Keep the Light On • Finding The Words
About This Episode
These days are hard, for all of us, in many different ways. The best we can do is hold the light we have up for others. Because I promise you this: when you hold your light up for others, you will also feel the benefit of its glow.
This short-form episode is part of the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights directly to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
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On February 3, 2025, the northern hemisphere reached an important inflection point: the exact midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. We have officially made it more than halfway through winter, and days will now start to feel longer and brighter again.
Yes, even in these dark days, it’s good to know that light is, in fact, returning.
I’ve never been great at wintering. I feed on the sunlight and feel its absence on cold and dark mornings. And as you might relate, it’s not just the darker days that have slowed us in recent weeks. These days—with all of their confusion, disruption, and abrupt changes—can intensify the feeling of darkness, as if in a room with the lights turned out, feeling around for points of comfort, safety, and security.
If you're feeling this too, here's a suggestion:
Keep the light on.
A wise friend reminded me this weekend that in these moments, when we’re struggling to find the light—whether it be the light of the sun or the light to help guide our path forward in difficult times—we shouldn’t overlook the light we have in ourselves.
This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine…
The reality is that those around you feel some darkness, too. They may feel alone, confused, and afraid. Your actions—your steady willingness to check in and show care for those around you—particularly on days when darkness feels intensified—can light the way for others and make our collective journey a bit easier, too.
Eboo Patel, featured last year on the Mission Forward podcast, recentlyrecounted the story of Saint Francis of Assisi, who was tending his garden when someone asked, “What would you do if you knew the world was going to end tomorrow?” He replied, “I’d continue tending my garden.”
There are similar stories that appear across many faith traditions, with a singular lesson:
Keep doing what you’re doing.
Keep showing up.
Keep learning.
Keep being generous with your time, and kind with your spirit.
Keep your light shining.
I often run an exercise with leaders and their teams called Sacred and Taboo, inspired by the great work of Stanford professors Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao. The situation is designed to be hypothetical and challenges participants to consider what they would continue to do, even if all of their resources were stripped away. Who would they still be, and how would they still show up in service of their mission?
Facilitating the exercise this week felt less hypothetical and more real—very, very real—as organizations must truly face some of the greatest tests to their mission and existence.
In my most recent session, team members were visibly unsettled and uncertain about the prospects of the future. Even with that uncertainty, I could still see their light shining. I could still see, very clearly, that even under pressure, there were actions in their control. There was still an essential, beautiful, necessary light they could shine—even in moments that felt dark and uncertain.
What you are doing is sacred, and it makes a difference.
So, use that little light of yours—and hold it up high on days that feel dark.
Bottom line: These days are hard, for all of us, in many different ways. The best we can do is hold the light we have up for others. Because I promise you this: when you hold your light up for others, you will also feel the benefit of its glow.
PS- If your light feels especially dim today and you just need a boost, I offer you this little nugget of joy from Bruce Springsteen to help you along.
