According to thesaurus.com, epiphany is a “sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.”  We often call these, “Ah ha moments.”

On this day of Epiphany, January 6, we must allow our inner star light to shine within, threw, and from us to illuminate what is ours to do for this new year.

• What possibilities remain to be revealed in your life?
• What ignites your passion for Self-expression?
• How are you choosing to show up?

In order to be the light in which you aspire to be, you have to be willing to stand up and face the dark. It is impossible to have one without the other. You cannot have strength without struggle, joy without pain, and courage without vulnerability. You have to have both simultaneously in order to thrive.

Many times, I hear people say they want to wave a magic wand and transform their lives. Immediately they’d be successful, thinner, joyful, and/or prosperous. If it were that easy, we’d all be there.

In my life, I’ve found that in order for me to “get there” I needed to be willing to face the dark, my fears, be vulnerable, and to feel and express my genuine feelings. This is not easy. Most people shy away from doing this because feeling feelings are painful, certainly not fun, takes a willingness to be authentic, and honestly you have to let go of the ego’s perception of yourself and drop down into the heart’s reality of Self.

It’s like taking care of a car. Most people want to go through a drive-through and get it washed and go on their merry way. Very few of us are willing to park the car in the shop, get out, look under the hood, take apart the engine, clean it, and put it back together again. That takes time, perseverance, and commitment. For me, “My desire to fly/clean out the engine was bigger than my fear of falling/driving a car that was clean on the outside and dirty on the inside. Today, when life presents itself, I still take time to look under the hood and give my Self a Tune Up when required.

What about you?  Are you willing to clean out your car’s engine? Are you willing to look at what you don’t want to see in order to go where you want to go? If you see what is yours to do, are you willing to voice your truth?

I challenge you this year to spend some time in the dark in order to live in the light. Be willing to let your voice be heard. Be vulnerable. Be courageous. Be the light. Be the beacon of hope. Let your light shine today illuminating you to what is yours to do and allow that light to shine on other’s shadows and Truth so they too can fully open their eyes and see who they are. Drop your victim persona, embrace your vulnerable heart, take off your blinders, see your vision, face your fears and choose to live in vitality.

Today, why not try something new and step out of your silence and give voice to your convictions. In this way you can “change the way you see and change the way you live,” and definitely live an unstoppable, unforgettable and unbelievable life.