Friday, February 1, 2008

Fear of Inadequacy or Fear of Success?

I recently stumbled upon the Marianne Williamson quote you see below and find it to be incredibly true. This short paragraph, brimming with wisdom, summarily resolved my own struggles with fear, self doubt and self worth. I am sharing it with my readers in hopes that it frees minds and releases fear that causes untapped potential to stagnate. Enjoy!

"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 wont 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 permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. "

Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992 (commonly misattributed to Nelson Mandela, 1994 inauguration speech)

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