Wednesday, January 31, 2007

January 2007 Christine's Corner

My most favorite quote was spoken by Nelson Mandela. And in truth, to me it is so much more than a quote; it is a statement, a philosophy that speaks to the very essence of what I most fervently believe. Nelson Mandela gave this speech:

"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 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 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."

What is it about fear that can so prominently change our behavior, hide from our own dreams, and alter the course of our lives and our own potential in this world? All of us have fears, whether they are large or small. Some fears accompany us throughout our lives and become manifest in the forms of phobias. Other fears are temporary fears, either within our own minds or in reaction to a given situation or experience. Conversely, fear can be a great motivator in the search and quest for courage, for true freedom, and even for personal excellence.

What I have come to understand in my own life, and that has also been reflected in numerous scientific articles and texts, is that our emotions have an impact on the quality of our lives as well as the quality of our well-being and health. Fear can serve us in a variety of ways - by propelling us to action in the age-old "fight or flight" experiences we have in our lives, by sending warning signs in our bodies that something isn't quite right, and by many other ways. But as Nelson Mandela wrote, fear can also be of great disservice to everyone.

So many of us go through our days, internally and secretly dealing with insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. It is completely a fascinating and hopefully liberating concept that our truest, deepest fear is not battling the insecurities that we often find ourselves facing but rather, that we are more powerful and magnificent that we can believe. I believe in my heart that many of us have a vague vision of what it would feel like to walk this earth, to embody our own lives and selves as the most powerful, emboldened, enlightened individuals that we can be. We have little pieces of time when we can transform into those individuals, replete with self-knowledge and true, deep confidence in our ability to do and more importantly know we are fully all that we can be.

Most of the time in our lives, however, we are not in that space. We do not walk through the world and within our lives with the sense of knowing that we are completely and powerfully all that we can be. Rather we find ourselves with insecurities that show up in the form of self-doubt or even in some individuals as brazen bravado. How many of us really know how powerful we are? And yet even more, how many of us seize the opportunity to be our fullest, truest selves in every moment? How many times have you known the answer to a question or known how to do something exceptionally well, only to hold back because of some level of fear? What will people think? Will I stand out? What if other people feel intimidated? What if they won't like me anymore? What if I make a mistake?

So much of our lives, I believe, is focused on what others will think, how they will react to our actions and choices, how they will respond to how we show up in the world. While I definitely believe there is a place in our society for having a caring and generous heart about how others receive and respond to us in this world, I also know that the emphasis we can place on the opinions of others can have a direct impact on our willingness to embrace our own power, talents, and abilities.

This speech of Nelson Mandela's has fascinated me for years. The words are so powerful, so eloquent and resonate so deeply with my own personal beliefs about what is possible for us all in this world. How appropriate that they were first spoken by a man who so fully embodied strength and internal power! These were not just words for Nelson Mandela - they were born out of his own journey to stand in his own power through years of imprisonment for his own beliefs. I first came across it a few years ago through a mentor of mine. I've often wondered what this world would be like if we all felt free enough to fully and completely be who are meant to be. I do think we would be a much healthier world. If we were all able to live fully and passionately, without reservation, we wouldn't carry within us the often destructive emotions of fear and insecurity that can turn into disease in our bodies. We would feel more fully and authentically ourselves and as a result, no longer feel the desire to change one another, to control one another, to belittle or de-value one another.

I think we all understand why it is so difficult for us to fully and completely embody this kind of approach to life - we are, in short, afraid of being the glorious individuals we all are. But in reality, what can we do to embrace the powerful individuals we are? We can start by initiating an honest and introspective study of our own internal selves. Who are we authentically within our own skin? What is it that we value in our lives? What aspects of our individuality make us who we are? What are we afraid to show others, for fear of rejection or ridicule? Are there things we are compromising in our own nature just to get along with others or to be perceived in a certain light? How much of our days do we feel we are truly acting in a nature that we know comes from the seat of our souls rather than what feels good to others? So often we call our attention to becoming the individual we believe others need us to be or who we want to project ourselves as being to the world. The journey toward introspection and identification of our true selves can be one of the most rewarding journeys we take in life.

The next step is obviously easier said than done (or we would all have done it long ago!)… we move forward and begin to conquer some of those fears. We identify those areas in our lives and in ourselves that need addressing. In short, we call ourselves on the carpet. Using our own personal inventory, we begin to identify in the moment when we are not being authentic to our own selves, when we are not claiming our full power and presence in the world and we, step-by-step, begin to change it. There will be moments when we will fail, at least in terms of being fully present, fully in our own power. But as so happens with other muscles we use infrequently and then begin to exercise, the more we begin to embody who we are in the heart of our core, our souls, we more frequently and more fervently begin to embrace and become empowered by our own changes and the impact those changes have in our lives. Many of us are on the sprint version of this journey, but the marathon is what we should strive for. Life changes, true life changes come slowly, deeply and reverently. It's not enough to just think our way through to transformation, true transformation is integrated to the depths of our souls.

For each and every one of us, my most fervent hope is that we are able to embark upon the journey of true self-revelation and empowerment. For as a result of that transformation, we can emerge as the powerful and glorious individuals we were born to be. The results of those journeys will undoubtedly lead to a healthier, more powerful, and more compassionate world.

~posted by Christine, 4:35 PM