Permission to Shine

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 and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t 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 are born to 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 other

Written by Marianne Williamson, spoken by Nelson Mandela

Words are close to my heart. I think that inspirational writing has the power to express emotions, beliefs and values in the form of words.

When I was 14, I promised myself to have words like the ones above on the walls of my house to keep me inspired. For those of you who know me, my house has such writings on the walls, in every diary, on every photo album and on the bathroom mirror (in lipstick). I am inspired!

I feel Marianne Williamson captured my life’s journey in this fabulous quote. Many years ago, when I had to make the decision of what to do for a living (except breathing, eating and sleeping), it was the light I saw inside myself that led me to choose Special Education.

I came up with the belief that only people who have seen the light can guide others to find their own and that this is my life’s purpose. Therefore, I dedicated my life to working with gifted children and children with learning difficulties.

I started coaching them and their families towards reaching their full potential. In simple words, I took “regular” children and turned them into “gifted” children. You see, this amazing mission is driven from the same source as Marianne Williamson’s words.

It is easy to have gifted children, because they were gifted in the first place. I could not make them anything but what they were at their core. As an educator and a coach, my aim is to activate the light we are born with.

In my perception, the light was, is and will be there forever. Life can enhance its brightness or dim it. When I teach five year-olds to scribble, most of them cannot comprehend the art of scribbling.

You can’t scribble,” they tell me with a surprised voice.

“Why not?” I ask and they look at me puzzled. At that moment, I know their light is dimming and fear has taken over. Conforming is a vicious cycle of eliminating our light. Just turned five years old and dimming so fast.

There is a trend in the world to promote personal development. For me, it is “personal activation”. There is nothing to develop, there are some switches turned off that need to be turned on, that’s all. Coaching is just one tool to do that. In that sense, I am happy to continue living my purpose, just using some new activating tools.

Some time ago, Gal and I revised our vision & mission statements. Please take a look at it. I want your help in inspiring others. Post your own vision & mission statements (personal or business) as a comment below for others to see and get some ideas.

A couple of years ago, I had a talk with a man from India, who asked me “as a coach, what would be the greatest massage you have for people?” and I had so many, written on walls and doors of my house, in stories and lesson plans.

I chose this one:

We are never wrong.

Everything we do is OK.

We always do the best we can anyway.

I think Jewel has a great song to express this. For a full range of feelings that this song has to offer you, play it and read the words while listening to her beautiful voice.

So write you mission statement and think how you can turn your light ON!

Be happy,
Ronit