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 frightens us.
We ask ourselves, “who am I to be so beautiful, talented, gorgeous, 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.
This is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fears, our presence automatically liberates others.
Nelson Mandela, 1997
Nice quote, but according to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, it was neither authored nor used in any speech by Mandela.
http://www.nelsonmandela.org/news/entry/deepest-fear-quote-not-mr-mandelas/
John, you’re absolutely right…this is a very old post and I thought I had corrected it. It’s actually a quote from the wonderful Marianne Williamson. I first found it attributed to Nelson Mandela and I understand that it was a mistake, he never said it!!! Thanks for spotting this – best wishes, Lisa