I Am The Captain Of My Soul

Well, it would be far too severe of an understatement to say that I waited longer than I should have to see Invictus.  The 2009 film, directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Morgan Freeman with Matt Damon; is a story about South Africa, former President Nelson Mandela, and the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Along with being a stand-out in the category of inspirational sports films, Invictus doesn't come without its underlying themes and firm value-based messages.  The movie's core is defined by its title, "Invictus" which is the title of a poem by William Ernest Henley.  "Invictus" is translated from Latin as "unconquerable," and was the poem that [as is revealed] got Mandela through the duration of his prison-stay, one day at a time.

The poem reads...

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

The content of the poem gives us a first-hand look into what inspired Nelson Mandela as a leader.  Mandela has always been an interesting figure to me, since I studied him back in my sophomore year of undergrad.  He is a man who has been to the very bottom and the very top; experiences that make him a leader that many people can relate to.  The simple fact that he has been both a prisoner and President of the same nation gives us just a taste of the transition that we went through.

Anyway, the point of this piece isn't necessarily a tribute to Mandela or the movie, but rather something that they both put on display for whomever wants to learn from it.  Guts.  Having some guts to be the "captain" of your own soul.  When the world tells you that something "can't be" or "shouldn't be," you have a choice - bow down to the world, or stand up to it.  Without change - concentrated, intentional change; everything will always be the same.  The same problems, the same solutions, the same everything.  Invictus shows us that Nelson Mandela wasn't ok with "the same," and so he did something about it.

In the movie, when asked why he was allowing a hated icon [the Springboks] to remain intact, Mandela replied, "If we take away what they cherish, we just reinforce the cycle of fear between us. I will do what I must to break this cycle, or it will destroy us."  Mandela was willing to choose what he knew would be effective, regardless of the resistance he knew he would face; he was the captain of his soul.

And now to the meat and potatoes of this article - politics.  The reason why I am a registered Independent is because I don't buy into party politics.  I'm sure when the idea was put into place, there were good intentions - but let's be honest, it hasn't worked too well lately...at least not in my lifetime.  In fact, even before parties were hatched in American politics, we were forewarned by George Washington himself, to avoid political parties.  Ha, we put his face on the dollar bill, revere his leadership as legendary, give him his own holiday...but we still think we know better than him? 

Take what Mandela said and apply it to our current political system - all Republicans and Democrats do to each other is "reinforce the cycle of fear" that exists between them.  One party trashes the other while they hold office, then when there is a change in representation the newly elected party spends all their time undoing what the previous party did, only to be ousted four years later.  A cycle that is slowly but surely "destroying" our country.  Look at our reputation around the world - in very few places are we respected, whereas in most places we are feared or hated.  So how do you garner that respect?  Respect yourself first.  We are all on the same team, we should start acting like it.

In Invictus we see that once the country started to overcome its differences and support the rugby team together as a nation, was when the good things started to fall into place.  And so instead of worrying about how we can exploit the failures and honest mistakes of our own countrymen for personal and selfish gains, we should look at how we can assist our fellow brothers and sisters for national gains.  And so as food for thought, I'll close with the slogan that was on the 1995 South African rugby banners...

One Team, One Country.