• ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Media
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspective
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 LIVE!™
Insights
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Client Handouts
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Coverage
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2022 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2022 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

A light in the darkness

December 17, 2021
Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT

The road to self-discovery can be daunting and dark, learn how to rekindle your spark and nurture your inner flame.

Between society, our friends and family, colleagues and peers, it can be challenging to be our authentic selves when other opinions and perceptions surround us daily.

So, how can we drown out the background noise and tune into ourselves? Admittingly, I wasn't sure how to do this as it's a process I've been avoiding because I was fairly sure I wasn't going to like all I would discover, or rediscover. Nonetheless, I dove in and am still diving down. It's dark in here, but there is light and beauty too; in the quiet of the darkness, I am finding the answers I sought.

The road to discovery

The dark places are those in which I’ve buried old hurts; nothing but closed-off spaces from myself so I didn't dwell. Until recently, I had not taken the time or effort to open them back up, clear out the clutter, reorganize, examine and reexamine more closely what was in there and why. Carving out the time to sort through the good and bad parts of yourself allows you to cut ties with those that no longer serve you and bring to light all the ones that do.

I've always ‘joked’ that I do have a dark side. Trying to make light of the seriousness that I felt within. By dark, I’m not referring to what some make synonymous with evil. Dark as in heaviness, disruption, stirring the proverbial pot. Akin to a dragon that if let her out, I wasn’t sure I could—or would—be able to remain in control. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure that I would want to.

Through the trenches

As of late, I’ve been smacked in the heart, soul, mind, and—metaphorically—the face. The ongoing movement of Black Lives Matter is 1 I am truly passionate about embracing and advancing. But it has also made me realize—painfully and gratefully—that I hadn’t embraced it wholly until now. I’d become isolated, microcosmically outspoken, but beyond that? Not so much, not nearly enough. I’d swallowed the red pill of the masses and believed that I was 1 of the good 'ones,' but this is not about me, this is about what I’ve learned and am still learning. I’m not ‘one of the good ones,' not yet, but I want to be. I want to be more than just words. I want to be more than empathetic. I need to be. My children need me to be. My community needs me to be.

Silent majorities make and break societies daily. I don’t like being broken or being amidst the shards. I’m innately a fixer. A healer. But I’ve got work of my own to do before I dare to venture out. I must identify my prejudices. Own them. Examine them, dissect them, discard them. Learn. Learn more. Do. Do more.

Embrace your light

Opening my inner consciousness is part of this journey. My goal in grounding myself and being open to my potential. I’ll be more. More present. More aware. More of it all. Except when I can’t, because sometimes I’ll fail. But I’ll never stop trying, doing, and being. I’ve embarked on this journey into my darkness, holding a candle that will kindle into a healing and cleansing flame.

What constitutes your darkness? How will you travel in and emerge on the other side? As you embark on this adventure of self-discovery, remember that you are not alone. Each journey starts with a single step. So, take it. Make the effort. Be your own light so that, in turn, you can shine the way for someone else to begin.

Related Content:

Wellbeing & LifestyleLeadership & Personal GrowthRoles
Completing a neurological exam is like following a cooking recipe
Completing a neurological exam is like following a cooking recipe
3 Must-reads on veterinary rehabilitation
3 Must-reads on veterinary rehabilitation
Trends in canine oncology
Trends in canine oncology

Latest News

Pet Acoustics opens contest submissions for singing canines

Dr. Marty Pets announces new designs for its products

Brookfield Zoo welcomes South American tapir calf

Veterinary medicine in the military with Zachary Tooley

View More Latest News