It is our Light, not our Darkness that most frightens us

I received the most adorable pair of boots for my birthday this year and I wear them all the time. Why is this important enough for a blog post? I'm six foot tall and my boots have heels on them. I've always gotten comments about my height, especially when I was younger. Apparently, because I don't have a Y- Chromosome, I shouldn't surpass 5'9''. Sorry boys. Seeing as I already have a height advantage on most men my age, I get even more comments when I wear my heels. What do I have to say in response? Catch Up.

I like wearing heels. They improve my posture, give me confidence and they make my butt look fantastic - why should I be depraved this feminine joy?

When I think about this issue it brings to mind a popular excerpt from the book 'Return to Love' by Marianne Williamson ( http://www.squidoo.com/our_deepest_fear ). "Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you." Yes, my heel issue is a very literal application of this quote, but let's try to expand shall we?

Have you ever felt that you should hide your talent because of those around you? It sounds like a silly suggestion, but I know there are those out there who understand. Maybe you were the smartest in class and the other kids teased you until you got B's like the rest of them. Perhaps there was an opportunity for promotion, but you didn't take the initiative to apply for it. Or maybe you were given an opportunity to really go for your dreams, but you hesitated. Why do we do this? Everyone thinks people fear failure, but as Marianne points out, success is scary too. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

Most people don't want to be picked out of a crowd or have the spotlight shine on them-they'd rather just blend in. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not one of these people, but that doesn't mean I haven't hesitated once or twice before. Success doesn't just mean better pay or your picture in the paper, it means attention and with that attention, responsibility. Once you reach a level of success you're expected to maintain that success, what happens when you're knocked off the pedestal?

This question is strong enough to make even the social butterfly that I am, question how bad I want that success. In the end, I convince myself to go for it; direct like a crazy person, apply to that internship, wear my heels! Because the only way to conquer this fear is to go for it.

The point of my rant: Find success and show off your talents because, "as we let our light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Wearing heels is just one little way I refuse to 'play small', what's yours?