It’s hard out here – in every sense of the word – from getting into college to getting the job you’ve always wanted and every other opportunity for bigger and better in-between. Many times, these opportunities have not only been products of hard work and diligence, but they have also been the direct result of the torch –the passing of a light and the igniting of a flame — that is, the people who believe in us and show us the way. In the midst of our busy everyday lives, we have to not only acknowledge the torch – the light and those who help it shine — but we also have to keep passing the torch.
The teacher who put in extra unpaid hours with you as a child — the student who had been labelled “hopeless” by everyone else. The old woman that schooled you to the company you work for now, where you have been promoted several times, thanks to her investment in you years and years ago. The man up the street that “saw something” in you even though you kept getting in trouble as a teenager – the same man that put you on to chess and essentially took you out of trouble.
I know you can think of quite a few examples of people in your life who’ve passed you the torch. A torch ablaze with confidence, love and inspiration. And that’s great. But the problem comes when we stop passing the torch. When we reach heights unimaginable and don’t look back, or forward or anywhere else. When we live out our dreams and achieve our goals, we drop the ball (or the torch). Instead of helping a young person trying to make it as we were at one point, we focus on ourselves and instead of helping your fellow go-getter get even farther, our minds and our spirits are clouded with self-centered ideology.
Once you drop the torch, the fire is gone. Your light becomes a little dimmer, those after you find themselves amidst an even dimmer light and the world in general becomes a darker place.
Pass the torch and keep the momentum going, because “nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” – Maya Angelou
Peace, Love & Consciousness,
Kiara
Dr. Kiara Shanay Lee 