Martin Luther King Jr.– Life’s Blueprint Speech
A Powerful Reminder:
The importance of Designing your life.
One of the most inspiring figures of American History – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK)– the Spiritual leader and Civil Rights Icon used design as the metaphor for establishing, then building a life of substance. He referred to the Architect’s Blueprint as a metaphor for helping people understand that you must design your life - you must establish values and strive everyday to live out these values.
MLK made four key points in his Blueprint speech. As you read along, we encourage you to take time for introspection, and consider how you could use this blueprint to strengthen your ideas, choices, direction forward in life.
4 Key Points from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Life’s Blueprint” Speech:
Establish a deep belief in your own “somebody-ness.”
This means having self- worth. MLK reminds you to believe in yourself.
Don’t allow anyone to make you feel like a nobody. Always feel that your life has significance.
Determination to discover your life’s work.
Once you’ve decided what you want to “be” in life - do it as if it was a calling from god.
Study hard - and watch as doors of opportunity open and be ready to walk through these doors.
Be the Best at whatever you are.
Achieve excellence in everything you do.
Do a Good Job : and even if it is a small job - do it to better than it’s ever been done.
Have integrity in the work you do.
A commitment to the eternal principles.
Beauty, Love and Eternal Justice.
Don’t allow anybody to cause you to loose your self respect.
However old or young you are - you have a responsibility to make you life and your nation a better place to live. You must be involved in the struggle and justice of freedom.
You must not give yourself to things that do not solve problems - be a problem solver.
He Chose Specific References to Educate, Align & Inspire
There is an importance to the references you make. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. drops a ton of knowledge through his use of references in his Blueprint speech. This offers an alignment and in some cases exapansion of intellect. Sharing these references brings vision, confidence, alignment, and inspiration to his audience.
As you consider designing your life, what are the references you consider to be in alignement with what you wish to see and experience as possible?
Here are some of the references MLK shared during the speech.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Michelangelo
Beethoven
Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera
Shakespeare
Booker T Washington
Marian Anderson and Sibelius of Finland
Roland Hayes
George Washington Carver
Ralph Bunche
Jackie Robinson & Willie Mays
Jesse Owens
Joe Lewis & Muhammad Ali
Langston Hughes
