Mandella Inspiration

The was a quote that recently can to my attention and I loved it. During a post a while back I mentioned having love for what I do and the importance I loving what you do. It does not mean it's not scare and that fear is not involved. It's just that when inspiration fills you with a sense of possibility. When I read this quote of Nelson Mandella it made me stop and reflect and the wonderful sense of truth was brilliant. Now I am not a religious person, but I would describe myself as spiritual.

The spirituality I feel is something that has come from my involvement in sport, and more importantly from rowing. The purpose of putting this out there is rowing has brought the best out in me. That's not to say that at times it has brought some of the worst qualities out in me, it's just that when I read this quote it resonated with me in such a way because for some time I thought that I was scared and feared the worst side of myself and the sport. This changed some time after the 2000 Olympic games which I mist due to a back injury. This experience made me question my feel inadequate. Since that moment I realised that if to be honest I was not as fearful of being inadequate, but rather limitless. Since reading this quote I have found myself repeat it to others and the connection and link it has created is amazing. He is an inspiration and one who I have only a small comprehension of.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We
ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually,
who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the
world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel
insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not in some of us; it’s in everyone. As we are liberated from our own fear, our
presence automatically liberates others.”

Nelson Mandella
Inaugural Speech, 1994


I love things that inspire me and others and find them to be the most brilliant source of connection to an ideal example. This is a great message which poses great questions. The research that I noticed the other day stated that athletes who achieve great success have an unusual amount of optimism. I believe we can all be brilliant and talented. I believe this to be true and maybe it's that unusual amount of optimism showing through, maybe I am hopeful too. Sport gives me hope, optimism and rowing has delivered in the fullest way the virtues of an activity the challenges me to face my fears. So I want to acknowledge all inspiration and the influence and power it provides. I love being an athlete and being open to the influences other provide through there actions and their presence.

Over the next few weeks I will capture the many people who have a profound effect on me. It is interesting for me to consider the change in the people who I have been aware of during the phases of my sporting, work and family life.

Comments

rudderfish said…
Many thanks for the article. What an insightful read and with my relationship to James Tomkins it is an inspiration to see him finding ways to continue to perform at a high level. In 2001 he spent time in the US with Teti and the program there. There's a great connection between athletes who have explored their capacities and the changes that occur over time. We are all young at heart and certainly our minds remember the glory days. Those days seem to become more polished over time too. Thanks again for the article.
rudderfish said…
Thanks for the comment and I must admit the situation you have there with snow and frozen water way is an extreme contrast to what we have over here in Australia. Also I appreciate your support words. All the best, Drew