An Inspiring Speech

I found this wonderful speech of Nelson Mandela. On 10th May 1994, he became the first democratically-elected President of multi-racial South Africa. In his inaugural speech as South African President, Nelson Mandela said:

“Our biggest fear
is not that we are inadequate;
our biggest 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.
You’re ‘playing small’
doesn’t serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened
about shrinking
so that other people
won’t feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just within some of us
- it is within everyone!
And as we let our own light shine,
we consciously give to other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence
automatically liberates others.”