Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Our deepest fear....

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? YOUR 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 ARE 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.

Nelson Mandela
1994 Inaugural speech