Marianne Williamson quote (mis-attributed to Nelson Mandella)

I subscribe to a weekly newsletter called “Optimism“, put out by Cecile Vowles of Sydney, Australia. It’s very uplifting, as the title implies, and has her marvelous humor sprinkled throughout.

Today Cecile quoted Nelson Mandella, who was apparently quoting from Marianne Williamson’s 1992 book, “A RETURN TO LOVE” :

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 and fabulous ? Actually, who are you not to be?

You are the child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are 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 enlightened from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

– Marianne Williamson

I like that quote a lot – I’m putting it into my favorite quotes page.

Scientologists like myself believe that human potential is vast and mostly untapped in an individual. This quote from the founder of our religion says it pretty well:

“Your potentialities are a great deal better than anyone ever permitted you to believe.”

as well as this one:

“It’s impossible to reduce an ability. About the only thing you can do is reduce its exercise or the willingness to exercise it.”

L. Ron Hubbard