“Go forth and conquer your world — not with guns or just ambition, but with your intelligence, your compassion, your humor, your faith, and your vision for a more promising and peaceful tomorrow!”
With our Quote of the Week, we convey a simple message to all who are looking around and wondering how they can engage with the world around them to make a positive difference. Sarge’s message to us is to look within, use the tools we have, and start from where are in order to create “a more promising and peaceful tomorrow.”
Taken from Sargent Shriver’s Remarks at the 2004 Marymount University Commencement, this week’s quote is from one of the last speeches in our collection. In addition to the transcript, we are pleased to share with you the video of the speech; we invite you to visit our website to see Sargent Shriver say these words himself. In his remarks, he looks back at the ways in which he, in his words, “was able to help,” via the Peace Corps, the programs of the War on Poverty, and Special Olympics. Also notable about the speech is that it includes the call to action around which we have built our mission:
“Break your mirrors!! And shatter the glass. In our society, which is so self-absorbed, all of us must begin to look less at ourselves and more at each other. Learn more about the face of your neighbor and less about your own!”
We at SSPI have been inspired by the level of passion and engagement of our community. More and more of you have been sharing your work, insights, and concerns about topics that were near and dear to Sargent Shriver: the importance of connection and leadership; the value of service; and the need for positive action. Many of you have been expressing discouragement at the injustices and inequality you see in your communities, around the country, and throughout the world. And in the face of this discouragement, this quote is a reminder to all of us that we all have the mental and emotional tools within us --intelligence, compassion, humor, faith, and vision -- to effect positive change.
Like this quote? Read the speech and subscribe to receive our Quote of the Week by email.
