What are your thoughts?

[Kiran]

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. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. Marianne Wilson

Would you agree with this statement or disagree??

[God's Toy]

I have found it's when you shine brightest that some people can be 'triggered' into cutting you down like they are afraid of what they see, maybe feeling insecure around you?

[Kiran]

I have found it's when you shine brightest that some people can be 'triggered' into cutting you down like they are afraid of what they see, maybe feeling insecure around you?

Thats true...but always remember, its thier stuff not yours hon

[God's Toy]

Oh for sure it is Lorri and it's only then I make sure to shine extra bright for all to see not holding back.

So um Yes I agree wit you.

[bengalfreak]

YES! That hung over the doorway to my studio for years! Marianne Williamson said that though. It is wrongly attributed to Mandela. He was quoting her.

[Narnia]

Yes - I agree .... Recognising one's own Light brings the Truth in to the Light as it is ....

Fearing it however (really is just an excuse, a laziness) .... but for those who truly recognise their own internal flame of Light ... they let it shine, very bright ... even if others around them are the ones who fear it ... over time they will see the Light within themselves.

Let this Light of Mine shine bright!! !

[BlueStar]

I LOVE this quote...it is extremely powerful and really turns things on their head.

As Bengalfreak said, the quote is actually by Marianne Williamson and is often falsely attributed to Nelson Mandela because apparently he quoted it in one of his speeches.

I believe there is great truth in it. When we're lost in fears of inadequacies it's because we're mistaking our ego as being what we are...so in a sense, we're right - the ego can never be 'good enough' because it isn't even real and it's only the palest reflection of what we truly are. So I believe hand in hand with this fear of inadequacy (maybe the flipside of the same coin) is the fear of our true nature, which is beyond all conception and which intuitively I think we realise is vast, expansive and immeasurably powerful - and this freaks us out as well.

This fear of embodying what we truly are, I believe, largely stems from wanting the approval of others. Many of us build our entire lives and personality/ego structures around securing the good opinion of others. This pathological need to micro-manage the opinions others have of us is exhausting and self destructive. I know. As I wrote in the "Sedona Method" thread, once we become aware of the underlying 'wants' beneath our feelings and beliefs, we can clear them, chipping away at them bit by bit. I found a LOT of approval-wanting and control-seeking (as in controlling other people's opinions) embedded within me like layers of underground rock. As I chip away at them I feel freer and freer, and less willing to cover up what I really am just so others won't think I'm 'weird' or, gasp, 'different'! I invite everyone else to do the same. The world really, REALLY needs us all to step up and be authentic now.

Thank you for sharing this important lesson Lorri!

[little bird]

Really makes you sit and ponder. Well it made me ponder. In some ways, i think it can be both depending on the circumstance but in general, I have to disagree with it. I think more people are fearful of their inadequacies regardless of any confidence they may portray.

[Lion Spirit Walker]

We 'fear' our true potential because of the responsibilities that come with it........

[inutero]

Once upon a time I felt I had a purpose. I am afraid I am struggling to find it again. Or perhaps I just never moved on.

[Lion Spirit Walker]

Keep your eyes open my dear friend. It will come before you know it.

[inutero]

I truly hope so.

[BlueStar]

We 'fear' our true potential because of the responsibilities that come with it........

Wow. Nail hit on the head! Thanks for the insight Michael

[BlueStar]

[I]

Once upon a time I felt I had a purpose. I am afraid I am struggling to find it again. Or perhaps I just never moved on.

I wonder if this might help. According to Eckhart Tolle (whose books Power of Now & A New Earth ought to be required reading for all human beings IMO!) we have two purposes, an inner purpose and an outer purpose. The inner (being) is primary, while the outer (doing) varies over time and is only relatively important. Maybe the following extract from Power of Now might help with regards to purpose. I was strongly compelled to post it here
.....

I can see the truth of what you are saying, but I still think that we must have purpose on our life’s journey; otherwise we just drift, and purpose means future, doesn’t it? How do we reconcile that with living in the present?

When you are on a journey, it is certainly helpful to know where you are going or at least the general direction in which you are moving, but don’t forget: The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is.

