“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 most. We
ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, and famous? 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 people won't feel insecure
around you. 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
when 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.-Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994
inaugural speech
