Our greatest fear

This poem was shared with me today - and I thought it was worth sharing. Definitely worth pondering. Read it aloud - that had a profound effect on me.

Our Greatest Fear

it is our light not our darkness that most frightens us

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 does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won't feel insecure around you.

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

Someone asked me last week to do something that would have meant me "shrinking" - being less than myself. I'm so glad I resisted. I knew it wasn't good for me - I just hadn't realized why or how much until I read this poem.

I love the thought that by us each shining as brightly as we can, we help those around us do so.