Be Inspired

Nelson Mandela emerged from 27 years in prison to negotiate an end to white minority rule in South Africa. Mr Mandela died on 12/5/13. This Mandella speech inspired me to write, to lead, to live fully, to travel, and to challenge myself. "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, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does NOT serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were are all created by God to shine. We are RE- born spiritually to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; It's in everyone. SHINE because you were made FREE by God. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."He is a man that embodied astonishing grace and good humor. Rock concerts celebrated his birthday. Hollywood stars glorified him on screen. And his regal bearing, graying hair and raspy voice made him instantly recognizable across the globe. As South Africa’s first black president, the ex-boxer, lawyer and prisoner No. 46664 paved the way to racial reconciliation with well-chosen gestures of forgiveness. He lunched with the prosecutor who sent him to jail, sang the apartheid-era Afrikaans anthem at his inauguration. His most memorable gesture came when he strode onto the field before the 1995 Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg. When he came on the field in South African colors to congratulate the victorious South African team, he brought the overwhelmingly white crowd of 63,000 to its feet, chanting “Nelson! Nelson! Nelson!” Incarcerated for 27 years, Nelson walked free from Victor Verster prison, near Cape Town, on February 11, 1990. Nelson Mandella wrote that his education as a lawyer helped him to cope while in prison. Mr Mandela wrote that not every prison warden or apartheid official was bad. He emphasized this throughout his writings. Nelson asserted that to get along in life one should see the good in all people. Nelson was aware of timing, and when the time was right, he initiated talks with the apartheid regime. After he retired from politics, when asked about what should be done, Nelson replied "talk to someone in politics, not me." Nelson was a man of faith, a humble man.