I’ve been developing the Light Inside Technique (LIT) since 2016, when it became clear to me that I needed a common-sense approach to reducing stress and increasing positivity. Insights have come from both doing the practice on my own and from using the various aspects of the technique in dialogue with others. I’m eager to share LIT with as many people as I can. Together we can create more peace and positivity.
If passion and inspiration are not used in a way that satisfies the personality, this can leave the person depressed, anxious and frustrated. Are you aware of your passion? Are you aware of the thing(s) that inspire you?
I recently talked to a friend who often says he is not happy. He tends to keep to himself, doesn’t socialize much, if at all, and really only interacts superficially with people on his job. He also says that he has no colleagues or boss to interact with on the job as he basically works for himself. Even if we work at an office or in a place with other employees around, we can still feel alone and unsatisfied. We can feel like none of our co-workers likes us, that we are not appreciated by the boss, that we’re not using our talent, knowledge or skills, that we’re simply not doing something we love, etc, etc. Then there are our personal lives, in our communities and at home. There can be many reasons for the negative thoughts and feelings in these and similar situations, but finding a deeper passion and inspiration can give us more hope, positivity, and sense of purpose and direction. Passion can give meaning and purpose to each new day and every task we perform, no matter how insignificant it might seem. With passion comes energy and motivation.
If we’re in a job or situation that we HAVE to be in, but don’t necessarily want to be in, then of course we have to be responsible and do what we need to do. The appeal to passion still applies, though. We have to take the necessary steps to move forward. We may struggle, but having dialed in to our deeper passion, we can have more willpower to work through the challenges we face each day.
I’d like to offer a simple practice to find your passion and inspiration that anyone can do whenever feeling angry or frustrated, scared or worried, sad or unhappy. During those moments of anger, or sadness, or worry, there’s energy to work with. We just have to be willing to transform it. Here’s a simple way to do that.
The next time you feel a general sense of unfocused anger, try thinking of it as passion and simply ask yourself, “What is my passion?” or “What do I really want to do with all this passion?” or“What do I want to make happen with all this passion?” You get the idea. Maybe there’s some action you want to take, or maybe what’s needed is a change in the way we’re thinking about things. Be open and willing to ask the question and find a positive, useful answer, and see what presents itself! This alone can bring focus and clarity!
Do the same with anxiety or worry. Try thinking of anxiety as excitement, inspiration, motivation, or any other positive word that works for you. Then, with a genuine curiosity and intention, ask what you feel excited about. Ask what you feel inspired to do, or what motivates you. Again, be genuinely open to any positive idea that might come to mind.
Do the same with sadness, grief, or depression. How can we re-label these? I’ve thought of them in different ways over the years. I’ve thought of them as grounding and stabilizing, and I would ask myself what job or activities make, or would make me feel more grounded and stable, strong and centered. (I even thought of sadness as “fun,” like the down part of the ups and downs of a fun rollercoaster! And it worked amazingly on a few occasions!).
Find the words that work for you and give this simple exercise a try. The purpose of the Light Inside Technique (LIT) is to help us feel lighter in mind, body and emotions. This exercise described can help us transform the negative emotions into passion and positivity which in turn gives us direction, purpose, inspiration and energy!