Your Deepest Fear

  The concept of self-love is very difficult for most people to adopt. While some have been misguided by the fact that self-love is vain and selfish, others are searching for it helplessly. The journey to self-love though attainable, is full of many obstacles and can only be dared by the brave. So what is it that keeps other people from taking the bold step to self-love? Here is a quote from a famous writer that gives us a clue to the answer: “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 frighten us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?” – Marianne Williamson It’s sad to note that many people are struggling with self-hate, most especially women. We have been structured by the world to be stereotyped and only a few people embrace uniqueness. The truth is that, most people are afraid of being unique; they want to be like everyone else. No wonder, there are so many beauty models, macho men and idols. People seem to feel insecure when they are unique; they feel like shrinking so that they can be accepted. Peer pressure and peer groups are identified as a struggle between being unique and being accepted. A lady told me once that, the day she was told that she was fat, she cried like a baby all night. Her case is no different from many others; research has shown that 97% of women have at least one “I hate my body” moment each day. The world is used to the word “model”. Things have to be this way or that way. Everyone has been caught up in this trend that people who don’t fit in, end up being in pain, stress and most times hurt. People go through life without a sense of purpose and fulfillment; Life is just a boring and monotonous routine. Doctors are just realizing that people’s health are not affected by disease only but lack of self-love because no one who loves himself will like to play with his health. For how long are we going to go through life, unhappy? How long are we going to stay in the shadows? The truth is that we are powerful because we are unique and the world was created so that we can express our uniqueness. For you to embrace self-love, you must accept who you are, love yourself and cherish your body. You must learn to think positively of yourself and be around people who appreciate you for who you are. Then you will reach the journey to self-love and overcome fear. Finally, “You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are meant to shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that’s within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our 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” –Marianne Williamson About the author: Ikechi Awazie is a freelance writer, blogger and the creator of Be a Light to the World (www.awazieikechi.com)  where he loudly declares that every man can make a difference in this world. You can follow him on Twitter.(www.twitter.com/ikechiawazie)