Playing Small

In a previous lifetime, a beloved mentor hammered the danger of playing small into my consciousness. I believed her then and I continue to believe she was right. So why is it so hard not to play small right now?

It is 16 days, 1 hour, 54 minutes and 37 seconds until Saturday, January 31, 2009 at 3:00:00 PM (Hartford time)

“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, 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 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 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.”

Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles