Message From Loral: Continuing Mandela’s Legacy
By now, thousands of articles have been written, millions of tears have been shed, and billions of prayers have been said for Nelson Mandela.
And rightly so.
Mandela died at 95 years old on Thursday, December 5 after a transformational lifetime of anti-apartheid revolution and worldwide philanthropy. Click here to read the article I wrote as a tribute to his life last week.
After 10 days of mourning, which are currently happening, his body will be flown to South Africa’s Eastern Cape tomorrow.
We now Mandela’s work, we know his impact, we know his legacy.
He will go into history as one of the greatest iconic figures to ever grace this earth.
That being said, my intent with this article is not to further revere him.
I come to you, not to tell you more about the amazing work Mandela did in his life, but to urge you to leave your own legacy.
What made Mandela so tremendous was that he fought for what he believe in – for what was right.
Despite being incarcerated, he never relinquished his values and his character shone through.
This is what we should all strive for – to possess a high character, never let our values fade, and proudly stand up for what we know is right despite whatever opposition may be in our face.
That is the true way to impact this world.
You see, we’re all destined for greatness. Every single one of us.
Some people just choose to ignore the little voice in their head telling them to keep going, push further and aim higher.
However, the ones who pay attention to this voice and keep their passion, patience and perseverance – those are the people who impact this world and leave it a better place than it was when they arrived.
Which one will you be?
With Mandela’s passing, we honor the culmination of a glorious life, but should also view this as an opportunity to see what one person can do through consistent morally guided actions.
Like one of my friends from South Africa told me, “In his death, we will celebrate his life and legacy.”
