by Marianne Williamson *
from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

Last Thursday was week five of the grief support group, and unfortunately the last week I'd be able to work with one of the co-facilitators. This early departure was planned, due to committee obligations, but her presence will be sorely missed.

She gave us a sheet of paper with the following quote on it as a gift. I've read it before, and found it remarkable, so I thought I'd share it here.

If you've read my blog for any length of time, or know me personally, you'll know that I believe that the title 'God' in this quote can mean many different things. Therefore, this quote may have a different twist for you than it does for me. But the true meaning behind it is universal.

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.

* This quote is often incorrectly credited to Nelson Mandela from his Inauguration Speech, 1994, especially the last sentence of that quote, “As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”