Letting Our Inner Light Rebuild the World in 2021

To say the least, 2020 was a hard year. The global pandemic and the economic hardship it engendered certainly were hard to endure. Yet, there were blessings that came with the difficulties of 2020, in particular the opportunity to slow down, exhale, and reflect upon our lives.

Sometimes, we face something like this that is outside of ourselves that prompts us to change, and I’m hoping that this will be true for the whole world in 2021, so we can finally start to build a better world. If you want to help head the world in that direction, here is what I’d like to suggest for your 2021 resolution list:

1. Realize the light within you.

   As we emerge from the state of dormancy that characterized 2020, the whole world will have a chance for a new beginning. This creates a wonderful opportunity to reboot our brains in a way that finally allows our inner light, which is our true nature, to shine forth. In 2020, we deeply felt our connection to each other, not just with those closest to us but with people throughout the world. Our inner light, the bright True Self that everyone has inside, is what can connect us all through a giant web of light that unites all life on Earth. If you want to change the world, recognize this light within yourself, and resolve to shine this light to the world.

2. Be the light of hope for yourself and others.
   In 2021, people will need lots of things to help them rebuild, but they will need one thing more than anything else: hope. For many who have lost loved ones or who have had their businesses undermined by the lockdowns, it will be natural and normal to feel despair. If you were lucky enough to have avoided this, please be a beacon of hope for others, shining positivity and encouragement to them whenever you can. Yes, the hard realities cannot be avoided, but renewal is coming in 2021, and that is an exceptionally beautiful thing.
3. Cultivate a bright consciousness.
   In spiritual circles, people often talk about levels of consciousness and how people can raise their consciousness. Really, doing this is just a matter of dropping your false self to let the bright inner light that you already have inside shine outward in all its glory.
   
   In the Tao philosophy that I teach, this light in Korean is called gwangmyung, the bright, pure light from the source of all life. You are not your name or your accomplishments or your bank balance. Rather, you are gwangmyung; it is your essence. Realizing this and living according to this fact will make you become powerful in the truest, most positive sense.
4. Move step by step toward a better world.
   Certainly, we will have a lot of work to do in 2021 to rebuild the world, especially if we want to make it better than before. Each one of us has a role to play in this process. In addition to resolving to live according to your inner light in 2021, ask yourself what you want to do with this wonderful life you have been given. Set other lofty goals for yourself, creating a vision for your life that fills you with immense joy and satisfaction. If these goals are in alignment with your True Self, you will be doing much to bring healing to the world and to create a whole new culture for humanity. Make a realistic plan for how you will move toward your vision in 2021, and then do it!

The year 2020 taught us so much about the value and preciousness of life. However many more years you have left here on Earth, you have so much to give to humanity and to the planet. And, even more importantly, you still have time to open up and uncover the bright light that you hold inside. Your life here on Earth is a great gift to your soul and a gift to all the other souls who share the planet with you. Please use that gift well and begin to live like the beam of bright light that you are. Let’s start healing ourselves, loving ourselves, and making each other happy. I promise you that this is possible with the light of gwangmyung.

I wish you health, happiness, and peace in 2021.