Still I Rise: Maya, Amanda, and Transformational Poetry
Poetry as Personal Development
Leaving Behind FEAR — I RISE.
I believe the words of Maya Angelou have resonated with so many, for so long, because we feel that Maya understood struggle. As I move from all of the business books, magazines, white papers, blogs, and stacks upon stacks of personal development material that my two decades in the industry have given me — POETRY is increasingly becoming part of my thinking time, and also inspiring some of the most transformational thoughts in my adult life.
How did the words of one woman make her an international sensation? She shared her poetry on college campuses around the world for decades, packing the house every time. Maya was an inaugural poet to two United States Presidents. One of the most successful women on the planet, Oprah Winfrey, called Maya Angelou a mentor. Poetry’s power is transformational in ways that sometimes even the best self-help books cannot be. In a world where algorithms and shortcuts are used to reach outcomes faster, the slow and savory words of poetry make us think. We can often place ourselves in every line and think about how our lives align with them as we understand the messages artfully placed on paper as if they were a song.
Indeed Maya Angelou’s words have impacted the world — from Oprah, all the way to the family that I’m blessed with. When my daughter came into this world — and the often back-and-forth battle of the names carried on — it was the strength and beauty of Maya Angelou and the impact of her poetry on me, my wife, my mother, and our world that caused us to choose Maya as our daughter’s name. One of the things that I absolutely LOVE about Black History month is that my daughter is reminded by people other than her parents that with her name comes great responsibility. A testament to the power in Maya Angelou’s poetry can be seen this year in Mattel’s release of a Maya Angelou Barbie, telling her story to a whole new generation.
In a world of 144-character sound bites, where messages are used often as clickbait, real emotionally charged words that are artfully placed together can be far more transformative than even the deepest personal development. And so we need to invest in the Maya Angelous of the world just as we invest in startups.
We have all recently been introduced to a young woman who has proven that she has power and grace in her words. The highlight of the 2021 inauguration for many was the poem read by Amanda Gorman titled “The hill we climb.” Yes, we need to hear the words about how we RISE, how we CLIMB THAT HILL, how we overcome. When those words are poured onto the page with the intention to heal, to make aware, and to enlighten, I believe that those very intentions are felt by the reader or listener, and can radically impact our perspective.
I was recently speaking with the co-founder of a company dedicated to bringing mankind to space. It’s a noble and very real endeavor to help people see the world as so many of our brave astronauts have. Many astronauts come home with a new perspective on the need for unity, peace, and the idea that from up there, we all seem a bit smaller and more alike than we may think. Space Perspective will do that for all of us.. Now . . . give a seat to Amanda Gorman’s perspective and let her share her POWER — and we will see yet again her ability to transform the world through words. As we explored this fantastic idea — I came to tears.
Now before we get all mushy, let me say that in my 20 years in coaching, I think I have come to tears fewer than a dozen times on a first call. But those tears were a reminder to me that POETRY can transform us in a moment, and it often leaves behind a gift. The gift is personal and different for everyone. If Maya Angelou’s words could reach and transform some of the greatest names of our time, if Amanda Gorman’s words at the inauguration and Super Bowl have created ripples . . . then it is safe to say that the very same impact can happen for you. Do some digging and find the poets who speak to you. Leave their work by your bedside, and instead of scrolling on social media, take 10 minutes and release yourself into the transformational world of poetry. And if you’re inclined — for the rest of February — to honor the amazing voices from our Black communities that have shared their lives, their struggles, their joy, and their pain through spoken word and poetry, pick your favorite Black poets and take in and share in their experiences through their words. I find the writings of the late James Baldwin as well as Langston Hughes to truly challenge the way I think, and help me see the world in a whole new way.
If nothing else, go to YouTube and listen to Amanda Gorman’s poem with a fresh perspective. There is power in poetry! Transformational vocabulary to be exact. Let’s RISE together and feed our minds and hearts a message that brings us closer together.
Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture.
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