OK, truth be told, in my last article I mentioned writing about an eating plan to get back on track–well, I’m feeling the need to write about something more motivational in these challenging times, so here we go.
Maya Angelou was one of those motivational souls–if fact, one of my many spiritual heros. I learned of her through Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday program where Maya was highlighted several times.
One of the most creative, gifted writers of our time, Maya Angelou’s well-known career spanned several decades and included the publication of everything from poetry and essays to several autobiographies, including 1969’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The deeply personal (and extremely successful) book–which told of Angelou’s experiences of rape, identity and racism as a young girl in the south–earning her the distinction of being the first best- selling nonfiction African American woman.
Throughout her many careers, she was actively involved with the civil rights movement, serving as the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference where she met Martin Luther King Jr. and later worked with Macolm X to set up the Organization of Afro-American Unity while living in Africa.
Paving so many firsts is simply proof of Angelou’s ability to break through barriers in every field she pursued. By the time she died on May 28, 2014, she had written a total of 36 books– including cookbooks. Her gift for formulating words has forever left us with some of the most inspirational and memorable quotes of our time:
On attitude: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
On womanhood: “I am a Woman/Phenomenally./Phenomenal Woman,/that’s me.”
On control: “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
On knowing someone: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
On courage: “Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.”
On making an impression: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
On possibilities: “Lift up your hearts each new hour because it holds new chances for new beginnings.”
On potential: “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”
On readiness: “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”
On freedom: “The caged bird sings with a fearful trill/of things unknown but longed for still/and his tune is heard on the distant hill/for the caged birds sings of freedom.”
On life: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
On forgiveness: “It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”
On caring for others: “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.”
On spreading positivity: “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”
On persistence: “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.”
On working: “I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life.”
On our influences: “You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, or forgot–it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.”
On looking inward: “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”
On her life mission: “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
Keep smiling at yourself, finding joy and staying positive, warriors and let’s be gentle with ourselves along the way.
More coronavirus humor: LMMO–laughing my mask off