Don't let the nay-sayers get you down!

Nay.  Nay.  Nay.

These are the voices that surface in my mind when I begin to feel inspired by others who are talented and off doing amazing things in the world.  Anyone else?

I believe that I can do a thing and then the voices come in and say nay.  Every time I think I might be talented or gifted in a certain way something or other comes along to say no- you're not good enough; there are others who are better.  Why CAN'T I be great in those ways?  What's stopping me?  Is it the nay-sayers?  I'm oftentimes motivated and inspired but unsure of how to move forward.  I get stuck.  It feels as though the nay-sayers have won.

This last week I've come to realize sometimes you just have to put yourself out there.  To take a chance.  Sure, you can live in a safe bubble forever but you will not grow and become.  The nay-sayers want us to stay in our comfort zones and not come out.  They want us to think we aren't enough, that we don't have the necessary skills, that we can't make a difference.  This.  Is.  A.  Lie.

There is a story, in Tales of the Kingdom by Karen and David Mains, of a boy named Scarboy.  He and his little brother Little Child are in a dark place being pursued by creatures called naysayers.  All they have is hope of finding the forbidden King who lives in the place where light dwells.  These naysayers do their best to prevent the children from finding the place where the King lives, chanting nay nay nay, striking fear and doubt into their hearts.  But hope persists and eventually they make it to the place where the light dwells.  They find the King.

We all have nay-sayers.  At times it is others telling us nay nay nay.  Other times it is our own voice telling us nay.

It is in these times that we have a choice- to listen to the nay-sayers or listen to the voice speaking truth to us about who we really are.  Who we are IS good enough.  All of us are talented and gifted in our own ways.  If we were all gifted and talented the same the world wouldn't be as rich and diverse as it is.  We all have something to offer.

Scarboy eventually becomes Hero and he realizes who he really is and what he has to offer the world and himself.  He becomes.

We too can become.  Two years ago when I first had come to Denver I heard this quote:

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, 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 others 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's not just in some of us; it's 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.

By Marianne Williamson

I love this quote so much.  And it's true- when we let ourselves become into who we are truly meant to be, we help pave the way for others to do the same.  It takes courage but it is so worth it.

Let us all let our own lights shine brightly.