Ferdinand Foch once said, “the most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” Some of the greatest reminders of this are the inspiring, courageous, and “soul on fire” moments that have taken place throughout history by ordinary people who have done extraordinary things to elevate not only themselves but the human race. Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, George Washington Carver, John Lewis, and President Barack Obama all found ways to light a fire deep within themselves; to stand up for injustice, often at great personal cost; to push forward in areas that were previously off-limits; to go where no one else had dared before. And, while there were numerous external factors that stood in their way, that made their life and those of their family and friends at times almost unbearable, they still knew that the most powerful weapon they had was the fire deep within their soul. They chose, despite all the obstacles and challenges, to draw on a well of internal strength and courage that we can all hope to emulate, even if just once in our lifetime.
Each of us has an opportunity to make a difference; we have an opportunity to raise our consciousness to a higher level, and we have an opportunity to be the change we want to see. Before we seek to light the fire under someone else, let's light the fire within ourselves…then, and only then, will we shine bright enough for others to follow and do the same.