I wrote the post below for my granddaughter who is a young teenager.
Sweet granddaughter, I realize that you struggle with shyness and insecurity. I’m going to share an even more frightening truth, which I know is true about you. Think of this new thought as a small seed, which will grow over time.
A devotional by Marianne Williamson states: “Today, I will not play small.” According to Williamson, there is Divine Potential in each one of us. The Divine Potential means that each one of us is wiser, more loving, and more courageous than we know. After reflecting on the reading, I realized that most of the time, I only scratch the surface of all I can be and do.
What does it actually mean to not play small? What would it look like to accept one’s strengths as amazing gifts and apply them to ordinary situations? I invite you to join me in asking yourself the following questions:
If I make a commitment to not play small, will I accept invitations and opportunities that currently seem too frightening?
Would not playing small provide opportunities for me to notice that I have strengths and wisdom beyond my ego’s potential?
When not playing small, what might I have the courage to say or be?
The concept of not playing small provides a launching pad for new ways of thinking about self and new imaginings of future accomplishments. It is only with humility that you can search inside your heart and imagine a Divine Spark changing your life.
Most of us are more frightened by our God-given potential than we are of our shortcomings. Allow yourself to plant the concept of not playing small like a seed, which in time will bloom into something surprising and beautiful. This is the truth about you.
Williamson, Marianne (2013). A Year of Miracles. New York, NY: Harper One.