Don’t Block Your Success Because You’re Afraid Of Shining

“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 you are you not to be?”

This is the infamous quote from the spiritual teacher, author, and lecturer, Marianne Williamson. This is also one of my favorite quotes to date and one that I use to pick me up when I need a boost of inspiration and a reminder of who I am.

Because for a lot of, we have places we want to get to, no matter how big or small, but as human beings, we struggle when it comes to tapping into their greatness, for fear that we are beneath being great.

That being great is too much of an achievement and is something that is better left to people we look up to like Oprah Winfrey.

To take it a step lower, I can compare it to people we know have attained success around us, like that family member who became a best-selling author or the friend we know who is an editor for a magazine now.

We look at these people and think to ourselves, “Wow, that’s amazing. But that is just out of luck for them. Things like that don’t happen to ordinary people.”

But would if it did start happening? What would you do then? Would you immediately thank God and the universe and accept that what you dreamed of since you were little is actually now coming to fruition? Or will you push the success that is coming to you to the side and shrink yourself because you think you don’t deserve it?

For me, my goal right now is to get my work published in print for magazines, so I am able to build my portfolio and get my name out there. I also want to write books. But sometimes I am like, can I really do it? Is it possible for me, your ordinary gal, who yes, is intelligent, but not a best-selling author like some people I know. Is it really possible to write books and sell them? Like, I can actually get my name in print?

Mind you, this is what I worked for and what I want. So why on earth would I even put these thoughts in my head? But that is how as humans we operate for the most part. We don’t automatically lunge towards our dreams like a naive child and automatically think, yes, I don’t give a fuck what happens or what other people think, I can do this!

And even though that is how we operate, that’s a problem. A serious one. Because then we place limitations on ourselves and on how far we can go.

We reserve those accomplishments for people we see on TV and we deny it for ourselves. In essence, our greatness, like Williamson beautifully states, is ultimately what scares and hinders us from going after our dreams.

So you, the one who wants to finish school and work somewhere you have dreamt of working since you were little when you actually get that dream job, I want you to know you worked for it and you actually deserve it.

Don’t block your blessings because you are afraid of shining.