Febuary 1, 2011

For the first time in my life, I am sincerely starting to understand that...


"I am, because we are."


Being completely and utterly serious, if you are reading these blogs and most importantly, this blog, re-read this phrase several times, and try to grasp it's full meaning and how it effects your personal life.


"I am, because we are."

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"I AM...... because WE are."


When I think about these words, no matter what time of the day it is, or no matter how busy I am, I block out my entire surroundings and reflect upon what it truly means. You don't have to be a scholar to understand it's meaning, but you need to have the self-dignity and commitment to your purpose in life, to truly clench it's importance. 


This concept, which only contains 5 simple words, explains everything we need to know about the world we live in and our inner-connectedness with the space and severely diverse group of people around us.  Derived from the definition of Ubuntu, this phrase has taken up a large portion of my thinking capacity day in and day out, throughout this entire voyage of discovery thus far.  For anyone that doesn't know the meaning of this powerful South African derived dialect, Ubuntu, simply look it up, and think about how it can effect each and every single one of our lives. 


We learn in school what we are taught, we learn from our friends what they have learn, we learn from our parents from their point of view, but most importantly, we learn about ourselves through personal experiences and the tangible relationships that we create amongst the people and places we see with our own eyes. 


Nelson Mandela explains it best...
"A traveler through a country would stop at a village and he didn't have to ask for food or for water. Once he stops, the people give him food, entertain him. That is one aspect of Ubuntu but it will have various aspects. Ubuntu does not mean that people should not enrich themselves. The question therefore is: Are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to be able to improve?"


Thanks for the support everyone.

Keep on reading on (my blog that is),
Eric