“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure… We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually who are you not to be?”
— Marianne Williamson

Ah, that oh so familiar voice of low self-esteem. I am happy it no longer lives with me full-time. But it is funny how I still can hear its echo calling from whatever cave I threw it in years ago — “Who are you to be amazing?” it shouts out hoping to be heard.

It holds me back for a moment or two. That slight hesitation when someone asks me to present something to their group because they value what I have to say. Or the slight disbelief when someone offers me a compliment. But then, I come back to who I am and I say “Thank you” because I realize I am amazing.

When you hear me say that about myself, is there a voice in you saying — “Who does she think she is?” Realize that is your own voice of low self-esteem that is projecting your self-doubts onto me. It doesn’t want you to realize that you too are amazing and powerful because you might lock that little voice away one day for good as well.