Monday, January 21, 2008

Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Dream

I received this quote today from my dear friend Russell Shaw, top-notch agent in Phoenix, Arizona. It was spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Deep down in our non-violent creed is the conviction there are some things so dear, some things so precious, some things so eternally true, that they are worth dying for. And if a man happens to be 36 years old, as I happen to be, and some great truth stands before the door of his life, some great opportunity to stand up for that which is right... a man might be afraid his home will get bombed, or he's afraid that he will lose his job, or he's afraid he will get shot, or beat down by state troopers. He may play it safe and go on to live until he's 80. He's just as dead at 36 as he would be at 80, and the cessation of breathing in his life is merely the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit. He died."

We all have moments of holding back, for whatever our reasons may be. Most of us will find ourselves at a significant crossroads in our life at some point. This fine man was willing to lay his life on the line for what he believed and held dear. Take some time today to reflect on what those things are in your life that mean so much to you, that you cherish at a level you would be willing to die standing up for them.

What level of priority are you placing on those ideals, those people, those items? Check in with yourself and see whether it's time to make some adjustments.

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