Shine: Part 1

I'm committing the next six Mondays to the little word shine.  I've been learning so much about what it means for me to shine and not shine.  Here are some of my thoughts on this little topic:

I want to start with this quote that has always blown me away.  I know it's super powerful because Nelson Mandela used it in his inaugural address.

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? 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.  {Marrianne Williamson}

What would life be like if we just took this to heart?  I can't even imagine a world like that, but I want to believe it's possible!

I guess my question for all of us today is two-fold:  Where are you shining brightly?  Where else could you be shining brightly?