Be big.
In one of the last books I read, the author recommended a quote that I had to google. It’s by Marianne Williamson, and as soon as I read it I decided I needed to write it down and post it somewhere I can see it everyday. Not just print it, but write it so I could fix it in my mind. The quote is as follows:
“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.”
Ever since I read this, the same idea has beencropping up. In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill questions himself, “Who are you, anyway, to aim so high?” Then, he chooses to flip this self-doubt on its head. While I was doing yoga on demand, Elisa Joan told me to take up space in my poses and in life.
I don’t know about you all, but I love these reminders. Sometimes, I subconsciously fear shining too bright – doing too well at work, being too optimistic in conversations, or sharing my gifts. But as a close friend once told me, I could be “blocking someone else’s blessing.” So, I’ve got to remember to shine, aim high, and hope it’s contagious.