Last week my family and I celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights. Scriptures tell us that this festival arose from the great battle between Rama and Ravana. One symbolised all that was good in the world, the other represented darkness.

As a child, I would listen wide-eyed as my parents retold the story of the epic battle fought across the waters between India and Sri Lanka. It felt like every year, new details appeared; as if the story itself was still alive and expanding.

My mother would light diyas around the house. Each tiny oil lamp held such promise. Then came the sparklers. My sister and I would draw glowing loops in the darkness which seemed to linger for a moment before fading away.

The lesson was always the same: If you prepare, believe, and hope, you can brighten the world. And the truest light does not come from outside, but from within. Whether we choose to shine or not, that part is up to us.

It strikes me that these lessons feel just as relevant today. We live in a world that is stronger, faster, and safer than at any time in history. Yet, we also feel the darkness. We sense that something is shifting beneath the surface of our lives. We can’t quite name it, or perhaps we are afraid to. So we retreat. We hide. We stay silent. We focus on ourselves. And in so doing, loneliness grows. Connection erodes. Love dissipates.

But what if, this Diwali, we chose differently? What if we chose connection over withdrawal? What if we chose to listen? What if we chose to reach out and share our small light with someone else? Maybe then, our light could emerge. Not in spite of the darkness, but because of it. Because light means nothing unless it has the dark.

This week

Reach In: Remember a moment when someone’s light reached you. What did it feel like to receive that?

Reset: Ask yourself where you might be dimming your own light (through fear, distraction, or silence.)

Reach Out: Share a light this week. A message, a gesture, a listening ear. The small acts we offer are what help navigate the darkness.