Inspiration Sunday, June 29, 2008

by Marelisa · View Comments

(“Book Cover of ‘A Return to Love’, by Marianne Williamson”; courtesy of nojam75)

This is the second post in a new feature at “Abundance Blog at Marelisa-Online”: Inspiration Sunday. It consists in sharing with you poems, stories, or quotes that I find inspirational and that I hope you’ll find inspirational as well.  Below you will find a quote from the book “A Return to Love – Reflections of the Principles of A Course in Miracles” by Marianne Williamson.  (This quote has been incorrectly attributed to Nelson Mandela in his Inaugural Speech of 1994).  Enjoy this beautiful quote:

“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 are all meant to shine, as children do.

We are 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

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  • I love this passage SO MUCH. And this last verse always makes me cry because it is perfect eloquence combined with the emotional power of spiritual truth. This really is the meaning of life.

    "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."

    Kelly
  • Mare
    @Lance: I know what you mean. I read "A Return to Love" several years ago, but every time I come across this quote somewhere I think: "Wow, that's so beautiful".
  • It's been awhile since I've heard this, and hearing it again reminds me why it is so beautiful. It really speaks to the abilities we all have inside of us. I love it! It's such a great reminder for us all to really be all that we can be.
  • Mare
    @Bamboo: I agree that in the end of the day it's all in our head. It's better to learn the lesson later in the game than it is to never learn it at all.
  • Mare
    @Sara: You know how for a long time everyone thought that humans couldn't run a 4-minute mile. Then Roger Bannister came along and broke that milestone and after that a whole bunch of other people also did it. I think it's the same principle.
  • I have to imagine that having your words be misattributed to Nelson Mandela has got to be a decent compliment.

    "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."

    That's my favorite part, the idea that being and doing your best is part of a larger cycle.

    Saras last blog post..Your Life Is a Sculpture. Keep Chipping Away.
  • Marelisa writes, "if I’ve had so much available to me all along, why haven’t I been doing more with life, and so on."

    Marelisa, this is a subject matter I have spent much time contemplating. And, I think it is one of my demons. Though, one I try to confront and win.

    The mind sometimes says, "If I start doing xy or z and I succeed, I'm going to regret I didn't do it long ago!" So what happens? Someone stays immobilized until they meet their grave, just so they don't have the regret of not acting earlier. Yet, it's only an illusion. Once you start doing it and succeeding, regret is not what you will have. You'll have joy. And you'll be grateful you acted when you did!

    I think this form of thought is often deep within the subconscious, so we may not even be aware that it's holding us back.

    We musn't let such insanity hold us back. We must live a life of joy.

    Bamboo Forests last blog post..Today’s Great Lesson in Spanish!
  • Mare
    @Bamboo: You know, with power comes responsibility, and I think a lot of people don't want so much responsibility. Also, there's the issue of regret: if I've had so much available to me all along, why haven't I been doing more with life, and so on.
  • Good poetry, with a good message. I do agree. I believe we usually don't tap into our potential like we could. We are blinded by how much higher a level we could operate on. Or maybe we are not blinded, but we are not aware. I suppose then, that's part of the test of life. Becoming more and more aware of what we are capable of, and putting it into action!

    Bamboo Forests last blog post..Today’s Great Lesson in Spanish!
  • Mare
    @Seamus: I think it's one of those quotes you should keep in a notebook you use often so that you have constant access to it.
  • I love this quote. Gives me goose bumps :-)
  • Mare
    @Alik: I wonder at what point in life we forget to shine, because as Marianne so correctly states, children shine naturally.

    @Robin: Have you been listening to Marianne's daily recordings on "A Course in Miracles" on Oprah's web site? I'm going to record them and next year starting on January 1st I'm going to do them one by one.

    @Vered: I completely agree that society in general teaches women to shrink, I sometimes do it too.

    @Barbara: Marianne is a brilliant author. In addition to "A Return to Love", I have a collection of tapes that include speeches that she's given on her interpretation of "A Course in Miracles". She's also a brilliant orator.
  • Hi Marelisa,

    Marianne is a brilliant author. Her words are always right on and really makes us think.

    I love the part of "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."

    We do need to learn to wrap our brains around the fact that we can shine, and when we do, it doesn't take anything away from anyone else.

    Barbara Swaffords last blog post..FEFF - How To Get More Hits On Old Posts
  • "Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

    There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so

    that other people won’t feel insecure around you."

    I sometimes do that. I think many women do. Thank you. This was beautiful.

    vereds last blog post..Are Bloggers Allowed To Have A Life?
  • Thanks Marelisa, that's really beautiful - I've just added "A Course in Miracles' to my Recommended page, despite not having read it for many years - and thinking I should read it again - so thanks for bringing it into focus! - Robin

    Robins last blog post..How I Found Immortality
  • >>"We are all meant to shine, as children do."
    Beautiful!

    My biggest focus these days is my kids. I try to learn myself and them to get closer. The more i learn them the more i am exposed to their shininess that empowers me.

    You just helped me to wrap my feelings w/words

    Thanks!

    Alik | PracticeThis.coms last blog post..Is Becoming A Leader Actionable And Attainable For All?
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