As HUMAN BEINGS, we tend to give more importance to the human side of us, rather than to the divine one. Regardless of the religion or philosophy of life practiced, it is important to remember that before incarnating we already existed as a ‘light essence’. At birth, the soul inhabits the physical body to become part of the materiality of this world, and thus, be able to live and experience this ‘reality’. This connection is quite evident in the first years of life, but it tends to weaken over time, due to the integration of our personality, created and fused with the specific sociocultural context that one inhabits. We end adapting to the world, strengthening the HUMAN and forgetting the BEING. As life passes by, time accelerates, and the momentum of everyday life takes us, filling us with responsibilities, roles, and expectations.
The soul ends imprisoned between so many created or acquired structures and masks, which end up hiding the LIGHT that emanates naturally from within us. Energy flows through our entire physical body and goes beyond it, inhabiting the emotional and mental body as well, connecting these three to the other higher bodies that conform the entirety of our being. To be able to visualize it better, it is important to recognize that there is a sphere of light located in the center of our chest, next to the heart. The purity of our DIVINE BEING concentrates in this spark. As children, it is easier to maintain the connection with this center of light, from where all the energy emanates, allowing us to absorb the teachings learned through our life and maintain our sense of wonder awaken and receptive. As adults, it is more difficult to maintain this balance and life can pass us by so quickly, without becoming aware of the important things, and not being able to absorb the wisdom of each lived experience.
What would happen if we could change our perspective, understanding that our divine essence comes first, and the fact that it inhabits a human body comes second?
Surely, we could be able to find balance between the HUMAN and the BEING. It would help us appreciate life based on love, fusing mind and heart, as a source of inspiration to transform our lives into moments of plenitude and complete well-being.
To delve a little deeper into this concept, I would like to share with you an anecdote that happened to me a while ago, when my daughter was two years old. For those who do not know yet, I have the joy and blessing of being a single dad through adoption of a beautiful girl named Sofía. She came into my life days before she was two months old, in the most unexpected and magical way one could imagine. At that time, I was in the process of applying for a Canadian visa to be able to move and reside in Montreal; and in the meantime, I enrolled my daughter in a school so I could work teaching in the mornings. The lawyers who were assisting us with the procedures kept postponing the date of our departure, so we were always three months away from receiving the visa. Sofía was about to complete one year at ‘Instituto Lumiere,’ when the lawyers informed us that we were going to be able to transfer to Canada during the summer of 2019.
At this institute, there is a tradition of holding an end-of-year event where, within the different activities, the school invites a parent to share a few words in front of all the attendees.
Considering that Sofía and I would be migrating to another country, therefore, leaving this school, they offered me this opportunity. Days passed by in which I spent time reflecting and doing some introspection, trying to define the message I could convey on that special day.
With all of this as context, I would like to take this message as referent, since for this article and after 5 years of writing it, I have gone even deeper with the information that I want to share with you.
After the greeting and expressing how happy Sofía had been during her stay in that school, I began by stating how beautiful the meaning of the name of the Institute is. The word LUMIERE means LIGHT in French and is also the surname of the brothers who invented the cinematograph, patented in 1895. Their discovery consisted of projecting light through a sequence of images, to produce what we know today as cinematography. Of these two connections, it seemed wonderful to me to think of an institute created for children’s education named after the word LIGHT, or the surname of the creators of the following concept:
LIGHT PROJECTED THROUGH A SEQUENCE OF IMAGES TO TELL A STORY
in connection with
A BEING OF LIGHT INHABITING A PHYSICAL BODY TO EXPERIENCE LIFE
With this concept in mind, we could visualize children of light in the learning process on how to integrate themselves into this experience called life. Each one of them is a bright spark contained in a developing human body. Like a candlelight, which requires a glass and or metal container to protect it and extend its duration. Also comparable to the light generated by gases contained within a glass object, which we commonly call a light bulb. The candles need to be lit to create a flame and the bulbs must be connected to emit light; In the same way, the human beings remain connected to their divine source to emanate this spark of light throughout their life.
Another interesting aspect in the evolution of spatial lighting was the creation of luminaries. Among their main functions we can highlight protection, insulation, aesthetics, and light manipulation. The latter can have different objectives – focus or accentuate, diffuse, control, or direct the light beam. The children’s education in our society has a similar impact to these luminaries. It is worth clarifying that the formation of a human being is a collaborative work between parents – family and teachers – institution. In addition, we must consider the influence of external factors that impact them through their childhood, based on their environment and sense of community.
If we make a comparison between traditional luminaires and the new ones, we could clearly see an evolution that points directly to the innovation of systems that maximize the projection of light. Previously, the bulbs required rigid structures for protection, by controlling the levels of heat and by avoiding direct contact with the exterior. But these would tend to reduce the amount of light projected through the luminaire. Likewise, the training of children in past generations focused on implementing structure, rigidity, rules, limits, direction, and at times, overprotection. The level of intensity varies from person to person; and without a doubt, although the majority ends up accepting the luminaire imposed by society, there are also those who decide to reject it or partially accept it, modifying its design as much as possible so that it can be more harmonious with their individual nature.
Learning to unlearn in adulthood has become very fashionable in recent decades, which means taking the time to do deep introspection, to reconnect with your true essence.
Recognizing yourself in connection with your true being will allow you to identify everything anchored to you, added over the years for varied reasons. It translates into what we know as personality, that character that is a mixture of your being with elements that allows us to coexist within a society. Therefore, it includes positive aspects such as talents, values, virtues, and abilities mixed with acquired patterns and structures. Added to all of this, we have the fears, phobias, beliefs, insecurities, and limitations that can govern your life. Most people educated this way end up acting conditioned to fulfill other people’s expectations and dreams, in a failed attempt to please others (for example, always seeking parental approval), replicating patterns inherited from generation to generation. When this happens, the soul’s plan takes the last place on the list of priorities and often ends up forgotten, giving rise to a meaningless life. In the end, we can decide to carry this for the rest of our lives or dedicate time and energy to getting rid of everything we do not need, in the aim to live our lives with greater fulfillment and harmony.
