Tuesday 11 November 2008

Lest We Forget - 11:11

Today being the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month is a very special day for me for many reasons.

First and foremost it is Remembrance Day - To remember the fallen and those still fighting wars. This video below called 'Lest We Forget' was created by shohmyoh and the music 'The Green Fields Of France' by Dropkick Murphys. I personally would like to say thank you, veterans and soldiers, for the freedoms we enjoy today. You will never be forgotten.




Secondly, some of you already know about my quirky experience with Eleven Eleven (11:11). I started seeing 11:11 on digital clocks in the 1980's. It made me smile when I saw it but it wasn't until 1995 when I mentioned it to a close friend and discovered she had been seeing the same thing that we thought it must have a meaning. Without further ado (love that saying) we googled it and here is what we learned.
"11:11 is a wake-up call for lightworkers. Lightworkers are people who signed up for a "green beret" type of mission when they were on the spirit plane (before being incarnated on Earth). What the mission is, in short, is to hold as much Light as possible, as strongly as possible, on this planet".

Postscript - I saw 11:11 this morning on my computer clock and my blog archive has 11 postings for September and October and I promise you I didn't cheat and create 11 posts knowingly!

Finally I would like to add a poem by Marianne Williamson called 'Our Deepest Fear'.
I found this description on the web that accurately describes my feelings about the poem.

"Marianne Williamson's poem, Our Deepest Fear, has been inspiring people for decades with its deeply resonating message about our fear of greatness, of standing out from the pack".

"If you've ever felt that paralysing fear of stepping forward and presenting yourself to public scrutity, you may find your first impulse is to label it a fear of failure. But in Our Deepest Fear, Marianne Williamson addresses the other side of that feeling, the fear of being better than your peers, perhaps even daring to be the best".

"It's a powerful message".

Our Deepest 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 we 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 when we let our own 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

Note About Nelson Mandela
This quote is often found on the Internet incorrectly credited to Nelson Mandela from his Inauguration Speech, 1994, especially the last sentence of that quote, “As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

For reference, here are links to two official African government sites with Nelson Mandela's 1994 Inauguration Speech:

Mandela: Inauguration Address - Cape Town, 09 May 1994, via South Africa Government Online Official Web site.

Statement Of The President Of The African National Congress Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela At His Inauguration As President Of The Democratic Republic Of South Africa Union Buildings - Pretoria, 10 May 1994, via ANC's (African National Congress) Official Web site.

This Sculpture by the Sea 2008 exhibitor Steinunn Thorarinsdottir from Iceland named this 'Look and See'.

6 comments:

Jennifer Chronicles (jenx67.com) said...

I can't tell you how much I look forward to your posts. I know I say the same thing over and over. I like Marianne Williamson - read her for the first time about 15 years ago or so. I've never heard that poem. I read it to my husband. It's true - we fear success. I wish I could talk to you in person about this. Everything I want to say is too personal for a comment, but I suspect you already know what I would say. I have a connection with October 3. I do believe that numbers can hold significance as God speaks to us through many, many things. How amazing - this constant reminder. He is everywhere, if we only have eyes and faith to see. I didn't - couldn't blog about this - but a chance encounter yesterday led our family to a $15,000 savings in one fell swoop. Something inconvenient led me to this information, and I complained about that inconvenience - but, there you have it. He has ordered our steps. I took the information I discovered yesterday, and I passed it along and it has saved another person $15,000. It's a U.S. thing. Thanks for listening to my rambling. Until next time, jen

McMGrad89 said...

Here we call it Veterans' Day. Regardless it is important to use this day to remember all of those who have worked so hard to preserve not only OUR country's freedom but the freedom of other countries. I have chosen not to create a post regarding this today as it the subject is still to close to a tender part of my heart and I am no mood to cry today.

I would just like to say to my cohorts that those of you who just see it as a day off and (as I heard more than one of you say) wish it were attached to the weekend like so many other American "holidays" have been relegated to, need to get over it. Lest it go the way of Memorial Day, Labor Day and Presidents Day and becomes just another day for department stores and hardware stores to push their wares at a discount.

Caroline said...

GREAT post today! I love that poem...funny how we fear our power and light. I did not know the meaning of 11:11...how cool that you are having these experiences.

Anonymous said...

Your essay was suitably thought-provoking for Remembrance Day.
On reading the poem by Marianne Williamson I still feel that MY over-riding fear is one of failing. Maybe that is more to do with personality,upbringing,schooling etc? I suppose right from the days of sitting the 11+ exam (here in England) I felt I HAD to do well or I would be 'letting down' myself, my teachers, my parents...sad but true! I see the same fears in our own children and in those I have taught. The thing is to let each person reach their own potential and feel good about it at whatever level that may be.CJ

Wendelyn DeMoss said...

You know how I get when I find commonalities with people...yet another one with you! I was so excited to see this. I love that Marianne Williamson poem and I love all of her writings. My husband just walked by as I was making this comment (smiling) and he said " I knew you would find something online to make you smile today" so I told him you read Marianne! He said..that is why you like Peggy! I do like you!
Blessings.

Anonymous said...

Oh I love that poem - had not seen it before. Thanks for posting it. And yeah 11.11 I had not thought about it, but we remember the fallen every year on 11.11. Strange that we intuitively chose that date. In fact does anyone know how this date was decided on?