Our Deepest Fear

I love quotes because I believe that there is a lot of power in words, both written and spoken. I wrote about several inspiring quotes in yesterday's post, so I thought that today I'd write about an inspirational poem.

Our Deepest Fear

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 we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't 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 when 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

This poem has been a huge inspiration to me for years. "Our Deepest Fear" holds a deeply resonating message about our fear of greatness.

I know that I have experienced that paralyzing fear of stepping forward or standing out from the pack. As many of us do, I always considered this to be a fear of failure. But, Marianne Williamson's poem flips that upside-down and calls us to consider that instead of a fear of failure, it's a fear of greatness... a fear of being better than our peers, and perhaps even a fear of daring to be the best.

Let's take a closer look at the poem, Our Deepest Fear:

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. - I think it's pretty common to believe that it's a fear of failure, or a fear of being inadequate, that stifles us. But, consider that it's actually our ability to do a lot, to be great, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually who are we not to be? You are a child of God. - I love this! It can be difficult to remember that we are a child of God, and that He has given each of us gifts.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. - We have allowed the world to set the standard on our greatness. We sometimes sabotage ourselves because we're afraid to reveal our true light because we're not sure how others will respond to it. But, we are each called to step up, claim our birthrights, and start believing that we are who God says we are... who God made us to be. Playing small doesn't help anyone... it denies the greatness that God has placed in you, and it doesn't serve the world 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. - We are children of God, and we are each called to glorify God by allowing the gifts He has placed in us to shine through to the world. The world needs more light, more Christ, more love. Don't be afraid to display the light God has placed in you.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And when 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. - Every one of us is called to let our light shine. Being the best self you can be will benefit both you and others. Once you accept that God has made you great, you allow yourself to shine... this encourages other to recognize their own greatness, and begin to free themselves from the chains of fear.


This post was written as part of the Health Activist Writer's Awareness Challenge (HAWMC).