By: Sherry Dixon

In one day I see so much negativity. I’ll bet you do too. It seems that so many of us gravitate toward it. Why is it that we emphasize the negative? Because we think: I’m too tall. I’m too short. My hair is too thin. My hair is too curly. My hair is not blonde. My hair is gray. My hair won’t grow. My eyes are too small. My eyes are too big. My nose is too big. My eyes are too close together. I’m too fat. I’m not smart enough. I didn’t go to college. I hate my job. I hate my life. I hate myself.

A friend recounted a minor car accident she’d experienced. On that rainy day, she’d misjudged a right turn and ended up running up on the curb, causing minor damage. Although not physically hurt, she was on the verge of tears and was obviously hurting emotionally. A close family member had made negative comments about her driving. The light in her eyes had dimmed, and sadness dominated her usual sparkling personality. She allowed someone else to influence her self-worth. I ran into another friend who was completely heartbroken. Despite receiving the best performance review ever in her career, she had also received the lowest raise in salary. She allowed the lack of money to influence her self-worth.

I, too, have experienced feelings of low self-worth. My father used to all me “Baby Huey.” Those readers who grew up in the ’60s may recall this comic book character, an overgrown duck who was forever dealing with being a large duck in a small duck world. Perhaps my father meant that nickname in an endearing way, but from a very vulnerable time in my life—puberty—I grew up thinking I was a very large girl in a world that preferred girls to be small. For many years, I thought I was “less than” whenever I gained weight. There are a thousand examples of how we allow others to influence our feelings of significance in the world. More times than not, we think less of ourselves, wishing we were somehow different or better, and so we “dim our light.” Let this be a reminder, however: It’s time for that to stop! Every single reader, every single one of you, is uniquely beautiful and 100% absolutely without question has value in our world.

My purpose with “Finding the Light” is to guide you on the journey toward finding your light. Together we can do it. It’s a journey you won’t want to miss!

Sherry Dixon, owner of Lighthouse Solutions is a personal development coach and writer. Her first book, Natural Destiny, a young adult historical fiction novel, placed as a semi-finalist in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Contest in New Orleans, LA in 2011 and was recognized by the International Reading Association, Guam Chapter in 2013. She has a BS in Occupational Education and a Masters in Human Resources Development. Sherry enjoys helping people find their personal joy and purpose. For more on Sherry visit: www.sherrysdixon.com

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