A Truth Remembered

Today we had our Relief Society's stake women's conference.  It was a wonderful way to spend the day.  There is too much to write tonight, but let me just share just one thought that I received.  It was from a workshop about "Self-Esteem Versus Self-Worth:  Seeing and Improving Ourselves in the Lord's Way".

Our fabulous instructor is a licensed clinical social worker, professionally.  She is the ward Relief Society president.  She is just a wonderful, down to earth, compassionate, kind woman.  She illustrated the differences that the world teaches us--women in particular--in contrast to the teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  For example, in the world, we are identified by what we do or have.  In the Gospel, we are identified as who we are, children of God.  The world teaches self-esteem comes from our comparison to others.  The Gospel tells us the worth or our souls is great.

Just as she mentioned this contrast, I realized something amazing.  I realized that to the world, only one person can be recognized as  "the best".  She used the example of the Miss America competes in the Miss Universe pageant--and even then the winner of that pageant is only the most beautiful woman int he world for one year.  The next year the pageant crowns someone new.

But in the Gospel we can each excel without diminishing the excellence of others.  It reminds me of a quote we are using for our YW Winter Camp Leadership Retreat next weekend.  It is from Marianne Williamson, and says: "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, you are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small doesn't 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.  A s we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

That kind of knowledge is powerful and uplifting.  It was to me today as I felt a new perspective.  I hope it does the same for you.