The Monday Muse

Aims to get your week off to an inspirational start!

"As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others."

Marianne Williamson

Marianne is a spiritual activist, author, lecturer and founder of The Peace Alliance. The quote above is taken from a famous passage from her book 'A Return to Love' and is often erroneously attributed to the inaugural address of Nelson Mandela. In fact Mandela never did use these words, but for some reason these words have become associated with him and as a result mean so much to so many people.

I quite like the more secularized variation that was used in the film Coach Carter:

"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? - from original version).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 are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone."

So on this Gloomy Monday my message is a simple one, but one that doesn't always seem that easy to execute. "Go forth and SHINE" with whatever skills and talents you've been keeping from the world. I hope you like the photo too! I took it at Fistral Beach, Newquay last month and I thought it might inspire you to shine.