By living a life so steeped in dedication and principle, Nelson Mandela taught each and every one of us what it means to believe in something with a full heart. He showed us commitment. And forgiveness. And love. Perhaps no other figure in our history pressed on humanity with such an accessible touch. He became tolerance personified. He was wisdom and future and hope. More than anything he showed us that belief was not easy, but necessary. And it didn’t hurt that he also had a hell of a way with words. Below are 11 powerful quotations from Madiba that every young professional would do well to carry with them.
1. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
2. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
3. “I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”
4. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
5. “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
6. “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
7. “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
8. “Lead from the back – and let others believe they are in front.”
9. The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
10. “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
11. “Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great; you can be that generation.”