Ayla’s Voyage Blog

Publish Date: Sunday, May 22, 2011
Yippee!!! Goodbye school year, hello summer! I recently graduated 8th grade, and middle school as a whole, and what an incredible three years it has been! They were all filled with remarkable learning and extraordinary discoveries. I am so excited about the summer, and about high school, and as we celebrate the start of an exciting summer with friends and family on the dock, I had a few words I wanted to share with all of you.

My final history essay at the Calvert School was an assignment designed to sum up one of Nelson Mandela’s incredible speeches (written by Marianne Williamson). After reading the speech, we were asked to write on how his words could contribute to our philosophy of life. I greatly enjoyed writing this essay, and as a kick off to summer, I thought I’d share the words with you. Please enjoy.

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Since the dawn of man, as the first civilizations rose and our ancestors walked from the caves, human beings have asked themselves the same questions. Who are we, and what are we doing here? What is our place in this grand, cosmic scheme, and why are we humans? From the steps of the Acropolis, to the churches of the Middle Ages, to the tall ships of the 20th century, we have wondered: who, what, and why are we? Nelson Mandela—a great visionary and a voice of hope for people all over the world—gives us an idea of our purpose to fulfill.

Mr. Mandela’s aim with his inaugural address was to inspire and encourage people to live as they are. To grow, to change, and to become more, but to be true to oneself. He tells us that each of us has a wholly unique purpose in our lives, and all of us can shine brighter than the sun. Unlike philosophers in times past, Mr. Mandela does not believe that man is the puppet of the universe, lacking free will and existing as a pale shadow of something greater. No, Mandela sees the beauty and the ability to extend one’s heart with such clarity, his words and philosophies are inspiring and filled with his own energy. He tells us that there is nothing—nothing—other than our own fear that stops us from being remarkable. We can rise above ourselves, step out of the curtain and into the sun, and radiate goodness, truth, happiness, and love to the world around us. Nothing stops us. There are things that will impede us—the bars of prisons, perhaps—but in the end, human beings are here, as Woodrow Wilson said, “…To enable the world. To live more amply and with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and equality. You are here to enrich the world.”

To me, the most profound quote of this awe-inspiring speech is the line, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” It scares us that we are in control of our lives, and it scares us that we can shape our own realities beyond measure. To some, it would seem silly that we are scared of being “…brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous.” Why would someone be scared of doing all those things? And yet, we are. It is human nature to shrink when we feel we are too small to matter. This world is big, and this universe is even bigger, and what difference could one voice make in a chorus of voices louder and stronger? Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” No voice is too small to matter, and no voice is too big that it will drown the others out. We all matter—our songs, our dance, our music, and our imaginations. These all matter to making the world a greater place.The world can seem big, scary, and hard to grasp. Terrifying things happen, yes, and there are people out there who are black holes in the cosmic scheme of human nature. And yet—the world is also a beautiful place. There is more that unites us than divides us, and though we speak a different language, people everywhere still smile, laugh, play, learn, cry, embrace, and dream. JK Rowling once wrote (through the mouth of Albus Dumbledore), “Difference of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”

In the end, we must listen to the words of Socrates, “…endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” Robert Cushing said the same, “The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Insist on yourself. Never imitate.” Philosophers, scientists, priests, diplomats, scholars, authors, and humans in entirety have said the same for millennia, and the words remain as true today as they were when first spoken. “…As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” Can you imagine a world where everyone lived to be the best they could be? Where everyone strived to bring a sense of light and improvement to each moment they lived, and where people climbed the mountain by helping others and striving to reach a little higher and a little farther than the day before? To me, that is a beautiful image, because it is an image of a future where we are equal, we are extraordinary, and we are here because we are living. Life is short, and yet it is also the longest thing we will ever do. Do you not want to live it to the fullest and to make every moment count for all it’s worth? “…We are meant to shine…”

If the pages above were not enough to prove it, then I shall clarify. I agree with Mr. Mandela’s statement fully and undoubtedly, for he has summed up my philosophy of life. Be dynamic, be exotic, ask questions, learn things, and keep your mind open. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing each day that scares you,” and this is a quote which I have chosen to live by. Life is an adventure, one which I am determined to take. A relative of mine says, “I do not want to rest in my grave, perfectly preserved, but rather slide in sideways saying, ‘Holy cow, what a ride!’” To me, this is true, for life will never stop being interesting. There are so many things I haven’t done, and so many things I want to do. There are so many things I do not know, and so many things I want to learn. Albert Einstein profoundly said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when contemplating the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of the mystery every day. The important thing is not to stop questioning; never lose a holy curiosity.” What Mandela, Rowling, Einstein, Roosevelt, Wilson, and dozens of others have said is that life is an amazing journey. We will begin it as an empty book, and we will end it as a novel. Our pages are blank and yet to be written, and as we live, we are writing our own story. When my book rests in the library of life, I want my story to be breathtaking and heart pounding, warm and interesting, and filled with the lessons fathered from the trees of curiosity. In the movie Ever After, as the Grand Dame tugs her story to a close, she tells the Grimm Brothers, “…And, while Cinderella and her prince did live happily ever after, the point, gentlemen, is that they lived.”

Live life to the fullest. The moment is now, and I hope you take it firmly, letting it pull you towards grand adventures and an unforgettable journey.