Maya Angelou Essay Essay

An inspirational woman is that who embraces her times of turmoil and converts them to a learning lesson. She does not fear smiling in order to cheer up another person even if inside she is hurting. This woman does not allow gender, age, or race to hinder her from exploring life just like other people who are more privileged compared to her. This inspirational woman is remembered for her encouraging words that no one should live life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; however, one should be able to throw some things back. Drawing from her wise, honest, and persevering attitude, Maya Angelou is a phenomenon woman who is my inspiration. Maya Angelou endured sexual abuse, racial discrimination, and other impediments but she remained humbled around cultural, family, and community values. Maya Angelou was one of the most successful author, poet, and civil rights activist who were admired universally by many. She was famously known for her teachings using poetry and spoken word, wh ich highlighted the experiences of being an African-American woman leaving in the United States. Most of her works were also inspirational which helped to shape the modern-day prose and poetry (Haigh 1). The same kind of zeal and motivation that Maya exemplifies has helped me to handle any kind of challenge that I encounter and make it work for me, but not against me. When I saw Maya Angelou’s painting at the Charles H. Wright Museum, I began pondering whether Maya ever knew she would end up on exhibits, television shows, Broadway stages, traveling the world and being able to speak five languages fluently. It dawned on me that Maya being a proud woman helped her to become a motivator, but not her being a motivator that made her a proud woman. This character and charisma expressed by Maya inspired me to embrace where I have come from since it would have an impact on where I want to go (Haigh 2). Maya encouraged and inspired generations through her works and she brings out the meaning of the fact that age is just a number. Read more: Who do you admire essay Maya’s inspirational lessons remain an intrinsic part of the American culture even after her death in 2014 at the age of 86. Maya’s most inspiring poem, And Still I Rise, had a very significant passage that said, â€Å"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† (Angelou 21). This passage inspired me to always endure every hardship and  obstacle in my quest of achieving my ambitions since everyone else also experiences setbacks that help them grow. Most people usually perceive that in order to have a motivator in one’s life you have to know the person personally; however, that is not the case. I believe that if a person inspires you without even having met the person in your life, it is an unparalleled gift. Angelou is a significant motivator among women and inspires them to always live their lives open-heartedly and be able to learn, and retain as much as they can and make a difference in someone else’s life. This is because â€Å"people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel† (Angelou 24). Works Cited Angelou, Maya. â€Å"Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou.† 3 January 2003.Thousands of Poems and Poets. Web. 4 February 2015. Haigh, Chris. 12 Inspiring Life Lessons From Maya Angelou. 6 April 2009. Web. 4 Februay 2015.