The Ego's Fear of the Soul's Power

Nelson Mandela, on assuming the presidency of South Africa after enduring 27 years in prison, quoted the following passages from Marianne Williamson's 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 a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.
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 everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson, one of the foremost teachers of "A Course in Miracles," recognizes that it is the ego which fears the power of the soul, and that our greatest achievement is letting go of the fears that constitute the ego's clutch on the soul, that it is fear which separates us from God which is within and all around us.

Our playing small does not serve the world!