It’s no secret that Oprah is basically my hero. During an interview regarding her upcoming tour, The Life You Want, Oprah discussed how she continues to strive for success. She went on to quote a line from the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley. This poem blew my mind and here I am today to share it with you! Yay!
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
Let the awesomeness of this piece sink in for a second.
I know I may be speaking personally, even though I highly doubt I am the only one, but I have often find myself victim to my circumstances or blaming the powers at be for my present situation. This poem reminds me that I am in control of what happens in my life.
WARNING: This is the part where I get controversial.
I had grown up in church and believed that God was in control of our fate. We would pray to God to ask him to change our circumstances for us through miracles and divine intervention. And while some may call this faith, it is also extremely lazy.
Although I believe in miracles, they are often like winning the lottery. Many people pray for miracles and encourage others to wait and have faith in God. This is not faith. This is pure doo doo. Since when did a belief in a higher being mean that you basically give up? We should not wait for miracles but rather take action to solve problems ourselves. So many times I have heard fellow church goers make a general statement that sounds a lot like “well everything sucks, but God is good and he will fix it for me.” This makes me want to throw bananas at people. We are created with the ability to accomplish so many things and you choose to simply sit back and wait? This has sparked many conversations with many individuals about what I call “active faith.”
Mr. Henley discusses this when he claims himself master of his fate. He is truly the captain of his life despite some pretty devastating circumstances. He does not wait for the miracle, but rather continues to push forward actively in changing his destiny and his present situation. This is active faith! This is using your God-given ability to continue to move forward. This is using your brain and saying “hey, I don’t like this, I’m going to change it.” This is frickin’ living!
This poem has helped me completely change the way I view my dreams, my visions, and my goals. It has made me a more active participant in my life. It has reminded me that if I want something, I can have it given I become active in getting it. It has also taught me that if something is unsavory in my life, well I can change it.
As I rapidly approach my 27th birthday, I am taking to a new way of life. At this new chapter in my life I am becoming more active in changing my fate before I have started my own online pet-friendly furniture store, I learned to play guitar and ukelele, started illustrations on my children’s book, began a blog, decided to run for mayor (oh yeah, you heard me), and bought a house! I have done these things because I was tired of the way my life was previously going. I wanted more for myself, and with my husbands encouragement, I was able to change my circumstances.
So thank you Oprah, for introducing me to the life I want! I will forever be active in my life from this point on.
What are you doing to become the master of your fate? How are you the captain of your soul.
Panic Attack Is My Middle Name 