“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’s 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’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson

I’ve title this blog “How Dare You!” This has been on my mind of late, as I know many shrink from their greatness, thinking somehow that they fit in better if they stay small. It’s not always a conscious thing, but lurks in the subconscious and shows up in the decisions we make. We have dreams, aspirations, the longing to be more; yet, we tell ourselves that we can’t. It’s too big for us. Who will support that project? Can I be all of me? Sometimes, we think if we shrink a little, we will make others feel better.

We can open up to our greatness, now more than ever. We all have talents and abilities that sometimes lay dormant, hidden because we are too busy surviving to open up and let them out. I heard someone say, he couldn’t start a creative project because he had to concentrate on paying his bills. We are meant to be more than people who just pay their bills. We are powerful creators endowed with all the power to make our dreams come true. As we use our talents and abilities and passions to serve others, we grow and expand our own consciousness.

It’s been ten years since we’ve been here on the Island of Kauai, following our intention to have a spiritual center. I recently came across a picture from eleven years ago. I was sitting on the beach at the Kaua'i Beach Resort with a local basketmaker. I told him we were starting a spiritual center and that people would come from the mainland to join us. He corrected me, "No, people will come from all over the world." I can say that this little prophet told me truth. People have indeed come from all over the world to join us at Center for Spiritual Living Kaua`i.

That was eleven years ago and we are still here. However, we’ve recently went through a tremendous growth spurt, taking on a larger space, renovating, spending large amounts of money with the expectation that “If you build it, they will come.” And, again, they are coming and continue to come. It takes big gulps of faith and trust to move forward in this way, but we cannot stay the same. It takes turning our so-called problems into challenges to grow in our consciousness. It take being able to act from a place where we know that the demands we put on ourselves are being answered by a Universal Law that only says yes.

Ernest Holmes once wrote, “There is a Power for Good in the Universe greater than we are, and we can use it.” It is a Power for Good and it is meant to be used. However, it can only be used equal to our consciousness. We must think greater thoughts. We must act from those great thoughts with the faith that we are successful. We do not cross our fingers, hoping something will work out. We KNOW it is working out.

It’s the same with the desire for world peace. Things do not look hopeful in the world of form. We see increased violence all around us, not just in other countries, but in our own neighborhoods. We could easily give up and shrink in despair or we can stand up in our greatness and dare to be more than we’ve ever been before. We can work out our own problems with our own families and friends. We can walk as peace in our own neighborhoods. We can open our heart space in acceptance for our differences. Unity doesn’t mean that we are all the same. It means that we understand that we are all one and as different as the colors of the rainbow. Still, we are one, expressing our uniqueness, not to gain power over another, but to add our love to the world.

How dare I be great? How dare I not. I must sing my song out loud. I must write my true story. I must pray powerful prayers. I must be all that I can be. I invite you to do the same.

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Rita Andriello-Feren, Author, Teacher, Co-Spiritual Director CSL Kaua`i. My books are available on Amazon.