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Party Plan community archive > November 2006 > My favourite motivation

My favourite motivation

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 doesn't serve the world. There's 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're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

This piece is commonly said to come from Nelson Mandela's Inaugural Speech in 1994, but a Google search has revealed to me that this is not so - apparently it is actually from  'A Return To Love' (1992) by Marianne Williamson.

I don't care where its from, I still think its deeply inspiring!!

Author: Rhianwen