My apologies, this one is a minute longer than usual, but for a good reason. I hope you don’t mind.
I love movies as you know.
I recently watched Coach Carter, staring Samuel Jackson, who is coaching a high school basketball team in the City of Richmond in Northern California.
Coach Carter is all about integrity and respect. The school board and parents sought to shut down his hard core methods to raise up his student athletes, and when the school board voted against him, he decided to leave.
However, when moving his things out, he brought in a couple of empty boxes. When he was on his way to his office and going into the gym, he saw all his players at school desks in the gym. They told him they are going to continue what he started.
He was overwhelmed with emotion. Nearly brought to tears. As he was exiting, one of his players, Cruz, stood up next to his desk. Now Coach Carter would always say to Cruz “What is your deepest fear?” Cruz was confused and so were the players what was meant.
Apparently, Cruz did some research, and when standing at his desk, laid out what he discovered was meant. You can watch it here yourself:
Here is the Poem Cruz recited:
OUR DEEPEST FEAR
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’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 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 own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Actually this quote is often misattributed to the great Nelson Mandela who recited this apparently at his inauguration. They thought it was then one of his writings while in prison. But it was written by Marianne Williamson in her 1992 best selling book, Return to Love. About loving ourselves.
And as both Marianne Williamson and Nelson Mandela and Cruz from Coach Carter was emphasizing … when we liberate ourselves from our own fear of how powerful we could truly be if we just let it fly … our presence will liberate everyone around us from their fear as well.
Be fearless.
Embrace your power.
Stand for yourself, the most powerful you, and when you do … wow … you empower everyone around you.
How powerful is THAT!
Talk to YOU at the next 2MMM
