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 most 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's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson
I came across the above quote in several books that I have read recently, and it has really stuck with me. I often get caught up in my fears - I think that I have nothing new to say, so I don’t write in this blog. I think that no one will like me, so I shut myself down in social situations and don’t let anyone truly see me before I can let someone else hurt me. But this way of living is unbearably claustrophobic. Playing small goes against our natural way of being, and I am tired of not being embodied. But Marianne Williamson reminds us - at the end of the day, we’re not afraid of failure, we’re afraid of what happens if we succeed. But if we grow past this fear and let our light shine, we can light up the world.
