More Is More

The Winter Solstice is a true game changer in the Northern Hemisphere. Days start getting longer again. It is a slow process: only a few seconds of sunlight within the first days and weeks, during December and January, when the sun’s path across the sky will still be short and close to the horizon. This is why there is not much time to warm the atmosphere, which explains the lower temperatures in winter (well, at least before climate change). The sunlight takes up speed in late February and March when the gain of light will be three minutes per day – more or less, depending on your exact geographical location. You see, even with light, location is everything.

As the sunlight slowly finds its way back into our lives, our hearts and blood vessels warm up. We can see more clearly. Our psyche and senses lighten up. Our whole system expands. We are leaving the cold, dark days behind.

A glorious past: Gloria attended my “Fix your Home, Fix your Life” workshop. A former model, with no new job offer in sight for quite a while, Gloria was sad, broke, lonely, disappointed and had put on considerable weight. She complained about “not being seen” by anyone anymore. This is how she described her entrance area: “There is only one light source. The ceiling light. The light bulb has been broken for months. I haven’t replaced it.“ – Why not?, I asked. – “Because there is a full-length mirror, and I hate to see myself being overweight. Also, on the wall, there is a beautiful runway photograph from my model days in Paris. When I look at it, I almost cry. I feel that I have lost everything. So, it’s a good thing that the room is dark.“ – Isn’t it too dark, since there are no windows? – “I don’t mind. I am now used to it. Better than to see that photo or myself in the mirror.“

In the course of the workshop, Gloria realized that darkening her present wouldn’t help her recreate the sparkling past that she was mourning over. Not to be able to “see” herself in full light, reflected her situation in the outside world: She felt invisible.

From invisible to “Framed in Gold“. Gloria replaced the broken light with an even brighter tone, put in additional table lamps and replaced her superstar photograph with a watercolor by her niece. Thus, Gloria exchanged the lost past for a resource of love in her current life. In the brighter light, she found out that she liked herself with her full curves. Gloria went back to school. She proudly hung her graduation certificate in a gold frame next to her niece’s artwork. She now has a job in communications and enjoys working with people face-to-face. – Too good to be true? Nope. Except for her name, it’s a true story. With her self-confidence reestablished, Gloria even made peace with her past. The Paris photograph is up again.

With light sources, the design principle “Less is more” by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe fails completely. With light, more is more. Not to have it all switched on all the time, but to have a choice of light at any given time. So, why not warm up our senses, expand our potential and stand in our own bright light? Sometimes, it can be as easy as bringing more or more powerful light sources into our home.

Step #15 = LIGHT UP