Be the Change You Want to See in the World: A New Perspective

You’ve heard the quote by Mahatma Gandhi. Have you ever given it more than a second thought? Today, after experiencing a third thought, I decided it was time to speak up.

If you haven’t heard about the CalmUp® Journey, it is a life map developed to support people to empower and accept themselves. When I took my own CalmUp® Journey today, I was struck by the notion of having dark feelings versus being the dark. One breath later, I considered being the light.

CalmUp® photo of melting snow on pine

The CalmUp® Journey teaches that we need all parts of ourselves to create our wholeness. In other words, we acknowledge both the darkness and the light, what we call the shadow self and the essential self. When we simply accept and love all parts of ourselves, we open to being the light we want to see in the world.


  1. What deep meaning does Mahatma Gandhi’s quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world” have for you?
  2. If you catch yourself frequently taking on a persona of darkness, why not also take on a persona of lightness?
  3. What does being the light mean for you in your life?