“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. … As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson. (Usually misattributed to Nelson Mandela)
So how do we rise above our fears? How can we go from being trapped in our shortcomings to rise up and meet our destiny? The answer can be found in this quote by Joseph Cambell:
“When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.”
Our heroic transformation happens when we are able to set aside our ego and allow our consciousness to flow unhindered. This transformative process is also known as Yoga. It happens when:
- We quiet the mind so that we are completely in charge of our thoughts. (Raja Yoga or the Yoga of meditation).
- Or it happens due to our utter devotion and surrender to something bigger than ourselves. (Bhakti Yoga or the Yoga of devoted love).
- Another way it happens is when we are able to work selflessly towards our goals without any expectation, or concern for recognition, or fear of failure. (Karma Yoga or Yoga of selfless action).
- Yet another way our transformation happens is when we commit ourselves to continuous learning and self-improvement. We are so committed to the process of discovery that we are willing to go where this leads us by letting go of all our preconceived notions and false ideas. (Jnana Yoga or Yoga of knowledge).
The journey of Yoga is a journey out of fear. It is a journey of transformation where darkness gives way to light, and constant worry gives way to effortless joy. It happens when one or more processes mentioned here melts away blocks to the flow of consciousness. As consciousness unravels itself we are able to go beyond ourselves. Unconstrained and unfettered be the smallness of our ego, we truly become fearless children of God.
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Credits:This has been written by Raj Shah and edited by Ketna Shah.