I enlisted the help of a fashion expert to help me create over a dozen polished outfits that would compliment my physique and express my personal style. I juiced greens, cut out all toxic foods, drank two gallons of filtered water a day, and made sure I worked out every day. I also added in daily stretching and balancing exercises to make sure I did not fall off the stage in those six inch heels — not again! So much work, so much time, so much investment, so much energy — but all of it was worth it and in the end it invigorated my soul!
I’m so happy and humbled to share with you that this busy, full time nutritionist and mom of three in her late thirties who struggled with obesity for most of her life was crowned the 2019 Ms. World Ambassador! I have the honor of representing the National Organization for Women’s Safety Awareness (NOWSA).
As the Ms. World Ambassador for the National Organization for Women’s Safety Awareness, I will help spread the organization’s mission of teaching awareness about violence and sexual harassment against women and teens. I will specifically be developing strategies and unique initiatives that will help build confidence and self-esteem, especially in those who have suffered physical or psychological trauma at some point in their lives. After all, studies have shown that there is a clear link between how someone feels about themselves and violence. I stepped out of my own insecurities and excuses and chose to let my light shine and now I have the opportunity to help other women escape abusive situations and heal from emotionally toxic environments.
I 100% believe you will never be fully happy and satisfied if you don’t follow your heart and pursue your dreams. I know, I sound like a corny motivational poster with a cute fluffy white kitten on it, but it’s true nonetheless. I know it’s true and I believe you also know this to be true. My friend, the fact that you and I just spent this time together in the form of this article, tells me that you know you possess a light to shine with this world. I know for a fact you would not have gone this far if you didn’t have a spark inside your heart begging to be ignited into a full on raging flame. You have a light inside you and it’s time to let it shine! Do it, not just for yourself, but for all those around you who need your example to lead the way!
All around you other women are either struggling to live. Look at your social media, pick up a magazine, attend a conference and begin to notice the beautiful women around you. There are many who are exhausted, not because of what they have done, but because they have done too little to build their goals and dreams. You see, when you build your dreams and goals your entire being— body and soul— are ignited and energized with passion and hope. You wake up motivated. You go to bed with gratitude in your heart and excitement for what tomorrow brings. Oh sure, there’s still 14 piles of dirty laundry, but who cares! Girl, you’re living your dream and seeing the goals you set come to pass! You’re shining!
Will it be easy, breezy every single day to shine? I wouldn’t count on it! Choosing to follow your dreams, pursue your goals and let your light shine takes hard work, dedication and tenacity to keep going when times get tough. No, it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it and you will experience a kind of fulfillment that your heart has never felt before. Your spirit will soar just from the fact that you’re actually taking action instead of sitting on your coach wishing and hoping. Only in action will you see real results happen in your life.
Who do you want to be? Do you want to just barely make it each day, making a living and collapsing at the end of the day feeling like you missed out? Or, do you want to be a woman who is energized and hopeful because she’s actually living her life! She rises each morning with energy, she glows all day long with positivity, she encourages others to keep going, she overcomes every challenge set before her, she expects tomorrow to be even better than today. This kind of woman is unstoppable… And you, yes YOU, are that kind of unstoppable woman! Own it!
Pursuing your goals and dreams is so empowering and is easily the greatest gift you could ever give this world. Whether your goal is to get healthy, start your own company, write a book, earn a degree, start a world-changing organization or anything that is a burning passion in your heart, I think you should 100 percent do it! I mean, come on, why the heck not? Who cares if it’s so big and daunting that it scares you. I say good! If your dream doesn’t scare you then you’re not dreaming BIG enough!
Think bigger! Think bolder! Think astronomical-sized dreams! You were not created to be average. You were created to shine, stand out and share your special kind of sparkle and influence with the world. This is what leadership looks like. You don’t have to be a Fortune 500 CEO, wearing a fancy business suit and barking orders to your three interns to be a leader. You can lead just as you are, in flip-flops and a messy bun, getting stuff done and influencing the world for the better.
What does letting your light shine look like for you? It’s different for all of us and not one person will be exactly the same as the other. In fact, I can promise you, your dreams and goals will be very different from mine, or your sister or your best friend or any other woman out there. You’re unique and different and so are your dreams and goals. I see so many “copy cats” out there trying to mimic other successful women out there. They try to copy everything, from the way they dress, the handbags they carry, the cars they drive, even going so far as to surgically changing their appearance in order to look like the person they are attempting to mimic. The sad part of all of this is that the one mimicking another completely misses out who they are created and called to be. They actually do themselves, and the world for that matter, a total disservice because they are cheapening who they were created to be.
Don’t be afraid to shine. Will everyone love the fact that you’re taking action and following your dreams? Probably not. Oftentimes we see people trying to pull others down from following their dreams because their positive action is a harsh reminder that they are unhappy with their own actions. Ignore the doubters, haters and naysayers. You do you and focus on winning at your own goals and dreams. Besides, if they don’t pay your bills or are responsible for your well-being, I don’t think they really have a say in your life. This is your life and you have to be the one to live it — so you might as well live it amazingly.
Today is the day to take action, step into your set free life and let your light shine.
You got this!
XX
–Christina
