Our deepest
fear is not that we are inadequate.
fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest
fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our
light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask
ourselves, Who
ourselves, Who
am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually,
who are you not to be?
who are you not to be?
You are a
child of God.
child of God.
Your
playing small does not serve the world.
playing small does not serve the world.
There is
nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure
around you.
nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure
around you.
We are all
meant to shine, as children do.
meant to shine, as children do.
We were
born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not
just in some of us; it is in everyone.
just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we
let our own light shine, we unconsciously
let our own light shine, we unconsciously
give other
people permission to do the same.
people permission to do the same.
As we are
liberated from our own fear,
liberated from our own fear,
our
presence automatically liberates others.
presence automatically liberates others.
Nelson
Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech
Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech
Who do you
want to be that it terrifies you? Too often people say, “I know I have
greatness in me. If I show people that side of me, they will expect it
everyday. But, what happens if I am not great one day? Then I look like I
failed. That’s too much pressure. So it’s best if I take a low profile. I’ll do
something great when it’s required.”
want to be that it terrifies you? Too often people say, “I know I have
greatness in me. If I show people that side of me, they will expect it
everyday. But, what happens if I am not great one day? Then I look like I
failed. That’s too much pressure. So it’s best if I take a low profile. I’ll do
something great when it’s required.”
If people
understood that others planted the seed of inability in their minds, maybe they
would take a step in liberating themselves. Who are you to not show the
greatness you possess inside? What right do you have to cheat yourself and
others of your brilliance?
understood that others planted the seed of inability in their minds, maybe they
would take a step in liberating themselves. Who are you to not show the
greatness you possess inside? What right do you have to cheat yourself and
others of your brilliance?
Our lives are tainted by the thoughts of others. We allow those
thoughts to control us and we live as though they were reality. In the words of
George Eliot,
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”
thoughts to control us and we live as though they were reality. In the words of
George Eliot,
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”
We
live in a world where we are trained to be great lawyers, doctors, accountants,
engineers, etc. Nonetheless, there is really no training to be your greatest
self. Instead of teaching one another to be great, we pass down myths and fairy
tales from generation to generation.
live in a world where we are trained to be great lawyers, doctors, accountants,
engineers, etc. Nonetheless, there is really no training to be your greatest
self. Instead of teaching one another to be great, we pass down myths and fairy
tales from generation to generation.
Some
of the myths we are given are: I’m only human. It’s a man’s world. If you are
born poor, you will die poor. You are not pretty enough. You are too smart. You
are too short. You don’t belong here.
of the myths we are given are: I’m only human. It’s a man’s world. If you are
born poor, you will die poor. You are not pretty enough. You are too smart. You
are too short. You don’t belong here.
These
myths are as true as the world is flat. Yet, people believe them and shape
their existence around them like an operating system in a computer. All of our
thoughts and actions are filtered through these stories. They cause us to
withhold our greatness and then declare this is who I am.
myths are as true as the world is flat. Yet, people believe them and shape
their existence around them like an operating system in a computer. All of our
thoughts and actions are filtered through these stories. They cause us to
withhold our greatness and then declare this is who I am.
As
a result, we are incomplete. We become people that the world has allowed us to
be, rather than the people we want to be.
a result, we are incomplete. We become people that the world has allowed us to
be, rather than the people we want to be.
Unfortunately,
we have all been given myths from childhood. As adults, we have a choice to
live beyond the seeds of destruction, the destruction of the greatness to which
Mandela refers.
we have all been given myths from childhood. As adults, we have a choice to
live beyond the seeds of destruction, the destruction of the greatness to which
Mandela refers.
Share
with me the myths you are willing to let go of to be your greatness.
with me the myths you are willing to let go of to be your greatness.