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[naudiz]

Our Greatest Fear
Nelson Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, 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 is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

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I don't know why, but all too often, the people I run into, both in RL and VR, are all too ready to accept the negative self-talk that says "I'm ugly, I'm worthless, I'm not any good at anything so I'd better not even try." I fall into that trap, too. Then, sometimes, I look in the mirror and even though the image looking back isn't the gorgeous, buff babette I used to see, I just have to say "Hey, you're all right."

Things are good, today. It's easier to talk about things when they're bad, because this kind of peace is hard to put to words. I feel good enough to wander about town, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. It's a gorgeous day, crisp and cold. I'll be back later, looking forward to reading your posts. I find myself missing you folks if I stay away too long.

 

[Merelan]

Thank you dear one, for giving us a light to lead the way.
I mean that. It is so true that we accept the negative, the "off color" before we see the right and good. We are quicker to believe the gossip about someone if it shows them in a bad light. Maybe something to do with your upbringing, society, genetics. Whatever the reasoning, we lower our standards and belittle ourselves in the name of fitting in. Peer pressure or whatever you call it, another way of lowering what beauty lives within in order not to stand out.

"This little light of mine, I'm going to let I shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine..."

Again, thank you for this thread. Hope I made sense.

 

[TonyG]

Nice thread Naudiz.

I know I can fall into the sullen and down mood all too easily. I think it does have something to do with our upbringing. We all too often are measured by what physical things we have accomplished when mentally and spiritually we can also accomplish a lot.

It seems that too many people will, when meeting someone new, draw conclusions about that person based on first impression. Let alone trying to learn what makes that person unique.

Many years ago a friend taught me to come up with two good items about a person whenever I thought or heard a bad item about them. It's hard to do, but many times it has resulted in my not passing false judgement on someone.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

This is going to sound SO sanctimonious, but my whole life I've had to deal with derision from people willing to be less than they are, and hate me for wanting to more. In grade school I got strange looks in class because I could actually read aloud without sounding like I was mentally retarded. In high school I couldn't discuss anything but getting wasted or football without being called "Conceited". I can't delve into any serious topic here for more than a couple of pages without someone asking me to please, please, please keep my conversations to fucking, and assuming that I've got a God complex.

Well, as Woody Allen says, I have to model myself after someone. LOL

The hardest part about trying to put your best cerebral and poetic foot forward is that there are always thirty people behind you whining, "I guess you think your shit don't stink, huh?"

I gave up caring about that years and years ago, expecially after I started surrounding myself with simliarly cognitive people, mostly artists. And, although it's true that artists can sometimes create their own moral universe, and are quite able to be terrible people, they are equally challenged to be great people.

There are plenty of low I.Q. Saints and genius serial killers out there, so it doesn't really matter what gifts you have, but what you aspire to. It's the journey that counts. In the end it doesn't matter how God-like you are, or how smart or poetic you are. It only matters, I think, how much better you get.

 

[TN_Vixen]

naudiz

I used to have that part of his speech printed out and taped to my wall at work and every day I would start my day by reading that inspirational passage. Thanks again for bringing it back into my life.

 

[ravenna]

Quick question...

I'm much in favor of asking permission, so: do any of you mind if I copy this thread thus far and (shades of previous poster) tape it on my wall?

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

No objection.