Words of wisdom for young women from ages 4 to 104

Be Powerful Beyond Measure

At his 1994 Inaugural Speech as President of South Africa, Nelson Mandella spoke words that should echo for women of all ages. The hardships and put-downs we face in our daily lives are nothing to what Nelson Mandella faced for decades. His words are words of freedom … freedom of the human spirit.

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 and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightening in shrinking
So that other people
Won't feel insecure around you.
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.

- Nelson Mandella - 1994 Inaugural Speech