Liberation Day

I always feel so arrogant when I sit down to write these "Things I've Learned" posts. It seems ridiculous that I, some mixed-up and fatally flawed eighteen-year-old kid, should have "lessons" to share with others. Who am I to think I can teach total strangers?

"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 is 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 are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." — from A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson

This is a tough lesson to learn. It's something I know in words, but don't understand, as my old Physics teacher always asked us to, deep in my gut. It's not intuitive in our culture. We thrive on self-depreciation and shrinking. Confidence is arrogance and egotism. To love oneself is to be selfish.

Who am I to think I am so great that others may learn from me? Who am I to believe I possess any desirable qualities?

Lately, I've been getting a lot more views a day. It was exciting for one day, and then it started becoming scary. Who am I to have so many people read what I write? Who am I to believe that I deserve the attention? I've been feeling a bit paranoid. Like maybe this is just some prank. Or maybe people will figure out that my blog is not worth reading, and my views will drop back down.

Our culture perpetuates this problem. Our culture embraces and encourages fear. We live in a world full of terror and immobilising fear. And I don't like it. I don't want the world my children grow up in to be one governed by fear. I want my children unafraid of their own greatness. "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

You know what? Who am I not to teach? Who am I not to share my thoughts, my ideas, the things I learn and find valuable? I let go of my fear, started this blog, and made it as easy to find as I could. And you know what happened? Other friends of mine started to do the same. As I was liberated from my fear, so were those around me.

I want to liberate the whole world from fear. Help me? All you have to do is liberate yourself.