Living the Dream: We Are Inspired by MLK

Like the complicated pieces of a puzzle, it took a long time to assemble but it finally came together. Hope connected with dreams and perseverance created a circle of completion. While the distance traveled may not have been equal the dimension of thought was similar. He was the cornea that could not be torn, the iris that refused to be scratched and the lens that could not be blurred by an ignorance and hatred so deep that murder was the only option for those who feared not him but the magnitude of excellence that his dream would ignite. The fear of excellence and peace motivates some to go to the extremes in distinguishing the flame of hope that elevates us to higher dimensions. The "infinite possibilities" of the potential within is the greatest fear of our enemies but his light was too bright to ever be diminished. His dream was too astronomical to be washed away by the most ignorant of currents and the harshest of storms. He was called. He had a purpose and when we have a purpose as author Rick Warren writes we understand why we are living. Really living not just being alive. We are centered by our purpose and that is what keeps us aligned with our initial dreams that travel parallel with our vision. Sometimes we take wrong turns perhaps sidetracked by fear, indiscretion or bad decisions what ever the case is we manage to always find the trail of our path by correct guidance. Unashamed and fearless, we are humble enough to recognize our own mistakes and are forgiven and made new with a clean slate by him who can only save us- for that is why he is called our savior, God.

Dr. Martin Luther King represented that willingness to continue that some of us have inside of us despite any odds. The passion to achieve and that unwavering stillness of not being moved resonates inside our powerful spirits evoked by the light of those who are no longer here with us. He marched in Selma leading the path as he sang, "I shall not be moved." It is that level of remarkable maturity and unequivocal strength that we borrow from him. Even as he was brutalized, beaten, humiliated like an animal and imprisoned, Dr. King remained still and non-violent, singing-"I shall not be moved." When his idea of peace was mocked as our idea of peace and light was mocked he remained as still as the root of a tree. How inspiring is the ability to not compromise the person we have become because of the sacrifice of those who allowed us to simply become who we are. He endured the unimaginable for us and that is a love so supreme. It is a comforting light to be guided by. It is what keeps us unmoved and undeterred by every attempt of negativity thrown our way. That is how we should all be. To be just as the ones we respect were and compared to them our challenges are acute. We are able to overlook many things as we understand that we are are alive for a higher purpose, never to be distracted because he refused to be distracted. He continued.

He had a premonition and he did say, "I may not make it therewith you," and he did not. Dr. King knew his time on earth was numbered because his vision was something not intangible like some would have thought but actually very possible.The realization of that possibility of peace, freedom and justice became more apparent with his moral crusade of simple dignity for all mankind and respect for all that may be different because in all- we are actually the same. Calm, cool, collected and centered he was ...but still they killed him but he still lives in us as we learn to adopt his attributes to be still, courageous and unembarrassed by our belief in faith. We are driven by our own blissful dreams and through his message we continue to excel. He is not here but his dream is transported through those of us who accept his beliefs and one whose light was led by Dr.King.

It did assemble together like a puzzle in fact. "I have a dream," Dr King shouted in front of the shadows of Abraham Lincoln. "It was all a dream," wrote Christopher "B.I.G" Wallace in the goal-accomplishing song, "Juicy." "We don't have to dream the dream anymore," inspired Oprah Winfrey as she urged the country to support Barack Obama. This is where the correlation of stories was initially highlighted. The two men who embodied the same dream and shared the same attributes of being calm and cool. It is not by coincidence that our president accepted his nomination on the anniversary of Dr.King's anniversary of that speech and it is also not mere irony that the day after celebrating Martin Luther King's phenomenal day, Dr King will see the materialization of his dream. It is also not ironic that forty years after the Chicago riots changed the image of America to the world as scenes of brutal bloodshed and vicious violence was inflicted on hippies and protesters in Grant park that it was the same setting of Grant Park that was filled with strangers feeling the love, peace and hope of a great nation. It is by something more powerful then irony. It is called faith. It was written. It is a display of the people we have all become and are becoming. A nation with all its flaws as we all have flaws was built on slavery but somehow it is the first Western nation to have an African-American president. This is a metamorphosis in its truest sense felt by many of us in our own metamorphosis. In the end it shows that although there are some who still believe in the celebration of ignorance, separation and stupidity the majority are part of that change and the others are alone in their thoughts. We are not stagnant we are transformational. We have the best example to strive to become better human beings everyday. It is right in front of our eyes. We can see the world shaping through the eyes of Dr.King. We have no excuses to not live our best possible lives ever as the restoration of hope is being clearly felt. We are living in a historic time that will be journalized in history books for centuries to come. We are grateful to be alive in such a vibrant time with all its challenges. The change we wanted so badly was given to us and through that we are filled with a happiness that cannot be easily removed because we understand what it took for us to be here right now. It is a sense of joy that many of us have immersed ourselves in, keeping us so collected like the ones we respect ...again. There is an electricity in the air, an excitement of good feelings that triumphs over the bad.

On that cold night in Washington D.C, Dr. King had said the following: "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day."

What a feeling to break the glass ceiling.! Imagine how Dr. King feels about the steps America is taking to reaffirm the dream she was built on...the UNITED states of America. The majority have spoken. Obama has spoken and he said, "To those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you," he assured. Today we reflect on our past and the magnificent future ahead of us. "The evolution of ideas inspired a revolution," said Representative John Lewis in his correlation of Dr. Martin Luther King and Barack Obama. In the end peace defeated drama and stillness won over disarray. They say "hope won" and "love won." It may have been a little late but what a birthday gift for Dr. King. We are blessed beyond measure to be living the dream. Celebrate.

Peace and light