Recently in Inspiration Category

Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Ever since reading this comment, I’ve found myself almost constantly violating it. I’m getting better though.

The time to stop talking is when the other person nods his head affirmatively but says nothing.

I stumbled across a video of the British version of American Idol, called Britain’s Got Talent, where a cell phone salesman named Paul Potts sings opera in his audition for a crowd of 2,000 and receives a standing ovation. He’d taken opera lessons at his own expense and sung in several amateur shows but was basically unknown.

I’ve never been much for opera, but had to watch him several times. His semi-final performance and winning final performance are incredible as well.

A great quote from Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States:

The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.

Here’s a quote by violinist Pablo de Sarasate that I originally saw in an article on how age affects entrepreneurship:

For 37 years I’ve practiced 14 hours a day, and now they call me a genius.

This goes right along with Edison’s comment about “one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

This is a clip recording the testimony of Mr. Rogers talking to Senator Pastore, the Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications. Senator Pastore was proposing to cut the funding of public television and Mr. Rogers asked him not to. It’s a great example of the power of being authentic.

I just watched a video of a sermon at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church by Nancy Ortberg entitled Jesus & Your Job given on 3/4/07 (via Guy Kawasaki). It’s a great presentation on work and has affected my views. She covers leadership and dignity in the workplace, giving several personal examples that surprised me by showing how good a great leader can be. Very worth spending 20 minutes watching or listening.

And while I’m recommending video segments, I should mention Steve Jobs’s 2005 commencement address at Stanford University. The video and audio are available for free on iTunes and I’ve included the YouTube version below. After reading and hearing about the legendary aspects of Steve’s personality from his early years at Apple, this speech seems to show a humbler, more insightful side – and perhaps some of the reason for Apple’s recent resounding successes.

The transcripts for these speeches are available but are not, in my opinion, as powerful as hearing or watching them. I’m not a big fan of listening to podcasts or watching video clips due to how much more time it takes. I prefer reading things quickly. But both of these videos are worth watching.