Happy Martin Luther King Jnr Day!!!

Happy New Year once again bloggers, poets, tech-lovers, historians, crypto-lovers, science-lovers, artists,commercials people and whoever is left. Today I am going to talk about MLK and the great legacy he left to the present world. If MLK was alive he was going to turn 89 years today. One of the reasons why this man is respected is his advocacy of equal rights amongst people especially when it comes to race. For me I think MLK teaches us that there is no time to fight or hate each other because of race, tribe, religion or in terms of the region where we come from . I first heard about Martin Luther King in 2013 when I was reading an inspirational book called Its Time to Unleash Your Greatness by Milton Kamwendo. On one section of the book I saw the author had quoted one of the tolerance speeches that made MLK famous famous today.

The speech moved me and changed my perception when it comes to my human relations. I used to discriminate people because of their dialect, tribe, religion, race and all other ways you can think of. As long as we could differ in terms of beliefs I would dislike them automatically. At times I even questioned myself why would I hate someone even if the Bible taught us to love each other in 1 Corinthians 13. The ''I have a dream'' speech by Rev Martin Luther King Jnr changed my perception when it comes to discrimination with no logical reasons. MLK is also respected as one of the greatest public speakers of all times. His era (Civil Rights Movement Days) resulted in the present democratic USA we know today. I would like to share with you here his speech(from the web) below then I would give my analysis about MLK's message and what the present day world can learn.

I have a dream speech video(above) and quotes(below).

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Source : https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/01/16/dr-martin-luther-kings-i-have-a-dream-speech-full-text/21655947/

Download Full Speech Here

Lessons for me and you today:

I think Martin Luther King join the ranks of people like Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Princess Diana, Mahatma Ghandi and the Dalai Lama who had/have a positive impact in this world through their works.

1 . Continue dreaming big even during hard times

Its a well known fact that for most people experiencing difficult times(e.g divorce, death of someone close, poor health, poverty, depression, anxiety, wars, phobias etc) there is a tendency for one to go back to their shell and never develop again. But my message to such people is to continue seeing themselves successful. They have to forget the past, plan for the future and live the moment for their negative circumstances are only temporary unless they let them control them. There is need for us to forget the present suffering and see the great future. I think thats whats the great teacher Jesus was trying to teach us on his ''Faith like a mustard seed'' parable. Also the author of Hebrews encourages us to continue having faith in having the things we want but have not seen yet(Hebrews 11). So why not have a great vision of tomorrow when you know that where there is no vision people perish?

Where there is no vision, the people perish - Proverbs 29:18King James Version (KJV)

Faith size of mustard seed: Matthew 17:20 (ASV) And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2 . Knowing everyone is equal before the eyes of God uplifts

Black race and white race, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, Shia Muslim and Sunni Muslims, Chinese and Japanese all are equal in the eyes of God. People who dispute these facts found themselves falling in the past. Such inculde people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Idi Amin and Napoleon I/III who wanted to dominate others. Its important to one another for we have no time here on earth. Yesterday I wrote a poem on Love and I hope you will like it. Personally I think there is no time for us to discriminate one another for life is short. Look back 5 years ago and see how quickly the years have passed.

3 . Have positive dreams for all people and be a value giver in life

I have noticed that great changes in life start to come to you when you give others a great service. It might be assisting a broke friend, helping your parents/relatives or even donating some of your dollars to orphans/street kids. There are great rewards in giving than in receiving try it for 7 days and see how your life will change. I used to not assist the needy but those days I wasn't enjoying my life. Giving is great therapy and the rewards come hundredfold. Try it!

4 . Be progressive and have a beneficial purpose in life

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”― Friedrich Nietzsche

All you do must be of positive impact. Think of what you can do today that will benefit others. Many entrepreneurs are successful because they have a purpose to innovate and provide the best in how we live today. Look at how USA, U.A.E, Japan, China and UK industrialized during the past centuries. I think it was because of people who had/have great purposes in life. Look at the most beautiful cities in the world and you will see what I am talking about.

5 . Be a living inspiration and inspire everyone

Inspire the child, the poor, those who feel they are cursed. Most people demotivate others via criticism. We have to understand that most people in this world lack confidence and with that anything we tell them they tend to believe it. I was inspired by Dale Carnegie's' books where he emphasizes that criticism kills than build. Here are some of his quotes I found on the web:

Praise is like sunlight to the warm human spirit; we cannot flower and grow without it. And yet, while most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we are somehow reluctant to give our fellow the warm sunshine of praise - Dale Carnegie

Bitter criticism caused the sensitive Thomas Hardy, one of the finest novelists ever to enrich English literature, to give up forever the writing of fiction. Criticism drove Thomas Chatterton, the English poet, to suicide. . . . Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.- Dale Carnegie

Criticism is dangerous, because it wounds a person's precious pride, hurt his sense of importance and arouse resentment. - Dale Carnegie

Abilities wither under criticism; they blossom under encouragement.- Dale Carnegie

Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain - and most fools do. But it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving.- Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie Quotes Source: http://www.azquotes.com/author/2500-Dale_Carnegie/tag/criticism

6 . In short life is too short to live frowning. Love all, forgive and forget, dream big and be a value giver.

Martin Luther King Jnr Image Sources:

1, 2, and 3

By Fidel - Monday 15 Jan 2018

My other posts:

• Poem : My definition of love
• Poem / Happiness
• Poem : Your own way, No to their mediocre opinions!
• 22 inspirational songs
• Poem : The Success State of Mind
• Poem: The Winners Way

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