Light from Within

Swiss American psychiatrist and author.

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

The light reveals the beauty of the stained-glass windows.

Before reading this quote, I had never recognized the true significance of a stained-glass window.  Since a child, I have always admired stained-glass windows and some of the stories I've seen them tell.  I would love to walk around the inside of certain churches while the sun shone bright and observe the beauty of the different colors and images that were carved into the glass.  I had never paid attention to the fact that the beauty of the windows slowly began to fade away as the sun went down and darkness began to set in.  I agree with Kübler-Ross in that many times people operate the same way.  When things are going well in their lives, they often time appear to have a certain "glow" about them.  They smile more, and appear to be more happy and optimistic.  Many walk about as if they don't have a worry in the world.  More often than not, these are people that others find pleasant to be around.  Many would simply refer to them as beautiful people.  In contrast, when things aren't going well in their lives, they don't appear to have that same glow about them.  They rarely display smiles on their faces and their optimism has now turned into pessimism.  Instead of walking about like they don't have a worry in the world, they now walk about like their world is full of worries. These people have now become people that others usually find it unpleasant to be around.  
As with stained-glass windows, people appear to lose their beauty as the things that made their lives sparkle and shine begin to fade into the darkness.  Different things add happiness to the lives of different people, but I think some of the most common things that make people happy would be having good family and friend relationships, a good job or career, the fulfillment of desired material possessions, and being able to live a life of comfort and security.  The downside to this is that when any of these things are jeopardized, a person may easily find their happiness being jeopardized right along with it.  When the relationships turn bad, a person looses their job or career, a person is stripped of their material possessions or their life of comfort and security is threatened, many lose their own beauty that was attached to these things.
But the quote makes reference to a person's true beauty; a beauty that remains present when the things that made them sparkle and shine have since faded into the darkness.  It is my personal philosophy that people need more than things to define their happiness and in turn reveal their true beauty.  This is where the "light from within" comes into the picture.  Having a light from within will provide people the means to continue to shine even when the sun isn't out. It will give them the opportunity to sparkle even when their situation has taken a turn for the worst. But where does this light come from?  

The people that I've witnessed that have a light from within usually possess one or many of these qualities: faith, a belief in a God or higher power of their understanding, and a never give up mentality. 

All things are possible to them that believe.

Faith has been defined as "a confident assurance, a well-grounded assurance that something we want and hope for is going to happen."  Faith has also been defined as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." When darkness begins to set in, it's this faith that something we want and hope for will eventually come to pass that still allows people to sparkle and shine. It is the faith that even though we cannot yet see it, we will continue to hope and believe that things will work out for the better. 

When you feed your faith your doubts will starve.

Faith is intertwined with a belief in a high power because it has also been defined as a "strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof."  A belief in God gives people the opportunity to rely upon a power greater than themselves.  This power can provide for them whatever they need whenever they need it.  It may provide them strength when they are weak; it may lead, guide and direct them when they didn't know which path to follow.  Whether it be spiritual, religious, or both, a belief in a higher power of your understanding can reveal your true beauty by giving you a light from within when you are surrounded by darkness.  
Dale Carnegie said, "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."  It is this never give up mentality that allows people to continue to have hope in what may appear to be hopeless situations. It allows them to continue to sparkle and shine when it appears that darkness is setting in.  

Continue to have faith, a belief in a God or higher power of your understanding, and/or a never give up mentality and continue to shine, sparkle, and reveal to the world your true beauty and light from within!