Your life’s journey has an outer purpose and an inner purpose. The outer purpose is to arrive at your goal or destination, to accomplish what you set out to do, to achieve this or that, which, of course, implies future. But if your destination, or the steps you are going to take in the future, take up so much of your attention that they become more important to you than the step you are taking now, then you completely miss the journey’s inner purpose, which has nothing to do with where you are going or what you are doing, but everything to do with how. It has nothing to do with future but everything to do with the quality of your consciousness at this moment. The outer purpose belongs to the horizontal dimension of space and time; the inner purpose concerns a deepening of your Being in the vertical dimension of the timeless Now. Your outer journey may contain a million steps; your inner journey only has one: the step you are taking right now. As you become more deeply aware of this one step, you realize that it already contains within itself all the other steps as well as the destination. This one step then becomes transformed into an expression of perfection, an act of great beauty and quality. It will have taken you into Being, and the light of Being will shine through it. This is both the purpose and the fulfillment of your inner journey, the journey into yourself.

Does it matter whether we achieve our outer purpose, whether we succeed or fail in the world?

It will matter to you as long as you haven’t realized your inner purpose. After that, the outer purpose is just a game that you may continue to play simply because you enjoy it. It is also possible to fail completely in your outer purpose and at the same time totally succeed in your inner purpose. Or the other way around, which is actually more common: outer riches and inner poverty, or to “gain the world and lose your soul,” as Jesus puts it. Ultimately, of course, every outer purpose is doomed to “fail” sooner or later, simply because it is subject to the law of impermanence of all things. The sooner you realize that your outer purpose cannot give you lasting fulfillment, the better. When you have seen the limitations of your outer purpose, you give up your unrealistic expectation that it should make you happy, and you make it subservient to your inner purpose.

[inutero]

BlueStar....thank you much for your post. The more I think about your post the more I realize that I am failing at both my inner purpose and outer purpose. I have allowed myself to fall into a mindset that drains me of purpose in general. This statement makes so much sense to me. I have work to do. Thanks again for the post.

[Kiran]

Once upon a time I felt I had a purpose. I am afraid I am struggling to find it again. Or perhaps I just never moved on.

((((((HUGS)))))) you will my dear...just keep your heart and mind open to receive

[Narnia]

The more I think about your post the more I realize that I am failing at both my inner purpose and outer purpose. I have allowed myself to fall into a mindset that drains me of purpose in general.

Wishing you a journey of comfort and peace my friemd!! Follow your heart it will lead you in the right direction!

[brother]

There was a time when this statement resonated with me and it also empowered me to look deeper inside myself. However, I just cant agree with it.

I might be all powerful, but I am nothing with out you. I may bring myself to enlightenment and heal the sick, walk on water and share great wisdom, but it is nothing with out you.

Fear has woven itself into mankind so well, that should I remove it from my life I will have removed myself from you.

I can never truly be ME with this fear, for to be me removes all fear and I am left with out you.

This is my greatest fear…… fear.

[Kiran]

There was a time when this statement resonated with me and it also empowered me to look deeper inside myself. However, I just cant agree with it.

I might be all powerful, but I am nothing with out you. I may bring myself to enlightenment and heal the sick, walk on water and share great wisdom, but it is nothing with out you.

Fear has woven itself into mankind so well, that should I remove it from my life I will have removed myself from you.

I can never truly be ME with this fear, for to be me removes all fear and I am left with out you.

This is my greatest fear…… fear.

This really touched me Chad and I felt a desperate need to give you a great big hug!! (((((((((((HUGS)))))))))

[BlueStar]

BlueStar....thank you much for your post. The more I think about your post the more I realize that I am failing at both my inner purpose and outer purpose. I have allowed myself to fall into a mindset that drains me of purpose in general. This statement makes so much sense to me. I have work to do. Thanks again for the post.

You're welcome John, I just felt an urge to share that particular bit when I saw your post. I'm also at a kind of 'no man's land' in my life, in which the outer purpose is kind of amorphous, and all I can do is focus on the inner purpose, which I suppose means bringing all my energy and focus into the present moment, the Now, and opening my heart and moving beyond fear. From this state, I believe the outer purpose unfolds more smoothly. But I don't think it's good to think of 'failing' at our purpose...it's more like an airplane always has to make constant corrections and adjustments to keep it on course. If it deviates slightly from its course, its not really a sign that it's failing, just that it needs course corrections. I believe the heart is the greatest navigation system we have.