In The Dark Times - The Eye Begins To See, Truly!

Even on grey or rainy days, the sun still shines. I was reminded of this while walking in London. A brief break in the clouds made everything light up. Over time, I started to appreciate grey, rainy days, and now I actually prefer them. My husband jokes when it’s sunny, ‘Not a good day for you, eh?’ Rainy days give me a chance to turn inward and find some stillness. The sun is always there, just hidden behind the rain.

The main message of this blog is that, just like the sun is always there even when we can’t see it, our true self stays with us through all of life’s ups and downs. Sometimes, hard times can make us lose sight of who we are, but that sense of self never really goes away. Even in my darkest moments, I found that my identity remained, just beneath the surface. When things clear up, we see ourselves more clearly, just like the sun shining again after the clouds move away.

I think we all need times of darkness in our lives because these moments help us let go of old versions of ourselves and emerge renewed when things become clearer. The tough times help us figure out who we are, and when the sun comes back, we see ourselves more clearly. Even though darkness can be scary, it helps us grow internally and often accelerates change, even if we can’t see it happening.

Let me share an example to make this real. Years ago, I realised that being a good leader meant building good habits. I started planning my day ahead of time and kept a journal at night to reflect on my thoughts. Setting intentions and reflecting became as routine for me as brushing my teeth or taking a shower. Just like a shower needs extra care after a messy day, some workdays need more reflection. When work is tough, I spend more time journaling in the evening. If I have a hard time with a stakeholder or team member, I come home and think about what I could do better. When I’m struggling, I’m more willing to change, like choosing to focus on someone’s words instead of their tone, or deciding to speak more kindly. My biggest insights have come from these reflections, and they stick because I really need them to get through tough times. I’ve learned that as a leader, I shine when my team shines, and that sometimes I need to step back and let them take the lead. I’ve also realised that others need to do things their own way, even if I think my way is better. There are many lessons like that. I might not notice them in the dark times, but I come out changed. Sometimes, after a hard period, I’m surprised at how naturally I react to things in a new way.

My personal vision in life is to ‘Be a better version of myself every day and inspire others to do the same,’ and with every dark period, this accelerates even more. This time, after reflection, I realised that even in challenging times, I am still there, working even harder and perhaps more efficiently, even if it doesn’t appear so.

Is this true for you? Does the idea that ‘the sun never sets on your true self’ resonate with you?