According to my mother, this was my very first complete phrase, in the form of a question. Or perhaps it was a declarative statement. Hard to say, but in hindsight it seems highly symbolic, perhaps an early expression of my soul’s purpose: supporting, helping, and guiding others to do just that.

Much later, during a vision quest, a similar thing was shown to me, a voice speaking to me in the desert (I know, how biblical): "Shine Brightly so that others may Brightly Shine". Now the wonky grammar might be due to the fact that I hadn’t eaten, spoken, or listened to any other person in days, but the message was clear, and I have subsequently adopted it as a mantra.

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