Letting Our Own Light Shine

04/26/2018

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 frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
Marianne Williamson

"I used this quote [above] with teachers in staff meetings for years," writes Nancy Rosenow, in the book, Heart-Centered Teaching Inspired by Nature, "and it always elicited discussion about how hard it is to allow ourselves to fully ‘own’ our own power. To use a nature metaphor, it’s challenging to really let ourselves ‘bloom’…

Once, during a workshop for teachers, I asked people to describe qualities they appreciated about themselves and was met with awkward silence. One woman finally said: ‘I don’t think I have any qualities I appreciate.’ I found it sad and a bit frightening that someone whose work it is to help children develop into their full potential hadn’t allowed herself to celebrate her own…

A second part of the Marianne Williamson quote above continues like this: ‘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 have seen great examples of this happening throughout the years as I watched teachers and administrative staff taking risks to ‘bloom’ into who they really are."

For an opportunity to support yourself more fully in a heart-centered approach to your work and life, join Tina Reeble and Heather Fox for an Early Childhood Investigations webinar on May 2: https://www.earlychildhoodwebinars.com/presentations/heart-centered-leadership-people-centered-approach-inspired-nature-rich-work-environments-tina-reeble/

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