The Dimmer Switch – how lit up are you?

When talking about the work that I do, I often use the analogy of the dimmer switch.

I love dimmer switches. In my physical space that is – in my home, in an office, etc. I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like them. They allow you to set the mood if you want to have a romantic evening, you can brighten up a space if it’s cold and dark outside, you can turn your lights on full blast if you’re working on a project that requires great lighting. And the list goes on.

Obviously, the benefit of the switch is that there are times when you want the dimmer switch to be turned down and times when you want the dimmer switch to be turned up. Well, in the way I talk about dimmer switches with my clients, that is not the case. There is no time or reason that being turned down is a benefit.

The individuals and the businesses I help are full of brilliant light and power. In fact, most of them can feel it. They don’t often know what it is or how to describe it or explain it; they just feel like there is more of them, more to them… just more. This is how I used to feel and I bet many of you can relate.

But here’s where the dimmer switch comes into play – they are not fully lit up. In reality, a lot of them are turned way down. They are not connecting to their purpose and potential and light and power that is within them. They are dimmed.There are so many reasons that our dimmer switches get turned down. It’s our journey to work through the obstacles that dim our light so that we can open it back up again. Here are the two main categories of dimmers that I see (and have experienced):

Your Circumstances: You are in a job, a relationship, a friendship, a space, or anything at all, that is just plain stifling you (turning you down). You might walk into your office or your home, or a situation and just feel your light dim or feel heavy or stifled. You might be in meetings and get so frustrated because you aren’t able to truly be yourself or provide the input you want to provide. You just feel dimmed.

Your Thoughts and Beliefs: Our minds are so powerful, which is wonderful, but they also can really shut us down and dim our light. I’ll admit that this was a black plague on my life and it is something that I still struggle with and work on constantly. You might be telling yourself that you’re not good enough. You might feel lost in a fog because you don’t know what you’re really meant to be doing with your life, or because you don't know if you’ll find something better (job, partner, friend, place, etc.) and your mind tells you not to bother until you “figure out” what your purpose is (good luck!). And, you might be terrified of what will happen if you are more lit up, showing up as yourself.

That is just at TINY sampling of some of the circumstances and thoughts that turn our dimmer switch down. And I’m sure you have many that you can list off right now.

What I want you to consider is:

How high is your dimmer switch turned up – how lit up are you, really?

What is turning your dimmer switch down? What turns you down?

What’s turning your dimmer switch up? What turns you up?

Just to have awareness around where your light is being dimmed is a huge step. The next step is to determine where you can remove those dimming forces and find ways to turn that switch up and light yourself up!

"Let nothing dim the light that shines from within." - Maya Angelou