7 nelson mandela quotes to live by
Nelson Mandela fought for freedom with peace. He was a brave man who led a nation to stand up for social injustice. He gave the world many gifts, one of those gifts was his wisdom and inspiration. Although he chose a difficult road, he chose the higher path, the path to changing the world. And change the world he did. After 27 years of time in jail simply for standing up and leading black civil rights in South Africa, Mandela became the first democratically elected President of South Africa. But perhaps his greatest gift was putting the power into our hands. Of teaching us that what we do matters. That we can make a difference. That we can choose how we live our lives. We can change the world. So I give you 7 Nelson Mandela quotes to live by.
“It is in your hands to make of our world a better one for all”.
1. Believe in Possibility
Mandela believed in possibility. He recognised that the road might be difficult yet never impossible. He had strength and determination to stand up for what was right and what needed to be done. Mandela inspires us to be resilient, to keep persistent, and never give up.
“It always seems impossible, until it”s done.”
2. Lead with Hope
We live in a society that is led by fear mongering. Fear is like a disease and is easily spread. Fear stops us from moving forward. Hope instead, drives us forward. Fear and hope cannot exist in the same moment so we always have a choice. To lead with fear or hope. Mandela inspires us to choose hope. Hope and trust for a better future.
3. Be Resilient
With a society that is fixated on the idea of being “perfect”, it’s easy to not want to try anything for fear we might fail. For fear that we might come across imperfect. Yet Mandela teaches us that our strength is not in how many times we fall but the fact that we get back up. That we develop resilience and make ourselves stronger each time we get back on the horse.
4. You control your mind and heart
Sure, sh#tty things can happen and it’s easy to blame external sources for how we feel but ultimately we have the power over our heart and mind. Mandela was a man who faced much adversity but survived by keeping his heart and mind strong. He might have been contained within the walls of a jail cell but he kept his mind and heart free. He encourages us to take our power and keep charge of our hearts and mind.
5. Let it go!
Holding onto hate and anger doesn’t hurt your enemy, only yourself. Even though Mandela had so many reasons to be hateful, he instead chose to let it go. To forgive and live in peace with freedom in his heart. Otherwise he would have been a slave to his captors forever. Instead he chose life and he also encourages us to forgive and let go.
6. Be unashamedly you!
Follow your dreams, live your truth, and let yourself shine! There are so many naysayers that might try to bring you down but your shining light is more important than those few. Lead by example and give permission to others to find their light.
7. There is no such thing as failure
Mandela believed that there was no such thing as failure. There was only winning or learning. What a beautiful concept. It is inevitable that we will fall but in falling we learn something new that can bring us closer to our dreams.
Nelson Mandela is such an important figure in leading the way for social justice that there is even a national Mandela day to Celebrate and continue his work which happens every year. The purpose of Mandela Day is to take action, inspire change, and make every day Mandela Day.
Which of these Nelson Mandela quotes inspires you the most?
Peace,
Emma
About the Author
Emma Hawthorne is a professional Singer and Dancer as well as Yoga and Dance Instructor. She has toured with many Australasian tours of Musicals including Wicked, Hair, Mamma Mia, West Side Story, and Dr Zhivago. Also a teacher, she frequently teaches Yoga and Dance at the Sydney Dance Company Studios as well as other studios in and around Sydney. She also has on online studio omunay.com where she has hundreds of online classes in Yoga, Dance, Pilates, and Meditation. Emma is currently living a self-converted bus home called ‘Winnie the Mini Bus’ and travelling around Australia.
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