Nelson Mandela Passes on a Great Legacy of Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Hope

Credit: Photo by Trevor Samson/AFP/Getty Images 

The news of Nelson Mandela passing on last evening has everyone astir this morning.

There is plenty to say about a great man that leaves behind such a great legacy, and today we thought it would be a great idea to share our thoughts on why we think he is pretty great too.

This isn't to say that he was just a "good person", but Nelson Mandela left us with so much more.

Whether you are a South African or not, it doesn't matter. You can be moved just by learning a little bit more about why Mandela was so important, and why he was so revered by his country.

A Beautiful Lesson from Nelson Mandela

After a 27 year incarceration, Nelson Mandela had a message for all people, and it was to simply "Forgive". That takes courage, and it takes a change of heart from what we as humans know. With the severe degree of apartheid that South Africa had been living under, he could have remained a bitter man.

Mandela was imprisoned based on the word that he was seeking to topple the government, and at the time it was a white government. However, when Mandela was let go, he walked out of the gates and looked back stating that he would rather leave the bitterness inside those prison walls.

One of the most important lessons we could ever get from Nelson Mandela, was that if we remain bitter, we stay inside our own prison. It never works out when we hold onto things. Have you experienced this in your own life?

Forgiveness may feel uncomfortable, and it may be something that you don't want to do, but we would urge you to reconsider that thought! Perhaps we could all learn so much from reading more about this man and other leaders like him that became the change that they wanted to see in the world.

"Nelson Mandela" believed that it all started with him, and that is what we all need to remember today and everyday to live courageously.