“Shine bright like a diamond.
Remember that by allowing your best self to shine,
you’ll inspire many lives in ways you cannot even imagine.”
—Nancy Salmeron
A friend and I were discussing how fear was interfering with her happiness. She told me, “Just as I think I have conquered my fears, a bigger fear appears. I have been dealing with many negative thoughts lately. I feel I am not worthy of the happiness in my present life. I see so much discontent and unhappiness in people surrounding me that I have been questioning my worthiness to have all of the beautiful things in my life.”
“Why do you feel guilty about your happiness? I asked her.
“I don’t think it’s fair that I get to live this life while some family and friends around me are struggling with marriages and financial matters,” she replied. “I am embarrassed to share how happy I am in my marriage and with my life in general. I feel that I must make up stories of an unhappy life to relate to others and so I don’t make them feel bad. I feel that I can’t be fully real and share that I am blessed, because I could make others feel bad.”
I continued, “Why do you feel that you must hide your happiness from others?”
“I fear that I won’t be liked or that they will think I am showing off,” she said. “The truth is that I fear rejection by others. I fear that they won’t be able to relate to me and will not like me. And I don’t want to show off.”
“Listen,” I told her, “if you don’t feel that you can share how happy you are with the people around you, you may need to consider finding new friends. You can’t have friends or be around people who you must downsize your happiness for. You are not responsible for anybody else’s life, just your own. Ideally, you should not have to tell anybody that you are happy. You must just behappy. If you must hide your happiness to make other people identify with you, you are not being real. Be you, be happy, and shine for those who see your light. And if you are shining too brightly for some people and they don’t appreciate your light, that is not your responsibility.”
Today, let’s talk about how to surround yourself with friends who inspire you to live in joy and who are never threatened by your happiness.
You are the company that you keep.
It has been said that you are the company that you keep. If the company that you keep is toxic and always feels that the world is unfair, you will soon see the world in the same way. If this is true for you, then you must surround yourself instead with people who believe in you and see greatness in you. Surround yourself with those who you don’t have to downplay your happiness for. You really are only as happy as the company that you keep.
What company do you want to keep?
It is your right to decide what kind of people you want in your life. Think about who you are and what you are reflecting to the world. Never settle, and always seek people who reflect where you want to go. In your circle, you need to feel supported and cared for. You need friends who are committed to their personal evolution as you are. When you are clear on who you want in your life, you will attract these kinds of people.
Don’t be afraid to shine.
When you have the courage to shine, you won’t diminish someone else’s light. You will help them find their own light. If you allow your best light to shine, you will inspire many lives to seek joy. Never feel that you must deprive others of your happiness. You aren’t showing off, just being happy!
You are worthy of greatness and you must not feel guilty about this. If you can’t share your true self with the people around you, they are not your people. Shine bright like a diamond and remember that by allowing your best self to shine you’ll inspire many lives in ways you can not even imagine. Never settle for not shining brightly because of what others may think about you. Until next time, Believe. Change. Become!
Sending many blessings and much love your way!
Nancy😊