“Are you O.K.?”
Was the follow-up text from a friend after I’d been passionately venting with close friends last weekend about “stuff” happening in the United States. “No” would have been the honest answer but as randomness/fate/tao/whatever often works – while doom-scrolling I came across a quote I love and use frequently in my work, from Helen Keller:
“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”
I took it as an invitation to “just for a minute” palette-cleanse my soul by revisiting Helen’s life on Wikipedia. Next thing I knew, I was in her book, “Light in My Darkness.” The ROI for that “minute” – priceless…
So, for what it may be worth — I share with you some pricelessness because I’m more “O.K.” after it, than I was before.
Light in My Darkness is Keller’s testament to the power of spiritual insight to transform. Because of her deafness and blindness from a very young age, religious teachings were often filtered through the interpretations of others. Still, she described feeling a profound sense of divine presence—”light” in her soul—and an awareness of an eternal source of goodness and love. She never related to doctrines that emphasized fear, sin, and punishment.
It seems to me like she could “see” and “hear” from inside — from the soul. She lived on the outside, what she saw and heard — a life that was a veritable “how-to” transcend physical limitations. She proved in a very different time that regardless of condition, one has unlimited access to truth and love.
Her religious worldview was shaped by the Swedish Christian mystic and theologian, Emanuel Swedenborg. His vision of God wasn’t punitive and distant, but immanently present and deeply loving. Heaven and hell (also a book title) aren’t places of reward or punishment, they’re states of being shaped by the choices—especially choices related to love. This resonated with Keller’s own inner experience of God and described feeling for the first time religion being liberating and accessible.
NOTE TO SELF…When not feeling O.K. stop doom-scrolling and tap into FREE/AVAILABLE inspiration from people like Helen Keller. And, if you’re interested in some of Swedenborgian principles that influenced her on the “Light” side, here you go:
The “Spirit and Action” Polarity (no surprise here)
Keller’s spirituality wasn’t abstract. She rejected faith as mere ritual or sentiment. For her, true religion was action-based. She lived compassionately and was deeply committed to justice—advocating tirelessly for disability rights, education, women’s suffrage, labor reform, and peace.
Universalism and Hope
Keller believed institutions rooted in fear and injustice must give way to those grounded in love and mutual service. Her worldview was anchored in radical hope: that everyone is capable of transformation and that Love reaches everyone, somehow, some way. She took comfort in the belief that spiritual growth continues after death, and no one is eternally lost unless they choose to separate themselves from Love.
Divine Revelation is Continuous
Truth isn’t fixed; it evolves with the growth of human consciousness. Keller embraced an unfolding, living faith.
Light and Freedom
“Light” became her central metaphor for inner peace and faith. Even amid great suffering, she believed in the fundamental goodness of life.
God is Love
God is pure Love and infinite Wisdom. Everything good and true flows from God, who constantly works to guide us toward wholeness.
Heaven and Hell Are States of the Soul
Heaven and hell are not destinations but internal realities. Those who love truth and goodness experience a heavenly state; those consumed by selfishness dwell in a hellish one. This perspective gave Keller peace when reflecting on human suffering and injustice.
Usefulness is the Essence of Life
To Keller, the highest spiritual calling was serving others in love. Living a life of usefulness wasn’t just practical—it was sacred. This principle fueled her lifelong dedication to justice and equality, especially for those differently abled.
