Legacy

It's inevitable that tonight much of what is likely on our minds is Nelson Mandela and the amazing legacy he has left upon his death.

It got me thinking about him and his brilliant, humble mind and heart as well as legacy.

Quotable quotes have of course been flying all over the news, programming, social media....Nelson Mandela was a gifted speaker, eloquent and wise....so there is much to choose from.  Three such statements stick out to me...have resonated in my soul all evening.

'Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening.'

'What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.'

'A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens but its lowest ones.'

I love these sentiments.  They make me have hope, they inspire me to be more, they challenge me.  They are messages I hope I am instilling in my children.  And to others around me.

'Live life as though nobody is watching, and express yourself as though everyone is listening.'
Be free to be yourself.  Don't allow the 'majority' to pressure you if you don't actually agree with and align with their thinking.  Speak, write, create, draw your heart and soul to the world.  Take time to deliver well thought out messages.  If everyone is listening...then hopefully you are delivering a message worth hearing.

'What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived.  It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.'
Who cares how much money you make.  Who cares what kind of car you drive.  Who cares what you do for a living.  Who cares what kind of house you live in.  None of that matters.  How the people in your circle think of you isn't as significant as those who aren't.  Are you kind?  Are you compassionate?  Are you loyal? Have you changed not just your life...but others?  What have you done for mankind?  What impact are you making on the people you meet everyday?  Make a difference.  Be light.  Love.

'A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens but its lowest ones.'
Who does our nation see as low?  Poor? Uneducated? Prisoners? Addicts?  Some feel that because there are 'programs' in place to handle 'those' people we are a great nation.  A nation is made up of government yes, but at the core...people.  How do YOU treat our lowest citizens?  And not just the politically correct way we've come to embrace in this country....but truly treat.  When nobody is looking.  The service person who makes a mistake with your order...the beggar on the median with a sign...the individual in a wheelchair who is taking up the salesperson's time...the single mom with four kids by four dads who signs up to be on your committee.

To live life on a daily basis embracing these ideals?

What a wonderful world it would be.

Thank you Nelson Mandela for paving the way.  Living the hard life making the hard decisions and walking the road less traveled.  Thank you for giving the world hope that one person can initiate change.  What a legacy.

That's what I got today.