1 Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do. -Nelson Mandela
The doors of success open only to those who passionately chase it. Do what you want to do, not what others force upon you. You have it in you to rise above the mist of darkness that surrounds you and find success and greatness.
2 It always seems impossible, until it is done. -Nelson Mandela
They will constantly tell you how impossible it is. They will try to pull you down, demotivate and demean you. But if history has taught us anything, it is that history is made by those who dare to challenge the impossible.
3 Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. -Nelson Mandela
Optimism is the courage to look straight ahead, beyond the darkness, and search for light in the right place. Optimism is in the willingness to move forward regardless of what burdens you carry.
4 There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. -Nelson Mandela
Humanity always wins. No matter how much cruelty and despair you are faced with, do not lose faith in humanity. Love and kindness always surpass hate and violence.
5 Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. -Nelson Mandela
Education is what makes you capable enough to rise above preconceived erroneous notions that only hold you back. It makes you capable of independent thought and judging things for what they really are. And it is only with education that you can change the world.
6 Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again. -Nelson Mandela
It is not how many hills you conquer but about how many pits you crawl out of every time you fall. Judge people not by their successes but by how they made it out of the depths of failure.
7 We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. -Nelson Mandela
There is no better time to do something than right now. Use time wisely for time waits for none. If you keep waiting for the right moment, you’ll always be left behind.
8 I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles. -Nelson Mandela
Surround yourself not with people who lick your boots and say yes to everything but rather by those who actually provide criticism. Your friends should be those who actually think independently because then, you can gain new perspectives and not just be stuck in a mindless echo chamber.
9 No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. -Nelson Mandela
Hate is not innate. A baby is born as a clean slate. And notions of hate and prejudice and inculcated into them as they grow by the people around them. Nationality, race, and religion are just human-made superficial boundaries that only divide us.
10 People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. -Nelson Mandela
Hate is not innate. People learn to hate as they grow up. It is always their environment that makes them what they are. And if they can be taught to hate, they can very well be taught to love. And it is always easier to love than to hate as the former builds you while the latter breaks you.
11 Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people. -Nelson Mandela
Real leaders are ready to give up everything dear to them just for the people that they lead. To them, it’s the freedom and well-being of their people that comes first, before anything else.
12 Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies. -Nelson Mandela
Resentment harms you more than anyone else. It does nothing but brings negativity and despair into your life eventually withering you away. Turn to kindness and love and not to vengeance.
13 I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. -Nelson Mandela
Courage is not actually the absence of fear. The brave are not those who feel no fear but rather those who have learned to conquer their fear and rise above it.
14 It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. -Nelson Mandela
Every little experience that we have in life contributes to our growth. Every bad and good experience alike teaches you something that will stay with you throughout life. You just have to know what to take away from it.
15 For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. -Nelson Mandela
Liberty is not just about being able to make one’s own choice but also about giving others that same freedom. Freedom is a collective responsibility. It is not just about one’s own freedom but also about not intruding on someone else’s.
15 Most Inspiring Nelson Mandela Quotes
1. Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do. -Nelson Mandela
2. It always seems impossible, until it is done. -Nelson Mandela
3. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. -Nelson Mandela
4. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. -Nelson Mandela
5. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. -Nelson Mandela
6. Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again. -Nelson Mandela
7. We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. -Nelson Mandela
8. I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles. -Nelson Mandela
9. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. -Nelson Mandela
10. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. -Nelson Mandela
11. Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people. -Nelson Mandela
12. Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies. -Nelson Mandela
13. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. -Nelson Mandela
14. It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. -Nelson Mandela
15. For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. -Nelson Mandela