For centuries people have been using stars to find direction and inspiration in their lives. No matter how the landscape changes, the stars are constant and can help navigate through unfamiliar terrain. There are some stars that shine brighter than the rest, and can be depended on and easily found, such as the north star.
I’ve had some moments at crossroads in my life when I thought it would be really nice if there was a nice sign that told me which way to go. I realize that even the stars don’t just point to a direction, but they indicate where directions are. But I’ve begun to notice that there are bright stars in our lives, that may not do anything more than shine, and they give us direction and inspiration.
I recently read a book about a teenage boy who had an incredibly hard life. He ran away from an abusive home and seemed to go from one bad situation to another. By the end of the book he reflects back on his life since he left home. He finds that he had a lot of friends and relations, but only three people did he really care about. Those three people were a good influence on him and gave him hope in life. He found his own constellations in the stars that represented each one of them so that he could always remember the influence they had on him for the better.
We have bright stars in our lives, people who influence us in some way. Sometimes they are people who give us direction or guidance. Other times they are people who awe and inspire us. My mother and a church leader are bright stars that have given me guidance. A girl in my neighborhood and friends from work have been bright stars that have awed and inspired me. There have been times that I’ve felt completely lost, but those bright stars in my life have given me enough strength to keep going till I feel like I can shine as well.
Look to the bright stars that are around you, they shine for you. And when you are strong, let yourself shine and be a helping star for someone else. The stars in the sky can’t share the light they have with one another, but here we can. Sometimes all the help someone needs is to see you shining bright and sharing the brightness with them. There is light and guidance everywhere you look, find it and share it.