Our Deepest Fear
By Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people will feel secure 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 all of us.

And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give others permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.