Friday, November 25, 2011

Greatness cannot be locked up By John C Maxwell

Hello from Harare, Zimbabwe! For the past few days, I’ve been speaking on leadership in cities in Zimbabwe and South Africa. It’s been a wonderful trip, with audiences hungry to grow. And I’m grateful to my host, Dr. David Molapo. He’s taken care of every detail.

But today I want to tell you about something else I’m grateful for. In Cape Town, South Africa, I received a very meaningful gift from my friend Shaun Battleman: a visit and private tour of Robben Island.

If you haven’t heard of Robben Island and the prison that used to be there, you might have heard of one of its more famous prisoners: Nelson Mandela. You might also be familiar with this picture of him in his jail cell, where he spent 27 years of his life for the “crime” of protesting South Africa’s policy of apartheid.

On a sunny spring day in Cape Town, we boarded Shaun Battleman’s yacht and traveled over to Robben Island. After disembarking, we were taken on a private tour of the facility (which is now a museum). Our tour guide, Jama, had been imprisoned there at the same time as Mandela.

Once we entered the former prison, the doors were slammed shut – to give us a sense of what it felt like to be locked in. We saw the area where prisoners were issued a number and lost the use of their name, along with the censor’s office, where news from loved ones was literally cut out of letters.

Most significantly, we visited Nelson Mandela’s cell – the one in the picture above. Here’s another photo that shows more of the interior.

The furnishings consisted of a bucket, a stool, and a “bed” that was really just a mat on the floor. Jama allowed me to unlock the cell door and enter the space that had been “home” to Mandela for so long. First, I lay down on the mat – it was very uncomfortable, as you might imagine. Then I looked out the cell window onto the prison yard, just like Mandela did in the first photo. And I was overcome with emotion, inspired by Nelson Mandela’s courage and commitment. For you see, he never stopped fighting apartheid, even while imprisoned.

He and fellow prisoners, who were not allowed to interact, met in the one place in the whole prison where the guards left them alone: the cave that they had to use as a toilet. Because of the smell of the cave, the guards would not go in. So it was there that Mandela and his fellow prisoners discussed the future of South Africa.

Released in 1990 after the dismantling of the system of segregation, Mandela went on to serve as first president of the new South Africa from 1994 to 1999. And after retiring, he continued to serve his people. He’s now 93 years old, and one of the leaders that I admire most who I haven’t been able to meet. We had an appointment set up last year, but Mr. Mandela had a health problem that forced us to cancel. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to meet him, but I can tell you the lessons I’ve learned from him. This is what I took away from my visit to his prison:

* Our surroundings need not control our spirit.
* People who devalue us do not determine our value.
* Dreams can be birthed during the daily grind.
* Out of our brokenness, we can be made whole and bring healing to others.

A writer in the Bible’s book of Proverbs wrote, “A man’s gift makes room for him.” Nelson Mandela had no room in his cell, but his gift could not be contained. In time, his gift made room for him to lead and bless his country.
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Monday, November 21, 2011

STILL I RISE




"Of the greats that have inspired me, Maya Angelou has been among them. She is Grace personified and her poems are nothing short of genius...here's one of them.Enjoy and God Bless" ...Jazz

STILL I RISE
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.



Maya Angelou

Monday, November 7, 2011

HEATHER HEADLEY'S "I WISH" - AUDIENCE OF ONE

I'd give you the moon But you'd never the warmth of the sunshine I'd give you the world But exactly what would that do?
I'd promise you wings to fly But how would you ever learn to run? So I wish you all you need to be than I could be This is what I wish for you
I wish you rainy days So you can know the beauty of a clear blue sky I wish you falling leaves So you understand that seasons change
And if I gave you the mountains would you learn to climb? I pray you'll always see the forest through the trees This is what I wish for you This is what I wish for you
If I could I'd say the word And chase your fears away And I'd stay right by your side And point the way that you should take
But this is your life This is your story And when all is done and said Say you lived with no regret
I wish you ocean breeze And rivers that bring you everything you need I wish the air you breathe Is all that you'll ever need
And I wish you nights of love And days of joy and shoulders when you cry And just enough hellos to get you through goodbye This is what I wish for you
I pray one day you'll have a home With arms that open wide And you'll have someone who loves you Always by your side
And when you lose your will to try I wish you wings to fly, I wish you wings to fly I wish you everything you need This is what I wish for you, this is what I wish for you