E. Matthew Grayson, MBA, Ms.Edu.

What is our darkest hour? How dark does it have to get before you choose a path of light? The split in the road is that choice. It is a choice that everyone has. Is there a speck of belief there is light? How do you know you’re in darkness? To know darkness there must first be the experience of light. Is the light bright enough to continue through your darkest hour? These are questions that you answer every day: for example, you choose to get out of bed, eat, drink, go to work, and exercise. If you choose not to do one of these aspects in your life, you are inviting darkness.

The darkest hour is a time when you meet your inner monster. It lies within everyone. The darker the hour the more vicious the monster becomes. The more vicious this monster, the more you must fight to see the light. The only thing that can defeat this monster is the belief that there is light. The monster is capable of making it dark and difficult. But as long as you believe that the light will eventually return, the darkness slowly fades away. Consistent belief in light helps shrink the monster. The monster will always be there, but you can keep it small and control it.

The best thing about darkness is it’s the source of your greatness. It’s where you lay the bricks–your foundation–of who you are. By choosing to search for light in your darkest hour, the path to happiness reveals itself. The monster, you learn, need not be scary. As we grow, we turn our thoughts to the wellbeing of others. Your path grows brighter when you help them find their own light. Now, when you look back at that split in the road during your darkest hour, you recognize it as the hour we found meaning in life!