“Soul of Nonviolence” is a podcast that reflects on a different nonviolence quote each week. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or via RSS.
“Never let anyone — any person or any force — dampen, dim, or diminish your light.”
— John Lewis
This week’s quote from John Lewis is a short but meaningful reminder to value ourselves and protect that which makes us unique. So often we allow ourselves to be defined by other people — their opinions, feedback and judgment can all have an outsized impact. This makes it even more important to practice self-compassion by accepting ourselves, flaws and all.
In a journey of nonviolence, the first step is to learn to be nonviolent towards oneself. This involves guarding your light by loving yourself and not being ashamed of where you feel broken or wounded. In fact, as is embodied in Japanese kintsugi, our imperfections can be the source of our character, beauty and strength where we’ve healed.