Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul.
-William Ernest Henley
As you probably could have guessed, I finally made the time to watch Invictus. It seems impossible to not be inspired by the story and the poem. I admire Mandela's fighting spirit. Admittedly, all things worth having are worth fighting for. He proves that not all battles are won with weapons, whether personally or politically. We must lead with our heads and not our hatred. I say head, not heart because so often the heart can be conflicted by the pain that we are dealt in life. Always remember not to yield to fear or anger, but navigate the waters of this mysterious world with courage and conviction.
