Are you living your gift in our community?

“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, and fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God….” —Marianne Williamson

This excerpt has always stood out to me as a beacon of light and truthfulness. This poem has always been something that gives me hope and hope for my surroundings. I tell my boys often that everybody has something special on the inside and God is just waiting to show off their gift for His glory.

Most people have found their level of serenity with being ordinary. From the moment we hit this earth, we make children compare themselves – do you fit into this percentile or even testing at school, comparing it to standard expectations in an extensive spectrum of abilities? This would be ok only if the information we collect is used to push the development of gifts. Instead, we foster relationships striving for likeness and in turn, this rewards mediocrity. Being the most advanced and diverse society in the world, we lack rewarding a creative path to brilliance.

If you have never read the entire poem, please do so. It is beautiful in itself for what is truly a simple idea. We will find that the only obstacles and the only resistance we will face are from those who supply nothing to our current existence and perform tasks that are marginal to our success. We should hold everyone responsible to locate, practice and then live in their gift. I believe if we do this and find this within every person, then knowing there is a gift will help us shine to show the brightness that illuminates so that we may illuminate others.

I am thankful for this poem, but more importantly I am thankful for the opportunity to issue a challenge. My challenge is not to envision a way for you to find yourself, but to dream, shine, illuminate and motivate a foundation within this community where this would be possible.