Book 277 - A Year of Magical Learning (1/2)

Reflection Title: Purpose isn’t a destination; it is a marathon!

Book – Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (Part 1/2)

Book Description:

Nelson Mandela was one of the great moral and political leaders of his time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. After his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela was at the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world. As president of the African National Congress and head of South Africa's antiapartheid movement, he was instrumental in moving the nation toward multiracial government and majority rule. He is still revered everywhere as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality.

Long Walk to Freedom is his moving and exhilarating autobiography, destined to take its place among the finest memoirs of history's greatest figures. Here for the first time, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela told the extraordinary story of his life -- an epic of struggle, setback, renewed hope, and ultimate triumph.

Reflection:

In 600+ pages of Nelson Mandela’s life story, I don’t think I ever heard him once detail his grand vision or a goal for his life.

We took a really long walk together, really long, but I never once heard the words “I dream of a day when…”

That is because Nelson Mandela lived his purpose each day of his life, come hell or high water. He had no idea where this was going, but he knew how he would get there…by living his purpose to fight for equality and freedom of his people in any way he could on that day.

When he was in college, he fought for equal rights and representation for all his fellow students. When he was a young adult, he fought for equal rights of his clients as an attorney. When he became a leader of the African National Congress, he fought for freedom and equal rights of all blacks in South Africa. When he became an exile, he fought for equal rights by learning from other societies that have done this before and building awareness and support from others around the world. Even when they put him in prison, he fought for small freedoms and equal treatment amongst all prisoners while still doing everything he could to stay involved in the larger struggle of his people.

No matter what direction his life went in, his day-to-day focus on his purpose never waivered. He found a way.

Purpose isn’t a grand vision, a dream, or some end state; purpose is what you do each and every day that you have the blessing to walk this Earth. Purpose isn’t grand, it isn’t sexy, and it isn’t even something that others would want most of the time.

Purpose is unique and personal. Purpose is a choice!

I feel confident in saying that very few people would want to live the life that Nelson Mandela lived. However, he not only lived that life…HE CHOOSE THAT LIFE!

Nelson Mandela didn’t have to do any of the activities he wrote about for 600+ pages, not one single step of this journey was forced upon him to my knowledge. Every step of the way he let his purpose guide his actions and path and it led him to meaningful work and his meaningful relationships that sustained his energy.

Somehow, Nelson learned what his purpose was early in life and then spent the rest of his time solely focused on living his purpose. He sacrificed everything for his purpose. He sacrificed his career, his personal freedom, even his ability to be a husband and father in the most basic way.

Purpose isn’t a destination; it is a marathon. You don’t successfully run a marathon by sitting on a couch as you dream grand visions of crossing the finish line, getting a medal put around your neck, and celebrating with your friends in the post-race circle.

Just like life, you run a marathon one step at a time.

It is no different for anyone; however, why you take that step is uniquely your own. Use purpose to power each step until you look up one day and find yourself crossing the finish line of life.

Question: What powers your next step?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - Long Walk to Freedom