I was speaking to a friend the other day about stamping out people's light. If you don't know what I mean, it's those times you are walking along in life, happy as a clam, and someone comes by and their actions or words hurt you. You may question yourself, feel bad, stop using your voice or stop your own actions of which you were pretty proud.
There are those moments in every woman's life where you are met with these times and I say to you that you MUST be doing something RIGHT!
When you are happy, enjoying life, being kind and positive, creating and serving others that's when someone may pop out of the blue and stamp out your light (or try to). There are ways to help you through these moments: Assessing what the person has said or done, does it reflect a fear? Is there a lesson in the situation? and knowing that it is a reflection on them, not you. But this post is not what to do when you find yourself "stamped" but to help you (or anyone you know) to stop "stamping".
A dirty look at a beautiful confident woman, speaking ill or ganging up on another woman, tearing a woman down at work so you can get ahead (or at least look better), deliberately not helping someone out of jealousy or nepotism, bullying, etc. are all examples of squashing someones light.
The reason this topic has come up for me is that I have been exploring this concept with my daughter. There has been some bullying back and forth at school and I have found out that she was dimming someone else's light. After my initial shock I approached the situation in the way I want her to grow up, supporting her fellow woman. Not looking at another woman with disdain for her successes or skills but cheering her on and supporting her with her kind servant heart.
I think it worked......
But only time will tell and my hope for the next generation of girls are bright lights shining all around us, showing us their individual beauty and united as one.