Learning from Nelson Mandela

Credits to the owner of the image.

The legal profession entails more than just battling it out in court or receiving a favorable verdict; it's more than that, so much more. What if a lawyer is faced with a disheartening situation? When hope seems elusive, what does a lawyer do?

Nelson Mandela has undergone a lot of trying moments in his life, yet he was able to rise up and liberate his fellowmen, he did not give up nor cave in to fear. Here are some quotes that can inspire not only lawyers but everyone:

It always seems impossible until it’s done.

A winner is a dreamer who never gives up 

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. 

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. 

A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don't have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.

One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others. 

There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.

The power of education extends beyond the development of skills we need for economic success. It can contribute to nation-building and reconciliation. Our previous system emphasized the physical and other differences of South Africans with devastating effects. We are steadily but surely introducing education that enables our children to exploit their similarities and common goals, while appreciating the strength in their diversity.

What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead. 

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.

A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment 

Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place. 

For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. 

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.

Lawyers must keep this in mind:

I regard it as a duty which I owed, not just to my people, but also to my profession, to the practice of law, and to the justice for all mankind, to cry out against this discrimination which is essentially unjust and opposed to the whole basis of the attitude towards justice which is part of the tradition of legal training in this country. I believed that in taking up a stand against this injustice I was upholding the dignity of what should be an honorable profession.