Friday, September 30, 2005

Truth

Because Aspyre emailed it to me and she quite (most) often knows how I think and because it is appropriate to be posted here, and now.

"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 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 own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
--Nelson Mandela

Not a new message, of course not. One expressed continuously through out time and cross-culturally -- from tibet to china to richard bach to others.

And it is interesting to me how often such sentiments are espoused, touted even, and yet at the same time not really believed. And even more interesting to me that fear of this sort is almost always hidden away in the rationalization of some sort of humility. The rationalization that to be humble in such a way is somehow most holy. Were I a god, you can well imagine that were would be much smiting of those with such fears; the insult -- the sheer lack of gratitude -- made manifest in the name of humility would result in a rain of holy terror (most likely in the form of dictionaries hailing down from the great beyond) of monstrous proportions.

And perhaps a word or two would sink in and people would realize that humility based on fear misunderstands the word humility entirely and that the lack of pride can never come from a lack of courage and a glorification of worthlessness or lack is the worst sort of pride of all.

And then, with those not squashed flat a la Wily E. Coyote, we'd continue on our merry way challenging each other to further greatness. (Because, yes, of course, if I were a god I'd most certainly be one of the ancient go around amongst mortals, carousing with serving wenches and drinking plenty of ale sorts.)

::kisses:: to Aspyre who is well on her way to learning that wisdom lends itself to loneliness. Or would, were loneliness a concept that could exist within wisdom. ;)

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

*laughs*

You *would* smite with dictionaries. I can see that perfectly. Dictionaries and empty ale bottles.

September 30, 2005  
Blogger Ladarna Daorsa said...

I think that were I a god, I'd be a bit more of a purist and the ale would be in heavy steins or something. Flasks made of horse stomachs. Or something.

::waving hand vaguely::

You get the idea.

But, they would be attached to stout leather bands so that you could strap them on your wrist or over your shoulder (just like renn faire!) and that would make for good swinging, bola-type smiting.

October 03, 2005  

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