You are powerful beyond measure.

 Balance by sherbonbon

I am writing this overdue entry in the ‘last leg’ of my long weekend where I usually find myself standing on an emotional balance beam trying to convince myself that I am ready to go out there, move forward, and leave my familiar place once again, while, at the same time, holding myself back and telling myself that reaching the end of the beam, may just not be worth the enduring broken foot.

We all have seen that place where every sign on the road tells us to change course. Whether it’s taking a toll on your health, leaving you depressed and battling the very values you believe in, gradually damaging your relationships with people you love, or simply making you feel less of yourself—it is never good, maybe not even curable, unless you cure it yourself. How? By taking control of your life.

It may sound simpler than it actually is. I know a lot of people who are stuck in moments and places and hours and hopes for better days. Being ‘stuck’ may even be a wonderful thing because people often emerge out of the ruts with life lessons that teach them how to ‘not to get stuck’ again. Consider a drug addict who spends time in jail, and then more time in the rehabilitation center. Or a battered wife who is in constant denial that her husband is a total jerk and that she needs to leave him. In due time, we stop pretending, learn our lessons, and get back on our feet again.

In a way, we all are stuck doing things we probably already know are not things that we are meant to do..but we do them anyway; sometimes, because we stop listening to that voice inside all of us that tells us of greater things that we are capable of doing and becoming. We remain stuck because we are afraid.

My favorite words by Marianne Williamson speak true about the human tendency to choose to remain where we are simply because of 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 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.”

There are those of us who have had the education and values and understanding to make a difference in our own lives and in the lives of others. What is sad is that we often choose to play small when our playing small, indeed, does not serve the world.

While it is difficult to finally play big and choose to work for our dreams, it is not impossible. There will be challenges along the way but at least, for probably the first time in your life, you are stuck doing something that you love. And while you are at it, you will find that the world and the people around you—your spectators—are delightfully cheering you on because they know that you are confidently and passionately getting your act together on that frightening yet exciting balance beam.

And they’re thinking, “Wow, I can do that too.’

It may be too optimistic an idea, but I’d like to believe that our individual faith and courage to face our deepest fear can truly make winners out of all of us. Are you up for it? :)