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 and fabulous?
Actually, who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
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 light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.
Source: A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson, as quoted by Nelson Mandela in his inaugural speech, 1994
This is a tough one, because the ego is just waiting to pull us into narcissism, into self-glory, into seeing ourselves as superior to others. That wily ego may lead us to comparing ourselves to others we see as weaklings, or even our former selves.
Of course, that’s not what this passage is about.
The point is not about being better or worse or right or wrong. It’s about dropping the comparisons, dropping the good/bad view, and stepping into our own light.
It’s about fearlessness, about living fully, about self-acceptance, about being who we are.
Try this: next time you catch yourself catching yourself, take a breath and feel what’s wanting: approval? support? love? acceptance? something else?
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ummmmmmmmm ok then??
Jessica! Great to see you here. Yes, you have it exactly – ok then!
This is so true. Very inspiring.
‘Powerful beyound measure’ I think fear basis is one can forget love and that only love is real. I think power is something that can be misused and one needs to be careful in the sense of discipline over domain and this is the fear of inadequacy and the substance or root of fear of ‘Powerful beyond measure’. if one forgets what is real and buys into the concept of power as a stand on its own, in other words becomes in love with power and not know what real power is than one is in deep water and in trouble with what is powerful beyond measure. i think what i want from powerful beyound measure is approval of the original creator of power rather than anyone else’s approval of what is powerful beyound measure to move from being small into being big.
I think to measure and know what is ‘Powerful beyond measure’ one needs to understand that inadequacy the deepest fear basis is not returning to Love.
Yes, Saronna, you’re sharing some key points about this passage. Operating from our deep foundation of love, we can step into our own light. That light is created to be shown to everyone one around us, just like the sun shines on the earth. Hiding it behind fear, or using force or power to have others accept it, does not lead to the acceptance of love.
Love this?