Find your spark

I stumbled upon a video on social media one evening. It appeared on my feed with an emoji of a broken heart. It was about an experiment they have done with a bunch of adults and kids.  I cannot remember the exact question they asked during the experiment; it was along the lines of “if you got an opportunity to change anything about your physical appearance, what would that be?” My first thought was, I don’t mind changing my nose! lol. I don’t know about you, but for me, growing up I had to work really hard on accepting myself as who I am. However, what I have learnt over the years though no matter how hard we try and deal with our own insecurities, sometimes we find ourselves in that slippery slope again. So as the half a dozen adults who participated in that experiment. They simply named their face, nose, lips and other body parts that they would like to change. Interestingly though, the kids! They wanted to change things too. But not what I have expected.

Some of them wanted a unicorn tail, a trunk of an elephant, to be able to fly! full of energy and sincerity, those kids let their imagination run wild and asked for things you and I also would have asked as children. I was in awe, and I couldn’t help but wonder, Where have I lost my child like self, my spark…?

“Spark” is a small fiery particle thrown off from a fire, alight in ashes…’’ (Oxford University Press, 2018). In other words, spark is an insignificant little fiery dot that alight. If you happen to enjoy burnt marshmallows in a bonfire as a child (which I experienced as an adult after moving to Down Under, and of cause with a yummy cup of hot chocolate) you may have seen enough sparks flickering towards the night sky. They are so insignificant, yet beautiful, flicker for few minutes and vanish into thin air. But that tiny spark also can start a wildfire if landed on the right spot.

As infants we all bring so much zest to life. We challenge ourselves, put one step in front of the other, we walk then run and fall, get back up again and again and again. If you look into the eyes of a small child, you can see the awe they have for life. The enthusiasm, happiness and the wonder burn within themselves like a forest fire, keeping their life exciting and being a delight to watch.

But as adults, do we still have that same fire in us? Some of you may have it. But usually when we slowly tread life and hit different adult milestones, the spark within us begin to diminish. We dump our problems, traumas, living life on to the spark; it’s the work, the stresses, the family, the life one on top of the other slowly sucking oxygen out of our fire, our spark. Sometimes I wonder, is it completely out?

Well, if you look very closely in your life, you may feel your fiery little spark flickering dimly within yourself. For me, in fleeting moments of writing my blog, standing outside feeling the breeze on my face, walking on the grass bare feet, laughing with my loved ones, I find my spark burning bright. Sometimes it is just a flicker, sometimes there are a few sparks. Yet it is there within me. I can feel it. But the question comes to my mind often is that, will that be enough to light up the world? Make it a better, brighter place?

What about you? Are you in awe of life where your spark burns bright within you? or does life feel like a non-stop treadmill?  Whatever your answer may be, just know that your spark is not completely out. It is buried deep under the ashes of life.  You need to find a way to ignite it.

How so? You may ask. There is no “one type fits all” solution, I guess. But there are little things we can do every day to nurture ourselves and our spark within us. Have a morning routine, have time for yourself, go for a walk, feel the Earth, the nature surround you. If you are living in an urban area, having an indoor forest may help with the task. Also try meditating for ten minutes, see what you can do to help others. It doesn’t have to be monetary. It may be a smile, talking to a long-lost friend, find what you love to do and enjoy the simple things in life; the morning sunshine, smell of a hot brewed coffee, listening to the Ocean. You need to find what works for you.

If you are at a life’s juncture and do not know what to do, ask yourself what makes your heart sing and invest your time and energy towards improving yourself. Most importantly, slowdown and relax… be grateful for the amazing person you are!

Let the spark within you burn brighter and light up the world. xoxo