“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
~ Marianne Williamson
Dear Evan…
I have long loved this statement by Marianne Williamson since I first heard it…I am so grateful to be reminded that we all have the right to expect greatness from ourselves as reflections of the divine…
all love, Kate
I love this piece from Marianne Williamson, and I think Nelson Mandela incorporated it into his inaugural speech.
Wow, thanks for posting this wonderful reminder Evan! I had heard it in a movie recently, “Akela and the Bee” and have been meaning to google it to find it to print and share with my Sunday School class. Thanks!
Warmly,
Tawny
Chico, CA
I love that passage, too. It was one of the first things I blogged about, way back when.
http://lauramatthewscs.blogspot.com/search?q=williamson
🙂
@}–>–
L
yes, but Marianne WIlliamson, Nelson Mandela….. who really said it first? I thought it was Nelson.
Here’s a link to an article that correctly attributes the quote to Williamson.
http://www.newsobserver.com/667/story/436158.html