Are you dimming your shine?

My question for you today is: are you more afraid of failure or success?

It might seem like a silly question, but I implore you to ask and really tell the truth. Are you more afraid that you’ll go for something and you’ll fail—or do you actually have a fear that you could succeed and get it, and then what?

For many reasons, this poem has been rolling around in my head for the past few days.

Our Greatest 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. 

And 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.

Do you find yourself dimming your shine so that you don’t make people around you uncomfortable? Are you self-sabotaging in some way because success would mean certain things in your life would have to change? Are there things that you want, but you’re just not letting yourself have them?

I know it seems crazy to say that we would avoid success, but I see it happen all the time. I work with individuals and business owners who are out to create amazing lives and, for some, actually getting what they want is petrifying.

What story would you have to give up—about yourself or about life—if you actually had what you wanted? If you let yourself go toward what you want? If you let yourself be as you want to be?

I think that’s the ultimate success: that we can show up in our truth and authenticity in any given situation and be able to receive whatever comes. Holding our ground and holding onto ourselves. 

Are you able to be the person that you most want to be in the world? If not, what’s getting in your way? Is it possible that you’re really just afraid to shine?

I’d love to hear from you. If you resonate with this, please let me know what you hear! I’ll see you next time.