"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 frightens us the most. We ask ourselves who am I to Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, Fabulous? Actually who are we 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."

Fourteen Years ago, Nelson Mandela stood before the people of South Africa and gave an amazing inauguration speech. His speech was rich with uplifting declarations. However inspiring it was, Nelson Mandela's speech did not include this statement. In fact Nelson Mandela has never uttered this statement. Yet he has been accredited with it since shortly after his 1994 inauguration speech. The actual author of this statement is a woman named, Marianne Williamson. This is an excerpt of her 1992 book A Return to Love. It is hard to believe that things like this actually happen. It is almost impossible to find the source that wrongly cited Nelson Mandela as the author or at least the speaker of this quote. However it is believed to have started or at least spread on the internet, especially the last sentence of the quote: "As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." This is just another reason why citing and backing up our information is so crucial. I think Marianne deserves the widespread credit for this quote that has been given to Nelson Mandela for so long.

Spread the Word. 

Here are two government websites that have Mandela's Inauguration speech verbatim 

Mandela: Inauguration Address Cape town, 09 May 1994-via South Africa Govenment Online Official Web site.

Statement of The President of the African National Congress Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela at His Inauguration as President of the Democratic Republic of South Africa Union Buildings- Pretoria, 10 May 1994-via ANC's (African National Congress) Official Web site.