THE RED ENVELOPE PLEASE...

My sister contacted me the other day. Her son is graduating from high school May 25th. In her neck of the woods they have a tradition of having family members write notes, cards, and letters to the graduate that are put in a RED ENVELOPE for the graduate to read and have as a keepsake of his graduation.

In the process of writing to him I was desperately looking up all sorts of stuff to help inspire me. I ran across this quote and thought it was worth sharing. It really struck a chord with me because I was raised Catholic and it is pounded into us to be humble...not great. But as I've gotten older I think that we are supposed to celebrate our gifts and blessings. So turn up the music and read what Marianne Williamson says about celebrating ourselves.

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 is not just in some of us; it is 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. ~Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992 (commonly misattributed to Nelson Mandela, 1994 inauguration speech)