Mandela's gift

First of all, I will say that I have titled this work with the same name as it has in the book because I think that, not only has it been a gift for Richard Stengel who wrote it, but  also for all the people who read it. After this explanation, I will delineate what I have taken from Mandela the man as he is presented by Stengel.

After reading the book “Mandela’s way” I realized that I share with him many of his most important ideas. To some extent, reading the book has been like a reminder of what I consider more important and essential  in any human being’s life. The book is a magnificent compendium of moral lessons and values. Thus, I could detail  a lot of considerations which have been very significant in my own concepction of life or society but I will only mention those ones with which I am more concerned.

In the first place I would like to point out the importance he gives to the fact of having some principles on which the rest of  our existence would rest. In Mandela’s life as in any people’s, those principles are the pillars to hold up the structure of a just society  without prejudices. I refer to  the sense of justice; the respect for the others and for oneselves; the honesty to accept our own mistakes and be consistents with our actions and beliefs; the empathy and capability to put in the others’ shoes; the will of sacrificing our  individual interests in the benefit of our family or community, etc. As we see, are all of them old values which have been left out from time to time throughout the history and which, unfortunately, are being forgotten by some part of the society nowadays.

Secondly, another aspect  that I would  stand out from the rest is when he admits to have learnt something  from everybody who was close to him, even from his enemies. This quality emphasizes his open-minded and fair-minded personality. Moreover, it emphasizes  his humility to accept the others’ opinions and suggestions as well. I totally agree with him because believing the opposite, it would mean that you have the absolute truth. As he said to Stengel, nothing is black or white. There is a large range of grey in the middle.

In third place, I am going to point out  the reference he does to work and effort. He thinks and so do I, that only with work and discipline you can get your goals. Life is a long distance run. Through all this time you can do good things and no for this you are an angel, or bad things and no for that your are evil. At the end, we are the sum of all we have done and what ultimately counts is that the good outweighs the bad.

Finally, the last matter I am going to mention is the one he talks about in the second lesson of the book. Surprisingly, was control a goal he got  throughout his first part of his life. Prison taught him to be patient and keep control in critical situations. He learnt to listen, to think,  to analyze, to ponder and then to act. Unlike the three points  previously mentioned, this is one lesson  I feel further.  So, it could be a goal for me not to be so passionated and impulsive. Nevertheless, I have to admit having control a little more that when I was younger.

I don´t want t finish this reference to this book without saying that I have enjoyed it a lot. It has been a pleasure to read it for both two reasons, the moral lessons we learnt from Mandela’s  life  and the agile and  pleasant way the author related the story of this history significant great leader.