When I sat down to think about what to write today, two quotes came to my attention. They have resonated with me for a long time and continue to surface whenever I need a reminder to have courage – courage to do what needs to be done, for my highest good.  

The first is from CS Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia; the Dawn Treader, “Courage, Dear Heart.” This one is tattooed on my skin as a daily reminder. In the Dawn Treader, the ship is sailing into the mysterious darkness that circles the island where dreams come true. Here in the dark, the sea and the sky vanish and they soon realise they are heading to an island where nightmares are made real. They swing the boat around and try to sail free, but instead, they become trapped and appear doomed to forever drift in the darkness. Lucy cries out for help and hears a voice answering back, “Courage, Dear Heart.” Personally, this quote, etched into my skin, is a reminder that there is nothing to be afraid of, that with a little courage, often a lot of work on my behalf and a little light, I will find my way out of the darkness and my fears will not hold me back  

The second is a quote from Marianne Williams and was featured in what is possibly one of my favourite movies, Coach Carter, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. “ Yesterday, I was reminded of just how powerful I am. And a little voice inside of me wanted to back away from that responsibility as quickly as humanly possible. Why me? Why do I have to be the mirror for someone else? Why is it my responsibility? That voice belongs to fear. I was hit with a truth bomb – I am probably more afraid of the light within me than I am of my darkness. My darkness is familiar, my light is this foreign thing that I haven’t really taken the time to get to know or to become comfortable with.  

These two quotes have surfaced for today because there is work that I need to do in order to move forward into 2025. If I choose not to, then I will have to repeat the patterns and, to be honest, that doesn’t appeal to me at all. The work that we do on ourselves, for ourselves, is hard and it takes an enormous amount of courage. Often it involves a process of letting go, releasing and then stepping up. Often it involves digging into the emotions, the experiences, the things that we bury deep and opening them up to release what’s festering away on the inside. We have to be honest with ourselves, be self-aware, allow ourselves to feel and to take a leap into our own shadows, so that we can let go of what’s holding us back and step into our light. 

A lot of people start scratching at the surface and become overwhelmed by what they uncover, a lot of people decide not to start digging in the first place. And that’s okay. But I am driven by two powerful forces. Firstly, things need to change. And, secondly, there are big things that I need to do and to achieve in this lifetime and I can’t do them unless things change within me. I am powerful, and I am here in this lifetime for more. I might not know what that ‘more’ looks like yet, but I have picked up hints and tips along my journey that point me in the right direction.  

So, I am going to be busy leading up to the end of 2025. I can feel how significant these next few weeks are going to be for me, and I am both excited and afraid and that’s exactly how I know it is important, that there is growth and healing in it for me. Fear and shadows may cause me to fight the work, but I need to remember to have courage and that courage will lead me forward. It will lead me towards the light. My resolve and determination, sets my intention -it makes a statement – I will no longer fear my own light and power. I will no longer fear the life that’s waiting for me on the other side. 

What do you need to do for yourself before we move through into 2025? What do you need to work on? Is there anything that you need to leave behind, in order to move forward? Set the intention and have “courage, dear heart!”