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15 Inspiring Quotes From Nelson Mandela On Leadership, Change And Life

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I just read a post here on Forbes from Glen Llopis about hope, and it inspired me to think about the human quality of hopefulness: what it is and why it’s important for us. I like this definition of hope from dictionary.com: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.

That definition made me think of Nelson Mandela, a man who hoped with all his heart and soul to end apartheid in South Africa; who harnessed his remarkable energy, resilience and intelligence to that challenge over half a century - much of which he spent in prison; and who inspired millions of people around Africa and the world to work with him toward the fulfillment of his hope.

Now Mandela is moving into the twilight of his life; at 95, his health is extremely fragile, and he has been in a hospital in Pretoria for most of the summer.  It seems like a good time to honor him as a bringer of hope to the world and as a model of the power of hope backed up by action.  Here, then, are some of Mandela’s clear and inspiring words:

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say.  Part of being an optimist 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 lies defeat and death.”

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

“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.”

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

“Honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity, readiness to  serve others – qualities which are within easy reach of every soul – are the foundation of one’s spiritual life.”

“There is no passion to be found in playing small – settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”

“Courageous people do not fear forgiving for the sake of peace.”

“Our human compassion binds us to one another – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”

“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.”

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