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. – Marianne Williamson
“Powerful beyond measure.”
I remember reading this quote for the first time. It gave me pause. It rocked my world, and when I grounded myself with its meaning, something in me had awakened.
Have you ever felt the truth come to you like this? In coaching, I always ask my clients if something resonates with them. “Does it feel true to you? If it does keep it, otherwise, throw it away.”
This quote hit me with a force so strong, I immediately knew what the truth felt like. So, when the crisis came, I understood something very clearly: If we are ever going to throw caution to the winds—now may be the time.
If we are all powerful beyond measure—and we are—what can our collective power do as a source for good?
When dealing with COVID and unparalleled layers of social upheaval, what can a belief in being powerful beyond measure mean? Many agree that we are experiencing a perfect storm…but even this can be an opportunity for much needed growth. Talking with a friend on the topic of the never-ending saga of 2020, I asked her, “What can we do?” She said, “Well, we don’t waste a good crisis, now do we?”
We can go through life being cautious about this, fearful of that—and all of those thoughts end abruptly when a crisis arises. We will no longer fear whether we are good enough, or think that our voice doesn’t matter, or focus on the Gremlins (negative talk) that our egos usually challenge us with.
Perhaps one of the greatest rewards of a crisis is the shedding of these superficial thoughts—and how quickly that can happen! Goodbye and good riddance superficial fears, the focus has shifted: “We are not playing around being shy and humble—we don’t have the time. We’ve got some work to do.”
We can’t sustain the distancing, illness, and death caused by COVID. We do not want violence in our streets, or for anyone to fear because of the color of their skin or their choice of worship.
Even if we feel our deepest fears of inadequacy, we can dig deep. We may find that we are powerful enough that our skills may help to light the way for others.
Becoming empowered not only gives us courage; it also helps us discover who we are and to claim our place in the world, knowing all of us matter. Yay us!
Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress — such as family and relationship issues, serious health problems, workplace and financial stressors, natural disasters (like epidemics), and more.