what does the lighthouse mean to you?
a remarkable thing happened when i shared the lighthouse revolution for the first time last year. people told their stories, their perceptions about the lighthouse.
ok, so maybe that isn’t particularly remarkable – as bloggers we want people to comment and share their stories too!
but the responses really did, and continue to, blow me away. the way that the lighthouse has resonated with biz builders never stops exciting and surprising me.
and what has really surprised me the most are the different themes and perceptions that people have shared, some that i hadn’t considered at all!
here are some examples of the lighthouse symbols shared with me over the past year…
- every wave feels like a tsunami, waves crash in… the light flickers and dims
- a guiding light, it guides you through, it guides people who need direction & care
- one bright instead of a string of bulbs where the light is spread in too many places and is dim
- they stand on unstable ground and weather the stormiest of seas
- isolation
- solid foundation, centred, grounded… not being pulled away by passing wind
- needs a fresh coat of paint, ready for another cycle of weather
- needs a caretaker to ensure light is shining brightly
- not just build a lighthouse, but reside in it one day
- a warning system, built so ships don’t crash. but maybe boats are meant to crash? or deserve to crash?
- a sentinel out on the rocks copping the bad weather & the harsh sun, never having a holiday
- when there is an accident it is the lighthouse’s fault
- with GPS is there even a need for lighthouses
interesting, right?
are there some things in that list that resonate with you? are there some that make you kind of uncomfortable? are there some that make you pause and think in a new way?
me too.
nearly 3 years ago i was inspired by this quote by ann lamott :
lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.
i was inspired by the idea of standing tall, standing out, and simply shining. clearly that is what i was longing for in my business!
when you think of the lighthouse what comes up for you?
it could be a message for you about what you are longing for in your biz or your life, a message about what you need to adjust or grow in your business.
if you see isolation perhaps you need to build a network of people who get you, of lighthouse keepers who will be there by your side
if you see waves crashing incessantly perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed in biz & life and need some strategies or tools to create some calm
if you see the lighthouse copping all of the crap on the rocks perhaps it is a symbol of how you’ve been feeling in your biz… what can you do make some changes or get some new support?
are you longing for that one bright light? are you inspired to stand tall; confident and strong in your own value? do you feel like you need to build a stronger foundation?
only you will know.
i haven’t necessarily resonated with every bit of insight i have received about the lighthouse. and that is totally ok. what i get out of the lighthouse is based on my own journey, just as others will get a different message based on theirs.
and i do see how people would feel all of those things, i can definitely understand each point of view. and i honour each point of view.
i also think that we can each make a choice about how we view our journey.
so i hope that even if you see the crashing waves, you also see yourself standing strong. even if you see isolation, you also see yourself shining bright.
i hope that there is something you can take from the lighthouse… something that will help you as you do the work you need to do to share your *thing* with the world.
PS i have also received some cool ghost stories about lighthouses! but i am not sure how that reflects on business!! so if you see the lighthouse and think “spooky creepy ghost” we might have to call in some new experts... hee.