I am reading a beautiful book on Nelson Mandela, a man I admire enormously. A visionary, A freedom fighter. An amazing example of the heights to which human beings can rise (he invited three of his jailers to his inauguration as President of South Africa- How’s that for forgiveness?). I wanted to share part of the introduction from Bill Clinton, as it speaks to the path you and I- as dreams, Leaders Without Title and human beings devoted to our best- are on; “Every time Nelson Mandela walks into a room we all feel a little bigger, we all want to stand up, we all want to cheer because we’d like to be him on our best day”.
I like my music loud, my coffee strong and my dreams large. I like days with color, people with passion and conversation that call out the best within me. I want to live like there’s no tomorrow, achieve the best within me love the people in my life like I really mean it. I want to do my part to elevate our world. I want to live with intensity. Sure we need to enjoy the journey, tread lightly and balance our courage with striking kindness but to it all with rare passion, with bravery and with a sparkle in you eye. Do it with all intensity! All of the great one’s do.
We all have talents, resources and capacities that make us special. And with those gifts come responsibilities. To use them. To refine them. To polish them and make them brighter so that we create more value and so that we elevate the world around us. (I adore the Harley-Davidson add that encourages us to “leave behind shoes no man can fill”) To forget the burden on you to be great is to neglect the call on your life. And no failure could be bigger than that. At the end of ours lives, the only thing that endures is who we became the difference we made and the love we gave.
Every life is terminal. No matter how long we get to live, we are all headed for the same end. People appreciate being reminded that they are meant to play at great. That there are no extra people on the planet. That every life has a purpose. We knew these truths as kids. So we dream. We reached. We acted fearlessly. Lived life passionately and stood in possibility. But we lose that Wisdom- as we grew up and walk farther out into the world, away from our Real Nature. We fall into routine. We take things for granted. We stop taking risk. We stop aiming for the mountain top. We stop speaking truth. We play small, with the gifts of our lives. But we deserve better than mediocrity. Ordinary people can do remarkable things. By recalling who they truly are. And living at their best. So I invite you to use each day as a platform for filling your life with more adventure, passion and energy by injecting into it, more new things. You’ll never know if you don’t ever try. There is enormous power in asking for what you want. Nothing happens until you ask. People are not mind readers. They need to know what’s meaningful to you. And if you ask nicely, they just might say yes. Everything you need to know and someone will tell you. But you must be willing to listen. One doctor said,’’ I don’t have to diagnose my patients; All I have do is to listen them carefully, when they tell about themselves. Listeners are the learners and learners are the winners. Listen to your friends; you’ll find out about their dreams. Listen to your co-workers; you’ll learn to do your own job better. Listen to your parents; you can learn from their mistakes. Listen to your boyfriend or girlfriend; you’ll discover their character. And listen to God; He’s always communicating His love and attention to His children. “Listen up is more than a word of advice”.
Life is so very short. Yes, it’s important to focus on excellence in your career and arriving at splendid success, however you define it. I totally agree with that. But equally important is to enjoying the ride. Laughing, having fun and experiencing adventure. And not missing out perfect moments. Mostly they are free. And they are right in front of you, today, (if you only make the time to look for them). Life is all about balance. And one of the most vital of all balance points is the one involving freedom and responsibility. Yes, be free. Enjoy the moment, live in the now and yet, be responsible. Never let anyone tell you that your dreams can’t come true. Eventually someone is going to do what you dream of doing. Keep your skills fresh. Stay alert to trends. Watch others; and copy the best of the best.
KAVI AYELIMI
PATKAI CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
