“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 ~
Hi Charlie...After Nelson Mandela was released from prison, he made a speech including this paragraph as his. I had loved this passage from Marianne's book and recognized it as hers immediately...and wrote to several people about it at the time...since her book was published before he made the speech...in the original hardback version of her book, ''Return to Love'', it is on page 161...:)
ReplyDeleteIt was attributed to Mandela for several years...so now I am thankful to see that Marianne is getting the credit...:)
Thanks for sharing this beautiful paragraph...:) :)