Promise Yourself….

“Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.” 

― Christian D. Larson

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“When one begins to read deeply and truthfully about the life of Nelson Mandela – then at some point, it will suddenly occur quite unexpectedly to the reader – the remarkable power of the individual to shape the course of human history.

Just imagine. One individual. Only one. Who is able to promulgate an indestructible idea that is able to bring about change on a historical scale.

But what most impresses me about the man is his spiritual maturity.

I have always longed to be a big man. You could say that is all I love for. But I may have got the idea all wrong – as till now. I have just considered it an idea where a man works terribly hard to gain extraordinary influence and power with money.

But that is not all there is to it is there…the idea of the big man. As when I consider what he went through and imagine myself doing the same, I doubt, I could have made it out the other end as elegantly as he did.

As the idea of forgiving your enemies is very a notion that is very alien to me….very…very alien indeed.

How does a man even begin to put his past hurt behind him to summon the power to forgive? How is that possible?…I don’t understand. I wished, I did, but I don’t understand.

Somewhere along the course of my reading. I realized much to my sadness, that in this journey called life – I may not be able to aspire to be this big man after all.

This big magniminous man, who is able to stand high above the smallness, pettiness and viscousness of the small little man who pretends to be the big man.

I have so much to learn from Nelson Mandela.”