Janurary 15th marks the birth of one of the most celebrated Icons in African American history, Martin Luther King Jr. On January 17th, the Democratic Republic of Congo will also celebrate one of their heroes, Patrice E. Lumumba.
Both Martin Luther King and Patrice E. Lumumba were respected yet feared; admired yet hated by many; killed violently for intensely and always expressing their beliefs & fighting for the freedom of the oppressed. These two saw what was possible. They gave us no promises but gave us plenty of hope.
These are our real life heroes. Not the ones we see in the movies, and music industry filled with superficial bravado or grandiosity. These are our true heroes because they gave their lives for justice & equality but more importantly because they did the right thing in the face of fear.
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It is for this reason that I encourage you to celebrate these holidays recognizing that there’s also a leader in you. You were also born to become an agent of change in your community and in the world. You have what it takes to become a great leader, the kind who attracts others and makes things happen. Maybe you do not think so because you do not have a title, a rank or a position. But leadership have little to do with titles and more to do with the people that you inspire and who look up to you.
Perhaps you doubt your ability to lead well, but understand that leadership equals influence. If you long to serve, you long to reach out, to inspire, to influence others with a sincere, genuine heart and in doing so you accept that you will not always be chosen, always be popular, may not always impress or receive validation, then that's the first first to discovering the true leader in you.
Take a look again at the life of Martin Luther King Jr., Patrice E. Lumumba, Leymah Gbowee, Kwame Nkrumah, Barack Obama, and all the others who stood for something and brought hope to their countries. Do not allow others to impede you or make you feel any other way, no matter who they are, where they are from or what position they hold.
Be encouraged, always partner with God and be assured that he’s working in you to influence others for good as he did with Martin Luther King, Patrice E. Lumumba's and many others before and after them.
