"I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars."
-- Og Mandino

It is quite the cosmic quandary that the natural state of the universe is darkness. Everything we observe with our eyes is in the form of visible light, which is by all aspects, the antithesis of darkness. Light and darkness are, however, essential to one another; without dark, empty space, light cannot exist. If we live in light for our entire lives, we may never understand the significance of it. Similarly, we are meant to appreciate the darkness we were put into so that we may fully understand the significance of our ability to shine.

I have spent a significant amount of my brief existence wondering why I am here, and who I am meant to be. I have lived life believing spirituality to be for the poor, the weak, or the dumb. I once allowed myself to be placed in a molding made for someone else, ripping off parts of myself to fit in it. This is the greatest tragedy ever to occur, that someone would dismantle their God-given being in order to fit into a term as subjective as "normal."

Why, then, do we allow ourselves to be controlled – and even destroyed – by a society that does not know its own self? Why do we allow the collection of the world's shame and failed attempts at perfection define our existence, as though we are not made to be beautifully independent and wonderfully ourselves? It is because we all long to be fulfilled, but the proper way of reaching that is not mainstream. But no matter how inadequate society may be at giving us fulfillment, it should still be seen as a necessity in spiritual growth.

If spiritual connectedness were easily attainable, we would not know how significant it actually is. Through the metaphorical "darkness" that is the materialistic, spiritually-deprived society we live in, we are meant to shine brighter every day, not only because we are able to, but because we are meant to. As far as I can tell, life is meant to be embraced at every aspect, not just the ones we find pleasant. Appreciate the world you were put in, for only then will you fully understand the significance of the life you were given.