Our Deepest Fear commentary

I read this poem and I felt so much connection with it. Not because it is a popular poem but because of the meaning it packs. I would be sharing what each verse means to me. when you read it, kindly let me know what the poem means to you as well.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It’s our light not our darkness that 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. 

Most times I call myself a “small girl, with big dreams by a Big God”.  Some times, my dreams scare me. It makes me feel insecure like am I fantasizing and not realistic? But how do I keep moving? I remember one time after I bought my industrial machine and my dad was like, this is a project you would leave because you are not able to focus on it, so why waste money. At that moment, I felt discouraged, but you know where my power came from? from the realisation that: only I had the vision of what I was doing and the way I went about it might not be clear to others, doesn’t mean I cower and let my self feel insecure or incapable of what I was doing.

People might talk out of love, but it might be negative energy to you. Hence, the knowledge of your self worth is important, helping you not to bow to that energy.

The fact that God looked everywhere. He looked through the world and felt I was the one who could carry out the vision he had given me, the one who could bring fulfilment to it. Wow! That should count as a source of strength, shouldn’t it?

Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

Like the tag of my Christian group “for such a time as this?” who knows the exact time, when we are fulfilling purpose. A lot of people confuse purpose for wealthy success. They think, the wealthier you are the more you have been or will be able to fulfil your purpose. Jesus’ purpose in life was to die and make sure we understood the meaning of what he did, Moses was to lead the children of Israel, Adam was to create a generation of Men, Paul was to teach and guide. Who knows when we are doing exactly what God created us for. so why hide your talent? I don’t have to pretend I do or do not know what I am doing. my growth is mine and the impact or the overflow is for others. We do not need to pretend not to be smart or intelligent or cower and hide our talent, who knows why we are placed where we are, at this time. When people say Bukola, you are doing so many things, jack of all trade, etc. it makes me smile because I don’t even know what I need all these things I’ve learnt for. I just know I have to continue learning, for when the opportunity to use my knowledge prompts itself. Now, I do not need to follow the general opinion on the way I grow.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, As we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people the permission to do the same, As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

When we begin to embrace our uniqueness, our talents (whatever it may be), when we begin to boldly showcase them, regardless of stigmatization. We liberate ourselves the moment we forget about what people say or the ridicule they give us because they do not know where we are going, all they see is where we are coming from.

The moment we believe and bank on the big God that sent us, we would thrive, we would be free and soar like an eagle. And then, the shame that makes people insecure about their own talent, insecure of their own uniqueness, which causes low self-esteem and envy for others, would begin to disperse because, at that point, they begin to feel inspired and ready to rise as well. 

They begin to believe in themself and want to be like you.

How many of us knew  Fela & Tara Durotoye, Michelle Obama, Chimamanda Adichie, Fumilola Iyanda, Mo Abudu, Ngozi Iweala, Mr Dangote (to mention a few) when they were hustling with their raw materials, do you know how many times they heard “NO”, but everybody wants to be at least like them, dominating spaces.

It starts with shining with the talent you have, learning and adding to that talent and be never afraid or shy to showcase what you know or have learnt. 

Our deepest fear shouldn’t be our success.