And Still I Rise - Bishop T.D Jakes

Serena Williams and Maya Angelou encourage us to rise!

The epitome of hard work and determination, tennis champion Serena Williams has won four Olympic gold medals and twenty-two Grand Slam titles.  With her recent win at Wimbledon she ties legend Steffi Graf for the most major championships in the history of the sport.  One of the fifty top paid athletes in the world, Serena inspires us all to find our drive and cultivate our skills.

Maya Angelou, author, poet and leader, inspired legions of fans with her profound pen.  Known the world over for her inspirational prose, Angelou is best known for her book, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.  Having grown up in Stamps, Arkansas, Angelou experienced the horrors of racism first hand; she tapped into her deepest mental and spiritual reserves to overcome what she describes as a “personal hell”.

This BBC video features Serena Williams reading Dr. Angelou’s immortal words, And Still I Rise.  

“You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air I’ll rise.”

The strength of the human spirit endures.  No wrong, no evil can touch us.  When we live like Serena, our eyes fixated on our pursuit of purpose, we rise into our own power.

How will you rise?  How will you thrive?