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
were born to make manifest the Glory of God
that is within us. It is not just in some
of us; it is 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,
from her 1992 book,
"Return to Love" (p. 165).
(Often misattributed to Nelson Mandela)