3 Life Lessons from Nelson Mandela

Turning Challenges into Opportunities, Turning Enemies into Allies

Nelson Mandela is one of the most admirable human beings for the collective imaginary. While reading his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom one is not only moved by his words, but also by his values and his attitude in life. Other than being an excellent communicator — after all he was an attorney — Mandela was an inspiring person. The light he radiated lives far beyond his physical body. His ideas and ideals were as relevant then as they are now.

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” Professor Keating in Dead Poet’s Society

The main lesson we can learn from Mandela is his positive conduct towards all challenges either presented in the form of people or circumstances. Mandela was in prison for 27 years! And, yet, he remained optimistic about the outcome of his vision. One of the many readings that accompanied him during that period was William Ernest Henley’s poem Invictus that ends in:

“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”

Clearly Mandela was a firm believer that he made his own destiny as his tenacity demonstrated. And not many are able to combine strong will with such kindness. What…