molly.com
Friday 4 May 2007
Our Greatest Fear
For many years I’ve looked for a book of wisdom. Even a page would do! But no, it comes down to a simple passage by Marianne Willamson. Tonight, chatting with some friends, I realized this is my code for life.
I’m not so much into the God thing, I’m not that girl. But I love the sentiment of this speech and I always will:
Excerpt from Return to Love
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 give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Filed under: faith(less), society
Posted by: Molly | 6:35 pm |
May 4th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
The same speech was used in the movie “Coach Carter”, nice.
May 4th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
Wow, thanks for passing that along. It is quite inspiring!
May 5th, 2007 at 3:26 am
Great words to live by; thanks for sharing.
May 5th, 2007 at 3:43 am
As a South African I’m constantly pointing out to people that Mandela never spoke these words. It’s an urban myth. Explanations at http://www.goodworksonearth.org/nelsonmandela2.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne_Williamson
But they are beautiful words and thanks for reminding me of them.
May 5th, 2007 at 4:11 am
Thanks for clearing that up Ryan. I’ve edited the post for accurcacy.
May 5th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Hey Molly
We have some more quotes from her over here - http://www.quotationsbook.com/author/7752/
May 5th, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Danke! I like your style and your style-sheets. Now I like even better what you are telling online. Wow - may be the limits are only in our brain or is it soul or heart? Could you design a css for all?
May 6th, 2007 at 12:13 am
About 20 years ago a buddhist gave me a very old limited edition copy of the Buddha’s talk with the Kalamas (Kalama Sutra). The message has always stuck with me: if you live a bad life and incite others to live a bad life you have a great likelihood of coming to a bad end, and if you live a good life and incite others to do the same you have a great chance of living a long and happy life (paraphrased to the max of course). Likewise, if there is a god and you live a good and just life then great you get rewarded with an afterlife (or whatever strain of reward your religion adheres to), but if there isn’t a god and you live a good life then what have you lost? You have simply increased the chance of living a long and happy life and inspired others to do so as well.
I don’t know why its always stayed with me except for the logical soundness of it. And, to a great extent, it has influenced a polar shift over the years in the way I relate to the world and the people in it.
I think its good that you can associate with the poem Molly and it would be interesting to see if it stays in the back of your mind for a few decades. I hope so. You’re a successful woman, friends, and hardly someone who should see yourself as ever falling short.
no i’m not into the god thing either lol…
May 6th, 2007 at 12:17 am
.
May 6th, 2007 at 7:54 am
[…] Molly Holzschlag posted an excerpt from Marianne Willamson. It’s very timely that she posts this, because just a few days ago I was thinking of this passage and trying to locate it. I couldn’t remember who it was by, but I remembered that Belledame had posted it a few times. I wasn’t able to find it, though. And now, how serendipitous! So I figure I’ll repost it here, for reference and inspiration. 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. […]
May 6th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Siddhartha by Hesse. Let me know when you find the answers.
May 6th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Don’t want to say the same as others, but it is inspiring and thank you, Molly. You made my day.
May 6th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
And to complement to her quote, how about Viktor Frankl: “What is to give light must endure burning.”
May 7th, 2007 at 12:29 am
southwest
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May 7th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Steven:
A very similar idea to what you are talking about is present within Christendom through Pascal’s Wager (Wikipedia entry).
Oh, and I am into the God thing
Keep your chin up Molly!
May 7th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Having a voice will make some people uncomfortable, but will liberate others to speak out for themselves. Thanks for sharing, Molly.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:45 am
What good is a quote about being created in the splendor of God, if you don’t REALLY know HIM …
How can you liberate others, when you can’t SAVE yourself …
HINT: If you had power beyond measure, you would never die …
ANSWER: There is ONE who can save … (Selah)
May 9th, 2007 at 12:23 am
Thanks for that Molly, it’s inspiring, morale boosting and perfectly timed, I needed something like that precisely this morning, as at lunchtime I have to go and tell a company I’m so good they DO want to pay me a decent wage for a few years at least, and I need reminding that I’m good and worth it. That helped.
May 9th, 2007 at 6:11 am
beautifully spoken! reading this makes one feel really good. and I’m not much into that God thing either
May 17th, 2007 at 6:55 am
It’s an inspiring passage, sure, but for those of us who don’t believe in such things, you can leave the God part out and still live your life by it.
May 17th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Having a voice will make some people uncomfortable, but will liberate others to speak out for themselves. Thanks for sharing, Molly.
May 19th, 2007 at 4:21 am
hmmmmmmmmmmm…welll its ver touching!!! im not into the GOD thing aswell im kinda u kno into lik eth e spitual thing/…very confused aswell…i wud reli like u to email m eback ive emaile you ur very experinced in life and i woudl like to get sum advice from uu! tc xxx
August 2nd, 2007 at 8:37 pm
I heard this first in a class I took and it’s the only thing that really stuck with me. Sometimes I feel like there’s so much darkness to deal with and I feel like I’m clouded with doubt, but this helps to remind me that I can overcome, I already have overcome, I simply need to realize it. Thanks.
September 14th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
this hit all of my faults right on ~~~ it put the fuel into my self realization… and power
September 29th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
this a really beautiful and inspiring speech.
i hope it inspires everyone to be the best you can be
March 7th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
cook guselmis thanx
March 17th, 2008 at 7:26 am
nice article
March 30th, 2008 at 10:27 am
thanks
October 16th, 2008 at 4:47 am
thanks for good write