Like my dear friend b., I avoid New Year’s resolutions. Unless forced to, I rarely attempt something unless I know I will be good at at. In actually admitting that just now, I realize that means I am operating from a place of fear, from a perspective of scarcity rather than of abundance.

But a recent post at Segullah about playing big turned me on to this quote (which, I believe, is actually by Marianne Williamson) and I’ve been mulling it over:

“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.”

Today I am considering one thing I can change in the way I live my life that will give me the courage to shine. At the moment I think it has something to do with having the courage to ask God (and really mean it) each morning what he wants me to do with that day (instead of asking for help to do what I want to do with it) and seeking the courage to actually do it.

And on those days when I feel too used up or I get too busy and I forget, I will just remind myself to try again tomorrow by remembering this:

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” ~Mary Anne Radmacher

Without feeling pressure to make a resolution, what is one thing you would change to help you shine even a little brighter?