Let your Light Shine

“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?... And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”— Marianne Williamson

So go on, own your brilliance and shine your light. ✨ The world needs you to live your highest potential.

I thought the above quote was quite an interesting one when I read it this morning.  It was quoted by the Chopka Centre.  I could not help but think about it over and over and I was not sure that I agreed with it.  But when we think about it you realize that we tend to be confident in what we are good with and strong in our convictions of.  We do not usually fear being inadequate in that way.  Yes, we appreciate feedback letting us know how we are doing but we rarely feel inadequate in things that we are strong in.

The following bit of the quote though rang more true, it is our light and allowing our light to shine that we really fear.   Failing to allow our light to shine is not new.  It reaches back to biblical times, at least.  We fear letting our light shine for many reasons.  We don’t want to be called braggarts, we don’t want to be labeled conceited, we don’t want to toot our own horns, we are reluctant to take on an additional role or more work.  The reasons we are reluctant to let our lights shine are many and varied.

Interestingly, the author of the quote finishes by saying that when we let our lights shine we give others permission to do the same.  How empowering and how powerful!  Conversely if we are not living our potential and letting our light shine we are conceivably  holding someone else back.    So when we think about about it we have an incredible power to share, to be who we are and to enable others to reach that same potential.  The author challenges us to ask ourselves who we are and in that answer be honest with ourselves so that we can reach our fullest potential and in letting our light shine give others the permission to be able to do the same.  When we allow our light to shine we illuminate the darkness around and within but even more encourage and allow other lights to join in and the darkness is overcome.

More years ago now than I like to think about I had a discussion with a person at the local gym.  This person was retired but not quick to volunteer for anything.  This particular evening was going to mark the opening of the diocesan synod and volunteers were needed behind the scenes for set up, clean up and so on.  I was about to leave the gym and said to him”see you this evening.”  He replied that I would not.  I was a bit shocked so I went back in and said to him, no pressure but I’m curious, when you reach the pearly gates and you are asked if you did your best, will you be able to say yes?  Much to the surprise of everyone, including the parish priest of this man, he was there for everything and a super help with the other volunteers.  He and I laughed at it after but he said on a serious note it was an important question because he really could do more.  This question has on occasion come back to haunt me, challenge me and guilt me into doing something that I otherwise would have refused.  It is a call asking ourselves if we are doing our best, allowing our light to shine, encouraging each other to respond and allow lights glow beautifully and to become brighter and brighter.