Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you.
– William Arthur Ward
Tag Archives: Potential
Treat people as if
Treat people as if
they were what they ought to be
and you help them to become
what they are capable of being.
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” Speech
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most powerful speakers of all time. Listen to his full I Have a Dream speech video on YouTube to see for yourself. I believe most people have never heard the beginning of the speech, so I recommend listening to the whole speech. However, if you are just interested in the “I Have a Dream” part, it starts around 12:20.
Dr. King emulated the teachings of Jesus, especially the non-violent methods presented at the Sermon on the Mount that we have been learning about in the Gospel according to Matthew. He had such power, such conviction, to stand up for what he believed in, to give the ultimate sacrifice – now that is truly living!
I am not sure what Dr. King would think about his dream 59 years later. The drum major was shot down five years after this speech and no one could really fill the same role after. He would likely be happy the Obamas are in the White House, but still unsatisfied with the conditions of our inner-cities and lost dreams of many. There is so much potential. You just have to believe.
Oprah proud of her first South African graduates
Oprah’s girl school in South Africa graduates 72 disadvantaged young women. The whole class is now headed to university, most at home but some abroad in the United States. “There are a lot of people … who lower their expectations and think that if you come from a disadvantaged background … you have a disadvantaged brain. I know that is not true,” says Oprah.
I completely agree with Oprah. Everyone, let me repeat, everyone has potential to do great things. Read the full First class graduates from Oprah’s South Africa school story at Reuters.