Try this on for size:
“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 enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. 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.”
What if you could be everything you want to be? What if you already possess the character qualities you so deeply desire to cultivate? This quote from writer and lecturer Marian Williamson confesses that we are most afraid of the fulfillment of our own potential, and that, ultimately, the fear of self-actualization far supersedes any fear of our inadequacy. Does this ring true for you? Often, we are well acquainted with our perceived shortcomings, but is fear of the unknown your justification for shutting yourself off from being “powerful beyond measure”?
It is much easier to retrace deeply-treaded paths of negative self-talk rather than lift oneself out of the musky haze of self-deprecation, but you must be courageous and access the more-than-capable “you” that is eager to be utilized in creating a fulfilled and liberated life. Let us cast off the addictive tendencies of self-criticism and self-pity, and instead put that energy toward sparking goodness, encouragement, or growth in everyone we can – even ourselves- embodying and expressing “all that you ARE!”