flippy Posted June 1, 2004 Report Share Posted June 1, 2004 Nelson Mandela - Inaugural Speech 1994 (taken from A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson 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, fabulous? Actually, who are we 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 do not feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NobodyKnows Posted June 2, 2004 Report Share Posted June 2, 2004 Thanks Flip Saved to 'puter to be read again and again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginny Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 Excellent flippy - it feels good to read it..... Ginny :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostsoul Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 yeah i saw footage of him actually giving that speech. it was very moving i guess, and i do basically approve of the sentiment, but it's so hard to think like that when you are raised in a culture that derides arrogance and self-assuredness or taking pride in things or even accepting compliments with good grace, that seems to promote shrinking violetism!!! of course, hard, does not equal impossible... thanks for the posting. good to hear a different spin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verbena Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 Oh Flippy, thank you for sharing that with us. It really is special. I need to print it off for my office door! It will be next to: Here's To Good Women. May We Know Them, May We Be Them, May We Raise Them. and We're Here To Serve and I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all. and last of all, "Human beings of all ages are found to be at their happiest and to be able to deploy their talents to best advantage when they are confident that, standing behind them, there are one or more trusted persons who will come to their aid should difficulties arise." John Bowlby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippy Posted January 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 Verbena, glad you liked it, i had it printed off and put next to my bed but when i decorated it got lost. i like this one of yours I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all. i guess it is what im looking for some evidence that my life has been worth living even though i doesnt feel like it. one of my biggest fears is when im older to look back on my life and think what the hell was the point. lostsoul, like you i agree with the sentiment but im pretty sure my deepest fear is that i am inadequate and it is my darkness that frightens me. flippy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verbena Posted January 18, 2005 Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 Flippy, I know, and sometimes I look back when I am in a bad way and do think what the hell was the point, but really, truly, we know that we are something to somebody. My therapist asked me if my husband loved me, and I said yes. He asked how that felt. I told him it was a burden to me. It meant I had to be responsible. If not for him, I would eat what I wanted, drink as much as I wanted, hang a noose in the basement, and as soul says, "crawl around on all fours and shit in the corner if I wanted". But he loves me so I don't do that. Everyone has someone, whether they realize it or not, whether they want to admit it or not, who depends on them for their happiness to some degree. I think that having mattered that you lived will be judged by how well you respond to that responsibility. XX Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippy Posted January 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 wise words my friend, i do have someone and the fact that they love me for who i am is a great feeling, of course when i am not in a great place i try to push them away but its something i have never experienced in my life before. i just want to have been worth something. flippy xxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verbena Posted January 18, 2005 Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 YOU ARE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippy Posted January 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 on a good day i actually believe it too! thx verbena xxxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.