Mandela and Me

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’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 consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates other.

1994 Inaugural Speech of Nelson Mandela

I love this quote and it is something I go back to again and again to ground and inspire me. It irks me that a famous spiritual teacher uses this quote but doesn’t credit the source correctly. I wanted to give credit where credit is due. Thank you Nelson Mandela for being a light to the world.

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