New Years Wedding

“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.”   - Marianne Williamson (often attributed to Nelson Mandela)

This reading was shared at a wedding I recently attended.  It has been a touchstone for me since then and I find myself returning to it for strength.  The other day I thought "it would be easier for me to do this if I had known someone else to have done it."  Then this quote popped up and I thought, "If I do this I can be that example for someone else."  That was hugely self-empowering.