Women in agriculture wear many hats – just as I do – and we are encouraged to liberate ourselves from our fears by remembering these famous words written by Marianne Williamson and repeated by Nelson Mandela.
“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? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightening about shrinking so other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some; it’s in all, 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.”
Beautiful words of encouragement for all women. We are not here to fill space or to be a background character in someone else’s drama. Nothing in life would be the same without us. Nothing in our loved ones life would be the same without us. In fact, no vibrancy could live if you or they or I did not exist. Every place I have ever been, every place you have ever been, everyone I have ever talked to and everyone you have ever met is different because we were created. Lucky for us – we are connected by all of the universe around us. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.” Together we go far!
