Life Lesson Quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK service quoteGreat quote about service

The Martin Luther King Jr National Holiday is observed on the third Monday in January. It is a day to honor and celebrate the life and legacy of one of the greatest peace makers. He was a Civil Rights leader who believed in change through non-violence. And he was a great believer in living a life of service.

The Legacy of the Man

I am continually incredibly impressed by the legacy of the man. He did a lot in his life to promote justice and civil rights.

Like so many that call forth the importance of making changes in our world to improve relationships with others, his life came to an end too soon in 1968 because of an assassin's bullet.

Almost 60 years later it is good to be reminded of some of the most powerful life lesson quotes from Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Here are some of my favorites:

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.

People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.

We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.

We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. 

Let's face it, those are really fine words to live by. We all need to overcome our difficulties with "others" and realize we each have a right to dignity, to pursue our dreams, live our lives, enjoy peace and happiness and also honor each person's unique life story.

Yes, King is gone, but not forgotten.

One of the best ways to honor him is to take his words to heart and try practicing what he preached.

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