IWSG: Fear

The first Wednesday of every month is IWSG, a bloghop hosted by the amazing Alex J. Cavenaugh to encourage and inspire each other and a safe place to admit our writing doubts.

On Sunday I listened to a General Conference address from a few years back as I drove in the car again (something I've gotten good at this past week-we've logged 40 hours so far). One line in the address stuck me deep. The speaker said that fear is the opposite of faith. I've never thought about fear that way. I realized I've been dwelling in fear more than I'd like to, and that I need to have more faith in many aspects of my life, my writing being one of them. So this month I'm sharing a poem that was given to me the summer before college. It has always helped me to believe more in myself, to push forward, and move out of fear. Perhaps it will do the same for you.

Our Deepest Fear
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 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.

Until next month...