The Gold Within

Tonight I saw the new documentary film, "The Shadow Effect." In it, Debbie Ford and a host of other well known teachers and healers discuss the importance of reclaiming and healing our "shadow selves"--those parts of ourselves (good or bad) that we hide from other or even from ourselves.

One story in particular that stood out in my mind was the story of the Golden Buddha. In 1957, a group of Tibetan monks were given the responsibility of moving a large clay Buddha statue because a highway was being built in that area. During the night before it was to be moved, the head monk came to check on the statue, found a large crack in it, and to his surprise, discovered something glittering in the crack. He was so excited he went back to tell his fellow monks. And sure enough, as he and the other chiseled away at the statue, they found under the clay exterior a Buddha statue of pure gold. The Golden Buddha was apparently the responsibility of a group of monks centuries earlier, who hid the Golden Buddha under clay to protect it from an attacking Burmese army. The Buddha was protected but all the monks died in the attack. The statue was only re-discovered in 1957.

The story really hit home. Each of us has gold inside of us that is covered by layers of clay—all the conditioning and messages we received over the years that make us forget our gifts, that special uniqueness we each bring to the world.

Play Time: Today I invite you to consider what gold is still as of yet hidden in you—what unexplored, unrealized potential for greatness, accomplishment, joy, and fulfillment? And what steps can you take to chisel away at those layers of clay so that your true brilliance can emerge and be shared with the world?

To your magnificence!