The immortal words of Maya Angelou, “I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now”, has been quoted countless times by those looking for motivation and understanding in a world of increasingly amplified hardships. But what lessons can be taken from Maya Angelou’s wise words? As someone who has personally experienced immense adversity that came with the intersectionality of her race and gender, Angelou’s journey was one that was fraught with obstacles. Through this journey she emerged a spiritually unwavering force of strength and resilience, and “wouldn’t take nothing for her journey now”. Here we will explore further some of the lessons that can be taken away from Angelou’s inspiring words.
One of the key messages that Angelou was attempting to convey was that no matter the hardships faced in life, there is no denying that these experiences shape us into who we are today. For Angelou, her journey taught her valuable life lessons that she would not have otherwise gained without the trials and tribulations she faced. In this way, her message is one of acceptance. Acceptance of her journey and the beauty that lies in it, no matter the pain and struggles that have come with it.
Angelou’s words can be interpreted as inspiring those who are currently faced with battling seemingly insurmountable odds to never give up. Despite the overwhelming amount of difficulty one may face, Angelou encourages us to keep going and to eventually come to see our experience as a part of our life’s journey, difficult though it may be. Here Angelou was attempting to tell us that in the end, it is our trajectory and attitude not about hardships and the road it took to reach our current position that matters the most.
Similar to Angelou’s message of acceptance is her emphasis on the importance of perseverance. By “refusing to take nothing for her journey”, Angelou is encouraging us to have a resilient attitude towards our struggles and to trust in our own ability to reach the finish line no matter how many knocks we take on our path.
Furthermore, Angelou is telling us to appreciate what has been gained and welcome the lessons that are crafted by our journey. These lessons often come in the form of growing and evolving our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, and Angelou’s message speaks to the impact this has on our strength of character. No matter where our journeys take us, they will shape us and in ways that we could have never even imagined.
Finally, Angelou’s words can also be interpreted as an invitation to use our journey to enlighten and empower those around us. Angelou is reminding us that part of our journey is often for the purpose of sharing our experiences, building bridges, creating understanding and in turn, educating others. Her message is one of both self-awareness and the shared values of upliftment, kindness and compassion.
The Power of Reflection
One of the key things to be taken away about Angelou’s words is the power of reflection. Through reflection and acknowledgement of every past hurdle we have faced, we can come to truly understand the strength that lies within ourselves and our journey. The ability to take a step back and gain a bit of perspective can be invaluable, and this is an integral part of understanding the lessons contained within our own journeys.
What’s more, reflection is also the key to understanding the importance of our decisions and the never-ending cycle of learning that encourages us to make better decisions the next time around. This type of introspective assessment not only allows us to recognize our own growth, it also allows us to appreciate the hardship faced along the way and see it as a form of necessary development.
The power of reflection lies at the heart of Angelou’s words, as she is triggering us to consider how far we have come and how much we have learnt from our individual journeys. Her meaning seems to be that if we spend the time to stop and reflect, we can come to understand the importance and power of our own lives and the journey it took us to get here.
The Strength of Reinvention
The ability and courage to reinvent ourselves time and time again can also be taken away from Angelou’s uplifting words. In order to truly move forward, we must sometimes let go of the past and use our journeys to find new and innovative ways to keep striving ahead and face our challenges head on. Reinvention is a form of comfort and assurance to ensure that our journeys remain purposeful and insightful.
The strength of reinvention enables us to learn new and remarkable things, which can be particularly important during times of distress and struggle. We can use our journeys to encourage us to look at the previous steps we’ve taken and use them as a form of motivation to move onwards, upwards and onwards with vigor and excitement. Angelou is likely reminding us of the importance of learning from our experiences and creating a new path for ourselves, as well as for others.
Reinvention also has a symbolic meaning and understanding our journey, according to Angelou’s wise words, we must choose our destiny and keep reinventing ourselves to ensure that we remain on purposeful and meaningful paths. An active engagement in our journeys is crucial here and helps us continue to grow and develop throughout our lives, no matter how difficult it may be at times.
The Significance of Taking Risks
Sometimes the only way to achieve our goals and find the joy that lies in life, is through taking risks and embracing a bit of uncertainty. Angelou’s words encourages us to find our own courage and wisdom, and to be open to learning from the mistakes we make on our road to success. Indeed, taking risks can be a key driving force in self-improvement.
Being open to new experiences can also allow us to acknowledge where we have grown and gained strength during our journeys. Trusting ourselves and the ride we have been on can often allow us to reach unimaginable heights but also to rely on our strengths when times get tough. Whilst it is true that risk-taking can sometimes be nerve-wracking and sometimes lead to devastatingly adverse outcomes, taking calculated risks can also take us to new and renewed places of hope and excitement.
Angelou’s words are meant to remind us that whilst certain aspects of our journey will always remain out of our control, fearlessness and an open attitude towards learning can help us to reach places that we otherwise would not have been able to go. To quote Angelou one last time, “one isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential”.
The Beauty of Self- Acceptance
In today’s world, it can be difficult to exemplify self-acceptance as many of us feel the everyday pressures of striving for perfection in many aspects of our lives. Angelou’s words remind us that nowhere in life are we expected to be perfect, and that our imperfections are the very things that make us unique. Exploring the similar themes of acceptance and understanding, Angelou’s bold words can be seen as an invitation to embrace ourselves and learn to appreciate our own uniqueness and differences.
This idea of self-acceptance suggests that we have full control and ownership in our own happiness and destiny. That by becoming mindful of our past struggles, we can use our journey to remind us of the strength and courage needed to keep forging ahead. This can be empowering and liberating and is a concept that Angelou wishes to emphasize throughout her inspiring words.
For Angelou, self-acceptance was about discovering the strength of character within her journey and allowing these experiences to shape the person she wanted to become. In this way, Angelou encourages us to do the same and to take ownership of our story and use it to create a powerful and meaningful narrative.
The Strength of Forgiveness
Moving forward from our personal journeys can sometimes be made easier by understanding the importance of forgiveness and healing. This does not necessarily mean forgiving others for the trials we face, but instead focusing on the notion that through forgiveness, our inner peace and understanding can be found. Through encouraging self-forgiveness, we can weather the waves of life, no matter how chaotic it may be.
At its root, the strength of forgiveness is a form of self-love and acceptance, as it allows us to make peace with our own struggles and to no longer be held back by the pain that living in the same moment can sometimes cause. Angelou believed this, and is likely inspiring us to take solace in the fact that we can always come back to our own journeys as a source of healing and a reminder of the strength of our own paths.
The forgiving nature of Angelou’s message ties in with the motif of understanding and learning that she was so determined to convey. Through taking the time to forgive ourselves and to accept our journeys, we can open up to new ways of thinking and living that can add to our own personal growth.
The Possibility of Transformation
The beauty of growth and transformation are also two potent messages to be taken away from Angelou’s words. Through understanding and coming to terms with our journeys, we can better equip ourselves to take on upcoming challenges, as we have developed the confidence and resilience that are needed to face the unknown. This type of transformation enables us to find ways to bridge the gaps of understanding and to add clarity and joy onto our paths.
Angelou’s words of transformation can be seen as one of liberation, as with taking the time to reflect and own our paths, we are granted a profound sense of freedom and liberation that can be nothing short of empowering. This can be another strong reminder from Angelou on how our setbacks can in fact be the very vehicles that take us to unimaginable and previously out of reach places.
Angelou’s message of transformation emphasizes the constant learning and growth we must all undertake in our lives. By recognizing that transformation is an ongoing process, and that we must assist ourselves by actively engaging with it, we can be ensured of arriving at our destination closer to where we want to be.
