Monday, February 9, 2009

Powerful Beyond Measure

painting by Duy Huynh

from A Return to Love
by Marianne Williamson

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 and 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 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.

2 comments:

Sheryl McCalla said...

Pat, this is my absolute favorite quote/passage. I blogged it some time ago. It sums up what I want my children to learn -- and me to implement.

Pat said...

I remember you writing it on the blog a while back. Last night I watched "Akeela and the Bee" on television. Akeela's spelling coach used this quote in the movie to encourage Akeela; that's what reminded me of it. I didn't have anything for the blog, and I thought, "that's perfect."