What is a Lightworker?

I've often heard the term used, but never really understood what a Lightworker is.  Today I got a little clarity, thanks to Golden Age of Gaia (which is well worth checking out)

A spiritual seeker pursues enlightenment for themselves before all else.  A Lightworker is someone who seeks to help others, above and before their own enlightenment, almost as if that is of secondary importance.

It's an interesting distinction that I found helpful because I'm not sure where I sit on the continuum.  I wish to help others but feel I never help enough, and every day I check to see if I've woken up enlightened; you know, just on the off-chance! In short,  I'm interested in both.

This clarification is useful because, in a way, it means that I can stop worrying about my own enlightenment; wondering and fearing that I may be doing something 'wrong' and missing the boat.  Mind you, even in that phrase I hear the teachings of childhood religion echo back to me, 'Be Good or God won't let you into Heaven', and the constant fear - I was a sober child! - that I was just not measuring up.  I have that even now. 

It's always good to become aware of the conditioning that holds us back, and by revisiting its earliest roots our consciousness we can begin to melt all the heavy distortions we have carried around on our backs for decades, generations and perhaps even lifetimes.

I'm not sure which pigeon hole is mine, but I now know this; I can let go of the inner whip my ego has used to shame me into feeling a sense of failure for not feeling the joy, bliss and even enlightenment that others on the path so often report. 

As Matt Kahn says, 'Whatever arises, Love that'.  It takes a lot of the weight out of heavy emotions like shame, fear, apprehension and unworthiness to name just a few...