Being Responsible For Your Happiness

I've been seeing a lot of clients lately who genuinely feel guilty if they put themselves first, like it's somehow selfish.  I completely understand this.  But if we do not take responsibility for our own happiness, putting it above everything else, then who is responsible for our happiness?  Our spouse? Parents? Children? Friends?  That certainly doesn't seem fair. Perhaps the greatest gift we can give to the world is our happiness.  And maybe an even bigger gift than that is giving others the permission and encouragement to do the same. I love this quote.  It's such a brilliant reminder for us to be, well, brilliant."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 doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are 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 as 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."-This speech by Nelson Mandela was orignally written by Marianne Williamson.