Do Not Fear Success

"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. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. 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."

-Nelson Mandela quoting Marianne Williamson in his 1994 inaugeral speech

I heard this powerful quote on the Family Channel movie "Akeelah and the Bee". Akeelah was a young African American girl growing up in a poor Los Angeles community. She was an exceptional young speller and overcame peer-pressure, poverty and her own fear of success to win the National Spelling Bee. It doesn't sound like much, but it was an exceptional movie and one of those feel-good inspirational films. This quote, and how Akeelah embodied it in her struggle to overcome her fear of greatness, moved me to say the least.

There is so much truth in this quote. It is a truth I never realized until last night. Modesty is always looked upon as a positive trait, making others feel equal and comfortable around you, but we are all capable of greatness. Every last one of us, and we just enable each other to be meek and unsuccessful by not bragging our talents and skills and prizes. We need to flaunt our successes, to drive and inspire others to be like us, to show them that anyone can do it. We need to fight the status quo in today's society, where the youth follow trends blindly like a lamb to the slaughter and we fear standing out or being successful for fear of looking immodest. We need to change this.

Nelson Mandela is an example of this, by straying from the status quo and flaunting his power and his talents, he fought the evil apartheid government of South Africa. Even in prison for 34 years his words and actions were not forgotten and when he was finally set free he became president of the country he fought long and hard for. It was not modesty and meekness that brought Nelson Mandela to that place it was defiance and confidence. He was not afraid of success; he revered it from the very beginning. Like Nelson Mandela you are born powerful beyond measure. You are born capable of greatness. It is just a question of embracing it, and overcoming your fear of immodesty.

Modesty is overrated. Granted immodesty starts wars, on the other hand it is not modesty that invented the wheel. Modesty is a flawed philosophy. Modesty is stagnation. Modesty is static. Besides there are checks and balances to immodesty. Immodesty to the point of hubris will be your downfall, as demonstrated by empires throughout history. Then again there is a difference between modesty and generosity. Immodesty does not rule out generosity. Knowledge and wealth can be shared without sacrificing ones "greatness" in fact, arguably, generosity increases ones brilliance. Striving to be the best you can be and sharing your greatness, is the best gift there is. It excels the human race and drives civilization forward.

Remember the line, "the meek will inherit the earth."? I don't believe it for a second. Each and every one of us has it in us to be great, to "inherit" the earth and you won't get there by sitting around being modest and fearing what others will think of your dreams. You could go on to be a politician and become the leader of a country, or to become a scientist and save the planet from eco-disaster, or a doctor and save people from disease. And you don't even have to save people or the planet or be a world leader, you just have to do what you want to do, what you strive for and dream of, then you are a true leader. If you think its too late, you can't turn back, then take it in another direction. You can be a teacher and preacher of the cause and create big change, on a small scale, by invoking in others this message, Do not fear success.

Here's a little song that embodies the idea of this quote: Get Up - Shad