I want to break free

"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? ...

... 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."

From A return to Love, by Marianne Williamson

I first heard this quote in "Akeelah and the Bee". (Not the greatest, but worth watching). I think for most people (not ALL), what Williamson says is true. We do not see ourselves worthy of being loved or admired above a certain limit. We fear that if the people who love us find our flaws, we will lose them. So, we try to somehow prove to them - and to ourselves - that we're not as great as they think... We lose them... and think we proved what we wanted to. This self-destructive loop goes on without us ever getting a chance to act differently. Are we brave enough to break free?