Our Greatest Fear

By Marianne Williamson
From her book "Return to Love"
(Quoted by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech)


Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, 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 is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine,
we consciously giveother people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.