My grandad told me about the Borrowed Light Rule and I swear it’s been living rent-free in my head ever since.
I see it in the woman laughing too hard at a beachside café, in the dad filming the same 5 second clip of his kid – again, in the neighbor who always waves, even when she’s running late, in the friend who sends you a voice note just to say “thinking of you.” All these little flickers – tiny, quiet moments that shouldn’t matter but do.
the Borrowed Light Rule…
Joy doesn’t always come from within. Sometimes, we catch it from other people – like light bouncing off a mirror. Their joy lends us ours.
And here’s the kicker – you don’t need a “big moment” to feel lit up. You just need to notice the glow around you. I used to chase “someday” feelings – waiting for the trip to start, waiting for the business to take off, waiting to deserve the good stuff. But I missed so many bright, ordinary moments while I was chasing the shiny ones. Now?
I celebrate the little laugh, the slow mornings, the shared glances, the softness between milestones.
You’re allowed to feel joy before the goal is reached. You’re allowed to collect tiny moments like treasure. You’re allowed to borrow someone else’s light until you find your own again. You’re allowed to let this be enough.
Just remember the Borrowed Light Rule – you’re already surrounded by more joy than you think.
—Selected