WHAT AN IRONY OF LIFE HAVING TO LEARN TO UNLEARN
If you are one of the generations that have had to go through this, I recommend you taking the time to unlearn, since the benefits are infinite, and without a doubt, very gratifying for the BEING.
Likewise, it would be important to question how we are raising our children or how we are educating our new generations – at home, at school and in society itself.
So, the following question arises: Will it be possible to learn what is important right from the start, and thus enhance the interaction of the soul with the body?
Educating new generations should be more focused on cultivating love – towards oneself and towards others, which will translate into respect and empathy for others. In addition, we should foster a sense of security and self-confidence, allowing children to face life with determination, certainty, and inspiration to achieve everything that enhances their well-being and fulfillment.
The new era of the world requires more sensitive human beings connected to their true essence, in which their luminaries can maximize their inner light. For this, it is necessary that all types of education can focus on cultivating everyone’s self-esteem, enhancing their talents, virtues, and values, which will allow them to integrate in harmony with the rest of the world. In addition to encouraging the embodiment of one’s own dreams.
Currently, lighting has diversified to such an extent that man has created a wide variety of luminaires with different objectives, allowing the creation of incredible and magical spaces through meticulous lighting design. There are even master’s degrees in lighting to learn how to do it. Nowadays, beyond protecting or reducing light emission, luminaires can expand, enhance, duplicate, redirect, focus, or project light; and sometimes they can be only a decorative object with no other real function besides superficial beauty.
Of all these options, which characteristics would you like to associate with your inner light? And what and how would you like to project light into the stories of your future life?
It would be so wonderful if every boy and girl in this world could live connected to love, in a supreme communion between the DIVINE and the HUMAN side of them. Where all their talents and virtues were so evident that anyone could appreciate them at first sight. Almost equivalent to recognizing these qualities as their unique superpowers. The magic of superheroes lies in enhancing the talents and virtues they harbor within them. Sadly, the same thing happens with the villains of each story. It is time for new generations to breed SUPERHEROES, who can turn the ordinary into extraordinary, who can live to their fullest potential and embrace memorable stories composed of images projected through their inner light.
It is time for transformation.
It is time to decide what stays and what goes.
It is time to shine in full plenitude.
Have you ever seen flying paper lanterns?
They are quite a spectacle and lead the viewer to connect with their emotions and experience an elevation of their being, as if it were possible to levitate and fly through the sky with them. In this case, the flame causes the air inside the paper luminaire to become lighter than the air outside, allowing the lamp to rise and take flight.
In the same way, when we allow our inner flame to shine with more strength and determination our physical body will feel lighter. Without a doubt, it could be a way in which we could flow through life with more harmony and fullness, in balance and connection between the material and the divine sides of our being.
Personally, every time I see these paper lanterns suspended in the air, I imagine millions of sparks of light flowing in the universe, like a huge galaxy full of suns – stars; each one of them unique and unrepeatable, and at the same time being part of a whole.
To close this introspective journey, I would like to share with you the following message, with which I closed my speech addressed to the parents, and especially, to the children of ‘Instituto Lumiere.’
Dedicated to all the children being born in this new millennium, in aims of reaching your inner child. I recommend you read it while connecting mind and heart, to fully absorb the essence of this message. I truly hope it can help you remember and recognize yourself as a beautiful BEING OF LIGHT inhabiting this world.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXISTENCE
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE TO BE BORN IN THIS TIME – WORLD
THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE TO OPEN HEARTS
AND HELP OTHERS REMEMBER – RECONNECT WITH UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
MAY YOUR ENVIRONMENT, FAMILY AND PHYSICAL CONTEXT,
BE SURROUNDED BY LOVE, HARMONY, AND PEACE
MAY IT ALLOW YOU TO TURN ON YOUR LIGHT,
TO SEE YOURSELF AND RECOGNIZE YOURSELF IN IT
MAY IT HELP YOU FLOURISH ALL YOUR TALENTS AND ALL OF YOUR VIRTUES
MAY YOUR RAYS OF LIGHT SOW SEEDS OF LOVE EVERYWHERE
MAY YOUR ACTIONS FOR THE WORLD BE A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
AND MAY YOUR WISE HEART BE THE GUIDE
TO TRANSFORM YOUR JOURNEY INTO AN ILLUMINATED PATH
I WISH FOR YOU TO STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR ESSENCE
THROUGH THE INTEGRATION PROCESS TO THIS WORLD
AND MAY YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR INNER LIGHT
THAT DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES
THAT THE FUTURE MIGHT HAVE FOR YOU,
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR LIFE,
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER STOP SHINNING
Reference: Instituto Lumiere – www.lumiere.edu.mx
Images in order of appearance: Zalmuary Saavedra, Chris Burgett, Sunbeam Photography, Jeremy Yap, Sebastian Bjune, Bekah Russom, Blake Meyer, Vitolda Klein, Ramin Talebi, Jenny Le, Ruben Bagues, Jonathan Borba, Eduardo Gorghet, Elizaveta Dushec, Qasim Sadiq, Gabby Orcutt, Garret Jackson, Frank Mckenna, Austin Pacheco, Francesco, Shanin Khalaji, I Abrar Wlamnuy, Grapgic Node, Frank Makenna, Giu Vicente and Isfak Himu on www.unsplash.com