photos by: Kim Henry -Eric Pare  "Be proactive. Take a stand. Be a light. And in everything you do, spread Hope!" -Christopher Gambino. Why are we here? Are we here to fulfill the desires of the body? To look beautiful or handsome? Are we here to have the highest number of followers on social media? There is a common theme with the list above. All of them relate to the smallness of oneself, and therefore none of them are the valid reason. To give light is to be a light or a beacon of hope. Taking a stand requires a need to protect someone you love, something you believe in, or both. And to be proactive requires a drive to do something even when we don't like it to create an outcome that will benefit someone else. These require a person to be selfless and act. Sure, you could twist them all around and once again do it for the sole purpose of you being the outcome, the one who reaps the benefits and gains credit, but how much of life and the true purpose of it you will miss. The human body is one of the greatest and most magical mysteries in life. So why do we choose to use it and abuse it in ways that destroy its sole purpose? All that does is take away our ability to help others and lead a life of example. To be a light requires you to use all your, body, mind, heart, and soul. What if I told you your sole purpose in life was to be a passionate tool that had nothing to do with you. We are so self-absorbed as humans that we rarely see a gift we have in this life.  We work hard, make money, have a mind to be the best in the game, get the girl or guy, the perfect house, and then what? Can the soul really be satisfied with these things? To pursue strictly one's own happiness is to have nothing in life to look forward to. To pursue life and be light because we have been called to a bigger purpose is everything in life. I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. - John 8:12. Getting the girl, the house, etc. aren't bad things, but if all your hope and happiness depend on you having them, it is meaningless. I have found through my own experience that when I put my hope in an object or person, I always come crashing down hard and that sharing my light with the world couldn't be dependent on a noun. We are held in esteem by a higher commander, who calls all the shots, and if we would just follow Him, our light would shine brighter and brighter. That doesn't mean we tell people off, quit our jobs, and self-mediate in hopes a beam of glory will come. God has plenty to say about laziness and people who talk without thinking. No. The point is to let your light shine wherever you're at or in whatever you are doing. To be a beacon of hope by example in your home, with your friends, or at your workplace. That includes jumping out of airplane soldiers. Get past what someone might think or say about you. "Be proactive, Take a stand. Be a light. And in everything, you do spread Hope!" Someone wise once said, "I will pay the price to be the light." Because there is no worse death than the end of hope. Heather EarlesHeather is married to a retired Special Forces Officer, and they live on a sustainable farm with their four children. She is an established author of inspiration, fiction, and children’s books; a journalist, a stay-at-home mother, and an advocate for healthy living. She publishes a weekly blog and podcast (Herb ‘N Wisdom™) and writes for two newspapers to aid and inspire others. “I want to make people feel good about life.” Learn more about the author