Making a Difference

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Recommended: Self esteem, self concept, self awareness

"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, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. You were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within you. 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're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -- Nelson Mandella

I know it seems ridiculous, but sometimes I wonder, if this green piece of paper taped next to my mirror knows what I am feeling. Every morning without fail, my hair still dripping wet, I read this quote. And every morning the paper tells me the same thing, that I must make my life worth something.

As I look into the mirror, the quote forces me to stand up straight and reflect on my actions. "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?" The paper reminds me that I must be the brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous person that I am. The question is, have I been?

Yesterday, I noticed a girl I knew last year eating breakfast alone. As she pushed the soggy scrambled eggs around on her plate, I could tell that she was at the beginning of a rough day. I wanted to join her and share my smile, but I sat elsewhere. My fear of talking with her though I could not remember her name held me back. If I had eaten my breakfast across from her, wou...

... middle of paper ...

...erever he went, I can share with those around me too. Like my grandparents, I can make others aware of their exceptional qualities and make them feel special. By giving others the courage to overcome their fear of greatness, I have a why to live.

As I look at the girl gazing back in the glass, I remember that I must make every day of my life worth something. Even if it is just sitting next to a girl I know at breakfast and asking her name, I can overcome my fears. I have a greatness that I must not hide. The green paper is a daily reminder of this. It forces me to evaluate my progress. It keeps me in check.

So I smile and stand up even straighter, sometimes I give the girl in the mirror a high five. I am doing a good job of remembering my responsibility to those around me to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous. I know I am powerful beyond measure.

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