Deze tekst circuleert al jaren op het internet. Hij wordt daarbij gewoonlijk
toegeschreven aan Nelson Mandela. Hij zou deze woorden hebben uitgesproken in
1994 tijdens zijn inaugurale rede als president van Zuid-Afrika. Maar dat klopt
niet.
De tekst komt uit het boek 'Return to love' van Miranne Williamson.
Heeft Nelson Mandela deze tekst wel geciteerd, ook al is die niet van hemzelf?
Zelfs dat niet.
Dit is wat Marianne Williamson daar zelf over zegt op haar website:
Several years ago, this paragraph from A RETURN TO LOVE began popping up everywhere, attributed to Nelson Mandela's l994 Inaugural Address.
As honored as I would be had President Mandela quoted my words, indeed he did not. I have no idea where that story came from, but I am gratified that the paragraph has come to mean so much to so many people.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. 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.From A RETURN TO LOVE by Marianne Williamson
© 1992 (Paperback; pp 190-191)
Maar het blijft natuurlijk wel een prachtige tekst, nog steeds waard om te lezen en door te sturen. Maar dan wel met de juiste bronvermelding.
De tekst van de inaugurale reden van Mandela vindt je hier: http://www.inspiratiesite.nl/geschiedenis2a.html