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 and 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.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking,
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are meant to shine as children do.
We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in one of us.
It is in everyone.

As we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

----from A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson.

This text is circulated for years on the Internet. He is usually attributed to Nelson Mandela. He would have said these words in 1994 during his inaugurale speech as President of the Republic of South Africa. But that's not right.

The text comes from the book "A Return to Love" by Marianne Williamson.

Did Nelson Mandela quoted this text, even though it is not from himself? No, not even that. 

This is what Marianne Williamson wrote about it on her website:
Several years ago, this paragraph from A RETURN TO LOVE began popping up everywhere, attributed to Nelson Mandela's l994 Inaugural Address.
As honored as I would be had President Mandela quoted my words, indeed he did not. I have no idea where that story came from, but I am gratified that the paragraph has come to mean so much to so many people. 

But it remains, of course, a beautiful text. Still worth reading and sending to other people. Of course with proper source.

The actual text of the inaugurale speech of Mandela can be found here: http://www.inspiratiesite.nl/geschiedenis2a.html







 

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