Nelson Mandela - 5 Lessons You Taught Me

How could I ever forget you?

How could I ever not honor you?

Nelson Mandela has been a positive force in my life for as long as I can remember. He wasn't just a president, in fact, he transcended the position. He was a singular entity of sheer willpower that I will never forget. In my darkest moments, he has been there. In my surest moments, he was there.

Here are the 5 Lessons that he taught me:

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

Education can be defined as two things, systematic instruction or an enlightening experience. Whichever way you do define it, Knowledge is Not power but the application of knowledge IS. Don't just learn something for the sake of learning it, find a way to apply what you know.

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.

Do not be ignorant in your confidence or forget that we are all human, EVERYONE feels fear. Remain humble even when you do conquer.

When Oprah was reminiscing she told us about a backstage story involving Nelson. He was there for his first Iconic interview with her and he asked if he could meet the other guests of the show that day. When they told him that he was the only one, he was shocked to hear that the entire show was going to be about him. Now that's humble.

3. It always seems impossible until it's done.

Possibly my Favorite lesson! Going to tell you a story: A while back the world's strongest man was Sergei and for the longest time the most he could power lift was 600. Because he was so conditioned to believe that 600 was all he could lift. In his mind, body & soul, that is all he could lift but one day his trainers hatched a daring plan. Instead of his usual daily lift of 600, they put on 602. Now because of Sergei's belief, he lifted it! "Sergei! Sergei! Do yvou know vhat yvou've just done?!" They shouted. Ofcourse after that someone did 605, then someone else did 610 and so on and so on. 

Mount Everest must've seemed insurmountable until someone dared enough to do it and then how many have conquered it now? Hundreds. 

4. 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.

We rise by lifting others. Do you really want to reach the top, clawing, kicking and screaming against all the others? Or would you rather find like minded individuals that her positive and empowering to share in your journey? I promise you have someone to share your dreams, fears, thoughts and ideas with is a truly magical experience. 

That being said, living a life in service to mankind and the betterment of this world, the only world we have is a beautiful purpose to have.

5. 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.

Where would we be if Nelson hadn't risked it all for the freedom of his people?
Can you imagine your children or you not knowing the True Wonder of Harry Potter had JK Rowling settled for the life society deemed fit for her?
What if Barack Obama settled for a quiet life in the suburbs or the doubt that "a black man could never be president of America"?
Dream Big. Take Massive Action.

#MandelaObama
Obama is in town to honor Mandela! 2018
Check out his lessons here:

Barack Obama: 5 Lessons You Taught Me

Bonus Lesson: 

In closing I'm going to leave you with an Infamous quote that Nelson is often mistaken for being the orignator of, it's by Marianne Williamson from her book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

© Enricoh Alfonzo ~ Alfonzo Words

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~Be Kind to One Another~ Ellen Degeneres