I recently heard a speaker talk about how many people are “walking asleep”. It reminded me of Marianne Williamson’s famous quote is about being afraid of our own brilliance:

“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 does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people 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.”

I think it has been especially hard for so many women to honor their light and not to worry about outshining someone else.

Here are some thoughts on how you can let your brilliance shine:

1. Accept it. Accept your greatness. Accept that you are unique, with a special talent and greatness. Name your brilliance.

As women, we have often dimmed our light, afraid to outshine someone else. But it’s not really about outshining or appearing “better than” someone else. It’s about being real and authentic and trusting that. As we allow our brilliance to shine, other people are encouraged to allow their brilliance to shine, too.

Years ago I had a dream about streetlights and how repairing them was my calling. And then I realized that streetlights do not shine alone. They are connected in networks of light. That is what happens when we let our own light shine. It ripples out and lights other lights until the whole network is brilliantly lit.

Who, if you were to allow your brilliance to shine fully, would you be lighting the path for?

2. Love it.

Remember how as a little girl you had little treasures you loved and they made you feel warm and happy inside? What if you loved the treasure that is you the same way?

You know how easy it is to fall in love with other people? (Well, some of them, anyway!). What if you loved yourself and appreciated yourself the same way? What if you embraced and cherished your gifts as the treasures they really are?

3. Play with it. Paint your life with it. You are the artist!

If you are like me, you may have had trouble setting boundaries in the past. Or you may have been afraid that you would be criticised for what you really wanted to do. And so, sometimes you got burned out or wanted to hold back.

But now there’s a better way. You are the artist, and you can play only with things you want to say YES! to.

What fun things could you do with the gifts you have been given? How do you choose to play with your brilliance?