Today, July 18, is exactly the calendar halfway mark of our national holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This being the farthest point in the year, I thought it timely to bring us closer to man and his wisdom. Dr. King’s wisdom and words are not only “true north” for a peaceful and just society, they are effective reminders for you professionally as well. Spoiler alert – I’ll be borrowing quotes from a giant to illustrate my point.
Only a few weeks ago, I had the chance to visit Selma, Alabama and another 40 miles down the road, the city of Montgomery. Both towns are fixtures in the vital legacy of Dr. King and both deeply moving as the reminder of a dark, divided time in our nation’s history. The counterpoint to the injustice and hatred of that period, were Dr. King’s words of unwavering determination, encouragement, perseverance, courage, faith and ultimately love.
Borrowing Quotes From A Giant
At almost all my communication coaching sessions, I explain the power of quotations to open keynote speeches, presentations, and similar important addresses. While there are blizzards of wonderful quotes from the minds of authors, musicians, business icons and world leaders; one very good place to start is with Dr King’s words. I’ve selected a few that I consider “best of”, but feel free to dig deeper for ones that resonate for you and your message:
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude.”
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
You can find many more inspiring quotes from Dr. King HERE.
The impact of my trip
This recent trip was very impactful, and resonated on a surprisingly deep personal level. Perhaps that’s what happens when you get to walk the same bridges, gaze out from the same front porches, and stand at the same pulpits, of a great human.
And greatness is a noble goal when you’re considering quotations that align with your message. Your own authentic words are critical to your credibility, but having them supplemented with words have come at great sacrifice and personal cost from the likes of Dr. King and other luminaries, enriches your message and helps connect all of us.
For more information about The Selma March click HERE.
For more information about The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL click HERE
For more information about The National Memorial For Peace and Justice click HERE
The Ganon Group offers communication coaching for executives and employees across all departments: C-Suite Leadership, Sales, Customer Experience, Technical / Product Development, to improve their communication and presentation techniques. We believe everyone can “up” their game when it comes to communicating initiatives and ideas within the organization, outside to new prospects, to existing clients, or to outside media and trade organizations. www.theganongroup.com
