How can a young man, trying to find himself and his place in a world of turmoil and confusion, find a wise, deeply centered and incredibly profound father figure to look up to and learn from?

We live in a world where we are continuously lost, with hearts which are painfully empty and hollow, with lives so devoid of meaning we desperately distract ourselves to hide ourselves from our own sorrowful plights; where does one look for inspiration? Where is the light to be followed to greater fulfilment?

Where is a teacher who will make us aware that its not about what one achieves, its not about what one has but its about who one is. Who is one at the deepest core of ones own beings? Who is the one that walks the bitterly cold and lonely streets, fearful of what others may think or say of one?

Who is the one who cowers over one’s drink, nervously looking at a woman, gazing at her sweet smile, her wondrous eyes, her caressing warmth and believes that one does not deserve to bask in the glowing, loving light of her love? Who is the one who feels so worriedly alone and lies back helplessly accepting ones own small and inadequate, boring self for the rest of ones life?

Is that who we are? Is that why we were placed upon gods green fields, to breathe the fresh air of the world, to be surrounded by a vast and spiralling universe and to bow ones head to the ground in ones own self pitying isolation of fear and worthlessness? Are we truly that inadequate?

I know the answer and to you I say; NO MY BROTHERS!

As sure as the suns shines, and the oceans roar, as sure as the winds gale through the trees and the earth teems with life, Our greatest 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 and gorgeous, talented and fabulous, filled with love and loved fathomlessly in turn? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within and we are of. It’s not just in some of us. It’s in everyone.

And when we let our own light shine, to mingle with all those around us, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.

This astounding epiphany was explained to us by a great man, a man who was shackled in chains for standing up for what he believed in and for a united world which he greatly cared for – the Man was Nelson Mandela and his words resound in James’ like the crash of a waterfall does a forever expanding cave..

James’ stands up for us all, to bestow upon us our understandings of who we are and why we were placed upon this miraculous world – to be liberated from debilitating fear so that we can freely flow, to joyously glide, to ecstatically express ourselves in all encompassing, infinitely growing love.

A great teacher for us he is and I thank you James for you being you.

Respect and Love!

A dedicated pupil.