“If a human being dares to dream a great dream, dares to love somebody, dares to be Martin King, or Mahatma Gandhi, or Mother Teresa, or Malcolm X. If a human being dares to be bigger than the condition in which she or he was born, it means so can you.” – Maya Angelou
The great Dr. Maya Angelou, the American Author and Poet dared us to lose ourselves in humanity. Maybe it was her novel ‘I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings’ published in 1969 that allowed others imagination to believe the world can be a better place by having compassion for one another. Or maybe it was her voice as she recited poetry and simultaneously delivered warm fuzzies to those that listened. Or maybe it was just a quote from her that gave others hope that they too can live their dream.
To me ‘Love Energy’ is living internally with faith, confidence and gratitude; and living externally with compassion, empowerment and a guiding hand to others. I know this was her sentiment, and this poem proves it:
The audacity that Maya Angelou’s Love Energy can be so brave and bold that she lived her life with this trademark, is legendary.
Her take on the world is indeed a dare to the world. In one of her quotes she said:
“Hate, it has cause many problems in the world, but it hasn’t solved one yet. ” – Maya Angelou
In such simple words, it tells us that love is the answer. And if we all believe that loving one another can be achieved simply by respecting one another, it will bring us all to new heights, and the world will absolutely be a better place.
However she was also very adamant that loving others started with loving yourself:
“I do not trust people that don’t love themselves and yet tell me, “I love you”. There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.” – Maya Angelou
For some people loving themselves comes natural, they generally have a positive outlook, and are happy with life. For others, self love is more difficult, and maybe it’s because there may be some dark moments that they themselves are not proud of. Maya Angelou has a message for those that feel challenged with self love:
“…let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” – Maya Angelou
With just these few quotes used as a tribute, let us continue to love Dr. Maya Angelou for everything she stands for as she rests in peace. Let us live out her legend of compassion for one another. And lets continue to love ourselves, for the light of love starts from within, and we as individuals can be a beacon to the world we shine on.
