Today’s conversation comes with instructions. Most of my conversations average only 5-6 minutes of your time. Today, I ask that you be in your quiet place and read the Deepest Fear paragraph twice or more to fully grasp the meaning after reading to the end. This is not a test, and just like every other article, including my book, this will personally mean something different for each reader. So, thank you ahead of time for being one of the few participants of change. I’m sharing a poem that some misattribute to Nelson Mandela; however, it was written by Marianne Williamson and titled A Return to Love.

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 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.  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.”

I believe this poem is a powerful reflection on self-doubt, potential, and fear. It challenges the common belief that we are afraid of failure, suggesting instead that we fear how great we might become. This could be due to the responsibility and expectations that come with success. Darkness represents self-doubt, insecurity, and fear. Light, our talents, strengths, and divine potential. The poem encourages self-acceptance and emphasizes that by embracing our true potential, we inspire others to do the same, which can be intimidating.

For far too long, I held myself back out of fear. When I showed signs of intelligence as a child, I would get ridiculed at school and at home by family members. When I showed excitement in a career opportunity, it made those who received handouts that didn’t look like me nervous at my potential to overshadow them. I’ve had adults senior to me, literally telling me, “Calm down on working too hard, young buck, you’re making us look bad.” I’ve had people not employ me because they didn’t want me to take their job or the women in the office. (As if chasing office romance was my purpose of applying for the job). I’ve been told because I’m a veteran, your work efforts are too much, and I’ll outperform the team, making them feel bad. I’ve had an owner of a company that I was contracted with say, “You take too much attention, and this is my company, theirs only enough room for one bull.” He then shared, “however, if you were white, you’d already be a multimillionaire.  Good luck.“

Society often conditions people to stay humble and avoid what they believe to be arrogance. Weak minded people would take confidence as arrogance. None of us would fly on any airplane if the pilot stated, I don’t know if we can get there safely. How about a surgeon saying, “I hope this surgery doesn’t cripple you.“ This starts in many broken families, “Myself, my pappy, my grand-pappy, and my grand-pappy’s pappy done… for a living, so why not you too.” We do not need to limit ourselves to our families’ or neighborhood’s limitations. By overcoming our fears, we become a model for others to do the same. Courage and self-acceptance create a ripple effect. When one person embraces their greatness, it gives others the confidence to step into their own power. Hence, one of the reasons why the government does not allow the media to share too many heartwarming stories of growth, love, or inclusion is countless unlimited disparities to continue the profits from fear.

White supremacy, hatred, racism, prejudice, bigotry, and ignorance wouldn’t exist if the masses would stop feeding and protecting it. It is very easy to accomplish, and you don’t need a Phd. to achieve it. Nor paying a panel of people to figure out a solution in the next century. Simply stop doing what you damn well know you don’t want to happen to yourself or someone you actually care about. Stop right now this very moment! Witness how good the air feels when you remove the ignorance from your chest. See how beautiful the colors are when you take hatred from your eyes. Feel the peace from the universe when you help it to become as balanced as it desires. Experience the pure love and excitement of community when others are allowed to add to the soup of life. Can you taste it?

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