Audre Lord, Caribbean-American writer, poet, and activist, once said, “When I dare to be powerful–to use my strength in the service of my vision–then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”
There is much to be grateful for at this Thanksgiving season. I am certainly grateful for all of the usual things–my wonderful family, my health, my home, my dogs, my work. Yet what I am feeling particularly grateful for at this moment are those who are stepping up to action and living in service of a greater good, even when it is risky, because it is the truth in their hearts. These are the transformational leaders. These are the people who are creating a world that works. These are the people who are leading the way in shifting the mass consciousness. Most of them are not famous. They are just getting up each morning, listening to what life is asking of them, and responding. Step by step, day by day, they are changing our world. And for this, I am incredibly grateful.
This Thanksgiving week, I am pausing to express my gratitude to all those in the world who are daring to be authentically powerful and are truly making a difference. And I am grateful for those moments when I, too, have been able “to use my strength in the service of my vision” and actually forgot that I was afraid. It takes practice. I’m not there all the time yet. But I recognize the potential that is emerging.
On the eve of Thanksgiving 2011, I’m asking myself what might be possible for me if I dared to step even more fully into my authentic power–to use my strength in the service of my vision? What might be possible if forgetting to be afraid was just how I lived? What difference might I make then?
And what about you? What might be possible if you dared to be powerful? What might be possible if you channeled even more of your strength toward the service of your vision? What might be possible if you forgot to be afraid?
