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 doesn't serve the world. There is 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 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 fears, our presence automatically liberates others.
quoted by Nelson Mandela
from his 1994 Inaugural Speech
(Written by Marianne Williamson in her book A Return to Love)
This quote is sometimes falsely attributed to Nelson Mandela on his 1994 Inauguration speech. However, he never wrote the words, just quoted them. He gave 2 inauguration speeches (found on the African National Congress Web site): Inauguration Speech, Cape Town, 9 May and Inauguration Speech, Pretoria, 10 May.
A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles Harper Collins, 1992 (from Chapter 7, Section 3)
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