Who is extinguishing your light?

Tonight is the fifth night of Chanukah, which means there are more lights than not - more goodness than darkness. Let's take a moment and ask:
Who is extinguishing your light?

Is there someone in your life who pulls you down when you're trying to build yourself up?
They may not even realize they're doing it. Maybe you're doing it to others, or even to yourself, without realizing it.

Have you ever come up with an idea, wanted to start something new, or shared something you heard - and the person you're talking to makes a face like "yeah right" or laughs?
Makes a comment they think is helpful, but it actually dims your enthusiasm?

Maybe you're doing it to someone else, or even to yourself.
You come up with a plan, a schedule, an idea - and at some point, out of fear of failure or worry that it will just be another failed attempt, you extinguish your own light or someone else's.

Remember: H'shem is the One who determines the end result.
All we have is our desire to accomplish.

Don't be the power that extinguishes your light or someone else's.
We all have the same 613 mitzvot, yet none of us are the same or can serve H'shem exactly in the same way.

So make sure you are a light unto others and yourself.
If someone in your life unintentionally or for their own reasons seems to be bringing you down, give them the benefit of the doubt that they just don't realize what they're doing. Try to show them without attacking them what they are doing, and if it doesn't work, share your ideas with other people who can encourage and believe in you.

Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash

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