"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." -

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

These were the last words of Martin Luther King Jr before he was assassinated the next day at the age of 39. He was a visionary leader who has changed many lives through his relentless fight for equal rights for all and call for racial discrimination to be abolished across the nation. He believed in non violent demonstrations, launched programs to rehabilitate the slums and provide housing for the poor. At 34, he galvanized the nation with his "I Have a Dream" speech

However, before he could carry out the plans he had to improve the poverty situation, on April 4, 1968, on the balcony of the black-owned Lorraine Hotel, King was shot in the neck by a rifle bullet. Thus ending the life of a man who left behind a legacy of hope and inspiration for many generations to come.

What can we learn from such a remarkable leader? One of the lessons I've learn from today's sermon at church is that we will always encounter failures and difficulties in life. At the same time, we will be faced with successes and recognition that comes with it. But we cannot dwell on our past failures and victories. We must move on and let them go - our feelings of inadequacey, doubts about ourselves, times when we feel like giving up. We must also let go of our feelings of pride when we do a good job, recognition and praise, the sense of self satisfaction when we hear good things about ourselves. Because these are fleeting things, temporary and nothing you can hold on to. If you cling on to the praise of men or despair in failures, you will never be happy.

What we should do is to keep our eyes fixed on a goal, to do God's will and to do what we need to go in our daily lives. To be a good wife, husband, child, friend, employee and boss at work. When we do the things that we should be doing, we are giving God the glory and that is what is most important at the end of the day. Stay grounded in whatever we do and stick to your principles no matter what happens.

And when you can do that, when you come face to face with success or failure, you can deal with anything and nothing will faze you. Because as Martin Luther King Jr said, "I have been to the mountaintop.... I've seen the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."