“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” ~ Maya Angelou
We’ve all experienced times when our mind plays tricks on us. It’s as if we’re walking around with a magician in our head. You know they are doing a trick, but you fall for it every time. The story below is a reflection of how our mind can play tricks on us and how we can bounce back and become even better.
Despite her extraordinary gift of language; poet and author Maya Angelou did not speak for five years. Her self-enforced silence began as a child after a traumatic incident that caused her to believe her words had terrible consequences.
At the age of 8, she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. When she confided in her brother, revealing the truth and identifying the rapist, he was later found beaten to death. In her first autobiography, “I know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, she stated that she thought her voice killed him, so she simply stopped speaking. It was during this period of silence that Angelou developed her extraordinary love for poetry, books and literature; along with her ability to listen and observe the world around her.
She left her voice but her voice didn’t leave her. Once she realized she could use her voice to inspire others, she let her voice be heard again through her poetry and writings. Maya became an acclaimed American poet, storyteller, activist, and autobiographer.
Her fear stopped her from speaking, but it didn’t stop her mind from creating.
The world as we see it, is a projection of our thoughts…What stories or limiting belief are you still walking around with in your head? Ask yourself how you can be better, and do better?
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” ~ Maya Angelou
Make kindness a habit,
To Your Success,
Peak Performance Coach