Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Feb/Mar 2019 Aspire Magazine Full Issue | Page 41

Harry Potter had an invisibility cloak
that allowed him to go anywhere without
being seen. My invisibility cloak is shame,
unworthiness and fear, and it has effectively
kept me hidden, not only from others but from
myself. This cloak was created to keep me
safe, to protect me from being vulnerable so
that I wouldn’t be hurt, but it has also hidden
my light.
5 Ways We Dim
Our Light
1. Wallflower.
Stick to the background, the sidelines, don’t
engage in conversation, don’t do anything that
draws attention. I hid behind my “shyness” for
years, using that as an excuse not to step out
or take a risk. Out of sight, out of mind.
2. Conformity.
Hiding is not always being completely out
of sight, often it is in conforming to what
is expected of us by those around us, our
families, and society. Allowing others to
shape us into who they want us to be keeps
our light hidden, and never lets our true
beauty shine out. It keeps us trapped in
a closed box, even if it seems like we are
completely out there.
3. Showman.
Like actors who put on a show with flashy
personality, dramatic flair, or aggressive
fights, the showman hides behind a
persona to keep others from seeing what
is underneath. We all have masks we
hide behind for every different occasion or
circumstance. Though the masks hide our
vulnerability, they also hide our light. What
masks do you use?
4. Labels.
Society likes to put names and labels on
everything. These labels can be easy to hide
behind. We begin to identify with the label
and think of it as who we are. Victim, trauma,
cancer, depression, over-weight, divorced.
Or even the more acceptable ones, mother,
wife, entrepreneur, teacher. We hide behind
the label, allowing others to believe that this
is who we are. What labels do you accept,
and how could you expand from them?
“Courage starts with
showing up and letting
ourselves be seen.”
– BRENE BROWN
5. Beliefs.
You can hide behind beliefs of all kinds. They
can be religious or political beliefs. Or even
beliefs about ourselves. For 25 years I hid
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luminous is embodying the light within me,
and allowing it to fill me and radiate out in all
that I do. In order for this to happen I need to
uncover my light.