I understand that Invictus, a recently released film depicting the 1995 World Cup soccer tournament – which I thoroughly enjoyed – may be a story told with a bit of creative license. It portrays Nelson Mandela as having used the Springbok soccer team and the tournament as a vehicle for uniting South Africa while he was president.
Although the movie may have stretched the truth, I have always found Nelson Mandela incredibly inspiring, and view him as a remarkable visionary. In April 1964, when he was on trial, he stated the following in his defense:
“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Now there’s the ultimate in clarity: being prepared to die for your vision and what you believe in.
Consider Nelson Mandela’s vision, his deep commitment to it, his life after being freed from jail and all that he has accomplished.
He embodies living his vision and staying on course through unimaginable adversity. There’s much we can learn from him.
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