You are the master of your fate
Michael Warren
Hall of Fame Judge; co-Founder, Patriot Week; Constitutional Law Professor; Host and Producer at Patriot Lessons: American History & Civics Podcast; Business Court Judge
INVICTUS
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.
Henley's stirring words remind us, that despite the circumstances surrounding each and every one of us, we are the masters of our fate. Those who casually or lackadaisically "go with the flow" or believe they have no power to affect their lives, in essence surrender their destinies to others. The independent spirit, the courage to act when others stay still, the willingness to challenge current convention - these are the marks of a great soul. Use it.
For more inspiration, visit America's Survival Guide