Are You Ready to Take the Next Step? Sometimes it is easy to get stuck. Not moving forward. Not making progress. Looking back at the past. A few months ago, as I was walking through the Denver airport, I saw this photo that caught my attention. I was struck by the question under his photo, “What can one person do?”o Hearing the news last week of Nelson Mandela’s death made me think of the way he lived his life.
Mandela was:
- Brought up in a poor and racist country
- A poor student
- Expelled from college
- Accused of adultery
- Twice divorced
- Lost custody of his children
- Repeatedly arrested
- And served over 27 years in prison
It would have been so easy for him to give up hope. But, he didn’t do that. He stood up for what he believed.
While in prison, Mandela:
- Participated in work and hunger strikes
- Studied the Afrikaan language in hopes of winning the favor of his wardens
- Was a voracious reader
- Began writing his autobiography
- Corresponded with anti-apartheid activists
- He Kept Taking the Next Step
Nelson Mandela used the time and gifts he had. He didn’t let the past hold him down. He didn’t let his circumstances stop him from pursuing his goals.
Nelson Mandela:
- Created the first black South African law firm
- Was awarded the US Congressional Medal
- Won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work towards the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime and laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa
- Was the first democratically elected President of South Africa
Because of Nelson’s unstoppable attitude, his life helped empower a nation.
How can you make a difference? What’s your next step?
