Leadership Begins with Letting Go:

A Diwali Story

A lady spent her entire Diwali cleaning her house.

Every corner. Every shelf. Every drawer.

She worked tirelessly, making everything spotless for the festival of lights.

Her neighbour watched and finally asked: “Why do you clean so much before Diwali? Is it because the Goddess Lakshmi comes to homes that are clean?”

The lady smiled and said: “I don’t clean my house for Lakshmi to find it clean.”

“Then why tire yourself so much?”

“I clean so I can see what I’ve been holding onto that I no longer need.”

She pointed to a corner: “That pile of plastic and glass containers I kept thinking I’d use someday.”

Then to a shelf: “Those gifts I never liked but felt guilty throwing away.”

Then to a drawer: “Letters from people who are no longer in my life.”

✨ “Diwali isn’t just about welcoming light,” she said softly.

💡 “It’s about making space for it.”

“Every year, I realize I’m not just cleaning my home. I’m clearing out old beliefs that no longer serve me:

✨Grudges I’ve carried too long.
✨Fears that have overstayed their welcome.
✨Stories and judgements about myself that don’t fit who I’ve become.

The neighbour was quiet for a moment. Then she asked:

🤔”What have you let go of this year?”

The old woman looked out the window, where diyas were beginning to flicker in the evening.

🌟 “The need to be right all the time. It is exhausting.”

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And perhaps, that’s true for many of us – especially those who lead.

We hold on to roles, opinions, and control – thinking they help us stay in charge, when sometimes, they’re the very things blocking the light.
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So this Diwali, as you clean and decorate, ask yourself:

👉 What am I holding onto that’s taking up space where Light could be?

Wishing you a Diwali of true brightness – the kind that comes from within and naturally shines without. 🪔

Wish you a #ABrighterLife 🪔🪔🪔

Ashwni Sharma

Executive & Leadership Coach ( ICF-PCC → MCC in Progress ) · Marshall Goldsmith Certified · Founder & MD, A Brighter Life

Ashwni, the Founder and MD of A Brighter Life, is dedicated to empowering leaders to enhance their effectiveness, mindfulness, and influence for joyful success. With over 27+ years of corporate experience, driven by his passion for personal transformation, Ashwni left a successful career spanning four major companies across the UK, USA, and India. Working with CXOs, Board Members, and Top Leaders globally, he combines business management skills with life transformation expertise to enable practical and applicable conversations and actions. He holds international certifications as an Executive Coach and has mastered modalities such as NLP and Hypnotherapy. Ashwni’s passion lies in fostering self-leadership as the foundation for leadership development.

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