!..in honor of nelson mandela..!

Inspirational 517 views 3 replies

Sanket

!..Live to Give..!

16432 Points Joined December 2010

As of the time I'm writing this, former President Nelson Mandela rest in peace.

Several people from South Africa have written how so many hearts in their country are immensely torn. And sadly, now there's great discontent within many generations of the Mandela family over several matters that range from politics and business, to spiritual and ancestral.

It's not an easy time, and there are millions of people around the world is giving tribute for Nelson, his family, and the country of South Africa. He has been a true inspirational leader.

And in honor of his life and experiences I thought I'd share this touching story from former US President Bill Clinton that we can all benefit from:

"That was pretty smart of you to have your jailers come to the Inauguration and all of that, but let me ask you something." I said, "Didn't you really hate them for what they did?"

He said, "Oh, yeah, I hated them for a long time." He said, "I stayed alive on hate for 12 years. I broke rocks every day, and I stayed alive on hate." And he said, "They took a lot away from me. They took me away from my wife, and it subsequently destroyed my marriage. They took me away from seeing my children grow up. They abused me mentally and physically. And one day," he said, "I realized they could take it all except my mind and my heart."

He said, "Those things I would have to give to them, and I simply decided not to give them away."

And so – so I said to him, I said, "Well, what about when you were getting out of prison?" I said, "The day you got out of prison in 1990, it was Sunday morning, and I got my daughter up early in the morning, and I took her down to the kitchen, and I turned on the television, and she was just a little girl then, and I sat her up on the kitchen counter. And I said, 'Chelsea, I want you to watch this. This is one of the most important things you'll ever see in your life.' "

And I said, "I watched you walk down that dirt road to freedom." I said, "Now, when you were walking down there, and you realized how long you had been in their prison, didn't you hate them then? Didn't you feel some hatred?" He said, "Yes, I did a little bit." He said, "I felt that." And he said, "Frankly, I was kind of afraid, too, because I hadn't been free in so long."

But he said, "As I felt the anger rising up, I thought to myself, 'They have already had you for 27 years. And if you keep hating them, they'll have you again.' And I said, 'I want to be free. And so I let it go. I let it go."

We have lost another Gandhi.... May his soul rest in peace.

Replies (3)

CMA. CS. Sanjay Gupta

"PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN"

114240 Points Joined February 2009

Nice Sharing...A huge loss for the entire world.

Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, Nobel Prize winner and anti-Apartheid icon passed away on Thursday at his home in Johannesburg at the age of 95. By any standard, Madiba, as he was fondly referred to by those who loved him, lived a robust, fulfilling and impactful life. Few people have had as much impact on history as Madiba had. History will remember him as one of the greatest men who ever lived – an incredibly selfless man who made so much of a sacrifice to re-write the history of generations of South Africans and the world.

During his lifetime Mandela inspired us with his numerous words of wisdom, etched in our memories till tomorrow. And his words remain evergreen:

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.
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.
Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end.
It always seems impossible until it’s done.
When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.
Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.
A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.
Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
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.
Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.
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.
Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will.
We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.
Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished
Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.
I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
When people are determined they can overcome anything