A few years ago a friend brought this Marianne Williamson quotation to my attention, and goodness did it strike a chord. I believe we should all take this to our hearts and hold it dear. Print it out and put it up where our children, and we, can see it daily.
“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
This was perhaps made most famous by Nelson Mandela (and indeed has at times been attributed to him) when he quoted this at his 1994 inaugural address, but actually it come from Marianne’s book “A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles”“
Anyway – it’s something that my children will grow up knowing. Who knows what they might achieve.
I agree entirely. I can’t bear to see children brought up by shrinking voilet parents to learn to blend in and be invisible. I don’t believe in fake praise (“ooh, how clever, you closed that door all on your own!”), because kids see through that immediately. But reminding them all things are within their grasp if they will only reach out is one of the best gifts you can give a child.
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