The Golden Hour
“What doesn’t transmit light creates its own darkness.” - M. Aurelius
Have you heard of “The Golden Hour”? From a photographic perspective it is that period during the day, usually shortly after sunrise or just before sunset, that everything takes on a golden hue. Some cinematographers and photographers refer to it as the “Magic Hour”, as the brightness of the sky somehow matches the brightness of streetlights, car headlights and lit windows.
There is also a Golden Hour between life and death. In the early 1980s, R. Adam Cowley, a U.S. military surgeon popularized the term that was often used in trauma and emergency medicine settings. The term's origins lie in the photography reference above, representing that golden hour or critical window of time immediately after an injury when appropriate life-saving medical or surgical intervention can offer the highest chance of survival for a traumatically injured patient.
Golden Hour is also a hit song written by American singer-songwriter, Jacob Dodge Lawson, better known as JVKE. Released as a single in 2022, it went viral on TikTok later in the year and became an international hit. In a June, 2024 interview he shared his thoughts regarding the song’s meaning, “ It feels like a pause in time, with all your attention on that special someone. The sun is shining—it's your golden hour. I wanted to capture the emotion that you feel when you see something beautiful." Another fan left the following similar and powerful thought, "This song is my wife. I'll be dying soon, terminal disease, and this song means my wife to me, she's the world, and more, light, life, everything. I hope in the future when I'm gone, this song reminds her how much I loved her. Thanks for this song man, it means a lot."
And according to Huw Edwards, an executive coach, Forbes Executive Council contributor and blogger, the Golden Hour is a process we use to intentionally fill ourselves up in a way that we actually have more to give to ourselves and others. Or put another way, the Golden Hour is the time we invest in ourselves in order that we can become the transmitters of light and help others. The process is simple:
The Golden Hour is a gift. It might be that hour before sunrise or sunset, or that short period when a life changing decision is critical. The Golden Hour can be the time we spend with someone who lights up our life, or it may be that time during which we plan how we can improve our own life and simultaneously bring light into another’s world. Regardless, it is an opportunity. Enjoy your hour!
EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE