The Gift That Keeps Giving
(Touching the lives of millions)
In a world where certain individuals seem to stand way out above the rest of us (I’m thinking of people such as celebrities, heroes, prominent figures and the like) we can sometimes lose sight of what we seemingly lesser mortals might have to offer the world. It sometimes seems like we are comparing the brightness of the sun with the modest light of a candle. What my Grandfather taught me was that I don’t need to shine like the sun. It’s more than OK to be a candle.
Unlike many of my peers, who during their early teenage years tended to idolise footballers or rock ‘n’ roll stars, my hero was my Grandfather. Although I’ve been asked many times why I held him in such high regard, I can’t honestly point to one specific thing. It certainly wasn’t because I saw him very often, due to the many miles that separated us, nor was it because he possessed any superhuman powers. What he did have, however, was a desire to spend time with me; and in the process share some of the wisdom he had accumulated throughout the years.
One of the many things I remember was a time when he sat me down in front of an open fire and handed me one of the two candles he was holding. Once I was in receipt of it he took a wooden spill from a box close to the fire and lit it by placing one end in the fire. Using the lighted spill he went on to light each of our candles. Raising his candle slightly he then went on to share the following.
“I want you to think of these candles as the physical aspect of who we are and the flame representative of that which drives or motivates us; such as our self-esteem, confidence, hopes, dreams, passions, beliefs, aspirations, etc. The brighter the flame the stronger the drive and the clearer the way ahead. During our early years the lights burn bright and it seems like there is nothing we can’t achieve. The world being very much our oyster.”
“As we journey further along the path of life, situations can arise that can cause the flame to dim or inadvertently go out. Often through no fault of our own. Sometimes, however, it can be because we have ventured into places where the flame is unable to stay alight; blown out by hostile forces or starved by negativity.”
With that he blew out the flame on my candle.
“It’s at times like this when we are most likely to be at our lowest ebb. A time when we are without hope, without belief, without confidence, without direction, without clarity. It can be a dark place. A lonely place. A frightening place. It’s at times like this when you can shine brighter than any distant star within the life of someone who finds themselves in such a place. You don’t have to be a rock ‘n’ roll star or a football hero. You just need to be someone who cares enough stop awhile and reignite their flame.”
With that he reignited my candle.
“Just remember that your one candle can light a thousand. Each of that thousand can then go on to light a million more. You may never know how many lives you touch just by sharing your light with others. But should your light go out one day there are millions of people ready to repay your act of kindness by reigniting yours.”
With that he blew out his own candle and beckoned me to reignite it.
Conclusion;
Being of a certain age I’m frequently asked why I haven’t retired yet. My response is simply “Why would I want to?” In addition to my part time work as a Personal Counsellor and Executive Coach, my full time role as a Training Consultant with The Training Foundation frequently provides me with a fabulous opportunity to ignite or re-kindle the hopes, dreams and aspirations of many I meet; often by doing nothing more than helping them to realise their true potential and raise their self-confidence, self-esteem and self-belief.
In truth I’m trying to keep alive the flame that my Grandfather shared with me; by holding onto the belief that there are many more candles out there in need of my candle’s flame.