Last night, Alli and I watched Coach Carter, a “true life” film about a high school basketball team from a socioeconomically depressed area winning through and making more of themselves. Ken Carter, the coach of the team is an inspiring man, and like most films in the sports genre, this film is about achievement against the odds and defeating the hand life has dealt you.
However, the most striking moment of the film for me was the speech given by player Timo Cruz, when he paraphrased a poem by Marianne Williamson:
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. Your playing small does not 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. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Generally, I’m not a believer in this sort of thing, but this quote really struck me. It’s now printed out large and posted by my desk.
