This weekend, the wife and I watched Coach Carter. I’m not prone to watching those sappy, based-on-a-true-story, inspirational movies, but it was decent enough…

As trite as that theme has become, I think it’s important that people, especially the younger generations, know they are capable of many wonderful things, as long as they put forth the effort necessary to attain success and go beyond (I’m looking at you, baby brothers).

This quote from the movie, a paraphrasing of a poem in Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love, reminded me I need to do more, for myself and for the world:

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. […] 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. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

The original poem contains some other extraneous points that narrow the focus of this well-crafted passage, and don’t believe they add to the intrinsic value of what’s being said here. Nor do I personally believe that having this attitude requires your being a person of faith—just that you want to make the world a better place by being yourself.

I dedicate this post to my wife, my family, and my friends who are already bright beacons in an increasingly dim world. But especially to my immediate family, who I love very much, and who I hope to see move far beyond the current rough patch they are experiencing and continue growing into the strong, shining lights mentioned above.