Teaching in YW This Coming Sunday

I'm preparing to teach in YW this week; recently I received a calling to be a teacher in YW. It's a surreal experience to be in with the girls again after not being with them for almost six years. I don't doubt my ability but have insecure feelings because of not having a Sunday calling for so long. Instead of focusing on my doubts I'll remember what I read in my book called Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. It said 'act as if'. Those words have helped me before. Here goes: I am: Patient, Kind, Loving, Merciful, Virtuous, Full of Faith, Hopeful, Charitable, Nice, Funny, Knowledgeable, Wise, Real, and Honest.

I'd rather state good things than doubts. This statement also encourages me and reminds me to have faith not fear:

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, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. 'Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people 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 is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.'

-Marianne Williamson

(quotations, italics, underline, and uppercase added for emphasis)

I'm looking forward to teaching on Sunday.